Paris: Outtakes

As I was going through our Paris photos the other day, I chuckled to myself to see all the photos that didn't make it to the blog and that didn't get posted to family and friends.

I am usually pretty uptight about what photos I place on the blog.  They must all reveal my expert skills at photography and my impeccable taste (haha)!  

But you know, sometimes the outtakes are really fun to see, the photos that either weren't good enough, not exciting enough, or too embarrassing to make the first cut.  

So, here is a small assortment of outtakes from our last trip to Paris.

~ Breakfast at our rented apartment ~

We hated the dishes (very scratchy ceramic) and loved eating croissants and cheese for breakfast, but after a few days, we whipped out the All-Bran we'd brought (in the big bag) and gave in and bought some good old American cereal (muesli) for a little bit of fiber:

I bought the best decaf coffee at Monoprix for about 3 Euros.  I am ashamed to admit that the cheap stuff was really good and I brought the rest home with me.  The fresh strawberries, which we bought several times, were the best I have eaten in ages.  I wish I could have brought those home too!

 ~ Another domestic scene ~

We drank a lot of very cheap red wine (all Bordeaux, which was fabulous).  We also fell in love with this whole grain packaged bread (which is very hard to find in France).  I know I know...we were supposed to be eating baguettes every day but we didn't (we ate a couple)!

 ~ Edible Mice? ~

These chocolate mice at the lovely Laduree shop seem like a good idea, but who wants to eat one?  The red ones are especially unappealing.  As is the price (about $40).

 ~ Uncommon Eiffel ~

Here is a view straight down from the Eiffel tower.  Scary!  

I am glad I did not drop my camera.

 ~ Bad Composition? ~

In photography class, they always tell you not to take pictures like this, but rather to use the two-thirds rule.  I happen to like this shot I took of a lamp at the Places des Vosges:

 ~Very interesting but not especially Paris ~

This photo fits in the very interesting category, but doesn't really scream "Paris"!

I thought it was interesting how the upper leaves on this courtyard wall had already turned red while their friends below were still green!

~ Photography Not Permitted! ~

David snapped this forbidden photo of me inside the Orangerie gallery, beside Monet's stunning water lily paintings (Nympheas).  Too bad I'm not in focus, but the water-lilies aren't either, so it all works!

~ Shoe Shopping ~

David and I had fun shoe shopping at a very posh Italian shoe store.  David had fun trying on very wacky and unusual shoes and boots.  In the end, we both bought gorgeous leather shoes (mine are loafers with driving soles)

~ Irish weirdness ~

Pere Lachaise cemetery is stunning and we often visit it when in Paris.  This is Oscar Wilde's grave, around which the Irish government has erected a barricade to prevent people from kissing the statue.  Read all about it here.  I am not sure why people (i.e. women wearing lipstick) kissed the statue, but...

People now kiss the barricade:

I have to dig out my pre-barricade photos of this lovely statue

~ Kitchen Gear Hunt ~

I always look for coveted European housewares in Paris.  This time, we hunted for kitchen gear and came home with this lovely cast iron Staub casserole pot, which we bought on (unexpected) sale for 20% off.  Once the detaxe (tax rebate) was subtracted, it cost about half the price we'd pay in Canada:

~ Hot Dog ~

This little dog followed us around at the Vanves flea market after we gave him a bite of our hot dog:

~ Photos of Paintings ~

I really don't know why, but I often take photos of paintings I like.  When I get home, I never look at them again, so why bother?  However, I thought you might like to see this Matisse interior scene, from the Orangerie (which has a lovely art gallery in addition to the Nymphaes):

~ Phone Home! ~

A candid shot of me phoning my mother, in my favorite phone call position - supine:

 ~ Scenes about Nothing ~

I love landscape and scenic shots, but they aren't very compelling to friends and family.  

In this one, I was smitten with the garden which was in full flower in late September (ours was already dying when we left Calgary, so I was quite impressed with this display):

(I was also shocked to see empty chairs in the Tuilleries Gardens)

~ Self portraits ~

We have a lot of these.  They all sort of look the same.  

~ Flower shops! ~

I never cease to be amazed by the beauty and allure of Parisian flower shops.  I must have 100 photos of flower shop fronts alone.  I just love that they take the time to make it pretty!

I hope you've enjoyed this little miscellany of Paris photos that didn't make the first cut!

Happy weekend!