Une cour

Nestled next to E Goyard on a familiar street

we discovered a courtyard near our apartment

Paris courtyard

rue St Honoré

75001, Paris

Un Passage Caché

A Hidden Passage

Rainy day explorations invited

a peek into the inner courtyard

rue Vignon

75002, Paris

rue des Carmes - une cour

A small courtyard several steps 

below the street level

still boasts an assortment of

dried hydrangea blooms.

Originally a church or cloister,

I am not sure of its function today.

14, rue des Carmes

75005, Paris

Merci - la cantine

The lower floor of Merci in the Marais

has a charming restaurant called La Cantine.

It is one of three at Merci

You feel as if you are in a country courtyard, 

far from the busy boulevard Beaumarchais

La Cantine at Merci

111, boulevard Beaumarchais

75003, Paris

La cour de Petit Palais

The courtyard of Petit Palais

The trapezoid shape of Petit Palais forms an open area 

at the center of the building. 

The enclosed area creates a semicircular, peristyle courtyard.  

The elegant courtyard is considered Beaux Arts style 

for the  “symmetrical composition” and “rich decoration in high relief.”

Coupled columns made of pink Vosges granite 

and gilt-bronze garlands encircle the courtyard.

Petit Palais, City of Paris Fine Art Museum

avenue Winston Churchill

75008, Paris
 

Les fleurs de Paris

You may wonder about all of the shrubs and blooming plants in Paris.  

The parks and public gardens are filled to the brim, 

but one would think that there are not many private gardens 

in central Paris.

All you have to do is to look to the balconies 

and take a peek inside the almost-closed door courtyards.  

Now what would you put on your Paris balcony?

rue Cler florist

75007, Paris

Rue Bonaparte - une cour

The large door was ajar, 

and a slight push was all it took

This empty courtyard on rue Bonaparte

was charming and the fresh buds of spring

will give it a new look.

rue Bonaparte

75006, Paris

Un petit passage

BILLTORNADE


Through open passageways one can walk into courtyards
and "visual opportunities" otherwise missed. 
In this instance, there was not even a cracked door to be pushed,
but the dark green doors beckoned us through.


The graceful curved steps at the end are the business offices of Bill Tornade. 
We only photographed and did not knock.

Bill Tornade - "cutting edge men's fashion"

134, rue du Temple

75003, Paris

Note de cendrier

Ashtray note

It is difficult to believe that the French have limited smoking to outdoors.  

When I think of the French film there was always a sultry type with a cigarette.  

The restaurants do not allow smoking except on their terraces 

which makes it difficult to enjoy the open-air cafes.  

I was amused by this little note written on the paneled courtyard wall, 

imploring so politely that the smoker use the ashtray provided 

and not throw the butts on the ground.

joyeux anniversaire, Nanette

Courtyard, Rue de Seine

75006, Paris

Une cour privée

A private courtyard

One never knows when a door will be left open...

Virginia (Paris Through My Lens), Peter (Peter's Paris), 

Alexa (Paris Encore), and I snapped away 

and soaked up this gorgeous courtyard off Place des Vosges.

Then, we were discovered and left quickly...

Hidden courtyard

Places des Vosges

75004, Paris

Rue de Sèvres - chez toi?

Rue de Sèvres

As you can see from the staircase wall and the wet floor, 

it was a rainy day in Paris.  

Often you get a sprinkling of rain, 

and one can dart in and out of the scattered showers.  

But on this day it simply poured, 

so I pulled out my underwater camera (aptly named) 

and we made the best of the weather.  

We planned our day around visiting churches, five which we had never seen.

We were not disappointed.

A rainy day in Paris beats a rainy day at home.

(so says Holly)

Rue de Sèvres

75007, Paris

Villa Raynouard - la grille d'entree

Villa Raynouard

François Just Marie Raynouard, a French dramatist and linguist, 

was born in 1761 in Provence and died in Passy (1836).  

He was an Officer of the Legion of Honour.  

In the 16th arrondissement a street 

and a square have been named after him

The villa has a charming gate, usually locked, 

opening into the private courtyard.

92, rue Raynouard

75016, Paris

Petit Palais - la cour

Petit Palais

The Courtyard

At the center of this beautiful palace is a quiet and serene courtyard with patio seating for lunch or un café.

  The museum is free and the courtyard is perfect for a rest after seeing the museum and its exquisite palace.


Do not miss Monet's  "Soleil Couchant sur la Seine à Lavacourt"
and Rembrandt's self-portrait painted in 1631.

Petit Palais, City of Paris Fine Art Museum
Avenue Winston Churchill
75008 Paris

Un glycine en fleures - Montmartre

Wisteria blooms cascade

with lavender frills, 

balanced by chartreuse

and a new growth of leaves...

bon weekend

The gated courtyard

1, avenue Junot

75018, Paris

Rue du Cardinal Lemoine - a courtyard for all seasons

Courtyard

Rue du Cardinal Lemoine

Palms, wisteria, fatsia, evergreens, honeysuckle, 

and the climbing vines that turn electric shades of yellow, orange and red in autumn.

I will have to check out this courtyard in the other seasons.  

I think that it was designed for appeal no matter the time of year.

69, rue du Cardinal Lemoine

75005, Paris

Une cour privée

a private courtyard

I hesitate to call this a courtyard as it should qualify as a full park.  
The beautiful wrought iron gates were open 
and I only stayed a few minutes.  


There are small private courtyards all over Paris 
but this one could not be seen from the street 
and was revealed to be larger than I could imagine.

Avenue du Général Leclerc

74014, Paris

 

Un jardin secret

A secret garden

Just off rue de la Roquette behind a closed gate is a hidden artists' atelier,

filled with the sounds of wood planers and the scent of paint.

The paved courtyard provides light into the glassed workshops 

and serves as a quiet spot amid the work

Rue de la Roquette

75011, Paris

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine - une cour

A courtyard

Locked away from the peering eyes on the street is this charming courtyard.  We stayed for two weeks with a view of the rooftops.  Our spacious apartment was on the fifth and sixth floors, beautifully furnished with a delightful cross-breeze in the heat of the summer.  We did not gain an ounce or a gram with the daily climbing of steps.

We even enjoyed the pleasure of a delightful resident cat who took the stairs more easily than we did and who had full run of the courtyard with another friend.

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine

75011, Paris

Courtyard stairway

Peering into a quiet courtyard,

these steps and terrace were inviting us to enter.

La Cour du Petit Palais

Amidst the beautiful architecture of Petit Palais sits this serene octi-circular courtyard,

filled with trees and plants, mosaics and paths.

Petit Palais, City of Paris Fine Art Museum
Avenue Winston Churchill
75008 Paris

Black and white has been suggested... what do you think?