Jardin des Tuileries - des enfants

Jardin des Tuileries

Leaving the Tuileries at the end of an afternoon of play, 

each child holding the hand of an adult

before crossing the busy Rue de Rivoli.

Must be a French girl

Jardin des Tuileries

Rue de Rivoli

75001, Paris

Petit Palais - Grand Palais

Petit Palais

Eclectic

From the courtyard of the Petit Palais,

you can catch a glimpse of the Grand Palais 

and the ornate gold ironwork at the 'Petit's' entrance.

The reflections are of the beautiful and quiet garden courtyard, 

a quiet oasis in the busy city of Paris.

Petit Palais

Avenue Winston Churchill

75008, Paris

 

Niki de Saint-Phalle - arbre de vie-fontaine

Tree of life,

fountain of serpents

Grand Palais

Niki de Saint-Phalle's mosaic fountain 

was placed in the center of François-Raoul Larche's 

Fontaine Miroir d'eau for the duration of  the Grand Palais exhibit.  

It is an interesting juxtaposition of the marble fountain created in 1910 

and the colorful serpent fountain of 1987.

The exhibit has been moved now to the Guggenheim Bilbao (Spain), 

February 27 - June 11, 2015.

There are other examples of her work in Paris.

Does this resemble the Stravinsky Fountain?

Niki de Saint-Phalle
Du 17 septembre 2014 au 2 février 2015
Galeries nationales du Grand Palais

75008, Paris

Pont Alexandre III

Pont Alexandre III

Adorned with gilt, ironwork, 

and more details than can be seen in a single photograph, 

Pont Alexandre III is a great spot for photographs.  

At night you can enjoy the lights 

of La Tour Eiffel with reflections on the Seine.

Pont Alexandre III

Connecting 8è and 7è

75008, Paris

Poilâne - un repas simple

Poilâne

All that is needed for a simple meal...

Ah, I can almost smell the aroma 

of bread baking in the wood-fired ovens,

in my mind at least.

Poilâne

8, rue du Cherche-Midi

75006, Paris

Rue de Beaujolais

The morning sun 

creates crisp shadows

on the weathered shutters...

....weathered shutters 

with a freshly-painted

"W"

18, rue de Beaujolais

75001, Paris

Église Saint-Nicholas du Chardonnet

Église Saint-Nicholas du Chardonnet

"The Choir Organ"

Did you know that most of the churches in Paris 

have at least two organs?

This one was easy to spot, 

but sometimes you will have to search.

If you find the choir organ, keep looking, 

and you may even find a third organ.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Nicholas du Chardonnet

23, rue des Bernardins

75005, Paris

Un landau?

A baby carriage?

This little antique was sitting outside a notions boutique 

in the passage du Grand Cerf.  

The short handles and small wheels 

made me think that it was a rather elegant doll carriage.  

The convertible shade was made of leather 

and I should have examined it more closely 

for the name of the manufacturer.

Passage du Grand Cerf

75002, Paris

Hermès - la vitrine

Hermès

The two windows of  Hermès'

rue de Sèvres shop was filled with an array

of crystal glasses with a backdrop of translucent silk.

The jewel-toned colors of the silk 

blown into action by an oscillating fan

created a colorful motion in the mirrored reflection.

bon week-end

Hermès

17, rue de Sèvres

75006, Paris

Passage Verdeau - le stube

Passage Verdeau

The high fishbone glass ceiling and clean neoclassical lines 

of this often forgotten passage are remarkable.

Built in 1847 it is an extension of 

the passages Jouffroy and Panoramas.

Le Stube Verdeau

23, passage Verdeau

75009, Paris

Frederique! Attends!

Frederique!

Wait!

Life is brief

Drink it in big gulps

Paris

Palais Royal - les ombres

Galerie de Montpensier

The gold of the wrought iron fencing and the lamps 

are easy clues to the location of this photo

One of my favorite spots for photographing...

the architecture, the seasons, the light and shadows, 

the fountains, the allée of trees, the flaneurs, the people.

It is also a great spot to find a quiet place to read 

or to watch people.

Jardin du Palais Royal

Galerie de Montpensier

75001, Paris

Tabac - Cherche Midi Presse

A tabac is licensed to sell tobacco products 

as well as newspapers and stamps.

Apparently it is good to have a friend along 

to spend the day greeting customers.

Tabac - Cherche Midi Presse

52, rue du Cherche-Midi

75006, Paris

Église Saint-Antoine-des Quinze-Vingts

Église Saint-Antoine-des Quinze-Vingts

Although it is not as majestic 

as many of the well-known churches in Paris, 

this is an active parish in the 12é 

with some lovely details and a great organ 

by Aristide Cavaille-Coll.

bon dimanche

 

Église Saint-Antoine-des Quinze-Vingts

57, rue Traversière

75012, Paris

Marché aux Fleurs et aux Oiseaux

The Flower Market

(and sometimes a bird market)

The Flower Market is open daily 

but they only bring out the birds on Sunday.

As you can see from this rainy day photo, 

the birds had all flown away (kidding).

People come from all over Paris and surrounding areas to buy

all imaginable types of birds from canaries and finches 

to roosters and chickens.

