what happens in the middle of nowhere
There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.
-Bern Williams
good norning and bon weekend! it’s memorial day so i’m sending thanks to all the troops who’ve worked hard to protect our freedom over the years without judgement or politics including my own dear dad and brothers.
we’ve been working non stop lately but last night i had a chance to do a little armchair traveling and explore the idea of going to a couple upcoming events with volunteers for peace (vfp.org) this summer. below are two happening in july. there’s something for everyone including boys and girls, single adults and families. they’re held all over the world and range from archaeological digs to bringing clean water to communities in need. the sky’s the limit! normally i’d never travel to the mountains or far inland as a coastal lover. still these are good jump offs to start an overseas trip. take a look at the site and if you decide to go, let me know!
FRANCE
The Valley of Wonders (La Vallee des Merveilles) is in the French Alps. There were more than 40,500 protohistoric rock carvings dating from the Chalcolithic and the Bronze Age discovered throughout the region.
this one is near the Côte d’Azur. it’s also known as the valley of marvels.
way up in the mountains someone stumbled onto ancient rock carvings that are thousands of years old. what were they doing up here way back then?
It’s accessible only by hiking which is why the prehistoric site has been so well preserved.
Mount Bego, which rises to 2,872 meters, dominating its imposing stature valleys. The terrain has been shaped by glaciers that ran down its slopes there some 10,000 years ago.
this little guy has become the poster child for the region.
the work will be done in one of the caves of marvels
so many ancient sites have the spiral as a recurring theme. some of the oldest are in france.
breteau-photographe.com/galerie/vallee_merveilles
and thousands of carvings like these are all over the rocks. i’m fascinated with the petroglyphs. what were they trying to say?
Vallée des Merveilles-fr.wikipedia.org
this traveler made a panoramic interactive of the region which he uploaded below:
360cities-vallee-des-merveilles
ITALY
anyway after that i’d head to italy where they’ve been creating a sustainable eco- friendly town from ancient ruins. again, not in my first choice for a travel destination necessarily but a good starting point nonetheless! granara-eco-village-green-camp
flickr.com/photos/franci86/2911938134/sizes/m/in/photostream
it’s supposedly close to parma
and picturesque to say the least
it looks like the town was once abandoned
groups of dedicated visitors have come and put their hands on it to bring it back to life and repurpose and modernize it while maintaining its beauty and history.
of couse you always eat well in italy, even in the middle of nowhere!
youtube.com/watch?v=bv9Bm1PbKoA
above is a good photo video just to get an idea.
anyway VFP offers so much that it’s impossible not to find something to sink your heart and/or teeth into. they offer over 3000 projects in more than 100 countries around the world. below is just in europe! visit their site to open up the rest of the world. in the meantime have a great weekend with the ones you love!
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England UK
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Moldova
- Northern Ireland UK
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Scotland UK
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Wales
from here to eternity
instagram.com/theparisapartment
good morning and happy sunday all! it’s a bright and early morning and another chance to have a great day. sometimes that means lounging around and other times it’s getting out into the world and exploring. i came across this montage yesterday and it’s been on my mind ever since. there really is nothing like traveling is there?
it cures what ails us, sheds a different light on the world, makes our problems seem trivial and connects us in a way that only being there can do. i know myself well enough to know that wanderlust is coming on strong and maybe it’s time to book a trip. do you have plans this summer?
well so, even if we stay in one place we can still create something out of nothing! have a beautiful day where ever you go!
minuit à paris
pinterest.com/pin/29414203788016995
allo tout le monde! how’s your winter wonderland? i hope it’s warm and cozy in your world. i wish i could say this was me in the shot above but alas don’t think i’ll ever be that girl…but i just landed in paris and am about to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
i left miami today and snap, it’s midnight and i’m in gay paree! i vowed never to come again january but my most exciting flea market tour ever is about to go down. i don’t mean to play coy and am dying to drop the bomb on who i’ll be with but haven’t got the OK (hint hint) to post about it yet!
