I loved Paris. Not as much as I love Berlin, but beautiful streets are undoubtedly Paris’ thing. Almost every where you sit has a view like this. Cobbled streets, and cute apartments in neat little parallel lines.
I like the idea of Treasure being something so wonderful that people are constantly trying to contain it. The best kind of treasure is – allow me to get on my soapbox – shared; so that it may bring joy to many. That is my opinion and that is also my experience. When I travelled to Paris last weekend (a bucket list oldie and part of my ‘living over grinding’ mantra) I was all consumed by the beautiful city; ticking off as many of its famed monuments and eating my body weight in salted caramel everything – that I almost forgot to visit the Passerelle de Solférino bridge. This is the bridge where couples and loved ones are known to attach a padlock to the bridge and launch the key into the river Seine* as a tribute to love.
These metal displays on the bridge, for all to see, is such a beautiful and overwhelming sight. It’s a symbol something treasured so much that they want to bind it and keep it safe. 
*I may have made that bit up. But hey, I’m a romantic.
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You may not yet be familiar with Onomé Otite (above), so let me introduce you:
“I AM A LONDON BASED VISUAL ARTIST AND TEXTILES ENTHUSIAST, INSPIRED BY WORLD CULTURES; IN PARTICULAR THE INFLUENCE OF TRIBES AND CUSTOMS IN ART AND DESIGN. I EXPERIMENT WITH MATERIAL, COLOUR, PATTERN AND TEXTURE TO PRODUCE CONTEMPORARY IMAGES AND ILLUSTRATIONS”
I’ll admit, I’m biased when it comes to her work; I’m lucky enough to call her a childhood friend (a rarity!). However it’s not that hard to see why I champion her stylised work so much. Her début series includes a fusion of traditional African cultures – the perspective of a woman who is a product of African Diaspora. Looking at her work as someone from a similar background (Otite is of Nigerian descent) I see many parallels with my background. The colours, the subject poses and the textiles. They’re all intrinsic to a myriad of beauty that makes African culture stand out. However where you’re from is most definitely not a requirement. With an exhibit I’m looking forward to more of her work as time goes on.
All images are the property of Onomé Otite; to check out more of work, here on her website.
THIS WEEK, IN A POST CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO WITH A WINDOW. {daily prompts}
Berlin is by far my favourite city in Europe so far (I’ve only been to 10) , it’s so industrial and yet cleaner than most cities than I’ve been to. I love their transport. To be fair most european cities outside of British ones are cooler. The trams, trains and train/bus hybrids had me snapping away every time we stepped out of our hostel. One of our favourite places to grab food and chill was situated on a side street not far from Alexanderplatz. I loved it because the windows were so large, I made sure I got to sit face fronting during the day so I could people watch (Berliners are very cool) and watch the toy like trains chug by on the tracks in the background.
It’s a beauty.
Where:Göteborg What: The Viking (Barken Viking – Barque) When:Spring
Moored on the marina in Göteborg, Sweden this one ship is an illuminating and imposing silhouette when walking down along the water. I love the water, I’m naturally drawn to it and I think I’ll live somewhere like this one day (I do live 10 minutes away from the Thames river, but i figure I might even want a house by a lake one day). The Viking is definitely a hook and it kept us there taking photos and just listening to the water lap against its structure all day.
Lady with the Layered Frames.
This woman in all her glory has to be one of the coolest people I met in Berlin.
Her triple layer framed glasses were extraordinary and unique and she made them herself! She oozed style, grace and smarts (all this I concluded after I bombarded her with questions about herself). I’m pretty sure I’ve posted her somewhere (probably here) before. I wish I took her name and details down to send this photo on to her. She’s gorgeous.
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