Brussels, Art Nouveau, Musical Instruments Museum, and the Weekly Photo Challenge: Atop

I’ve been downsizing travel books this week.  They’re some of the hardest to let go, maybe because I equate releasing a travel book with releasing the possibility of going back to a place I loved touring.  This week I listed Rick Steves’ Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent on Amazon and it sold by the next morning. I love it that someone is going.

In honor of releasing books, I’ll post some photos from our 2015 trip to Belgium. That’s October 2015, in the days of innocence BB, Before Bombing.

On the first morning there, we walked up to the Musical Instruments Museum.

Brussels, looking up the hill toward MIM, the Musical Instruments Museum…

It’s the one with a tower and a turret, on the left.

Art Nouveau splendor: MIM, Musical Instruments Museum

Now that we’re here, we can go atop —

Here’s a view out from behind those Art Nouveau curves…

This Art Nouveau building was originally the “Old England” shops. It was designed by Paul Saintenoy, built in 1899.

The view from atop MIM, Musical Instruments Museum

There’s a restaurant up top. Sam had the crème brûlée, and I became a person who takes pictures of our food.

More on MIM: gorgeous elevator and stairwell

Sam checks out the bagpipes… I’m still gaga over the architectural details.

What goes up must go back down the hill. This is a popular view… I love taking pictures of people taking pictures, especially when I can see their phone screens glowing…

Here’s the picture we all took from atop the steps —

… and now it’s noon on a Wednesday, time for the next photo challenge. Why am I always late with the Weekly Photo Challenge?

More on the Weekly Photo Challenge: Atop

More on MIM, and panoramic photos of the interior

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Hardwood Floor Repairs, Life Imitating Art, and Catching up on the Weekly Photo Challenge: A Good Match

A mistake was made on my dining room floor installation. Then came the next day — a sunny morning, open window blinds, hardwood floors, and work starting again… does this remind you of anything?

Channeling Caillebotte’s The Floor Scrapers?

I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking them to pose. They were already unhappy with the need to re-do. Still, there was something about the light, the floor color, the figures semi-silhouetted… I hovered and tried to catch them kneeling, but one kneeling pose was all I got.

Channeling the Floor Scrapers…

I’d never seen The Floor Scrapers until I went to an exhibition that recreated some of the Impressionists’ Salon de Refuses exhibitions. Gustave Caillebotte exhibited The Floor Scrapers with them in 1876.

The real thing – Gustave Caillebotte, The Floor Scrapers (image from Web Gallery of Art)

Is it a good match? Well, maybe not, but it reminded me of how, if we watch closely, life is constantly imitating art.

Have you had an art/life moment lately?

More on the past Weekly Photo Challenge: A Good Match

More on Gustave Caillebotte

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Water Pipe Problems, Remodeling, and the Weekly Photo Challenge: Wish

I wish the water knew its place. That would be in lakes, streams, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs, water towers … and in the pipes on the way to our houses.  Hot and cold running water in the home is a wonderful 1st World benefit. I appreciate it every day — especially the hot — but when the water comes out somewhere besides the faucet, it’s no fun.

My latest problem started small, just a damp spot in the driveway… but a few days later it looked like this: Meanwhile, inside, attempts at putting my living room back together took a turn — this little desk decided to come apart on the way down the stairs. Sam’s back went out with it.

Meanwhile, here’s a view of the offending pipe – first in the ground…

Where’s the water pipe line? All the other utilities marked their lines, but with the water, apparently no one knows for sure.

And here’s the damaged piece. It’s hard to believe that little pinhole put out so much water…

What? You can’t see the pinhole? Here’s a closer look —

Now Sam’s back is healing, and the water pipe and the desk are both repaired. My house-related wish for this coming week is progress. No more collapsing, no more one step forward, two steps back.

Beware the Ides of March today – and no matter how thankful we are to have them — beware the water pipes.

I know there are more important things than houses to wish for — and I have those wishes too.  What do you wish for today?

More on the Weekly Photo Challenge: Wish