Yay or Nay?

 Back when we built our townhouse we decided to put in a strip of artificial grass in our courtyard. We wanted something low maintenance and didn’t need mowing. 

We have been very pleased with our choice…I know, I could use some flowers!

 

 

 

I have been noticing about town, or at least in our neighborhood that folks are now installing fake grass or turf in their front yards. Here is an example where two neighbors did. It is a shame that they didn’t pick the same color. I think the one on the left looks more real. Would you ever consider doing this?

In a Target Near you!

 Target is a big box store here in the U.S. A one stop shopping experience where you can purchase most anything you could ever need or want.

 My observant sister Polly noticed this new sign hanging in her local Target and was intrigued, so she promptly made an an appointment and was nice enough to let me tag along.

 

Yes, you can get a manicure or at least a color application by sticking your hands in this little black box. A bit disappointed since I was hoping to find this little character with blinking eyes and a cute name.

 

The $10.00 charge does not include nail clipping, filing or cuticle trimming…just a color application and these are the color selections above.

The polish is actually in these little viles.

You watch a short video of instructions and then the polish is inserted into the machine.

Next you put one of your fingers in the little strap and insert it into the box and very quickly a series of 100 photos from different angles are snapped of the shape of your nail.

 

The little pipette  then starts at the edge of your nail applying polish is a circle like icing on a cupcake until the nail is completely covered.

 

If the machine misses a spot for whatever reason, there is a nail tech there to correct it. Polly chose a very neutral color and was happy with her choice.

Would she do this again. Maybe and maybe not, but you certainly should try it yourself if it shows up at a store near you!

 

*at the present time these machines are only located in four areas of the U.S

Finally

 Okay, for the last several posts I have been taking you along as we hiked from the Moulin Rouge up Rue Lepic St. in the Montmartre section of Paris,

and we have finally reached the Basilica that has such a commanding view over Paris. We did not go in as we had on previous visits.

 The crowds were  growing and our stomachs were growling so we headed down the hill.

These are the famous Montmartre steps and yes that is my Tom. I can tell you those steps are a lot easier to go down...than up! 

There is a way to get to the top if you find those steps daunting. A funicular operates up the hill and you can ride using your metro card.

 

 

Before you start down the steps though it is  fun to take a picture of this building to one side of the Basilica. See how steep the hill is?

 

 

Well you can edit that photo using the crop/straighten icon on your device and end up with this fun photo.

That's a wrap folks. I will now try to find something interesting here in Fort Worth, Texas to photograph and write about.

Walk Continues

 Okay we have finally arrived at the summit of Montmartre!

Welcome to Place Due Tertre. Although this is not my photo. 

 

You will probably find it more like this. It is a very popular tourist destination.

 

We found it somewhere in between ….since we were early.You will find 150 licensed artists (maybe the best you will find on the streets of Paris) who will be replaced by another 150 on any given day and there is a long waiting list!

I would love to tell you more about this square but I fear you are tiring of Montmartre!

People are sitting for souvenir portraits all over the place,

but did you know that they will paint a picture you have on your cell phone. Proof positive…photo of two of my granddaughters!

Next time I will wrap up this walk through Montmartre....

Continuing Our Walk up Rue Lepic

 Once you come upon the first windmill (see previous post) you can understandably miss the view down Rue Tholoze. So be sure to turn around.

If you look closely. On a clear day you can see the golden dome at Invalides

There are some pretty views looking uphill as well.

 

I especially liked this one with the Citroen climbing up the hill.

Ever since I saw this coffee shop when researching on the Internet I was determined to find it. It has been open for around two hundred years and was a hangout for a long list of artists of the late nineteenth century that I feel sure you are familiar with.

I didn't have to look long all of a sudden it magically appears on Rue Lepic no doubt..We paused for a coffee before going on around the corner to Montmartre's most famous square.

 

to be continued…

Dancing at the Galette

 Continuing our walk up Rue Lepic in the Montmartre section of Paris, it is hard not to notice the two remaining windmills in an area where at one time there were many more. Several of these windmills  were owned by the Debray family. They turned an area that was a small farm, between two of the mills, into an outdoor terrace where popular dances were held on Sunday evenings in this working class neighborhood.

The first mill you spot is the Blue Fin. Sitting in its original location, but now behind gate on private property.

