ORCHIDACEOUS

Quelle orchidée? 

That's an inside joke for "quelle heure est-il?" 

A living tapestry of orchids refreshes the wall of the tearoom in the Taiwanese solar house entry in Solar Decathlon Europe 2014, an international architectural student competition recently held in Versailles. Representing the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, the prototype won the award in the Urban Design, Transportation and Affordabilty category.

© 2014 P.B. Lecron

BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND HYBRID

A roof with a view

Speaking of stylish city buses, this spanking-new hybrid is currently in service in Versailles taking passengers for a free ride back and forth to the Solar Decathlon Europe 2014, an international competition where twenty university architectural teams design, build, and operate solar-powered and cost-effective prototypes. This year's challenge is being held on the grounds of the Château de Versailles.

 L'effet papillon, or the butterfly effect, a nice touch for the sunroof.

©2014 P.B. Lecron

FLIGHT OF THE WILD GEESE

Interestingly enough, this mural of wild geese punctuating the urban wall scape is what a transplanted Irish friend sees from her kitchen window in La Défense. Today's title, " Flight of the Wild Geese," refers to the exile to France in 1691 of disbanded Irish soldiers loyal to King James II. 

"Wild Geese" became a popular term for Irish soldiers who migrated from Ireland and joined continental European armies throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. France was their favorite destination because it was largely Roman Catholic and sympathetic to the Irish cause.

Vocabulary

un oie sauvage:  a wild goose

le vol:  the flight

©2014 P.B. Lecron