Bloom with a view......Jardin Exotique, Monaco

All along the French Riviera, there are the most amazing views, and the most amazing gardens.....

This view is looking down on Monaco - at the Rock with the Palais, and Fontvielle Harbour from the Jardin Exotique perched on the top of the crags opposite...

This garden is home to the world's largest collection of cacti and succulents, and you wander delightfully lost in  a maze of paths, slopes and bridges as the gardens spread down the steep hills of Moneghetti, always, however,  with impressive spectacular views of this tiny principality....

The gardens are open from 9am to 6pm and entrance is 7 Euros. Take Bus 2 from outside the Monaco Tourism Office to get you up that hill to start your visit....Enjoy!!

Shadow Shot Sunday 148 - Paris

The Jardin des Plantes is a 24 hectare botanical garden in the Latin Quarter of Paris on the Left Bank.   It was first established in 1626 as a medicinal and herb garden for Louis X111, and has since expanded to include a wealth of attractions....

The  long tree-lined avenues and vistas are perfect for jogging, strolling or picnicking  - a lovely wide open space in the heart of Paris....

For more shadow shots this week, click HERE for Shadow Shot Sunday.....Enjoy!!

On the streets of Paris......

Recently I took a trip up to Paris to reacquaint myself with a city I visited quite frequently thirty years ago. It was lovely to revisit all the galleries and museums again, and rewander all the different neighbourhoods. The weather was less than kind, however, dominated by April showers, but there was one day when this incredible blue sky momentarily appeared, and I was able to capture a few Parisian icons at their best. Above is my favourite shot of the week combining the solid blue of the sky with the ethereal art nouveau wrought ironwork of the  metro sign. Have you revisited a somewhere recently, and did you capture a  favourite image of that place???

People go to the polls today here in France  to vote in the first round of the Presidential elections widely seen as a referendum on the perceived broken promises of Sarkozy's first term in office. Here is the latest word on the streets of Paris......

Apparently there is so much uncertainty that a third of voters are still undecided today, and claim they will make their minds up inside the actual polling booth!! It is expected, however, that Sarkozy will survive the first round, and will get through to the second alongside Socialist Francois Hollande - more of an unknown quantity, certainly in the International community outside of France. The result of the second round two weeks later on May 6th is much  more difficult to predict......

Weekend Reflections 11 - Paris

Still focusing on Paris, and this week's reflection shots were taken on the sculpture terrace of the George Pompidou Centre - a wonderful contemporary art gallery in Beaubourg.....

For more reflection shots, click HERE for the weekly meme Weekend Reflections...Enjoy!!

Architecture in Paris - the old and the new.....

Everyone knows all the famous buildings and monuments in Paris that dominate the skyline and become everyone's instant images of the city - the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur, the Louvre, Les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, but what about these two buildings representing the modern and the traditional in terms of Arab architecture in the city - the Institut du Monde Arabe and the Mosquee de Paris......

The Institute of the Arab World was established between 1980 and 1987 by France and 20 Arab countries to promote cultural links between the West and the Arab world, and the architecture itself celebrates a fusion of both modern and traditional Arab and Western elements. Thousands of mushrabiyah, photo-sensitive apertures which imitate traditional lattice windows, open and close by electric motors thus controlling the amount of heat and light entering the building. Designed by Jean Nouvel, the facade is most striking and the building has subsequently  won numerous awards.....

The Paris Mosque was built in 1926 in the traditional ornate Moorish style with its beautiful 26m high minaret, and intricate tiles and mosaics in islamic geometric designs. The central courtyards and fountains outlined by pillars create an oasis of calm in a busy part of the city. Within the complex there is also a library, hammam, tearoom and N.African restaurant....

I thought it would be interesting to view these two buildings and their architectural elements side by side to witness the influence and fusion of the old and the new....

France as a multicultural society has been sorely tested by recent events, and as the country goes to the polls in a few weeks' time, perhaps the integration of these two buildings more into the mainstream of monumental Paris will become more and more important.....Be sure to visit when you are next in Paris......

Shadow Shot Sunday 147 - Paris

Art lovers will immediately recognise the tunnels of the George Pompidou Centre in Paris as the focus for this week's shadow shot. The building is exceptionally photogenic and very striking with its modern "oil refinery" appeal. The permanent collection of contemporary art, plus the temporary exhibitions - currently "Matisse - pairs and series" warrant a happy afternoon's viewing.....

For more shadow shots this week, check out Shadow Shot Sunday by clicking here......Enjoy!!

Shadow Shot Sunday 146 - Cap D'Ail

The French Riviera is dotted with beautiful Belle Epoque villas from the turn of the century all featuring these charming architectural details. These delightful figures all adorn villas in my little town of Cap D'Ail, and I walk past them every day. Wouldn't you just love to have lived here in its Belle Epoque heyday??

For more shadow shots this week click HERE for Shadow Shot Sunday....Enjoy!!

Weekend Reflections 10 - Cannes

This was taken on a beautiful Spring day in Cannes, and I loved the way the pattern of the clouds is reflected in the water, which is the reason why I put the boats and masts in the harbour out of the way at the top of the shot....For more reflection images this week, check out weekend reflections. Enjoy!!

The Colours of Cannes.....

A lovely bright Spring day in March brings out the beautiful colours of Cannes from the blues of the sky and the sea at the beach and the harbour.....

...to the bold primary reds and greens of the tempting produce for sale at the market.....

There is much to visit and soak up in Cannes from the colourful Marche Forville to the striking masks of the ethnographic collections at the Musee de la Castre.....

Visit the vieux port, the flower market, and the city's old quarter called Le Suquet.....

Climb the tower at the Musee de la Castre  for panoramic views of the rust-coloured roofs of the old town to the mountains and sea beyond.......

....And last but not least make sure you take a stroll along the famous seaside promenade called the Boulevard de la Croisette before finding a place to sit and take it all in....

Whether it is a day trip or a longer visit Cannes is a delightful and charming place......Enjoy!!