April in Paris

Yes, I am aware that it's May. I'm behind, and Count Basie just didn't write the song for any month but April, now did he.

The weather in April is a bit manic- we get these really sunny bright days that the wind will be incredible, and a constant barrage of rain and hail will catch you by surprise, because the sun will be shining the entire time. Ah, Paris. A crafty vistor will have an umbrella at their side the entire time they are here.

The gardens become lovely places- the hidden courtyard at the Petit Palais is one of my favorites, if only because you can run in and use the bathroom if you are in the need.

My favorite thing about the Louvre is going on a Friday night. They are open late, and it's as quiet as you are going to get in the most visited museum in the world.

But Paris is really the greatest city if you love walking around and exploring. I'm still surprised at what I find.

At night, the area around the eiffel tower swarms with tourist and pushy souvenir-hawkers with their glow-in-the-dark handfuls of nighttime wares. You see dozens of them, like fireflies, darting from one group to the next with their wares.

A sure sign of spring: Swarms of Beekeepers in the gardens.

And the models in very little clothing posing for the camera:

Another place to catch a free view of the city is the rooftop of Galleries Lafayette.

Grey.

When I was wee, the term "black and white" was kind of confusing to me.

As in, this would be black and white:

But why are the old movies you see on TV called black and white...they were decidedly "Grey" when you come to literal color translations. I did not understand why the Marx Brothers were described as being in black and white when they just look kind of grey to me.

As I was flipping through some pictures I took on a recent walk, I said out loud, "I don't remember shooting these in black and white". Confusion set in. I didn't! It's just so goddamned gray in this town, things always look like they were shot in black and white! Ha!

If those women wasn't wearing their brilliant scarlet coats, you would be fooled as well. Also, a note about fashion: women in Paris do this thing where they wear all black, but have one item that pops in bright red (or yellow or green), and then they match their lipstick to it (only if it is red or pink, but I'm sure others have tried orange or blue). I saw the most mesmerizing woman prancing down Rue St Honore wearing all black- sweater, thick tights, coat, scarf...but she was wearing a pair of those dressy "business shorts" over her tights in brilliant red, which happened to match her shoes AND her lipstick. It was stunning.

So I did what I do when I have gray skies (and sometimes when I have sunny).

I shot in black and white. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved the medium, and I will still shoot in it from time to time. But right now, it feels like defeat. It's my way of giving up on the lighting situation that I have been dealt. Pearly-gray to moody sooty gray, and lots of in-between shades. It makes it hard to get contrasty prints without the sun, but it's better than dull colors. Also, shadows. I miss plays on shadows. I have not seen one of those in ages.

Anyway. Here we go.

One thing that I did see that deserved a bit of color:

I know nothing about cars, but a vintage Lambo is sure to catch anyone's eyes.

In the back seat: A pillow, a gas canister, and a pair of gentleman's loafers, in case you are curious.

Champs-Élysées

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a must-see in the city of lights. Kind of sadly, it holds none of its former glory. What used to be a chic fashion district is now a whole lot of mall shops. There doesn't seem to be anything particularly French about it any more, and a handfull of overpriced tourist restaurants and chains like MacDonalds make it a culinary wasteland. It's not a place I frequent, but it does make for a nice walk if you have guest in town and want to see a lot in an afternoon.

Starting at the Arc d'Triomphe is a good idea since you get a nice gradual downhill walk.

There was beacoup huffing and puffing on the way up, as there are a lot of steep, narrow stairs to navigate to get to the top.

The Avenue connects a bunch of landmarks, so it's ideal way to get them all in.

A good tip: The Petit Palace is free to get in, and they have a really nice bathroom. A rarity in a city where most people (ahem, men) just tend to pee where they stand rather than be bothered with finding one.

The fountains at Concorde...

The Avenue ends at Concorde (where the infamous beheadings of Louis and Marie happened) and then you can take a stroll through the relative quiet of the Tulleries until you reach the Louvre.

If you've ever had the urge or need to by dozens of miniature eiffel towers, you are in the right place.