Au Rendez-Vous de Montmartre - café

Au Rendez-Vous de Montmartre, café-bar-restaurant

...a place where everybody knows your name

Well, perhaps not, but can you imagine a better place

 to put on your red hightop sneakers and visit with a friend?

Au Rendez-Vous de Montmartre
15, rue de la Vieuville
75018, Paris

Métro Abbesses

L'architecture et la glycine

Walking to Église Saint-Etienne du Mont, this scene of architecture, sculpture,

iron fence (en bleu), and climbing wisteria caught my eye. 

There are places all over Paris in full bloom with this cascading lavender bloom.

Rue Clovis

75005, Paris



Musée Rodin - Hôtel Biron III

Every room in Hôtel Biron has an enchanting view.  With the renovations and the reopening of the East wing of the museum, the rooms will take on a fresh sparkle.

Musée Rodin

79, rue de Varenne

75007, Paris

Métro Varenne

Bassin de la Villette - IV

A Sunday afternoon on the quai of Bassin de la Villette...

 out for a spin, a game of Pétanque with friends, a picnic, or just soaking up the Paris sun

There is quite a drop into the water without a rail,

and I worried a bit for this fellow and other little ones so close to the edge.

Bassin de la Villette

Quai de la Loire

75019, Paris



Église Saint Germain des Prés III

In November, blog friend Vreni (Vreni's Vienna Daily Photo) and I spent an afternoon visiting in Paris.  My Nikon had broken on my last day and I had only my very small point-and-shoot to record our sightings. 

We spent some time in Église Saint Germain des Prés, so very dark and ancient with its Gothic and Romanesque architecture.  We found this one bright scene beyond the church interior, a courtyard with bright pink (rose foncé) roses in bloom.

(Travel tip:  always have a back-up camera)

bon dimanche

Église Saint Germain des Prés

3, place Saint Germain des Prés

75006, Paris

Pâtisserie - Julien V

Brunch anyone?

(la religieuse caramel et millefeuille pistache)

Julien

73, Avenue Franklin D Roosevelt

75008, Paris

 

Quai de Jemmapes - la petite fille

I caught her running along Canal Saint-Martin, full of energy and light on her feet...

I am running with her spirit into a delightfully long holiday weekend!  Join me!

bon weekend!

Quai de Jemmapes
Canal Saint-Martin
75010, Paris

Café Jacquemart-André

This stunning tea room is situated in the Musée Jacquemart-André, a private mansion completed in 1875 to house the fine works of art collected by Edouard André and his wife Nélie Jacquemart.  After his death she bequeathed the mansion and its collections to the Institut de France as a museum.

The room seen here was the mansion's dining room.  It was a delightful déjeuner, a royal treat, with Peter (Peter's Paris), Mary G, and her friend Pat from the US.

158, boulevard Haussmann
75008, Paris

Les abeilles et la porte

Alone in Paris, and happily lost, this huge double-door portal took my breath away

with its delicate detail high above the heads of les flaneurs.  

How sad to see the whole view below,

 and I will be back to see if the graffiti has been removed. 

Can you imagine how gorgeous this door could be with some attention,

some cleaning, and polish?

64, ave Ledru-Rollin
75012, Paris

Le chat roux

Would you believe that this is in Paris and not the countryside?

A laid back chat, taking a morning break...

from napping?

Typical narrow street
75012, Paris

Parc Monceau - le carrousel

The new and delightful carrousel at Parc Monceau has a varied choice of rides...

I was a bit partial to this little yellow plane, a sturdy vintage model,

but it would have been a bit too small for me.

(counterclockwise rotation)

Carrousel Jules Verne

Parc de Monceau

75008, Paris

Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky Cathedral II

The beautifully crafted windows of the St Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral

give a reaching view of the streets beyond.

The windows of this elegant place of worship are most often seen from the other side.

bon dimanche

Saint Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral
12, rue Daru
75008, Paris

Porte -- Rue des Capucines

First cousin to the lions at Hôtel de Ville,

this one seems a bit grumpy...

(Il est grognon)

 
Rue des Capucines
75008, Paris

Parc Monceau - les chaussures rouges

A little rest on a park bench at Parc Monceau...

perfect start for the weekend...

 

Parc de Monceau

75009, Paris



Jardin du Palais Royal - le chien qui joue

A lucky shot in Jardin du Palais Royal considering how quickly le petit chien was running, fetching, retrieving, bouncing...

Can you see the blur of tail-wagging?

Jardin du Palais Royal
75001, Paris

Hôtel de Ville - le lion

This bronze sculpture has taken a striking patina and sits on the west side of Hôtel de Ville, what I would call the "back door" of this historical building on Rue de Lobau.

This majestic lion, one of a pair flanking the "back door," was likely sculpted in the 1880s by one of the 230 sculptors engaged to create the bronzes during reconstruction.  The building was almost destroyed by fire in 1871 leaving only the stone shell.

He looks very content and proud to be guarding the doors of Hôtel de Ville.

Hôtel de Ville

Rue de Lobau

75004, Paris



Rue des Thermopyles - Une porte verte

In photographing the door, I almost missed the three bird houses over the portal.

I hope the inhabitants are safe from the kitty I saw a few paces away!

(I wondered if Veron was related to Lynyrd?)

Rue des Thermopyles
75014, Paris

Paris portrait

As you might guess this was not one of my covert shots...

He was standing outside an office door with a colleague and when he saw me photographing the details of the door he asked me to take his photo. 

He did not have to ask twice, and yes, I will be taking a print to him on my next trip.

