Motorcycles

Motorcycles, or motos as they are called here, are a very real & respected form of transportation, much more so here than in the US. Here motorbikes are constantly zipping in & out of traffic or whizzing by.


You see them parked everywhere & to me there is something compelling about the juxtaposition of these contemporary machines & the old world charm in which they coexist.



I am drawn to the beauty & sculptural elements of these shiny chrome vehicles.


Some are modern versions of retro bikes. I am clearly not the only one that appreciates their sculptural beauty.


I simply liked the composition of this photo, the Leonart , the colors of the pipes & the bottles in the window & the circular sphere in the road.



Sometimes you do not know what you have taken until you get home & look at your photos. That was the case of the photo above. I had not seen the red sign with the swastika when I took the photo of the white Vespa parked next to a cafe. I was horrified when I saw it & asked a friend about its meaning. She assured me that it is an advert for a respected journal which had a probing article on Nazism. I was so disturbed by the photo that I thought of not using it. However, there was just something eerily chilling & a reminder of a dark past that was both repelling & at the same time compelling to me.



On a lighter note here I came upon a vintage motorbike parked near a pristine dove grey Doux Chevaux. These two seemed to be a perfect compliment to one another.


I liked this scooter with its pack & map of France strapped in place. It made me think of a kindred spirit or a fellow traveler.



And well, I could not resist this sleek red bike parked in front of the arch of this old world leaded window. It is this sort of juxtaposition that is most intriguing to me.