This is our last weekend in the US. We will be returning to France on Monday after five weeks away. This vertical lift bridge crossing the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth was opened in 2013, replacing a bridge of similar design built in 1923. C’est notre dernier week-end aux États-Unis. Lundi nous rentrons en France après …
Category Archives: United States
Postcard from New York – The Frick Collection
Henri Frick (1849-1919) made his fortune in coke and devoted his later years to building up an incredible collection of high-quality masterpieces which he housed in a buillding that he built as a museum that would be open to the public after his death. Unfortunately he only lived there for five years. You can only photograph …
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Postcard from New York – Little Italy
This is Little Italy’s iconic Italian deli which started out as a latteria (dairy store) in 1910. Surprisingly there are not a lot of traffic problems in New York despite the many large cars such as this typically American jeep. Di Palo’s, une institution dans Little Italy, et la meilleure épicerie fine italienne du quartier, a commencé par être une …
Postcard from Boston – MIT
This is the Stata Center at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Cambridge. The architect is Frank Gehry who also designed the amazing Louis Vuitton Fondation in the Bois de Boulogne. Apparently there is a law suit against Gehry’s company because the building leaks. Sounds a bit like the problems IM Pei (MIT & Harvard …
Postcard from Boston – The Rower
Boston skyline on a perfect day, taken from Cambridge along the Charles River. Boston, un jour parfait, photographié depuis Cambridge le long de la rivière Charles.
Postcard from Boston – Reflections of Trinity
Trinity Church in Boston, recognized as one of the most significant buildings in America, took shape on marshland in Boston’s Back Bay in the 1870’s. It is the birthplace and archetype of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, characterized by a clay roof, polychromy, rough stone, heavy arches, and a massive tower. I love the reflections in the glass …
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Postcard from New York – Union Square Subway
Union Square is our local subway while we’re staying in NYC. It’s an excellent location, at the intersection of several subways and buses, which we prefer even though they are slower. When you go down into the subway station, it’s blisteringly hot. When you get into the train, you’re hit with the airconditioning. The stations …
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Postcard from New York – 9/11 & Brooklyn Bridge
Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of 9/11. As we walked across Brooklyn Bridge, the man in front of me stopped to take a photo of the One World Observatory. Crossing the bridge is a wonderful experience as you are above the cars (you can see the yellow taxi on the left below). We intend to …
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Postcard from New York – Friends and Fire Escapes
Yesterday I learnt the story of the ubiquitous fire escapes on the front of New York buildings. Initially there were only inside staircases but in 1860, two separate fires destroyed two crowded tenement houses. In both cases, fire and smoke blocked the sole stairway, trapping those on the upper floors and claiming a total of …
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Postcard from New York – The Freedom Tower
The One World Trade Center (or 1 World Trade Center or 1 WTC) that you can see on the right, was nicknamed the Freedom Tower when construction begin. It is the main building in the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan and the highest skyscrape in the western hemisphere. The 104 storey tower has the …
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