In Paris, there are enough styles and types of windows that one could wax eloquent about them easily. Versailles Palace, home of the Sun King, Louis XIV, has some very photogenic windows as well. Through the closed windows we see the back gardens of the estate. They also provided ventilation for the interior of the huge buildings.
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| Window in Versailles Gallery, by DG Hudson |
Does a closed window give you any story ideas? This view made me think of the way an entire king's court called Versailles home, if they wanted to be in 'the court'. To some it must have seemed confining. But political intrigue being what it is, the king wanted his subjects within viewing distance. To anyone or anything kept in a cage of sorts, a window can be a source of escape. Windows also allow entry by those who may be on the other side of that transparent barrier. (That would be the Musketeers and knights looking for that damsel in distress. . .)
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Arched, Rectangular and Molded Windows
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| Windows in the Carnavalet Museum, Paris by DG Hudson |
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In this stately Paris townhouse, the Carnavalet Museum resides. Three rows of windows, three different designs. The front three windows have the extra benefit of a small balcony for viewing the formal garden. The museum within has broad staircases, wall murals and interesting artifacts and displays of French history. The history contained in this museum is a great way to learn about France's past, especially the French Revolution. Recommended for history buffs.
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Paris Shop front and Umbrella Signage
(the cane and the little orange shapes on railing)
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| Parisian shops and Wrought Iron by DG Hudson |
A curved handle of an umbrella seems to lean out over the brown original store front in the image above. At one time, the fabric part of the umbrella may have been part of the sign. Now, there are two small orange umbrellas. I also liked the green door beside this shop. The interior of the umbrella shop seemed to have a variety of items. Even though 'Paris in the rain' is a phrase that inspires poetic rambles and writer's angst, it only rained twice for short periods in the autumn when we visited.
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Notre Dame Cathedral
Round Windows
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| Round Windows in back section of Notre Dame, Paris by Green Eye |
Walk to the back and sides of the Notre Dame Cathedral to see the waterspouts which leer outward and fantasy details such as the three round windows in the structure above.
My imagination was stirred. That's a tree branch encroaching on the right side of this image. There is also a wall or fence, plus that tree, between where we were standing and this part of the church. I don't know if that part of the building can be accessed via tours, but unusual details always catch my interest. Notre Dame still has the capacity to amaze, and a venerable lady she is too!
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Another post about Paris Windows, and what they reveal:
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/11/a-view-with-window.html
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Are you a person who notices windows? Or photographs them? Does being in a place with few or no windows bother you? What do you think of customized image windows? (a future vision many scifi writers have used)
Please share your thoughts or ideas in the comments. I'm always listening!
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