La Chapelle -- Château de Chenonceau

This private chapel in the much-loved Château de Chenonceau was saved during the French Revolution by Madame Dupin who camouflaged its religious purpose by turning it into a wood storage area.

Chenonceau, originally constructed in the 1500s, bears the influence of a series of powerful noblewomen residents and is often referred to as the Château de Femmes.

Château de Chenonceau
Cenonceau, France (Loire Valley)
200 km from Paris

Side by side

Side by side and perfectly in step is how I found this mature, stylish couple in the 17ième on Rue Brémontier.

Driving Miss Daisy -- Reflection

I found this handsome couple waiting on their driver in front

of Place Louis Lépine. With a full assortment of paparazzi

gathered around the convertable, it's possible they are movie stars?

See other weekend reflections at James' Newtown Area Photo

Umphhh!

I would say that this is a mouthful!

Whether you are a history buff or not, you would surely enjoy the display of cannons in Cour d'Honneur.

We previously visited the cannons here.

Lonesome cherub

How many hundreds of little cherubs are to be found in the cimeteries of Paris?

Ladurée II

Just a little temptation from Ladurée...

Les macarons, Miel d'Acacia, et Confit de Pétales de Rose de Provins....

miam-miam!

Rose foncé et orange

How do you feel about these two colors together?



Before you say too much I do have a coat in that color (well, two of them, but who's counting?)

Église Saint Paul Saint Louis

A photo taken from Rue des Jardin Saint-Paul shows a different side of Église Saint Paul Saint Louis previously shown here and here.

Bon dimanche

Les chaussures VII

We saw this sign in the Métro leaving Galeries Lafayette en juin and it just seemed so captivating. The shoe department reportedly has over 12,000 pairs in a space of 34,700 square feet!


Do you see that it refers to all the "shoe addicts"? Hummm.... guilty, as accused



GALERIES LAFAYETTE
40 bd Haussmann

Fountains of Pol Bury -- Reflection

This fountain and the moving silver balls make for interesting reflections in the Gallery d'Orléans, in the Jardin du Palais Royal shown previously here.

For more reflections go to James' Newtown Daily Photo

Supporting the city

I took this photo of a worker in Paris in his distinctive uniform, and thought it would be appropriate to post today as France is in the midst of strikes and protests. From afar we only know what the news reports tell us, and it is hard to gauge the impact on daily life and neighborhoods.

Wishing the best for my friends in all of France.

Rainy Day in Paris

From a hotel room window frequented by my daughter and me, the street below bustles with neighborhood activity. The season and the weather do not seem to matter as daily life settles into its routine.


I love the French expression "metro, boulot, dodo" to express the weekday cycle of going to work, working, coming home, sleeping and then doing it all over again. Since it is French, I am surprised that there is no mention of divine baquettes, wine, et fromage.

Le Corbeau et le Renard

The poet Jean de al Fontaine spent 26 years writing his version of fables, numbering 243 in total. This statue in Square du Ranelagh shows him regardant a ses pieds le corbeau et le renard, one of his revered fables.

La Fontaine also had contemporaries who wrote fables, but what distinguishes him is that he wrote his in verse. Thanks to him, the fable became a poetic genre, with rhyme and rhythm, even if La Fontaine's fables retain some of the freedom of prose in their use of metrics. The lines of varying lengths create a rhythm that has less of a monotonous chanting quality and more of the irregularities of natural speech.

Square du Ranelagh
16ième arr.

Désolée

Père Lachaise -- Overcome with grief

Eglise Saint Roch

Saint Roch is the largest Late Baroque church in Paris, completed in the 18th Century. At the time of the French Revolution, Saint Roch was at the heart of the action and was itself the scene of many shootings, which left their imprint on the facade. This church is easily identified by the two different styles of columns and the initials "SR" at the top of the church.

Two interesting facts: Marquis de Sade was married here in 1763 and among the many tombs you will find Denis Diderot.

Saint Roch

298, rue Saint Honore

Petit Palais

The Petit Palais was built in 1900 and is the site of the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. Seen here is an octi-circular courtyard and garden and its ionic columns. It has a remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures.

Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris

Avenue Winston Churchill

Une Vitrine Élégante -- Reflection

The boutique of Max Chaoul features elegant gowns in the finest setting. This couture vision of organza was but a sample of the treasures inside with its chandeliers, abundant flowers, and a wealth of dresses.

Max Chaoul Couture

55, quai des Grands Augustins

Be sure to check out other reflections at James' Newtown Area Photo

Alley of Trees

How many times do you imagine that you see a line of shade trees like this in Paris? They can not be counted with all of the squares, parks, gardens, and tree-lined streets the fair city has to offer. This alley of trees was found near Hôtel des Invalides along with the familiar green benches and the fine gravel path.

Square d'Ajaccio

Métro Varenne

Le Printemps -- en été

One of the grand magasins of Paris, Printemps is housed in an exceptional building which has recently been renovated. Laurent of Daily Photo in Paris recently posted the renovations as photographed from the roof-top terrace. Below you can see the "before" photo I took two years ago.

We'll come back here again as I have not yet told "the hat story" and other Printemps adventures.

Le Printemps
64, boulevard Haussmann

Coquilles St Jacques

Fresh coquilles st. jacques for le diner, fresh from the market!

What are you having for dinner?

Palais de Tokyo -- This is art?

I was at first not quite sure, but it was confirmed...

This is not a pile of trash but "art" seen at Palais de Tokyo a few years ago. What do you think?

