Photo Scavenging in February

Hello there!
It was a bit of a last minute scramble to assemble scavenger hunt photos (organised by the fabulous Greenthumb!), so I am a bit behind but hope you find something of interest here:


February's List was the following lot:

F is for ?

...fish!  Flippin', frightening, ferocious fish!

3pm

Around 3pm of the Thursday of half-term, we were walking to Ely cathedral.

Grain

It was admittedly the cute praying squirrel that I was taking this shot of, but the tree had an interesting grain (not entirely sure I am using that word in the right context? Is the grain the inside of the tree or can it be any textured surface.  I'm thinking I am now wrong.  Never mind, keep looking at the squirrel!

Lamp

Egregious photo but great lamp!  What a fun light-fitting!

Clock

Ah, the best clock of them all!  Big Ben (if the bell is called Ben, what's the clock called?)

Here it is from another angle!


Honey
I sadly have no honey shot.  I didn't want to photograph the scabby pots in my cupboard but I will tell you a little honey story. My granddad used to buy me books as a child if I bottled honey for him.  So patiently, I would sit with the jars, watching the honey ooze from the large container full of combs, watching it trickle in ever-beguiling patterns, playing on the surface like an ice-skater performing triple lutzes in perpetuity and then vanishing away to a level surface.  It was a pleasant way of earning money in order to buy Famous Five books.  I can now look at my book collection and tell you which ones were earnt by bottling honey!  Pity I couldn' t get a shot of those patterns as the jar filled- that would be an amazing photo!

Fountain

I was really hoping for a photo of the fountains in Trafalgar square but sadly, some Russian market was happening so it was closed off! Here's the fountain in my local park.  It's featured in 2 scavenger hunts already.  I like it!


Round

DId you know that BA don't own the London Eye anymore?  Apparently, it is the not-so-easy-to-say, EDF energy London Eye now.  A bit like the now annoying Abellio Greater Anglia!

Shadow

The beach at Aldeburgh was suddenly cast over with shadow from the right when that lugubrious cloud arrived to menace the beach walkers.

Group

I loved this part of the river Thames!!! All those interesting and curious-looking buildings that are all so different, grouped together!
Repurpose

Various items and metals were repurposed for this amazing Water Clock on Southwold pier.  Oh look, it's another clock!

Clouds

The sky was amazing here. Pity there was a window between me and it!

Hope you enjoyed my shots and please visit the link to see some great photos from the other participants!x

If you want to join in, here's the hit list for March:
-----------------------------
March's List
M is for ?
9 am
Berries
Lit up
Grate
Working
Brickwork
Cutlery
Flowers
Crisp
Ticket
A coloured door

Monmartre to Eiffel!

Continuign with the Parisian adventure.  Our second day began with a lively walk through Monmatre.   Lots of lovely looking houses it would be amazing to be able to look inside!

The Monmartre museum looked most picturesque but we decided not to spend our day inside, so just a photo opportunity!

The central square where you can have your portrait painted or drawn, a plethora of painters sell their wares and a dozen touristy shop!  We walked down into Paris down all the stairs and hills only slighted marred by being accosted by dodgy gypsies who conned me out of 2 euros but thankfully didn't get my purse!

We went to have a look in the famous Gallery Lafayette, amazing department store selling lots of expensive items!  It's an interesting building with this amazing domed roof!

On, we strolled to the Opera House and had a glance inside!  We were tempted by the tour...

The walk extended to the Arc de Triomphe which you can walk inside to the top if you want...  The traffic was totally heinous!!!

After a brief stop-off to buy a goats cheese baguette and eclair, we caught the Metro to Centre Pompadour, a crazy contemporary arts centre.  Check out the amazing graffiti!

It's a well known building because all the electrics, piping and everything was built on the outside of the building.  Apparently, all the electric pipes are one colour, the sewage another colour etc..

We went into an art exhibition based on dance, including watching a 28 minute video of the Rite of Spring (I slept through it!)
Then we headed into the contemporary art place which was totally totally loopy!
This was a cave!

A view from the top!

Even the escalators were an experience.

How cool would it be to have this in your front room!  Tweenies meets modern art!

Funky rainbows

More...

Here's a model of the building...

And then we encountered fungi horror!!! We all know my hate of Mushrooms!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*Cue Pscyho music*

It was dark after we left and so we wandered around until we found a restaurant to eat in.
I had goats cheese and bacon salad for starter...

CBC had French onion soup au gratin!  Mmmmmm!!! Gooey delight!

We decided that no trip to Paris was complete without a trip to the Eiffel tower and to my delight it meant we had to get the RER train to get there which meant DOUBLE DECKER TRAINS!!!!!!!!
How sad am I!??!?!?!

I had to take copious pictures!  Why does having 2 floors make it so exciting!?

It was drizzling nastily so luckily (and the fact it was 9pm!) the queues to the tower weren't too long though I was quite miserable as my feet were soaked!
The view wasn't so great as it was misty but it was an experience.

They make it glitter with lights every so often which I didn't catch sadly...

It was FREEEEZING and blowing a hoolie at the top (See CBC and umbrella!)  Hilariously there was a champagne bar at the top which many couples found romantic (we found it funny!)

 Look, 281m above the ground!

 Mr Eiffel built his own rooms at the top of the tower which he and his daughter Clara stayed in. Apparently, Thomas Edison visited them there so a little scene with mannequins was enacted in this, not-open-to-the-public, room!