thefancy.com/things/274434105/Paris
we’ll be traveling to the markets and also going to the outskirts of town with a friend/merchant who’s had a stall passed down for over 3 generations at clignancourt. it’s a place i’ve always wanted to check it out and now finally have a reason to go.
pinterest.com/pin/130534089171308132
it was snowing earlier but once the jet lag hit i crashed and didn’t get to run around and shoot the beauty that is paris in the snow.
so instead of reinventing the wheel i searched for images of paris in winter and came across so many wonderful interpretations and moments captured over the years.
parisianfields.files.wordpress.com
while i’m here, i’ll be shopping for my next OKL sale which is scheduled for the week of march 3rd. if you want me to look for something special let me know!
pinterest.com/pin/417427459181689619
for now it’s off to bed. it will be nice to have the next few days at lorraine’s place with not too much on the agenda except enjoying the city for a change.
i’m hoping to get some flowers and take shots of her pretty little pied-à-terre that she has so beautifully maintained over the years. it’s like coming home and just knowing it’s here is such a dream. it’s right in the heart of the marais at the place des vosges.
she rents it out so if you come to paris and need just a little place to hang your hat, retreat or write, this is it. luckily not too many people want to come in january so this week it’s all mine!
pinterest.com/pin/180003316328262507
the clock is about to strike midnight so i’m heading off to dreamland, have a beautiful night and sweet dreams to you my darling friends!
up one side and down the other
hi guys! it’s been a whirlwind summer and truth be known, i’m slightly exhausted and am only now going through the pics i just couldn’t bear to deal with while on the road. you bloggers know what i’m talking about. it’s all fun and games taking the shots but editing, resizing, balancing, cropping, and sorting can take all the joy out of it!
so tonite’s the night. my new goal is to do things in real time cause it’s just not the same when you wait, you know?
anyway, going thru it all i remember how much i love californians who let the ÜbeR foliage grow wild even when it’s trimmed.
totally random non sequitor but in san fran i thought it would be fun to start sending stuff from paris to different collectives, starting with this one, past perfect.
they have two locations and happen to have a space available.
actually the shopping there was amazing, with everything from lighting to big furniture.
this is the space they have open:
so changing gears, cause i could stay on cali for another 10 posts but the weekend took us back across the country to a weekend wedding in lake george. i’ve never spent time there but it was an another incredible hotel and the wedding was of course spectacular.
and i have to give them props for the foliage at the sagamore hotel
and though i couldn’t capture the beauty of the centerpeices, they used champagne grapes tucked in with the flowers and it was absolutment charmant!
on the way out i had to stop by the villa marie antoinette antique shop but it was closed.
still there was enough eye candy to amuse me and the staggering beauty of the architecture in our very own country never ceases to amaze me. there’s much to see and do. what a world!
we took the long way home and stopped at little towns along the way like saratoga and woodstock which were as pretty as anything we’d seen yet.
but i have to draw the line somewhere and just say ‘when’! besides i don’t need to bore you with my vacation shots but do want to remember these last couple weeks. it seems like a recurring theme to make sure the memories don’t get stuffed in a folder along with the pics and i’m grateful for blogging to give me that incentive to do more than just let the days pass by. hope you’re having a great summer and making memories you’ll always remember too. have a fabulous weekend!
les fleurs are en bloom
hi everybody, hope your week is in full swing and that everything is well in your world :)
it’s funny when you go through your photos after a trip. this is the first i’ve really seen some of the shots around town. guess i still have my thing for window boxes and wish i had more but they were few and far between.
isn’t it your aesthetic obligation to have a flower box if you live in paris?
i must say, i was never a geranium fan, but am growing to love them for the way they respond to, well, light and water, the way they smell and surreal colors.
i guess i was practicing my long shot/tight shot skills. the palms were a creative surprise. and probably really low maintainence!
