Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Sitting on a Park Bench...in Paris.

It's fall and the weather has segued into brisker temperatures here in the northeast.  But with a minimum of bundling up, it permits sitting outside; perhaps to read a book or to write a love song smoking a Gauloise.  OK, I'll take us out of the 1960's to save our lungs and replace that cigarette with its modern electronic counterpart, and the book with an iPad, but you get the picture.

 



Banc bench from the Le Jardin collection at Cote France.

 

 

At any rate, this is what came to mind when I espied this whimsical take on a traditional park bench from French furniture company Cote France. Like a refugee from the island of lost toys, "Banc" is its furniture counterpart. Intentionally forlorn and asymmetrical, it is functional sculpture. Instead of a traditionally weather-worn wood look, it asserts itself into a 21st century garden with a bold splash of color; very simple and exceedingly clever.

Though I was unable to locate a photo of Jacques Brel sitting on a park bench  (I am sure he did sit on a park bench at some point), it took little or no effort to locate one of him smoking...perhaps a Gauloise.  Don't try this at home, folks.

"Je ne suis pas a vendre. Vous comprenez? Et je veux vivre ma vie comme je le veux." ~ Jacques Brel


*Edited by Kristi Saare Duarte. Check out her awesome travel blog: http://amongbuddhasandbabas.wordpress.com/