 I've never been quite so grateful to get back into a lift but I was really glad to have been up the tower!

Wearily, we returned to our hotel, Timhotel where CBC fell asleep  promptly!!!!!!!!!

It was an action-packed day with loads more walking.

Have you visited any of these sites?  Where would you most like to visit in Paris?

I love Paris in the winter - when it drizzles...

Hola!

Firstly, thank you for all the kind birthday greetings that you left- it was much appreciated!  The day was busy but it was nice that the person I share my class with and I got to share our birthday together (can you believe that1?) - she snitched on me to the rest of the class and they bombarded me at playtime with massively raucous renditions of Happy Birthday as I was putting away the singing assembly resources!

I had a nice evening and I received some wonderful pressies which I will post about at some point!

This evening, I further confirmed my suspicions that I cannot make clothes or costumes to save my life by trying to create a head-dress for my now decided "Guinevere outfit".  I decided that it might be the least trouble (boy was I wrong!).  I'm wearing a 70's vintage dress and after several failed attempts to make a conical medieval hat that didn't make me look like some demented garden-gnome, I tried to make a head-dress like this.  Due to lack of organisation or being able to locate ANYTHING I wanted, this has been constructed out of a pair of purple tights, a strip of gold and navy material  offcuts, some chiffon ribbons and hairbands!  I'm going to look a mess!  (I am providing my head-teacher with a hat and skirt for her Mary Poppins costume!)

Anyway, I thought I'd share some photos of my half-term adventure from last week.  Eventually, got around to it!

We travelled via the Eurotunnel in our car early on Sunday morning and arrived in Paris around 3pm trying to fathom our way to our hotel when ALL the streets on the SATnag were 'No entries'! We attempted to ask a policeman what was going on and how to get there.  He very helpfully shrugged his soldiers and said, "You can't go there!"  Thanks sir!

 We stayed in Monmartre at a simple but perfectly comfortable, clean and well-situated Timhotel. I suspect the French equivalent of a Holiday inn?  Monmartre is a very Bohemian arty place.  I loved this shop facade!
On the first afternoon, we had a quick scour of Monmatre and then headed towards the flea-market in Porte Clignancourt.

 Beautiful Sacre-Coeur!  I think this place is far more beautiful than Notre Dame.  It seems lighter inside.  Alas, no interior shots were permitted!

 Monmartre is on a big hill, so the views across Paris (when not hazy/cloudy) are amazing!

 I think this shot gives you some idea of the steepness.  You can catch a Funicular railway up the hill but we walked!

 Originally, we planned an Amelie-style treasure hunt as just below here was the park in which she sets the trail for Nino!  I imagined that this was the telescope she indicated for him!

We shunned the Metro in favour of walking, in order to enjoy the sights.

The flea-market was a little disappointing. It was a series of shops in warren-like structure most of which sold amazing antique furniture out of our price-range.  The vintage clothing was expensive and a bit ratty!

 I had to take a picture of this in the shop window!  Amazing piece of art though I hope that wasn't a Stradivari!

It was perishingly cold in Paris and already after only a while, the cold had chilled us to the bone so we sought food, drink and shelter.

Alas many of the photos are on CBC's camera which I don't have but serendipitously, we came across a hilarious cafe I'd read about in Lonely Planet called Chez Louisette's which still has live performers- the host sings Edith Piaf songs!  It was impressively crowded with locals, gaudy decor and a band and singers.  As we ate lunch, (I tried Lapin moutarde- was lovely!)  we were serenaded by singers- all the staff sing- and a hilarious waitress who danced flamenco-style ON the table next to us!  It was definitely an experience!

 Subsequently, we headed via the Metro to Cite Ille, which is an island in the middle of Paris where Notre Dame is.  Even the short walk from the station was positively ARTIC so gladly, we discovered that Notre Dame was in the middle of a service.  Thus we sought sanctuary.  It was gloriously warm inside, jam-packed to the rafters with a congregation listening to evening Mass.  We sat down and I promptly fell asleep on CBC's shoulder for about 10 minutes, grudgingly roused soon after. It is a beautiful building, again of which I have no photos sadly.

 You can see how vast it is though can someone point out the flying buttresses?!

 CBC had the bright idea of walking along the Seine.  So we meandered along the cobbled paths by the gentle-lapping waters.  It was much less cold down there than on the road as we were somewhat sheltered from the bitter wind.

 The walk afforded us some lovely night time views (not lovely from Kezzie photo-taking point of view).  That's the Louvre!

 We walked up to the Tuilleries gardens and wandered among Privet hedges in a maze like layout until we reached...

 The Louvre entrance which was impressive in itself!

 We attempted to sneak in and steal the Mona Lisa but didn't get past the entrance...

 We must have walked 2 miles along the river, meeting no one.  Then we walked up into the town.
Terribly, we ended up in Starbucks for a well-needed cup of tea and cake, as we couldn't seem to find any cafe open at the late hour.  Walking towards the tube, we could see an amazing building on the horizon which turned out to be the Paris Opera house (I'm wondering if there was a Phantom lurking?!)

Finally, feeling the effect of walking around 8-10 miles, we returned home to our hotel. The last steps, a final hurdle to the reward of sleep!

More anon.

Have you been to Paris?