The other nearby mill is the Radet.It was actually side by side with the Blue Fin and was moved a short distance in 1924 to its present  location.  Today there is a restaurant at the base of the mill that the owners call the Galette.

Dance at the Moulin de la Galette

Part of the reason these mills are so popular today is the above famous painting by Pierre-August Renoir .

What intrigues me about this painting, that now hangs in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, is that they have no idea if it’s the original. You see Renoir painted two identical paintings. One large and a smaller one that was most recently owned by John Whitney President of the Modern Art Museum  in NY. It was then auctioned at Sothebys for a whopping 78 million in 1990 to a rather eccentric chairman of a manufacturing company in Japan. Mr. Saito declared that he would cremate the painting along with his body when he died. Although, when his company went bankrupt the painting was acquired by the bank. It is now in a private collection in Switzerland.

 

One other interesting fact. The young model that I have marked with a red arrow died of typhoid shortly after the painting was finished and Renoir paid for her funeral.

Sorry I get carried away when I find out something I think is interesting…Please return and we will get back on subject...our hike up Rue Lepic.

On Up the Hill

 Last I left you, we were posing out in front of the Moulin Rouge at the base of Monmartre. Facing that famous landmark we are going to trek up Rue Lepic the first street to the right. Let's go! Warning the street is very steep!

You cant miss the now famous bistro Cafe des 2 Moulins on Rue Lepic with it's bright red awning.Years ago there was a French movie filmed here, which has a cult following now. At times you will find lines out in front just trying to get inside just to take photos.

That movie was Amelie

I knew about this movie before we traveled, but couldn’t find it on streaming sites in the U.S.... so I bought it.   I think I may have to watch it a second time to really form an opinion. Although it gets rave reviews. Have you seen it?

Next thing you need to look for on the opposite side of the street is number 54 Rue Lepic.This is where Van Gogh lived (on third floor) for two years (1886-1888) with his brother Theo who was an art dealer, and sister in law Jo.

 If you want to read just how Van Gogh's sister in law Jo made him a house hold name go Here.

Did you know that Louis Renault bet his friends that  his first car the Voiturette could make it all the way to the top of Rue Lepic and because it did he sold his first 12 cars!

I'll stop here...so we can catch our breath, but there is more to see...so  please come back!

A Hike in Montmarte

 When in Paris recently we explored more of the Montmartre  area of town. On previous visits we usually just walked up the iconic stairway or sometimes took the funicular which are your choices to reach the Basilica at the top.

There is always a crowd outside (and inside) the famous Basilica, Sacre’ Coeur.

This time were arrived by metro at the Abbesses metro stop. It is the deepest of the metro stops in Paris..If you haven’t arrived in Montmartre at this metro stop I highly recommend it. To get to street level though you walk up a winding staircase (469 steps) with one brightly colored painting after another painted on the walls.

The route I had mapped out.

Then we walked down to the street the Moulin Rouge is on (Blvd. de Clichy). No I did not wear the beret all day. Just brought it along for a photo opt.

The girls who were already tired from the climb out of the metro saw the little train trolley and thought we were going ride it up the steep hill…not so. 

Come back again and I will show you some of the things we passed.

Is It Really Hidden?

The answer is yes…it really is but to the chagrin of the homeowners  GPS can now lead you there. From our house to the bottom of Hidden Road is about one mile. Stay tuned and I will show you why you would want to walk down this rather steep hill.

We hadn’t walked down in awhile and I noticed this new driveway. Hopefully not the only entry to the property. I would be kind of rough on the tires!

Someone had mentioned before that they were surprised that it was so green here given this is Texas. Well, Ft. worth is very green and lush. The arid landscape starts west of here. Matter of fact there is a slogan referring to Ft. Worth as to where the west begins.

This little door into a large estate looks very inviting, but I imagine that it is locked,

as is the adjoining entry gate..

At the very bottom of the road is the entry into River Bend Nature Area. Here you can access Trinity Trails which is over 100 miles of running, walking and biking trails throughout the city,

most all of the trails are on both sides of the Trinity River as it winds through Ft. Worth.

Unfortunately there is absolutely no parking at this entry point on this very private road. There are plenty of other areas where you can park near the trails. So if you want to enter here…you must walk down.

Without explanation I will show the blooms we passed along the way.

By the time we arrived home we had walked two and a half miles and the sun was getting higher in the sky with promises of a very (too) warm day.