May retroblogging

Much to my shame, the retroblogging project continues, and includes last month's retroblogging roundup post itself. Whoops. ... and also this post itself. I'm lagging at this already-lagged task. A pattern emerges...

It seems this blog has become not so much a timely and up-to-date record of my musings, but rather a back-dated catalog of things that I remember long enough to get around to posting, eventually.

This month my retroblogs fall in two categories:

2015 end-of-year holiday season and travels:

• Seasonal juxtaposition
• An utterly perfect day
• Yule logs
• Santa's path
• Alien husks

Miscellany (also known as the "else" category):

• April retroblogging
• Paris marathon
• Computer-augmenting stickers
• Science-fictional chase scene setting

This post's theme word is monology, "a long speech by someone, especially when interfering with conversation." My low blog traffic and the structure of single-author blogging means that this is a monology-free zone. Welcome!

Freight train in subway

Exactly that: I saw a freight train, loaded with cars of industrial equipment (?), pass through a subway station.   

 It was not preceded by an announcement, and no notices were posted.

 Completely unexplained. I like it, though.

This post's theme word is pharate (adj.), "(of an adult insect) Waiting to emerge from a cocoon" or "(of an animal, especially an insect) in transition between stages of development." The pharate equipment slithered through the subway tunnels en route to its mysterious final destination.

Slippery sign

The sign itself was not slippery, it merely indicates the quality of slipperiness. (Which concept --- slipperiness --- indeed often arises in discussions between the sign and the signified!)

Wordlessly evocative.

This post's theme word is arenicolous, "living, growing, or burrowing in sand." The arenicolous ants were at first baffled by the glissant gel coating the floor.

A fair prospect from La Defense

While in a post-exercise fugue state of relaxation, I wandered into this dystopian-movie-style skyscraper vista. All very clean, and complemented by the luminous sky.

 

For those unfamiliar with the local skyline, that rectangular arch is La Defense, a business district outside of Paris.

In the Paris-ward direction, there is a reflecting pool with a sculpture installation of what look like giant children's toys, each ornamented with a blinking light. All the lights shift colors in a coordinated pattern, but slightly out-of-sync with each other.

 

The photos don't capture it properly. What appears as a uniform grey-blueness across the pictures was actually pretty calming and visually interesting.


This post's theme word is polysemous, "having many meanings." The sculpture is surely polysemous.

The most important supermarket sign

Phew, I am much relieved. This is a critically important part of every French store!


This post's theme word is zymurgy, "the branch of chemistry dealing with fermentation and brewing." The syzygy of dairy and zymurgy produces delectable fantasies!

Views from Opéra Bastille

During intermission, the top exterior-facing balcony of the Opéra Bastille building provides wonderful views across Paris, through the wall of transparent glass windows forming the Bastille-facing façade of the building.

Stereotypical Parisian buildings and rooftops, stretching to the horizon.

In the sun-facing direction, the sunset-tending light provides a high contrast and high drama.

The sunset-lit angel atop the pillar at the center of Bastille.

The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame visible.

This post's theme word is campanology, "the art or study of bell-ringing or making bells." A visual survey of the Parisian skyline displays the products of several eras of campanology.