Poisson d'Avril - chut!

Do you know what tomorrow is?

In the United States it is April Fools Day and we play pranks like, "Look out!  There's a spider on your shoulder!" 

The tradition in France includes poisson d'avril, attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed.  There is an interesting history of this holiday of foolishness, and it originated in France in the 16th century.  You can read about it here.

Today in France, people who are fooled on April 1 are called poisson d'avril, which literally means the "April Fish," because a young naive fish is easily caught.  

So, are you going to play a little prank tomorrow?

 

 

 

Le Baron Rouge, wine bar

1, rue Théophile Roussel

75012, Paris

Église Saint Étienne du Mont

Église Saint Étienne du Mont

The windows, the architecture, the history, 

the art, the details, the stories...

You could sketch, draw, paint, photograph...

listen, observe, watch, study, pray...

and still not absorb it all

bon dimanche

Église Saint Étienne du Mont

1, place Ste-Geneviève

75005, Paris

Linking to inSPIREd Sunday

See the others here

Parc des Buttes Chaumont VIII

Parc des Buttes Chaumont

Temple of Sybil

Although the Temple of Sybil may not appear so high on the cliff, 

it is indeed a hike and a suspension bridge away.  

How can all of this be only a mile or two from the center of Paris?

If the weather cooperates for this last weekend in March, 

the Parisians will be here with friends and family.  

How I wish that I could join them!

Parc des Buttes Chaumont

75019, Paris

Métros Buttes Chaumont, Laumière, et Botzaris

Printemps - une vitrine

Printemps store window

Contemplation 

and reflection....

bon weekend

Printemps

Boulevard Haussmann

75009, Paris

Joining James' Weekend Reflections
Look here for so many more.

Champ Libre Fleuriste

Champ Libre 

fleuriste

No matter where you are in Paris, you can certainly find nearby:

a Métro station,

an eyeglass store,

and a fleuriste

How about:

a garden,

a boulangerie,

a church?

Champ Libre Fleuriste

104, avenue Ledru Rollin

75011, Paris

Le Montegrosso - le petit déjeuner

Le Montegrosso

breakfast

This Franco-Italian restaurant has a charming terrace with a large red awning.  

This gentleman was enjoying the sun with his breakfast on a brisk spring day.

Le Montegrosso 

6, rue de l'Échelle

75001, Paris

Métros Tuileries, Pyramides, ou 

         Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre

Cimetière du Montparnasse - printemps

Montparnasse Cemetery

Spring blows into Paris,

scattering fresh blossoms

like pastel confetti

May they last in my memories forever

Cimetière du Montparnasse

75014, Paris

Jardin de l'Intendant

Jardin de l'Intendant

On the southwest corner of Hôtel des Invalides 

you will find this verdant sculpted garden, 

a quiet place to enjoy the greenness of spring in Paris.

Jardin de l'Intendant

Les Invalides

Ave de Tourville

75007, Paris

Église Saint-Louis des Invalides

Église Saint-Louis des Invalides

caryatid
télamon

This ornate organcase is attributed to Jules Hardouin-Mansart 

and includes two télamons supporting the massive platform of the organ pipes.

The architectural elements are quite detailed 

and the supporting right hand of the telamon appears to be real.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Louis des Invalides

Les Invalides

75007, Paris

A contributor to inSPIREd Sunday

See the other entries here

Parc de Monceau - printemps!

Parc de Monceau

The Egyptian Pyramid

(1778)

The Parc Monceau is one of the most elegant parks of Paris and a peaceful oasis of greenery.  In general it is not frequented by tourists but full of nannies and children, families, and office workers at lunch.  You will see many joggers along the paths, pony rides for children, and a delightful carousel, Caroussel de Jules Verne.

A series of statues and busts of artists such as Guy de Maupassant, Frédéric Chopin, Charles Gounod and Alfred de Musset were scattered along the paths in the late 19th – early 20th century.  The large oval pool and its Corinthian columns were restored and are, along with the miniature Egyptian pyramid and the fantasy gravestones, some of the remains of the original park of the Duke of Chartres.

bon weekend

Parc de Monceau

Boulevard de Courcelles

75008, Paris

Palais Garnier - L'Opéra Restaurant

Palais Garnier

L'Opéra Restaurant

Can you imagine getting approval to build a restaurant as part of the storied Palais Garnier, only to discover that you could touch no walls, attach nothing to the 19th century structure?