Marché aux Fleurs

Place Louis-Lépine

75004, Paris

(Merci beaucoup, BC, for the reminder) 

Métro Réamur-Sébastapol

With an entrance designed by

the renown Hector Guimard, French architect.

He is now the best known representative of  the

Art Nouveau style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This metro station entrance is but one of the styles

designed for the Métro.  

When you are in Paris, 

make a list, a sketch, a photo...

 of all the ones you can find.

bon weekend

Métro Réamur-Sébastapol station entrance

Rue de Palestro

75002, Paris

 

Une bataille de boules de neige

Snowball Fight!

Well, it was very good natured fun 

with lots of laughter and the squeals of children

They seemed totally oblivious to the photographer,

and she was glad not to have been pelted with a block of ice.

Square Armand-Trousseau

Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine

75012, Paris

La porte et les fleurs

The window boxes in Paris

bloom most of the year.

The shadows and reflection add a softness 

to the many details of this one doorway, 

one among thousands.

38, boulevard Saint Germain

75005, Paris

Mini Jacinthe

Mini Hyacinth

In the midst of winter

a "forced" bulb such as these hyacinths

reveal the promise of spring 

The sweet smell of these flowers 

is as fragrant as the finest Paris parfum

Messages du Grand Cerf (fleuriste)

Passage du Grand Cerf

75002, 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

Église Saint Pierre de Montmartre

Église Saint Pierre de Montmartre

Consecrated in 1147, this church is dwarfed by Sacre Coeur

and almost ignored by the tourists...

which makes it worth exploring.

bon dimanche

Église Saint Pierre de Montmartre

2, rue du Mont Cenis

75018, Paris

Il fait froid!

It is cold!

Although January and February can be frigid in Paris,

rarely does it stop the city, the Parisians, the tourists.

I have only seen snow twice in Paris, 

but the December 2010 snowstorm emptied the streets...

except for the crazy photographers and a few children.

Quai Voltaire - Pont du Carrousel

75007, Paris

2CV - Deux Chevaux-Vapeur

2CV

Deux Chevaux-Vapeur

"Two Steam Horses"

This minimalist, sturdy economical car was

manufactured in France between 1948 and 1989.  

Seen in many French films of the 50s and 60s,

I always smile when I see one on the streets of Paris.

bon weekend

Rue Saint Antoine

75004, Paris

Repetto - Coppélia

Repetto's Window

The ballet Coppélia is featured in the windows of Repetto on rue de la Paix.

The ballet was originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon 

to the music of Léo Delibes and its premier performance 

was in 1870 at Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra in Paris.

I am always drawn to this window on each visit to Paris 

and can hardly wait to see what the imaginative designers have created.

Repetto

22, rue de la Paix

75002, Paris

Sajou - articles de mercerie

Sajou

This haberdashery or notions store, 

is filled with ribbons, buttons, needlework patterns and materials, 

threads, and all manner of things.

This is a drawer filled with colorful cards.  

I was remiss in not knowing for sure how they are used, 

but I guessed that they were for wrapping embroidery threads 

of several colors for a single project.  

What I really wonder is 

WHY did I not buy a few to bring home?

Sajou

47, rue du Caire

75002, Paris

Qu'est-ce que c'est? Une mouche? Un cafard?

What is it?

a roach? a fly?

Something quite interesting 

has captured the attention of these three young girls.

The vests are worn so that the teachers 

can identify them when they are ready to leave the park

Parc de Monceau

Boulevard de Courcelles

75008, Paris

 

La Chandeleur - jour de crêpes

Crêpes for la Chandeleur

Fête des Chandelles

(Candlemas in English) 

Today is Candlemas, 2 February, and it is celebrated in France with crêpes.

Yesterday I made crêpes with a seven-year-old 

and an eleven-year-old (supervised by a wild puppy).  

You hold a coin in your left hand and flip the crêpe pan in your right.  

If you can catch the crêpe, 

it means your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year, 

such is the legend.  

If you drop it, the puppy will eat it and you start again

 

 

Pictured above are savory wheat crèpes 

from Crêperie Plougastel which are delicious.  

My helpers and I made the same basic recipe 

of milk, flour, eggs, butter, and a small amount of salt and sugar 

that I have been making since I first learned to cook.  

We will have garlic shrimp crêpes with a bechamel sauce. 

 

 

(miam-miam)

 

 

 

Crêperie Plougastel

47, rue du Montparnasse

75014, Paris

 

Theme Day - What Would I Miss Most...

Les Enfants de Paris

What would I miss most about Paris if I were never to return?

How can one even think in those terms?

...the people of Paris,

the children, the parks and gardens, the green chairs,

the music, the churches, the architecture, the history, the Seine, the bridges,

the Métro, the secret little spots discovered over 20+ trips, the food,

ex-pat friends, Parisian friends, the grand views from Paris landmarks,

sitting on green grass when it is permitted, dancing on Rue Mouffetard, 

and so much more.

No matter what the future holds, I will always have a bit of Paris, 

and all that it is, in my heart.

(and tens of thousands of photos, if I forget)

What Would I miss most?

75000, all of it, Paris