Docked and covered

    Today we had a pleasant 45 F and it was hard to imagine that snow and ice soon will hide everything.    Boat owners know and are prepared accordingly!

Eterneller

Middle of November it is pleasant to find a group of daisies growing on a playground. They will last through Winter and will be in competition in Spring when the real daisies are showing up.

Lusthusporten

No blue sky today but a very blue gate to the large Royal park. Once closed for royal hunting now open to everyone.  All year long and in all weather.

International Stockholm

.l 

Decisions, decisioons - once it was only a hot dog with or without bread. 

Constant Upkeep

Versailles - the largest palace in Europe which was built in the 17th century has at least five million visitors every year.  The combination of palace, park, statues and fountains built for the Sun King Louis XIV is still a monument to his absolute power.  The space, the size and the history is admired by everyone who visits this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Two weeks ago a major renovation of the Latona fountain has begun and will last at least 16 months. During this time visitors are invited to follow the work of the many artisans involved in the repair from a platform.

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/news-/events/vie-scientifique/restauration-du-bassin-de-latone-en 

The sculptures at the South side entrance to the park are waiting to be renovated and it is sad to see their beauty still covered under moss and dirt.

"Faire la queue"

 Sunday afternoon is perhaps not the best time to visit the Orangerie to see the Monet paintings - look at this line!  We continued to the Grand Palais, where an exhibition on Felix Valotton should be very good.

No, seems too long of a wait in the rain, let's continue around the corner to the Palais de la decouverte.

Yes, we understand, that it is one hour waiting time from this sign to the entrance.

But the line continues and it will be more then two hours to see "Mille Milliards de Fourmis"
How many ants?  Thousand millions?   And only 30 million visitors per year in Paris.....
http://www.palais-decouverte.fr/index.php

The Golden Sphere

This sculpture by James Lee Byars (1932-1997) was installed in the Tuileries Garden as one of several outdoor works during the FIAC  (International Contemporary Art Fair).

The fair itself took place in the Grand Palais and went between October 24 - 27.

Lucky for us, the sculptures in the garden were not removed yet.  Today under heavy grey sky the gold of this sphere gave a beautiful ray of sunshine perfectly lined up with the obelisk of Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe.

The "Tuileries Colored Sculpture" by Sam Falls closer to the Louvre is supposed to change colors under the impact of sunshine.   Sam Falls living in California was perhaps not aware of the lack of sunlight here in Paris in the Fall.

http://www.fiac.com/fr/tuileries2013.html?lg=en