Impossible?  

Yet, here it is, and the artistry is magnificent as the curved transparent walls appear to float, moving in waves around Garnier's architecture on the northeast side.  It was conceived by the architect Odile Decq in the heart of the Palais Garnier. A mezzanine made of amazing shapes surrounds the original architecture of the Palais Garnier without ever touching it.  Opened in 2011, it is worthy of a special evening with Paris friends.  Oh, I would not wear red as you might disappear into the elegant seating.

L'Opéra Restaurant

Palais Garnier

1, place Jacques Rouchés

75009, Paris

 

Rue de Lyon - les details

the door

Typical of many Paris doors from the 19th century, the details of the stone architecture are unique in design and frame beautifully the well-preserved heavy doors.  The cart belongs to the postman (le facteur) to transport the mail as s/he walks the neighborhood.  The ornamental wrought iron piece at the foot of a door is called a "chasse-roue" and was a practical implement to protect the door or gate from the carriage wheels.  You will see them all over Paris, some of wrought iron as seen here, and others of stone.  It would be interesting to photograph a collection of the different designs.

Rue de Lyon

75012, Paris

Parc des Buttes Chaumont - le carrousel

Carousel in Parc des Buttes Chaumont

It was only on my third visit to this park 

that I discovered the petite, colorful carousel.  

The top makes me think of le Petit Prince 

with its stars, moon, and rocket ship.

The rides are over-sized rabbits, cats, and other animals, 

along with a rocket and a fire truck.

The park itself is beautiful, particularly in the spring, 

but has a checkered past.  

It is close to Gibet de Montfaucon, 

a notorious site where criminals were hanged 

and their bodies put on display 

from the 13th century until mid-18th century.  

After the French Revolution it became a refuse dump,

and then a spot for cutting up horse carcasses.  

Baron Haussmann chose this site for a new park 

for the rapidly growing population of the 19th and 20th arrondissements.

Work began in 1864 and the park was opened on April 1, 1867.  

To see the park today one would never imagine its nefarious history.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont

75019, Paris

Métros Buttes Chaumont et Botzaris

Paris au printemps

Paris in spring

It is surely time for Paris to show her spring colors.

This small park on Rue de l'Ave Maria

is filled with color in March-April.

As the blooms mature and drop they will make a delicate carpet of pink .

Square Marie Trintignant

Rue de l'Ave Maria

75004, Paris

Métro Pont Marie

Un homme en vert

 

 

 

Men in green

 

 

 

The streets are meticulously cleaned daily by the men in green. 

An interesting feat of engineering allows the water to flow

under low pressure from the curbside openings into the gutters. 

This man with his broom helps sweep the water

and the floating debris back into the sewers. 

There are over 12,000 of these WOs (water outlets) in Paris.

 

 

 

Are you wearing green today?

 

 

 

Boulevard des Invalides

75007, Paris



Église Notre Dame de Lorette - l'orgue

 

 

Église Notre Dame de Lorette

 

 

Église Notre Dame de Lorette is a neoclassical church

built by architect Louis-Hippolyte Lebas

between 1823 and 1836 in the 9th arrondissement.

 

 

It contains the first organ built by the great organ builder

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (1811–1899). 

Composer Cesar Franck became the assistant organist here in 1947

and was married in this church as well.

 

 

For another view of the interior and an interesting story,

look here at a previous post.

 

 

bon dimanche 

 

 

 

 

Église Notre Dame de Lorette

18, bis rue de Chateaudun

75009, Paris



Rue Crémieux

Rue Crémieux

A lovely pedestrian street

adorned with an assorted palette of colors,

whimsical trompe l'oeil,

and at least one neighborhood cat.

(le chat roux)

Rue Crémieux

75012, Paris

Kogan Gallery - Installer une forêt

Installing a forest

The photographers are outside on the sidewalk. 

The "forester" is installing a mural of trees on the back wall of a gallery.

The buildings are a reflection.

dreamy illusions

Kogan Gallery

96 bis, rue Beaubourg

75003, Paris

Joining James' Weekend Reflections

 

Cour Marly - Musée du Louvre

Horses of Marly

The monumental statuary displayed here was carved for the park of the Château de Marly. Most of the works were commissioned by Louis XIV at the end of his reign. However, the courtyard is dominated by Guillaume Coustou's celebrated Horses of Marly, completed in 1745 under Louis XV.

