Cataclysm over Paris
Before I left for Paris, I knew that I had to go to the top of the Montparnasse Tower, the highest point in all of Paris. I watched the weather vigilantly to choose the best day, as I didn't want to have to go back again, as it's not cheap to go up, especially when you have dollars to euros.
In my effort to maximize my opportunities I decided to get there at 8PM planning to stay until they closed at 11:30PM. So as usual, I jumped the metro and made my way over. At first I couldn't find my way inside, after being told I was in the wrong entrance a few times, someone finally showed me where to go to get to the top.
The elevator was super quick, and they jam you in with about 10 other people. On the ride down I think we spoke about 5 or 6 languages between all of us.
I had finally made it to the top ! The view was magnificent ! Though the light was rather poor for the first hour, but I mainly wanted to get there early to secure a good spot before they were all taken.
It was a lot colder up there than I had expected, and I was rather freezing, and unable to go inside or else I would have lost my spot as the place began to fill up.
Then just in time things started getting good, the sun began to set, and the sky began to play it's drama. It looked almost apocalyptic, hence the title, with beams of light shooting out of the clouds sporadically ! It was so great, I had forgotten how cold I was with my short sleeve shirt on..
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And as a couple of extra little treats, nothing too fancy, but here's a a little behind the scenes photo of one of my setups, followed by a little video I took of the sun setting behind the horizon of Paris :)
The Tranquil Pond
You can almost feel the serenity and tranquility come over you just by looking at this image. This is a little picturesque pond up in New Hampshire, complete with small wooden bridge and all. It doesn't get more text book than this if you ask me.
There was also a couple of ducks that followed me all around the pond as I walked, perhaps they were trying to get in the photo..
The Jewel of the Louvre
There's a lot of beautiful places and things in Paris, and the Louvre is up there on that list. I've been inside 3 times, and the amount of artifacts and pieces is almost unimaginable, I've literally gotten quite lost inside on more than one occasion.
The outside is equally beautiful, the architecture and details are mind boggling; to imagine the construction of such a place is quite a bewilderment.
And of course you have the famous icon of the Louvre, the famous glass pyramid, also notably seen in the film "The Da Vinci Code". It as well is quite a marvel, in it's own modern way.
And if you find yourself in Paris, you may be interested to know that on the first Sunday of every month it's free to go in ! And on every Friday night from 6pm to 9pm I believe, is Youth Night, where they reopen the museum only for youths under 26 years old, for free, from any nationality. But you may want to check with the Louvre website first and see if anything has changed on these offers.
The Top of Avalanche Falls
It was one of the days of the recent heat wave we had and it was almost too hot to do anything, except go to The Flume Gorge, where it's a good 15-20 degrees cooler on average.
I got there right at about sunset, when the light was getting good. It's a bit of a walk up to where the actual gorge is, especially in the heat, but I could feel the coolness coming with every step.
It's a really cool place to check out, from my understandings it was carved out by lava from an ancient volcano, until the ice age hit and glaciers covered the lands, which when they melted turned it into a water path, where once scorching hot lava use to flow. It's rather amazing, and beautiful.
This here is the top part of the largest waterfall there called Avalanche Falls.
My Neighbor Ted
At my father's house in the mountains of New Hampshire, he has very few neighbors, but a couple across the street from him happen to have horses.
They've had horses for quite a few years now as far as I can remember, some have come and gone, but since the beginning Ted has been there. (Ted is the front most horse)
When I arrive, I always see him across the street, either looking out his barn at the road as I'm coming up, or while grazing and he'd lift his head up and have a glance over my direction. He's always calm and relaxed, never making much noise or racket, just strolling around going about his business graciously, unless you visit him with a carrot of course, then he tends to be a bit more excited.
He's rather a majestic creature, always in good poise and trotting with grace.