Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'beard / shave' ~ I shaved most of my beard off today to look a bit more presentable for a new video-based English course I'm creating. So this pic is a tribute to the old hairy version. Did you recognise me? VOCABULARY: 'beard' ~ The
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'reflection' ~ A time for reflection with this burnt beaut on a Sunday afternoon, thanks to the port at the Bastille in Paris with its little park, and a little post-processing magic. And what are we reflecting on today? Why, life, the
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'addiction' ~ I probably have several addictions, but this is one of the worst; no, not Stevia sweetener; coffee! Caffeine, the brown bitter stuff. That's right. I dare not tell you how many cups I drink a day. But now you know why I n
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPICS of the DAY: 'holy / steeple / spire' ~ Holy steeple, Batman! Have you ever seen anything like it? A church steeple with its spire shot full of holes! All the better to let God in, I suppose. Or let our sins out, maybe... VOCABULARY: 'holy' ~ rela
Paris Set Me Free:
WORD of the DAY: 'exceptional' ~ Today is the 18th birthday of an exceptional girl who is now a young woman: my daughter Angelina. She's beautiful, talented and ambitious, and that's just the good stuff ;-) Happy birthday my love. VOCABULARY: 'exceptiona
Paris Set Me Free:
WORD of the DAY: 'legendary' ~ I often pass the now-legendary Shakespeare and Company book shop. And when I do, it's always a non-insignificant event, even if I just cast an eye in its general direction as I hurry past for my train back out to the suburb
Paris Set Me Free:
WORD of the DAY: 'spring-cleaning' ~ The sun is shining, the birds are singing - I think this calls for a bit of spring-cleaning; let's get this house in order! VOCABULARY: 'spring-cleaning' ~ This is when you clean your house, or anywhere in fact... real
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'keyboard' ~ A five-year-old and a cheap noisy electronic keyboard with some horrible pre-programmed tunes is not the ideal recipe for a relaxing Sunday afternoon. VOCABULARY: 'keyboard' ~ the keys you press on a piano to make music; a
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'Easter / hidden' ~ On Easter Sunday Léo looked for eggs in the garden, which weren't difficult to find, considering the garden is tiny and there were about 50 of the things 'hidden' all over the place. VOCABULARY: 'Easter' : A holiday
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'radar / trap' ~ The curse of all motorists who don't pay attention to the speed limit: the (dreaded) radar! How often have you fallen into the trap?! VOCABULARY: 'radar' ~ A system which can detect the position and speed of things lik
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'begging bowl' ~ The idea of a begging bowl goes back a long way - millennia (1000s of years) but unfortunately it is still around today. And with more people on the planet than ever, there are probably more begging bowls than ever bef
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'puddles' ~ On a rainy day in Paris at least I get the chance to take some puddle pics. And luckily there's always something interesting to catch in the reflections. Like the top of the Bastille Column and its angel you can see here! V
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'standstill' ~ Everything seemed to come to a complete standstill a couple of days ago as the moon eclipsed the sun. The world held its breath... And then..? It was back to the terrorist attacks and posturing politicians and business a
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'abandoned' ~ This particularly vividly violent pink bag was abandoned at the base of a tree in the 'Jardin de Luxembourg' last weekend. A sorry fate for such a splendid item. I wonder what its story is! VOCABULARY: 'abandoned' ~ Left
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'monopoly' ~ No, I don't have a monopoly on producing wild, crazy, over-processed rainbow pics, although it might seem like I do! My son, on the other hand, does tend to monopolise this game. If he doesn't win, well, we just keep on pl
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPICS of the DAY: 'smoke / steam' ~ Is it smoke or is it steam? Spewing out white fumes on the edge of the city, let's hope this tall chimney is guilty of the latter: steam, much less dangerous than smoke! WORDPICS of the DAY: 'smoke' ~ The dangerous f
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'microwave' ~ The 'convenience' of the microwave is probably responsible for more unhealthy meals than any other single modern invention. Throw it in, hit the button, and in three minutes it's ready: 300 grams and 750 calories of pure
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'dusk' ~ Dusk is a wonderful time for photography - that time between day and night when the sky darkens richly and the colours pop! VOCABULARY: 'dusk' ~ When the sun sets and it gets dark. The opposite of 'dawn', when the sky gets lig
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'footwear' ~ These bright red boots belong to a young lady spotted in the metro with a serious message to share regarding footwear; 'Be red... or be dead!' VOCABULARY: 'footwear' ~ What you put on your feet, be it shoes, sandals, flip-
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPICS of the DAY: 'homeless / affluent' ~ The number of homeless people on the streets of many great European capitals, like here in the affluent business district La Defense near Paris, is always shocking. VOCABULARY: 'homeless' ~ Someone is 'homeless
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'escalator' ~ Anyone who uses public transport probably spends a surprising amount of time doing two things: either admiring a large variety of carefully cultivated calves; or staring down on people's expensive hairdos or bald heads. L
Paris Set Me Free:
EXPRESSION of the DAY: 'safe and sound' ~ HUGE panic. Tears we're spilt. Bad words we're said. Daddy and Léo LOST DOUDOU! I don't know who was most upset: the son or the mother! But now he is back home, safe and sound. We FOUND DOUDOU! Hurray, and phew! W
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'anticlimax' ~ Today's 'total eclipse of the son' was, in fact, an enormous anticlimax. It was cloudy! Where I live anyway. Never mind. Thanks to television I 'saw' it anyway... VOCABULARY: 'anticlimax' ~ When we think something will b
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'eggcup/soft-boiled' ~ The eggcup is probably my favourite breakfast (or teatime) table item. There's something very cute about these characterful little soft-boiled-egg holders. This yellow chicken is Léo's favourite too! VOCABULARY:
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'frame' ~ Grimy Paris train stations often offer intriguing spontaneous frames for some of the modern mini psychodramas which play out daily within their weary walls... VOCABULARY: 'frame' A frame is something we put around a picture t
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'porridge' ~ What, you may very we'll be asking, is this? And the answer is 'porridge' my friends! When I was young, growing up in a Scottish family, we would eat porridge for breakfast made traditionally with water and salt - yum :-/
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'overload' ~ You've probably heard of '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea', that great novel by Jules Verne. Well what about '20,000 E-mails Drowning Me'? How's that for inbox overload! VOCABULARY: 'overload' ~ A situation or sensation of to
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'pride' ~ I don't know if the name of this boat is Portuguese Pride' or not but 'pride' would be a good word to describe what this young girl is feeling, proudly parading with her splendid green and red sailed boat in the Jardin de Lux
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'case' ~ Either this is a case of fervent nationalism or... it's just a funky case! In any case it's funky, whatever the case my be! VOCABULARY: 'case' ~ A 'case' can be a specific situation or example, or an investigation or, as here,
Paris Set Me Free:
WORDPIC of the DAY: 'anonymous' ~ Whose knees be these? Anonymous legs, feet and various appendages are the daily lot of the inveterate commuter. And we will never know! VOCABULARY: 'anonymous' ~ Without a name. We don't know who did something, or who is
