Courtyard, private chapel, Arundel, England. Arundel Castle is in the background. This setting reminds me of Seville, Spain, as well as Amman, Jordan. Must be the palm trees, arched doorway and ancient buildings!
My daughter Jordana and I are off to Amman, Jordan. While I don't expect we'll be dining on turkey, we have much for which to be thankful. Hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, filled with blessings!
Hand-written concert program, early 19th-century, France, Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons.
Thanks to all who shared some intriguing plans last weekend! Enzie Shamiri is the winner of a Paris flea market find. Will post her surprise upon my return from Jordan.
The day's menu, Barcelona.
On the weekend's agenda: visiting the city's stellar department stores, all dressed up for the holidays (while my daughter shops, I'll photograph window displays); digging through the cave (wine cellar) to find a particular piece of luggage; sorting out clothes and camera gear and tending to last minute details for next week's trip to Jordan. I'll also be trying to find time for walks and catching up with email and blogs.
What's filling your weekend diary? I'll send a Paris flea market find to the reader reporting the most unusual weekend activity or experience. Leave a comment, with a brief description of your weekend plans. Merci et bon weekend!
Update: Judging from the interesting responses already, I can see it will be impossible to choose "the most unusual" weekend activity. So on Monday morning, Jordana will draw a commenter's name from a hat.
Hortensia, Merci, Paris.
I'm delighted to announce that Megan Butel in Australia is the winner of Leonard Pitt's book Paris Postcards. My daughter Jordana drew Megan's name from le chapeau. Thank you to all those who entered the competition and shared amusing or touching anecdotes about your memorable time in Paris. Here's Megan's story:
Iconic portrait and mannequin, Merci, Paris.
Paris Photo 2009 begins Thursday at Carrousel du Louvre. Photographic work from Arab countries and Iran will be in the spotlight. The event continues through Nov. 22nd. For more information, go here.
"My husband and I went on a short three week holiday having left our very young children with my mother in Australia - it was supposed to be a bit of a second honeymoon. We'd spent a week driving around Ireland - which went well despite me navigating and him having to follow instructions.
"We flew out from Ireland and arrived in Paris on a beautiful, sunny autumn day - it was more like spring than autumn it was so warm.
"After we had checked in at our hotel, we decided to go for a walk - so there we are strolling down the Champs Elysee heading towards the Eiffel Tower. I said something in French. He made fun of my pronunciation and corrected me. He was wrong. I told him so. He asked me what would I know as - after all - he had done French at school. So had I - up to the final year of high school and being younger than him - my experience of high school French was more recent and far broader. He wasn't having a bar of it. Neither was I. The whole discussion quickly disintegrated into an embarrassing public slanging match, culminating in him storming off in a huff back to the hotel.
"So that's what can happen to you on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Paris walking down the Champs Elysee with the one you love. That story happened 12 years ago - and we still can't talk about that fight without it starting another one! I am quite sure we will never feature in a Willy Ronis picture postcard of Paris."
Megan, hope Paris Postcards triggers happier memories of the City of Light!