Tag Archives: Art

Dysfunctional Romance in Belle Epoque Paris

Destination: Paris (Belle Epoque–1880s-1920s)

Book: I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira (New February 2014)

Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas–(shown here in portrait and self-portrait by Degas) a dysfunctional romance if  there was one.  That is not a typo. (I did not mean to type “if ever there was one”.)

It is clear in reading I Always Loved You: A Novel that Robin Oliveira had very little fact to go on in her novelized version of the rumored love affair between the American and French artists, but the suspicion is enough to go on. Life among the artists of the Belle Epoque in Paris on the other hand swirls and sparkles just as you would expect in the midst of a gang that included a bunch of nobodies (then) who are artistic treasures (now). Continue reading Dysfunctional Romance in Belle Epoque Paris

Travel Photo Thursday: Say WHAT??

Today I present you with a puzzle of sorts.  What the heck is it?? And what do these things have in common? And why is it a good excuse to visit Tucson, Arizona? (BTW, this post was inspired by a post by fellow travel blogger, Jeanine Barone of J The Travel Authority. See her post on Denmark here.)

Prickly Pear Cactus
Prickly Pear Cactus, but what's it made of?

Continue reading Travel Photo Thursday: Say WHAT??

Travel Photo Thursday: The Louvre

Mona Lisa paparazzi
Mona Lisa paparazzi

When we were at the Louvre, I almost skipped going to the room with the Mona Lisa. I had read about how small the painting is and god knows we have seen reproductions aplenty.  But at the last minute, I dashed up the stairs and into the room, while Ken waited outside.  I’m so glad I did.  I laughed out loud at the desperate snapping of digital cameras and cell phones.  Now I know the meaning of that smile–she’s amused by the paparazzi.

Since this picture shows only about 1/4 of the crowd, here’s a wider shot.

Mona Lisa crowd
Mona Lisa crowd

These photos are the property of Vera Marie Badertscher, all rights reserved.

These photos are my entry into the weekly Travel Photo Thursday sponsored by Budget Traveler’s Sandbox.  Visit that site to see many more travel photos from around the world.

Have you had travel experiences where the crowd reactions were more interesting than the object or site you went to see? Tell us about it.