sometimes the wide shot just doesn’t capture the happiness and pride the flowers seem to have.
i want to smoosh my face in them!
these were just moments, behind a door, in a park.
life is so lovely, hope you’re enjoying every moment of it with the ones you love! more soon, xc
everyday opulence
hey gang, hope you’re chillin’ on this summer sunday. i just came from bunch with linda of parisien salon. we were supposed to travel together to paris last week but since we postponed, decided to enjoy a bit of it in south beach instead and hit the new restaurant au pied du cochon. we feasted on pancakes and french toast (we are american girls, after all) and made plans and set goals for the next couple months. linda’s moving to paris in the spring but in the meantime is exploring anything remotely french and just wrote a great article for bonjour paris on some of the spots around here that keep her inspired. it’s great to have a new neighbor/friend/blogger right around the corner, especially someone who knows the lay of the land and we’re going cruising this week for fun stuff.
getting off my usual track, i was talking to my sis-in-law who wants to head to venice. she and my bro have 3 darling angels (i’m auntie mame so i of course think that, but it’s also true), and her dream is to take them to venice. she sent me a link which led to falling down that ol’ hole and i spent more time than i’d like to admit looking at all the great old maidens in such a creaky incomprehensible city.
one of my favorite memories is traveling there with my family and staying in a pensione that was both charming and palatial. i was maybe 12 but can still remember the ceiling, fireplace, woodwork, the scents…it would have all been perfect if the housekeeper hadn’t tossed out the coke bottle collection i’d acquired throughout our trip.
after finding these pensiones, i have to say there’s no other place quite like it and would love to visit again.
i’m reading eat, pray, love, and the author spends the first third of the book in italy.
i don’t have immediate plans but it’s nice to go off the beaten path once in awhile and focus on other cities.
this one is bit much. good thing they went for all white linens :)
but they all have a playful touch. just a bit of eye candy i had to share.
some of these places have such history and character
i’m sorry i’m not linking to their sites
but just got too wrapped up in my frenzy. BAD blogger! (some have the name in the title. fortunately there aren’t so many you can’t find them in google images.
of course so many are over the top, but with others, the simplicity combined with a dash of lushness is such a sweet combo.
they’re almost like dollhouses. (my dollhouse, anyway)!
well i hope you enjoyed a little jaunt to venezia, where every day is opulent and luxe.
have a great weekend i miei amici!
waking up in haven
good morning! it’s my first in this glorious apartment. i honestly feel like a princess, it’s so bright and open and just gorgeous!
the mouldings, the doors, every detail has been considered from the colors to the furniture, marble baths, parquet floors, technology, and the linens!
did i mention the linens? the closet is full of the softest sheets, fluffy towels and down comforters.
i haven’t met the owners but their collection of art, books, cd’s and music is incredible. there’s everything from art books and guides to jean moreau films and all sorts of series.
this is definitely an apartment that can satisfy both a man and a woman’s taste. i took tons of photos and will add some more later as i have a bunch of meetings all day.
outside it’s a new hood for me, the 2e. it’s one of the more understated areas but has so much going on.
this apartment is on an absolutely silent street but the house colette lived in is right around the corner.
there’s a pedestrian area right nearby and you can see the old and new converging seamlessly.
even though i walked for miles yesterday i’ve only touched the surface of course.
i’m headed out now for something to eat. there’s a fantastic passage down the rue called Vivienne. it was full of life last night but i was too tired to enjoy it. now i’m about to meet with audrey and anthony to talk about photographing the apartments, starting with this one. this book is an enormous undertaking but i’m up for the challenge.
rue montregrueil
passage vivienne
park around the corner
this is what i mean about mixing the old and the new. i love the sense of humor and efficiency of these window boxes! ok well i have to get ready, so more to come! i’ll bid adieu for now!
giving in to my weakness
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p214024
why is it that i feel guilty when i blog? like i should be doing other things. like work work and more work!
