Girl On The Run

From where, to where? The scene is the end of the Grand Basin in Forest Park, opposite the Art Museum, just after sunset.

This is one of STL's primo spots for wedding pictures when the light is better. I think this young woman was part of a very small wedding party. She walked over to my right, had a look around, then ran back to the left. Who knows why.                  

Les smartphones au cinéma sous les soucoupes volantes

This is inside the largest hall of Cyrano cinema and it was almost full for "the Revenant" two days after its release in France... Note the smartphones, some people (including the geezer sitting next to VDP) actually used their mobile phones during the film...

La plus grande salle du Cyrano était plutôt pleine vendredi soir pour "the Revenant" deux jours après sa sortie. Notez les smartphones, le voisin de VDP a même consulté le sien pendant le film...

A "Sydney Living Museum" Pass

I have a Sydney Living Museum 3-month pass, that enables me to see four named museums for an investment of $8. I saw the Museum of Sydney first, which is on Bridge Stree, down near Circular Quay, on the site of the first Government House. Then I went through the Justice & Police Museum, which is on Phillip Street, also down near Circular Quay. My third museum is this one: Hyde Park Barracks.

Hyde Park Barracks is on Macquarie Street adjacent to Hyde Park. It was commissioned by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and designed and overseen by Francis Greenway. In 1817 it was ready for its first intake of convicts. From 1788 until then, convicts were mostly able to spend the night wherever they could find a roof. Where else were they going to run off too? Sydney was down the nether-end of the world! Those who did try to escape, died quickly in the unforgiving bush.

NYC In Exile

I changed educational venues from the Bronx to mid-town St. Louis in September 1967. It was a bit of a shock. After a few days, my thoughts were something like, "Oh my Gawd, I'm stuck in the provinces!" and started wondering if I could transfer back to NYU. I got over it. 

Still, we ex New Yorkers are all over. This young woman could be a student at nearby Washington University. Lots of us there. My sister attended WU. When I, the oldest of four, went to college a thousand miles from home, my mother thought her children hated her. When the next sibling, 18 months younger than me, went to the other big school across town, she was sure. (The younger two stayed in the Northeast.)

The scene here is the walk beside the Grand Lagoon in Forest Park. Art Hill and the St. Louis Art Museum are in the back.                          

Lost in the City

Beneath the surrounding modern towers is a small place to sit (or in reality a spot for smokers to have a quick puff) and take in the ancient walls of the church across the road,  St Mary's of Bishopsgate dates back to 1210.  The modest building of that time was added over the centuries.  In 1992 an IRS bomb that exploded just 60 yards away from the church causing substantial damage to several buildings and killing three people.  A year later a second bomb resulted in more damage.

As a result security and survelliance of the city was implemented and many firms introduced disaster recovery plans.  All of which remain today.