In all fairness there are impressive displays of modern and contemporary art at Palais de Tokyo but not all appeal to me. Although I have moved beyond thinking that art must be "pretty," some installations leave me to wonder the artist's intent or message.

The East wing houses Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris which belongs to the City of Paris. The Palais de Tokyo is in the West wing and belongs to the French state. It is the only museum in Paris open every day from noon until midnight (except Mondays). Oh, and it is a great place to see La Tour Eiffel at night.

Palais de Tokyo

13, ave du Président Wilson

Basilique Sainte Clotilde

The Basilique Sainte Clotilde was built in the Neo-Gothic style and completed in 1857. It was reportedly the most fashionable church in 19th Century Paris and well-known for its Aristide Cavaillé-Coll organ.


For those who love classical music, it is interesting to note that César Franck inaugurated the organ playing his Final in B flat and J.S. Bach's Prelude and fugue in b minor. It is reported that every time Franz Liszt was in Paris, he would sit in the organ loft to hear Franck play his most recent compositions.

Basilique Sainte Clotilde
23 bis, rue Las Cases

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

Le Passage du Grand Cerf (Big Deer Passage) is found just off Rue St. Denis in the neighborhood of Montorgueil. Designed in the 19th Century to protect pedestrians from mud and horse-drawn carriages, this elegant passage has been restored to its original grandeur. There are at least five of these passages clustered between Rue Etienne Marcel and Rue Réamur and others a short walk away.

Grand Cerf is distinctive in the height of the windows at 11.8m (almost 39 feet), the highest in Paris, and the unique offerings along the corridor. You will find handcrafted pearl jewelry, artists' workshops, interesting gifts, and recovered objects that have been restored. If you are left with a rainy, cold day in Paris these "shopping arcades" are a great option. Here is a link (en français) for all the passages, descriptions, and locations in Paris.

Note: You need to be attentive as many of the entrances are almost hidden from the main streets.

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

145, rue St Denis

Métro Etienne Marcel

Bois Violette -- Reflection

I am a color girl -- rouge, jaune, orange, vert, rose foncé, turquoise, violet

So, when I saw this façade of violet with vivid flowers, it called to me. The name of this belle boutique de fleurs has a name reminiscent of a famous perfume fragrance: Serge Lutens' Bois de Violette.


We'll visit great perfume houses of Paris another day.

Bois Violette

7, rue Pont aux Choux

(See all the weekend reflections at James' Newtown Area Photo)

Les Chaussures pour les hommes

Window shopping turned up these stylish and trendy men's shoes at Kabuki on Rue Etienne Marcel. I snapped a photo as the studs in these chaussures caught my eye, thinking at first that they were rhinestones. Thankfully, they were not.

I left these sitting in that store window knowing that my southern sweetheart would not likely wear them. Traditional shape, comfortable, practical for professional job.... okay. Studs? Uh, no.

Do you know someone who might be interested in these shoes?

Kabuki

25, rue Etienne Marcel

Château de Chambord

The castles in the Loire Valley are an easy day-trip out of Paris. To say that Château de Chambord is enormous just does not cover it. Consider that it has 426 rooms, 80 staircases, 282 fireplaces, a double-helix staircase, a moat, a flamboyant roof (originally designed to look like the skyline of Constantinople) all of which is surrounded by a wall 32km long. The estate is the same area as Inner Paris... Well, you get the idea. It is at least ten times larger than enormous.

During WWII, Chambord was used to store art from French museums including the Louvre. As many as 5000 crates were protected here, one of which contained the Mona Lisa. You can read much more here and here.

Built in th 16th Century as a hunting lodge, it was rarely inhabited, drafty, and bitter cold in the winter.

Le Chien I

After lunch in the 17ième arr. we ran into this perky little pooch. His owner was chatting away with a friend on the street while le chien gave me several different poses.

It is no secret that les Parisiens love their dogs and it would be difficult to walk down any trottoir in Paris and not spy at least one "owner on a leash."

Some petits chiens get to ride in chic designer bags. All pups can enjoy déjeuner in the cafés and bistrots.

C'est la belle vie!

In the Métro

On a long ride in the Métro, my daughter Holly and I watched a group of mischievous boys. They were accompanied by their teacher, probably on a field trip, in a group of about ten children.

As riders exited and entered the train at each Métro stop, these three would crowd around the door with a sheet of paper which they had torn into long strips. They would position the paper to hang out of the closing door which would then flap and tear away in the breeze of the speeding train. As the door opened at the next stop they would burst into laughter to see what was left of the paper. This scenario was repeated at each stop. The teacher gave them one stern glance but all the other Métro riders pretended not to notice. Holly and I conspired with their antics and I asked them to give me a pose as we exited.

Et voilà! Can you tell which one was the ringleader?

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

There are so many interesting aspects of this famous Cathedral. Here is a view of the south façade of Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris.

La Tour Eiffel

Well, I needed a little lift today at the end of a long week. What better way to achieve that than to gaze at this well-known landmark that always gives my heart a "flutter."

Getting the night shots with the paparazzi-gang of Janet, Marie, Mary, Maya, and Virginia made for a special evening in the glow of La Tour.

Rue Mouffetard -- Pastry Reflections

Walking down Rue Mouffetard we saw this line of pastries reflected in the counter

Le Moule à Gâteau

111, rue Mouffetard

5ième arr.

See the other "Weekend Reflections" at James' Newtown Area Photo.