Quai Branly

The Musée du Quai Branly houses one of the most important collections of African art in the world.  Isabelle and I started here . .

The museum is huge and we had explored only the section on African art before taking a break. We had a snack and enjoyed the view from the cafe in the middle of the gardens.

I'll go back another day to see the Asian, Oceanic, and Americas collections.
If you don't live in Paris you can always take a virtual tour here.

PHQ4

 My friend Isabelle was recently in town visiting from Denver. We decided to visit the Musée du Quai Branly which houses collections of indigenous art and cultural artifacts from Africa, Asia, Oceana, and the Americas.

While waiting for Isabelle to arrive, I revisited the outdoor photo exhibit sponsored by the museum which features photographs of people from all over the world. I happened to pass by as the director of the exhibit was filming an introduction to the concept.

"Twins" by Rongguo GAO of China

"At a tent near you" by Amit Madeshiya

I was particularly touched by The Car Poolers, a series of photographs by Alejando Cartagena capturing tired Mexican workers returning home from their jobs in the city.

Colorado floods

As a native of Colorado and longtime Boulder resident, I have been preoccupied with the news of the flooding in my hometown. Fortunately, my family and friends are safe and have suffered only minor flooding. Thank you for your concern.

My thoughts will be with them during the long cleanup.

John G. Morris

I've written before about John G. Morris, renowned photo editor of such prestigious publications as the NY Times, Life Magazine, and the Washington Post. We recently attended a preview showing of a new documentary about Morris' life entitled Get the Picture by Irish filmmaker Cathy Pearson at the American Library in Paris. The film explores the work of photojournalists and their roles in the 20th and 21st century in bringing the world's attention to wars and other events, often at great personal peril. The film builds on many of the stories told before in Morris' book by the same name.

John Morris was present for a discussion following the film. He is now 96 years old! He walks slowly and chooses his words with care, but his mind and and sense of humor are still very much intact. Even more astonishing than the history of his long and productive life was his admission that he is in love. Married and widowed three times, he recently fell in love again - at age 93 - with Pat Trocmé.  Ms. Trocmé, herself a widow after 60 years of marriage, never imagined finding love again at the age of 86. The image of this couple, acting as giddy as teenagers, is truly an inspiration.

Sofa delivery day

Our old sofa was over 20 years old. We ordered a new leather sofa in June hoping that it would arrive in time for our friends Phyllis and Cathy who occupied our apartment while we were in Denver. Alas, it did not arrive in time for their visit; it was finally delivered today. And since we live on the second floor with no elevator (and narrow doorways) we decided to take delivery via the window. This is common practice in Paris where almost everyone lives in apartments, often with lots of stairs or miniscule elevators. I wrote about this phenomen before.

And here's what the process looked like today:

 

 And the happy results...

Oh yeah, it reclines. :-)

Arches National Park

On our way home from California we tour a slight detour to visit Arches National Park in Utah. It was a great day for photos.

 

My Mom doesn't look 81, does she?

Summer vacation

We've returned to Paris after spending two months in the U.S. The trip to Colorado wasn't all fun and games; we spent a lot of time in doctor's offices. I had some more minor reconstructive surgery following my bout of breast cancer last December, and I am happy to report that all is well on the health front.

Patrice also had a close brush with the American medical establishment. He sprained a knee on the 4th of July and also spent many hours with doctors and medical tests. Fortunately, our travel insurance covered his medical expenses which otherwise would have cost many thousands of dollars.

 He is better now, but the knee pain limited his movement and spoiled some of his fun.

One of the highlights of our vacation was a road trip to California when we took my mother to visit her 89 yr-old sister in San Diego. We took the southern route from Colorado, passing through New Mexico, stopping along the historic Route 66 in Albuquerque.

Elaine and Mom in Route 66 diner in Albuquerque

Then, a stop in Tucson, Arizona  to visit the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base where thousands of military aircraft are stored. Planes, such as the B52 below, are sealed with latex coverings to keep out the heat and dust of the Arizona desert and are maintained in a flight-ready status.

Our stop in Tucson also included a visit to Saguaro National Park just before sunset.

 Complete with a sighting of a rare, well-camouflaged Gila monster.