This one looked promising; so green it was almost
like an alley park.
This wall is a work of art in itself, but with the graffiti and hanging plant it becomes uber-art!
Emerging back onto the street and into the sunshine, my eyes are dazzled by the brightly coloured enhancements decorating this charming ground floor flat.
Down another street it was moving day for some folks.
They had cool furniture.
Because Merisi (of Merisi's Vienna for Beginners asked if this might be an Eames chair
(see comments below),
I thought I should post a bit better picture of it to show off its designer quality.
(Meanwhile, Wayne of Meandering in Lotus Land
stopped by the comment box and confirmed that it is, indeed, an Eames.)
(see comments below),
I thought I should post a bit better picture of it to show off its designer quality.
(Meanwhile, Wayne of Meandering in Lotus Land
stopped by the comment box and confirmed that it is, indeed, an Eames.)
Zip down another alleyway for another bit of urban grit.
Bricks, weathered wood, graffitti and greenery.
What's not to love?
This piece is rather exceptional.
Maybe we should quit now
while we're ahead (pardon the pun).
After all this grit, I think it's time we head off to find a little terrasse and take a little liquid refreshment,
n'est-ce pas?
See you there!
Love your back alleys!
ReplyDeleteCould that be an Eames lounge chair? Took a lot of (ab)use, apparently.
I wonder if there is any urban grit in Vienna? It always seems so elegant. Maybe that's why you enjoy the back alleys here!
DeleteMy daughter had pointed out the designer quality of the chair to me. It could indeed be an Eames. I've added a better picture of it so you can decide for yourself. It wasn't really in bad shape at all...just my addition of "grit."
:-D
Gritty is good, Lynne! Thank you for this charming peek into Montreal's backyard.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're down with grit, Jann! I find that Montreal fairly oozes charm...of various varieties.
Deleteand life feels even better when one gets to walk on such charming streets... what can be more enchanting than a flânerie with the camera? :-)
ReplyDeletei love the last one so much, so mysterious, and such a special atmosphere, it could be a still from a film (a policier? a romance? :-)
The only thing that is perhaps more delightful than a flânerie with a camera is one with a camera and a refreshing beverage at a charming terrasse!
DeleteI posted a larger version of the last image on my Facebook page with this story line: "In a hidden terrasse behind a Montreal cafe, a silver haired woman sits sequestered, smoking a cigarette, sipping a coffee, considering her options. Will it be Italian or Thai food for supper? Red wine or white? Should she leave her husband?"
But I like your idea that it could be a still from a film! In that case, I think it would be a policier. And the woman is, perhaps, a Chief Inspector considering her options in a tough case while having to deal with trying to gain the respect of her mostly male squad. Not an original concept, I grant you, but one I enjoy. Either that or she's a spy.
It's an Eames Lounger alright. There are lots of replicas of various quality out there and you need to be a bit of an expert to spot the real deal. One indicator that it's the real deal will be the price tag. The authorized reproductions are make by Hermann Miller.
ReplyDeleteOh-ho! I guess that's why the woman who was moving was giving me the evil eye when she spotted me taking a photo of her chair. Probably thought I was making note of it to steal later. I wouldn't mind having a fake...though I doubt I could afford even that, let alone an authorized remake. Thanks for the info, Wayne.
DeleteThat urban scenery is very tough and yet has a beauty all its own, underneath that hard surface.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's true. Beauty is everywhere if we know how to see it. And often what appears ugly to some can be a source of delight to others.
DeleteI do like your posts because you so often capture the kind of images I would notice and photograph myself. Hope that doesn't sound selfish, it just means really that I find it particularly interesting to see the world through your eyes cause I relate to it somehow. I have never been to Montreal but it does sound a place well worth visiting.
ReplyDeleteJenny, I am touched that you relate to the kind of images I bring here. It's really gratifying to meet up with others who appreciate the same sort of sights that delight me. I used to live in Montreal, and now that my daughter lives there I'm well able to explore the more colourful places that the locals prefer. Montreal is arguably the most interesting city in Canada. (Don't tell Vancouver or Toronto that I said so!)
DeleteUrban art is indeed gritty! I love the shot with the graffiti. It's amazing the things one can discover whilst just on a walk, right? And I love discovering places that seem like something out of a movie. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYes, going for a walk is the best way to notice things! People who walk with me, however, are sometimes frustrated by just how much I do discover and have to stop and capture in a photo. But then others, such as you, are happy I did, which I find most gratifying. That little terrasse where the silver-haired lady was sitting alone is tucked behind a cafe, where a passer-by would never suspect its existence. My daughter knows the cool places!
DeleteA nice walk and an beautiful series. I like to see Mother Nature can win ;)
ReplyDeleteShe shall triumph over all,long after we have gone.
DeleteI love how you see my old haunts. Those back alleys remind me of my shortcuts to and from school. Especially that first one. It's typically of the space between NDG back yards. Fine work, L.
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't quite realize you grew up in Montreal! There's a school across the street from McGill that my daughter (as a McGill undergrad) always used to think of as the Sesame Street School, full of kids growing up in an urban environment. I grew up in Vancouver, but it was very "small town" at the time. I hardly recognize it when I go "home" now. But I still love it. When's the last time you visited Montreal? I'm happy to be supplying you with fond memories!
Delete:-)
I was born there and stayed until 1983 when I moved to Mississauga. I haven't been back since my nephew's wedding fifteen years ago.. yikes. I do enjoy the images and glimpses back. Thanks for that. :)
DeleteHappy for your company and to be able to supply you with non-hazardous flashbacks!
Deletexo
Looks like you were having too much fun, alleys, murals, furniture, and liquid refreshment... wish I could hear the various exclamations that must get uttered on these sorts of jaunts around town; sitting like a little bird on your shoulder... a quiet little bird of course, not a squawking parrot !
ReplyDelete-signed, a nonny mouse; who could theoretically be a distant little brother who couldn't be bothered to actually sign in to blogger just now, but who didn't want big sis to think this glimpses place had been totally forgotten... not so, not so, just dealing with tons of stuff, and not even spending much time on fb either... but there you go, that's life in the big city. At least the eyes are more or less working again... which is good... so as to be able to see your meanderings here... :-)
Lovely to find traces of you here (no reference to birdies s_itting on my shoulder), though I do hate mice, hey nonny nonny or no! Back alleys are a fine place to catch glimpses of one another. So happy to hear that the eyes have it!
DeleteThank you for the tour Lynne,you have such a great eye for detail.
ReplyDeleteRuby
Oh, I'm so happy you came along, Ruby! I hope you'll be able to join us for some refreshment...coming up soon...I hope.
Delete