Rue Vivienne
75002, Paris

Église Saint-Louis en l'Île

This parish church found on the same street as Berthillion on l'Île Saint-Louis,

on the quiet end of the street with few cars. 

This is the same church where we saw a donkey on Palm Sunday.

Construction started in 1642 at the direction of Louis XIV using the plans of François Le Vau who was also designing Versailles.  The interior is filled with art and this sculpture seems appropriate for wishing the moms a wonderful Mother's Day.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Louis en l'Île

Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île

Saint-Louis en l'Île

  

Un bateau sur la Seine

Do your weekend plans involve a boat?

I would like to be in this boat, on this river,

in the good weather promised this weekend...

Ah, Paris!

Pont Saint-Michel

75005, Paris



Tapisserie - réflexion

Seen in a store window on Rue Croix des Petits Champs

(The photo has been rotated to trick the eye)

Gallery

Rue Croix des Petits Champs

75001, Paris



Boulangerie - Pâtisserie

I wonder if there are more churches or more boulangeries in Paris?

It is good to walk a long distance between the cafés and the boulangeries and the pâtisseries and the fromageries and the crêperies and....

miam-miam

Boulangerie-Pâtisserie

Paris



Les herbes et les fleurs de printemps

An abundance of healthy herbs and plants available in every market...

Herbs and flowers on my Paris terrace to go with the lantern...

Now, just to find a cafe table and chairs...

Marche aux Fleurs

75004, Paris

Passage Choiseul

Passage Choiseul runs between Rue des Petits Champs and Rue St-Augustin and still maintains some of its original charm.  The Palladian window at the north end is beautifully designed.  It was built in 1825 by the architect Travernier and is one of the only passages which has not been altered since its construction.

It was here that the author Louis-Ferdinand Céline lived as a boy, a period and location vividly recounted in his novel Death on Credit

Passage Choiseul

between Rue des Petits Champs

and Rue St-Augustin

75002, Paris



Les lanternes

In the Marché aux Fleurs I found this collection of lanterns

suspended from the greenhouse roof. 

I dreamed that I had the two in front for large candles on my Paris terrace. 

Un aperitif?

Marché aux Fleurs
Place Louis Lepine
Île de la Cité
75004, Paris

Église Saint Germain l'Auxerrois - St Denis

The statue of Saint-Denis holding his head can be seen all over Paris, here at Saint Germain l'Auxerrois church and nearby at Notre Dame for two.

In the third century he was Bishop of Paris and martyred in connection with the persecution of Christians shortly after 250 A.D.  After his head was chopped off in the area now known at Montmartre, he is said to have picked it up and walked six miles (10km) preaching as he walked.  The site where he stopped preaching and actually died was marked by a small shrine that developed into Basilique Saint-Denis which I featured last Sunday.

There are many versions of the story and the statues depicting Saint-Denis are unique in their artistic interpretation of his halo, and whether or not he made it the whole way with his head or just some part of it.

When you are in Paris, look for Saint-Denis.  He is easy to spot.

bon dimanche 

Église Saint Germain l'Auxerrois

2, place du Louvre

75001 Paris



Sphinx et la Fontaine du Palmier

This sphinx is one of four at the base of the monumental Fontaine du Palmier which was constructed between 1806 and 1808 to provide drinking water to the residents of Paris and to commemorate the victories of Napoleon.  The sphinxes were sculpted by Henri Alfred Jacquemart almost 100 years later to acknowledge Napoleon's victories over Egypt. The gilt statue of Victory sits atop the almost 60-foot column of the Fontaine du Palmier and greatly overshadows this sphinx.

The simple gray tones of the sphinx pale beneath the gold Victory, but what a wonderful view of Paris buildings, busy street life, and the Seine from his vantage point.  Most visitors look up and shoot - don't forget to notice a sphinx.

(Seen in the background, the dome of Tribunal de Commerce on Île de la Cité)

Fontaine du Palmier

Place du Châtelet

75001, Paris

Réflexions Couturier

The elegant gowns reflected in this designer's mirror are breathtaking

made of the finest silks, dupioni, antique laces, exquisite silk flowers and hand-painted fabrics

We were invited guests

 and spent an hour getting to know the amazing artist and creator of these gowns

Soon, I will bring you back to meet her...

bon weekend

75002, Paris

(For more reflections see James' Weekend Reflections)



Café le Nemours

Almost closing time at le Nemours...

Dépêchez-vous!

(joyeaux anniversaire, Lauren!)

2, galerie de Nemours
Place Colette at Palais Royal
75001, Paris

A Priori Thé -- Galerie Vivienne

In the center of the passage of Galerie Vivienne is this proper salon de thé

A Priori Thé

You can see one of the menus here in chalk, typical French script, on the easel blackboard 

I love the floor tiles, the ambiance and the fare

You can sit here on the "terrace" in the galerie itself or inside the restaurant.  Both settings are enchanting and you will feel transported back about a hundred years. 

 A Priori Thé
35-37 Galerie Vivienne
75002, Paris

Vous êtes pianiste?

One never knows what one can find at a Paris street market...

Perhaps a book of Beethoven Sonatas or Alkan's Le Chemin de fer?

I would have snatched up Chopin's Polonaise in A flat Major, Opus 53

When I was walking that Sunday on a narrow street, I could hear strains of piano music from an accomplished student.  The long passageway amplified the tones to a dreamlike state, and I felt that I should tiptoe so as not to break the spell. 

Marché d'Aligre
75012, Paris