Sunset at 10pm.

No kidding. I took these at 9:50 in the evening. I can't call it night as it isn't dark enough yet.

Digital mapping and Our Lady of course....

So, there is this brilliant thing that the brainerds have figured out somewhere probably at CalTech or MIT that they can architecturally digitally map a structure, and as the know its facade depths can then project onto the surface and make it appear as flat. They can then make it look as if it moves, or is in the sunlight, on fire and so forth. They did this for the festival de Notre Dame on Notre Dame, which was something the Catholic church did to recruit new members. There was a live show and things like that preceding the below presentation. I recorded a small bit of it and put it on youtube so you can see what I mean. Unfortunately this was shot on my phone so it is a bit shaky and not too bright. I suggest you look at this full screen, on a bright screen, in a dark room.

The above photo is taken the night before when they illuminated the building and were testing to make sure that everything being projected onto the facade was matching up with the actual structure of what is on the facade. All the saint's robes were colored, and faces were drawn, and every detail was recreated. It was really quite amazing to see the entire building animated, as if it really moved. Video capture really doesn't do it justice. They are doing this more and more, so I think it will some come to a place near you.

Paintings show us things we've already seen

Hello there. I saw this (below) and thought to myself, this didn't just happen in romantic era paintings, it still happens today, and of course this got the ball rolling in my head. Perhaps my thought is true that paintings show us things that we already know, just in a new and unexpected way. Moreover it is showing us through the eyes of an editor of sorts, we are being shown something quite specifically through their perception of reality. Of course after that there is an argument that one isn't being shown actuality, but a fiction based in fact, lah di dah art speak. Enough of that; over all this was just quite beautiful. Lune sur la fleuve et cetera...

Also, just a quick update. Look at what is going on behind Our Lady's in the garden; pansies out. What's next? Guesses? More gothic garden or something a bit golden summer style.  The funny thing that still amazes me is that in the US this would've just stayed as a garden. No need to rip it out and start again from scratch, though if they are doing this twice a year, then not so bad as a whole and none of that just green kind of run down, on its last ends kind of garden.

Voitures j'adore CitroenDS, Autobianchi 112A

 

Gloaming cycle

Ah! Mmm...Sterr? Damn!

 

 So this is pretty much how it started. We got off of the Thalys train from Paris, which took only a 3 hour ride. Out of the Centraal Station towards the water as that is where my google map on my phone decided we needed to go to. A very nice Dutch lady helped us figure out which ferry we needed to take and off we went. Across the sound, or bay, it wasn't a canal as it was way too wide, we noticed it was a bit run down, crunchy and very Williamsburg, Brooklyn looking, which to me made my heart sing. It just ended up being grungy, but we made it towards the right place, and near our hotel. It was cool to see this Russian sub parked next to our hotel. We turned around after we attempted to check in, and started walking around, and immediately fell in LOVE with the hand painted signage. I mean, its not even a font, it completely freehand, uneven and wonderful!

 Oh dear...

 I am in love

 Amstel never looked so good.

 I have carved a couple of things in my day. This is no easy feat, was probably completely freehand carved by a master mason, and look at the tops of the "A". It is a broken line, requiring several chops and taps.

 This pretty much typifies the dutch weekend ethic. This is strung between a tree and a lightpost, and just says, heck yeah world. I am taking the day off.

 creepy. but so good. I love the repetition of things.

 This is about as close to the Rijksmuseum as there was a line forever long. It is pretty from the outside and they have a glockenspiel which chimed every 15 minutes or so, quite nicely.

 I didn't even wonder what was on tap. I was lost at the window.

 Here my brain nearly exploded. You can see me in my shroud of Turin refelction that I am agog, mouth open, looking at this paint as well as the french polish on the door. Kaboom, and fizzle, there goes the cerebellum.

 This is fun, as the buildings are parallel to the canal, but if you look behind the facade they are at an oblique angle from the face, kind of like a fun drawing you do when talking on the phone forever. Lots of directional cubes.

 This is probably called the kiddiewågjon. A fun way to tote them or stuff around.

 Continental Botel breakfast.

 Thar she blows, Botel, the hotel on a boat. It was funny, and I am really glad we didn't leave our stuff there in the morning when they said we couldn't leave our things in our rooms.

Centraal station, a bit earlier than we had planned, but it was a needed thing to get home again. Amsterdam is great if you're looking to pay for sex, see some drugs, and smoke your brain away.

Last two days a la velib'

I've been pal-ing around with a pal, seeing sights, and riding bikes, 17 miles (minimum) not so bad. At least this bike has breaks.

 This drain fixture is amazing. I love the bulbousness of it, as you can see how the action is inside.

 Fixy française. Brooks saddle, plain black frame, wine box strapped to the front

 My name in lights, er uh, stone in Montparnasse... 'cause I'm hard!

Art deco drainage gutter, from the elevated plots down to the street. Kind of great, and really quite beautiful.

Forgot this sugar cube....

 

Alfa Romeo, like you do...

Daddies' sugar

Well, some of it. I mean there's only about $200,000,000 worth of cars in here. (that's the low estimate)

April Fools!

Ha ha. You thought I was going to post something for the entire month. Right!


Actually it was absurdly busy at work, though that isn't an excuse, just a statement of fact. El Jeffe came to visit and brought along some of his carriages so we had to spic and span the place, and turn it into a palais faux royale. To those concerned, please see below the shots from April. It is kind of insane, but kind of good that I get to bombard you with an entire month's novelty (well, at least to me) all at once.

 Spring has sprung and so have the tulips. The french are ruthless though. Once they get to that sprawled open stage, as opposed to letting them just fall, off with their heads. I guess Marie Antoinette was just a symbol of what the gardening establishment was up to. Cut off the youth before it grows ugly.

 This brilliant parking job made me just laugh. This intersection is for cars going in 2 directions. You turn to the right or if you are coming from behind the truck you turn left. Only thing concerning is that there is only about a foot between the end of the truck and the sidewalk poles.

 I think I may have posted this but I love how France is the kind of Lorax for the trees. How great.

 More spring flowers, but dark. I love it. Gothic spring.

 Mirror, mirror; how awesome is this mirror? It echoes the awning beneath it to the right. So graphic and dadaist in a way.

 This day was amazing. It got to about 85 and almost sunburn-y. Here at the canal there were ducklings everywhere and they were so so excruciatingly cute. The canal is Paris' equivalent of McCarren Park in Williamsburg, and all are equally clothed in american apparel style or drippy hipstery.

 Yeah its so spring...we just rake our petals like garbage or unwanted leaves.

 This pile probably weighs about 5 pounds. Its like seeing feathers in comparison with lead; its so voluminous and the smell is incredible, not that lead smells much, unless its molten. It tastes good...err.

 Why fix it, just prop it up? Hammer some 2x4s together and keep him standing. (wall is masculine)

 Gothic garden again, which is situated behind Notre Dame surrounding the fountain.

 I love the new bi-colored leaves. The pale side is almost silver.

 The moon, the moon, the pascal moon. Easter is the next Sunday. This one happened on Good Friday.; which is kind of nice when it works out that way. 

 Did I mention its enormity?

 Yes huge. For those of you have ever tried to take a picture of the moon you realize this is huge for it to show up this size, plus it wasn't even the once in every 19 years super moon.

 C'est pas du bois, c'est faux bois.

 What a pastoral sunset looking from the pont du Carrousel. That's Musee d'Orsay to the left.

 These colorful demons were at the flower market. I didn't know they had birds too. Its too bad the colors are so washed out, but these birds were so brilliant, I almost would like one....

...stuffed.