Photo mash-up #12

For this new photo mash-up, let's settle on a color subject: PURPLE!

Happy purple day :-)

Insect dance

Busy insects attracted by deliciously colorful flowers: what a nice photography subject :-)

Pink zone

Bumblee bee

Clinging to flower

Photo mash-up #11

Such a long time without photo mash-ups! I had to make a new one :-)

Even if the subject is a bit vague, here we go... POSING ANIMALS!

Happy 'posing animals' day :-)

Wooly clouds

I just had enough time to take a few pictures of a really surrealistic sky above my head, it lasted but a few minutes. I'm not satisfied with the pictures but as a memory of this amazing clouds, I wanted to share these ones...

Architecture in the clouds

A blue dream

Cats everywhere

After having considered it for quite a long time already, I finally took the decision to visit the Parisian version of Neko Café - yes, a cats café!

Actually there are two cafés of the sort in Paris, one of a quite old-fashioned style - in an old building with arched cellar, stone walls, etc. - and another one, in a slightly more recent and modern looking building. Of course I wanted to try the quaintest of the two... Much more appealing, in my opinion :-)

I actually managed to enter without having made a reservation (it usually gets crowded very easily) and find myself a little place to sit next to some of the most beautiful guests of the place.

Never had I been so uninterested in my food or drink...

Tiny paw

The blue hour

Sleeping kitty

Reflection

Poetry corner

Having a stroll in the streets, I came upon a certainly unusual wall... Arthur Rimbaud's famous poem, Le Bateau Ivre, was painted - quite the whole of it, I think - on this very plain stone wall.

Isn't it surprisingly nice?

Writing on the wall

Open-air poetry

Ergo sum

Squirrels everywhere

Very friendly and not wild at all, one of London parks most renowned guests, I give you: the squirrel!

They were horribly difficult to photograph though, moving all the time to opposite directions...
But aren't they cuties?

Dirty nose


Agility king


Playful squirrel

The Tube

London metro stations logo is just too clever: easy to spot, easy to remember, easy to re-use.

I've seen numerous stores having adapted the underground sign into a personalized one, that they had proudly put forward onto the shop front. Good way to trick everyone into coming to their store!

Regarding the London underground itself - the 'Tube' as they call it - the first thing that came to my mind was 'Wow, so clean!'. Well it's definitely very expensive also, maybe that explains a bit of its difference with the Paris metro? Or maybe not. Anyway, very crowded at business hours like everywhere, so not that a pleasant experience to be honest.

Let's rather keep in mind its nice logo and the numerous pictures I've taken of it!

Metro station

Underground sign

In the Tube

London pubs

I've eaten in pubs during the whole of my trip to London, there was such a very nice atmosphere in every of them. Truly nice to sit and watch things and people around :-)

From old-fashioned stools to bottles of sauce served in a metal bucket, I could have spent all day photographing everything with my camera!

Pub and eating house


Pub menu


Bottles of sauce


Nicely old-fashioned

Red boxes

I was eager to see those famous red letter and phone boxes again: such an unusually bright color, even though French letter boxes - being yellow - are not that much of a discreet color either.

I tried to capture as many of them as I could, but I was quite a pain for the other pedestrians (being in the middle of the way while taking pictures) so I had to quit doing this after a few photos... Sad failed project...

I've saved a sample of each though, here comes a delightful wave of red color:

Coins and cards

Red letter box

Surrounded with flowers

I'm not sure whether it was due to the Queen's coming birthday, but every streets, every houses were decorated with flowers.

A very colorful and unexpected view!

All in a row


Flowers on a house


Flower baskets

Camden Market

I strongly recommend that you visit the Camden Market if you come to London for a couple of days, this place is so marvelous! It is so full of colors, people, food, and a real patchwork of heterogeneous objects - you can't but feel totally mesmerized.

Unfortunately it was quite difficult for me to take photos there (having a 50mm lens is not really practical in such places...) so I ended up with only a few pictures which, in my opinion, still do not relay entirely the joyful spirit of the place.

I'll definitely go back there soon!

Welcome to Camden

Camden Market

A colorful place

London city

My trip to London has not been a piece of cake, if I may say so. It all began with my having forgotten that my identity card was long expired (in fact it still was the one I made for my baccalaureate...) and of course, I did not have my passport with me at that time.

After a few stressful minutes, they decided to let me go and take the train even so. Pffiiuuu! I was extremely nervous the whole trip and within the London St Pancras station (still fearing someone would check my card again and have me go back), until I finally ended up outside the station, breathing the fresh (si, si) London air!

My first thought once there has been 'Wow! So many bricks!' and that definitely was a positive impression.
A few examples of the above-mentioned bricks:

A whole brick world

Have a seat

Bricks, bricks everywhere

London pub food

I've been to London for some days - that will be the theme of three additional articles if not more - and coming back was really difficult.

I absolutely enjoyed my stay there, with a special mention for every pub food I tried!

The renowned fish & chips


A shepherd's pie


Chicken and mushroom pie


...And the traditional English breakfast!

Insect gallery

A few pictures from my last hikes around: a snail, some aphids and - of course - another ladybug...

Perched on top

Aphids meeting place

To go or not to go?

Ladybugs again

It is now the perfect insect-photography time, and especially for ladybugs: it's like they are everywhere. I can't have a look around without spotting one of them, provided there are some green leaves or plants nearby.

Of course their bright red color surely helps noticing them! Almost yummy :-)

In the spotlight


Toward the summer sky


Dancing on the leaves


Hiding under the leaves