Coustou sculpted these from a single monolithic block of Carrara marble - stunning.  These are the originals (moved to the Louvre in 1984) and there are copies at Place de la Concorde and at Marly.

(joyeux anniversaire, Countess)

Cour Marly, Richelieu Wing

Musée du Louvre

75001, Paris

 

 

Gare de l'Est

Gare de l'Est

Gare de l'Est resembles the Belle Époque generation of train stations, 

and the west wing is the original building of 1847.   

An interesting note: On October 4, 1883, 

the Gare de l'Est saw the first departure 

of the Orient Express bound for Istanbul.

On this day I was not venturing nearly that far, 

but there is nothing quite so pleasant as traveling by train.

Gare de l'Est

Place du 11 novembre 1918

75010, Paris

Palais Royal - l'ombre

Palais Royal

-the shadow-

The shop was closed, 

but in a blink of an eye 

the shadow moved.

How can that be?

Surely it is just the reflection of trees,

or a cloud passing in front of the winter sun,

or.... un fântome?

Palais Royal

75001, Paris

Julien - pâtisserie

Julien

Perhaps not the best for the start of a healthy week, 

but I do see four things that make me drool in this display case.


At least there is no harm in looking

miam-miam!

Julien

73, Avenue Franklin D Roosevelt

75008, Paris

Sacré Coeur et Église de la Sainte-Trinité

Sacré Coeur

Sainte-Trinité

From a vantage point above the streets, 

these two magnificent churches 

provide a focal point above the rooftops and chimneys 

of Paris' 9ième and 18ième arrondissements.

bon dimanche

(linking to inSPIRED Sunday)

La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre

35, rue du Chevalier de la Barre

75018, Paris

Église de la Sainte-Trinité

Place d'Estienne d'Orves

75009, Paris

Paris rouge - Macéo

 

 

 

Macéo

 

 

 

This restaurant has a quiet back entrance

framed in red with cherubs on either side of the doorway. 

 

 

Perhaps a little worse for wear,

the sculptures still make a dramatic presence

on the quiet street behind Palais Royal.

 

 

 

 

Macéo

15, rue des Petits Champs

75002, Paris

 

 

 



Place Maubert avec Papa

at the seafood market

The poissonnerie is full of interesting creatures from the sea.  

It appears that Papa is making a selection for the evening dinner.  

Although the child's eyes cannot be seen from this view, 

they were open wide and full of interest.

Must be a French boy...

Poissonerrie Boulonnaise

47, boulevard Saint Germain

Place Maubert

75005, Paris

Le Grand Vefour

Le Grand Vefour

Unfazed by the drizzling rain and without concern for traffic,
this chic woman walked like she owned the street
...and the famous Grand Vefour.

Must be a French girl

Rue de Beaujolais

Palais Royal

75001, Paris

Palais de Tokyo

Palais de Tokyo

Taking their lunch with the pigeons

at Palais de Tokyo...

Palais de Tokyo

13, avenue de Président Wilson

75016, Paris

Trois statues parmi les fleurs

Three statues among the flowers

Without regard to the season or the weather,

one can always find fresh flowers, herbs, and plants in Paris.

Are you ready for spring?

Mahasiah

234, boulevard Raspail

75014, Paris

Une chaise haute - a child's café chair

Well, the little French children start early in the café life.

What could be a more perfect transition...

from the arms of Maman to a suitable chair on the terrasse.

75005, Paris

La Sainte-Chapelle - la chapelle basse

La Sainte-Chapelle

The Lower Chapel, 1242

The windows of the upper chapel are stunning 

but no more so than the vibrant bold colors 

of the lower chapel with accents of gold.  

This magnificent 13th century Gothic chapel on Île de la Cité 

was built by Louis IX for use as his royal chapel.  

The lower chapel seen here served as parish church 

for all the inhabitants of the king's palace.

bon dimanche

La Sainte-Chapelle

4, boulevard du Palais

75001, Paris

Theme Day - "People on the Street"

People on the Street

Observing the brisk stride of synchronized steps, 

one would believe that the afternoon outing is a well-rehearsed routine.

It makes you wonder how many years 

they have walked together through life.

Rue Brémontier

75017, Paris

The first day of each month is Theme Day

for the City Daily Photo Bloggers - Check here for all the others