After several years with wordpress, I am jumping ship and moving my blog to my website. Thank you everyone who followed it here and I hope you’ll continue to check it out! Thanks everyone!
I spoke too soon saying we were finished with snow for the year. All yesterday the snow fell on the city slowing down even the usually busy tourist quarters.
A while back Mélanie and I went to visit some friends from Kansas City in the city of Lille. Lille is an university city in the north of France near the Belgium border. The city was beautiful despite the cold and the fog only added to its charm. Walking around the city, we stumbled upon a True/False favorite, Les Trois Coups.
Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille
About two weeks ago we got what could be our last snow of the season.
This last Sunday a parade was held in the 13th arrondissement of Paris to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The 13th, the historical Chinese quarter, was filled with the sound of drums, fireworks and cheers as parade participants marched down the street in bright colors in what seemed to be one of the most beautiful days of winter. Large crowds filled the streets, police and volunteers did their best to keep the parade moving however people were constantly pushing their way to the front for the hopes of a better picture. I hate pushing my way through crowds, or dealing with crowds in general, so here when I could tell that fighting just wasn’t worth it and only stressing me out, I stepped back and walked away. I’m glad I did, if I kept fighting every Parisian with a DSLR I would have gotten only a few pictures before I lost the parade and the light, but because I left, I avoided the most aggressive crowds, found better light and the best parts of the parade found me with a clear shot. Sometimes walking away is a good call.
At the end of last year my family came to visit me here in Paris. To spend 2 weeks with my family was a wonderful gift and I couldn’t have been more grateful to have them here. My mom, Dawn, my dad, John, my brother, Tom, and his girlfriend Monica Carrow let Mélanie and I show them everything we could and were wonderful guests. Here are some long overdue pictures from their time visiting me.
This was their first time in Europe.
In response to a manifestation 2 weeks ago (see the post below this one) against new legislation in France which would allow same-sex mariage, between 125,000 and 400,000 people marched through Paris Sunday. The demonstration “Manifestation pour l’égalité” marched to the Bastille, waving rainbow flags and chanting calls for equality in mariage and adoption for same-sex couples.
Much like the march 2 weeks ago demonstrators marched peacefully to the sounds of pop music and with support both inside and outside the demonstration. Tuesday (tomorrow) debate begins in the National Assembly on the new law, which many believe is likely to pass.