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Gallery: a September selection (2023)
September has been a lovely month, in several ways. The weather improved considerably compared to July and August, with a mini heatwave at the start of the month. I had two fantastic trips abroad and some fun activities closer to home too.
Or what about ...?
A postcard from Chicago: Oak Park
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Gallery: seeing more of Paris in black and white
On our recent visit to Paris much of the time we simply walked. With no need to tick off the famous sights we instead strolled some of our favourite streets, explored new ones and checked out some less well-known places.
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A stroll through more of the Marais
The Place des Vosges must be one of the most beautiful corners of this beautiful city. Like the Place Dauphine it owes its existence to the city planning ambitions of Henri IV. It was laid out as an elegant residential square where the upper echelons of Parisian society could live and socialise. Much has changed since then, not least due to the Revolution, but it remains as elegant as ever.
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Gallery: a window on Paris
When out with my camera I often ‘shop’ for windows, seeking out ones that might make interesting images. Whether peering through them, looking for reflections or simply enjoying the geometry of their frames, windows make great subjects for photography.
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Video: more cuteness overload
Given that few of us are blessed with the language skills of Doctor Dolittle, probably the best way to ‘listen’ to animals is to observe them. And for many of us that often means a visit to a (hopefully) ethically-run wildlife sanctuary. There we can really take our time to watch animal behaviour, and listen to the experts who’ve made it their job to get to know and understand the needs of these creatures.
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Gallery: a world of British wildlife
I’ve been fortunate to travel and photograph wildlife in many wonderful places. The Galápagos Islands, Botswana, Costa Rica, to name just three. But it’s easy to forget that we have some fantastic wildlife here at home too. That’s due in part to the animals’ relative small size and the consequent challenges in finding them.
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Welcome back to Paris
When you first arrive in a new city, you can’t wait to get out and explore. There are new sights to be seen, new experiences to be had. But if it’s somewhere you’ve visited many times before there isn’t that urgency. New sights can wait for tomorrow. Today, on arrival, your desire is rather to reconnect, to regain that sense of feeling at home. And for me, in Paris, that means a walk by the Seine.
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Up, up and away in Paris
Of course if you want to see Paris from a high viewpoint you can do as many tourists do and go up the Eiffel Tower. Or you can stand on the steps in front of the Sacré Coeur on the hill of Montmartre. And once those obvious tourist boxes are ticked, there are still plenty of other options.
Or what about ...?
Gallery: a window on Paris
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A postcard from Paris: statue of Henri IV
Henri IV was a much-loved king of France, reigning from 1589 to 1610, when he was assassinated. Baptised a Catholic but raised a Protestant by his mother, he tried to balance the interests of both. Four years after his death a statue of him was placed on the Île de la Cité where it is crossed by the Pont Neuf, facing the Place Dauphine.
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Gallery: an August selection (2023)
Summer has been in rather short supply this year, although August has given us some nice days. On the whole, however, it has continued July’s pattern of unseasonably cool and damp weather, again due to that stubbornly stuck jet stream.
