Paris

The Eiffel Tower

Now you can't have Paris without the Eiffel Tower, so here's my attempt at night photography. And because we all know what the Eiffel Tower looks like, I added some shots from less traditional angles.



You're not allowed to take your bicycle, pram or scooter up in Eiffel Tower. My moped was very disappointed...

Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Notre Dame

The sound of the bells were so eerie and dissonant, and the building's sheer size makes it quite intimidating.

Now that's what I call a proper hinge...

"Denis, please don't get blood on the carpet!"
For more on headless Saint Denis check this out.

The Metro

Some awesome art deco metro stuff. (That's the underground, people)

Wait, where...?

Die trein na Bellville toe!

Jardin des Tuileries

Some awesome gardens and statues.

This guy was a bit depressed...

...and this guy was being attacked by Parisian killer pigeons!

The Louvre

That place from Da Vinci Code with the glass pyramid. I guess pyramids were cool in the eighties when it was built, but I wonder whether some are beginning to regret the alien shape...

Another less traditional angle.

Montmartre

The Sacre-Coeur Basilica on a hill with some tourists.

Street cafes in Montmartre, all as it should be!

The Moulin Rouge! and some interesting nighttime shopping...

And last but not least, what a chair! (note the shackles...)

Eurotripping

As some/none/all of you may know, I've recently been on a trip to Western Europe...or most of it, anyway. I'm going to post some of my pictures and stories here, simultaneously breathing some life back into this stagnant blog and saving me sending massive, attachment-heavy emails to everyone I know...

Enjoy!

You crack me up

An installation in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern takes the form of a giant crack that runs 167 metres across the floor. Apart from being fun to look at, it also causes a lot of accidents.

thisislondon.co.uk has the following:
"Shibboleth 2007, which opened seven weeks ago, was created by Colombian artist Doris Salcedo to symbolise racial hatred and divisions within society. But in some places the artwork is wide enough for a toddler to fall inside."

I think this actually illustrates the concept quite nicely...

Read the whole article here.

How very German of you

Saw this suspicious looking eagle on top of a pediment somewhere near London Bridge.

Everything is Illuminated

Just some tree and some lamp that looked really pretty for a short while on a Winters night.

Life on Film

Or rather, live off film. This is the contents of the bucket under the film cutter at the Kodak shop where I used to work. The whole experience made for some pretty interesting pictures. Stay tuned.

Postcard #2

Another postcard...a pity about the gently sloping horizon and the photographer too lazy to fix it on Photoshop.
P.S. This is the Thames seen from the London Eye.

Boudica

Boudica was a queen of the Iceni tribe of East Anglia who led an uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.
It was in the Victorian era that Boudica's fame took on legendary proportions as Queen Victoria's "namesake".
A great bronze statue of Boudica with her daughters in her war chariot was commissioned by Prince Albert and executed by Thomas Thornycroft. It was completed in 1905 and stands next to Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament.


Ironically, the great anti-imperialist rebel is now identified with the head of the British Empire, and her statue stands guard over a city she razed to the ground...

Till death do us part

Old tombstones stacked against a wall in a cemetery. Behind a fence. Most of them have names on. I can't seem to find out the reason for this (the stacking), although it seems to be a common occurrence throughout the UK. It raises some questions like "What happened to the bodies that came along with the stones?" and "What are you going to do with the ground freed up by moving the stones?"
Fern and fungi enthusiasts tend to enjoy them a lot, though.

Saving Space

Life in a small flat is easy if you use some creativity!

Peeling Paper

The ads on the underground has a life(span) of their own.

As English as afternoon tea

This picture pretty much speaks for itself...

Take Courage

Feeling a little lost I was wandering around Camden Town and saw these words against building: Take Courage. A sign?


Five minutes later there is another building: The World's End. Another sign...?

On the signs: the first one falls under a category called "defunct livery" which I can only assume is livery that's no longer in use. The only thing that I could find on this particular sign is that it was once illuminated.

Postcard #1

A postcard pic. I'm such a good tourist!

Derelict London

From interesting graffiti...

to disused tube stations...

to Winston Churchill's secret WWII bunker. Derelictlondon.com has pictures of everything not so glamourous about London. Way better than any tourist trip.

Crop circle

Um...what is this? Spotted somewhere in Canary Wharf.

Sweet and sour

Yes, this about says it all...

Station

This blog wouldn't be worth it's salt if it didn't at least have one image of a typical tiled tube station. This is Kilburn Park Station on the Bakerloo line.

Hero worship

Elvisly Yours
London Beatles Store

Fashion faux pas

You've seen the movie, you've been to the tower...Now buy the crazy headgear!