TheVaporTrail

Fish at Namdaemon Market

Kids Love 'Em!

I found these hanging out after passing the aliens in jars and the pepper that makes your head explode (we are still waiting for Scott's empirical data), but before getting to the disembodied pig's head (too creepy to post). If this were a dream sequence or a bad movie or both, the aliens would be dancing, the fish would be singing, and the pig's head would give you some sage yet obtuse advice, like Only the jade monkey can make you whole. (See the entire picture.)

Mechanical Men?

Aye robot

Where do you begin with a sign like this? I mean, this is not the sign you want to see when looking for the men's room. You simply do not have time to parse obscure office building haikus. I stood there wondering if I qualified. The other sign simply said Women. Why couldn't this one just say Men. What were they thinking? And did they alphabetize it on purpose?

Look Out

I took this picture two weeks ago and would like to say I have not been back since. But that was not to be so.

This view is taken just below the view in the Hotel California post, but you can not really tell, because all you can see in that photo is the faux stone. (See the big picture.)

Hosta La Vista

I'll be back.

I would like to tell you that the plants in our neighborhood have grown to gigantic proportions, or maybe that I have become microscopic in size, but, no, life around here continues to be to scale. And that is just fine. (See the big picture.)

Choir Buoys

Just add water!

I found these at the pool when taking my kids to swimming lessons today. I am still trying to figure it out. I do not know which part is creepiest. That they are gray, that their eyes are closed, that they look like they are singing, or that they are kept in a big bag. Perhaps the invasion is about to begin, and the alien robots arrive as small gray children in overalls. Take me to your leader. Oh, nevermind, it is naptime. Just give me a bottle of warm milk, and I will be on my way. (See the big picture, if you dare!)

The Breakfast Nook

A few Euros buys you breakfast at the New Hotel, in Paris. This room was one of the better features of the hotel. (The other was the view.) You have to open an iron gate at the back of the lobby and descend down a spiral stone staircase. You don't know if you are going to breakfast, trying to stay one step ahead of the law, or are about to become a permanent resident. (See the big picture.)

Passage Vivienne

While wandering around Paris in January, I found the Passage Vivienne. There are a handful of these passages in Paris. If I recall correctly, they used to be very narrow streets which were eventually enclosed with a roof. They feel like secret passageways, because they sometimes have doors on them, so you have to know about them to realize you can just wander in and wander around. (See the big picture.)

Brewing Storm in London

Wandering around London earlier this year I found this bit of art (graffiti?) decorating a storefront. Perhaps they tire of American Idol. If you look closely you will see the rain under the storm cloud is many different colors. I only now notice that posted to the windows are probably building permits, which means that they probably recently replaced or cleaned the glass. I wonder what was on the rest of the canvas. (See the big picture.)

(As an update to the Space Invader in Paris, in turns out that this is not the only one.  Visit Space-Invaders to check out the world wide invasion.)

Things Are Looking Up

A view looking up through the skylight at the hotel I was at last week. It is one of those spots I have passed many, many times in the last few years, but only decided to look up this time. (See the big picture.)

Hotel California

I liked the way the balconies seemed to undulate. The reflection came into view only when I set the camera up against the sliding glass doors. (See the big picture.)