I am not sure why this scene captured my attention, but I think that it is tied to just how different this collection of appliances looks to me. There were families out shopping on this street in the 12ième, with one couple particularly interested in these refrigerators.
For all the romantic ideals of Paris with lingering café scenes and lovers on the Seine bridges, it appears that they still have to consider the mundane chores of daily living.
Sorry that I had to burst your dream bubble today...
La Centrale des Affaires
8, rue d'Aligre
But even whitegoods have the French touch. When we rented a flat in Paris last summer the shelf on our fridge door had a special curved end that perfectly cradled a bottle of champange (Ruinart was the best fit actually). Now that's ingenuity and practicality all at once.
ReplyDeleteEffectivement rien de romantique... Que du pratique!... Tout comme les cadeaux de fête des mères qui tournent autour de certains appareils électroménagers ! Quel horreur, n'est-ce pas ?
ReplyDeleteBISOUS
La vie parisienne, c'est aussi ça. Les bonnes affaires! Et combien de couples se rendent dans les magasins ouverts le dimanche, dans l'espoir de trouver l'affaire du siècle. Et les bons maris emmènent leurs épouses, le jour de leur anniversaire ou de la St Valentin pour leur offrir un cadeau. Un fer à repasser, par exemple! :-)
ReplyDeleteEt toc, à Martine! :-)
For the ones who can't afford it,the view of a fridge can offer a part of dream too!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd buy mine there though.
ReplyDeleteNice to see Paris has its ordinary side.
ReplyDeleteOrdinary life, certainment, but everything is so petite ... almost like outfitting a playhouse!
ReplyDeletePetite and expensive!
ReplyDeleteDream bubble remains unburst, Genie—as I ponder the necessity of having to buy a fridge for my yet-to-be
ReplyDeleteParisian pied-a-terre!
They're certainly ready to make business! ;)
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
Cezar
Is that blue stove as little as it looks? :) And the fridges in Paris tiny I guess because you can't haul home more from the Franprix than you can carry!
ReplyDeleteV
I remember visiting my mother's cousin in Zurich, Switzerland years and years ago and marveling at how small her refrigerator was...and the fact that she kept much of what I put in my refrigerator out on the counter!!! These make my tiny little rental fridge seem big and roomy!!!
ReplyDeleteThe first time I passed one of these stores, I was surprised at how inexpensive the appliances are.
ReplyDeleteWell.........this brings us down to earth Genie!!!!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend! Rx
have a nice weekend my dear !!! big hugh Kathrin
ReplyDeleteI noticed the sizes right off. They 're in direct proportion to the living spaces of apartment living in Paris. Not to mention the stairs to the third floor!
ReplyDeleteLiz
Funny I was watching House Hunters International last night and I was amazed how different some of the appliances are. They even looked different from these. Nice shot.
ReplyDeleteThank so very much for the birthday wishes.
I think that it's far more interesting to see both the extraordinary and the mundane. Isn't that what life is all about, the combination of the two? The size of appliances in other countries is always a bit jarring to me, considering the size of our sometimes behemoth models!
ReplyDeleteFunny how the refrigerators in the US get bigger and bigger, with doors up and down, ice water, chipped ice and cubes all dispensed from outside... and these are just what you'd need, nothing more. I love it.
ReplyDeleteAND the blue stove - I definitely want that!