well truth be told i wish this was my work, it’s my favorite place to be, discovering your blogs, amazing sites, creative minds and well, getting to travel through infinity at any given moment.
truth is i have a lot to do cause the paris trip is coming up and i’m trying to make tons of things happen at once.
should i get into it? probably not right now so i’ll make this post a working one, to save my notes on how it’s all goin’ down. if, god willing, it even does.
so it will be evolving. geez, i see how much i already have to label! one of the projects besides hosting clients is working on a book! that’s right, i said it! it’s about real apartments in paris and we’ll be going behind a lot of apartment doors.
i guess what still fascinates me about paris apartments is that they have that je ne sais quoi. ok not all, but so many have it with so little effort. the above and below are just from a random craigslist swap for paris/ny.
so is this one
i’m looking for a 3 bedroom apartment cause 4 of us will be sharing it off and on between the 9th and 27th.
pretty deamy
i love this linen trend with the box that’s ever evolving.
yum, these wide ones really get me! this is what i mean about effortless. these rooms speak volumes with next to nothing in them! then again there is that ever present view out of the iron out the window. there’s some kind of magic in that…
i’ll keep an eye out for these linens while i’m there. ok back to it for moi! mwah to vous!
oh and ps, the flights are looking really good today! via cheapoair.
pss
just heard from my other clients, a family, and they’re confirmed so now i have to bite the bullet and really go. besides, this is madame’s wish list: a bed, mirror, ship chandelier, linen, linens, sideboard, chest, small tables! how could i resist? it’ll be great to see paris again. judging from the solid hotel and apartment bookings, paris will never suffer from a lack of admirers who keep coming back for more. guilty!
as time goes by
these boulangeries are everywhere, really affordable and authentic french food. the croissant and baguette sandwiches were great!
hey guys! seems like i just got here and it’s over right this very minute! i forgot my camera on so many occasions that i almost gave up posting about san fran. but when renee called to check in yesterday she was not hearing that! she convinced me to retrace my steps. i accepted the challenge, hopped on a bus (love the one that goes up van ness. it’s $1.50 in coins), and started shooting!
on the bus i got a call from lynn who was ready to run around again so off we went on another adventure by car! these are some random hilights
chinatown
market at the UN on wednesday
passing by the pretty old theaters
off the bus you can see so much more detail of course, like adorable toy stores. this was a puzzle in a train specialty shop
great displays
got off on polk street by union and ran into a great store called jak. turns out the exterior was designed by the man who did the carvings at the hearst mansion. he didn’t want to live on site so he created this little workshop that jack now rents. it’s all in the book below:
polk turned out to be a great street with lots of amazing places
swallowtail can really merchandise, making me want everything in the store
tiny crowns in ‘past perfect’ antique collective. lynn is a crown expert and i always look at them when we’re together
carol at interior visions may end up carrying some tpa stuff! glad i went back and revisited afterall and will post the rest later. and now to the airport!
keys to the castle
castle, chateau, crib, call it what you will but the good news is we’re going in! tomorrow night hgtv is going to air a new season of ‘keys to the castle‘ where they take us inside these living fairytales.
this is one they feature, i don’t know how many we’ll tour per episode but it looks like pure bliss
check out more of the gardens here (this shot from perseverando on flickr)
below is chateau brissac, another fantasy come to life
how exciting to get to go inside!
of course i got off the track researching this endlessly inspiring topic. below is chateau d’ usse, said to have inspired Jean Perreau to write fairytale “Sleeping Beauty”. i didn’t see this one listed on the series but got pulled into it anyway.
and i just fell in love with this picture of chenonceau castle by eric rousset on flickr
maybe we weren’t the lucky ones born to live in these beauties, but staying in one is closer than you may think. for a special occasion, visit castles for rent and maybe live the dream yourself one day!
ps: special thanks to bonnie for all your help on this post with links and pics! ok back to reality in sunny san fran!
