My soup - posts tagged 'Monument'

Last Christmas decorations...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:00:03 GMT

Pretty soon all Christmas decorations will be gone, so let me show you one last one. I found it at the Hotel de ville (town hall) - and not in the court yard of the Louvre Museum, where they also have pyramids! - Beautiful isn't? Nothing else to add - except that maybe I should think of taking down my Christmas tree now... ;-)

Invalides in black and white

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:00:01 GMT

I went to a Galette Party today (a galette is a cake that people eat to celebrate the Epihany (a Christian feast) after Christmas) and on the way back I passed by Les Invalides. It was a beautiful evening (it's still warm in Paris at the moment here) and I felt like taking a photo. I made a black and white one, for a change...

Sacré Coeur in the mist

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:02:00 GMT

Those of you who have been following PDP for some time now will probably remember the Eiffel Tower in the mist photo (big hit!), well, now look at what I saw yesterday evening on my way to dinner at Montmartre... It was really stunning. Let's us not forget that the Sacré Coeur is located on a hill (130 meters - 426 feet). Not very high, but it does play a role when it comes to "'touching the clouds...". Have a nice weekend everyone.

Before and after at La Conciergerie

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:02:00 GMT

La Conciergerie is a very famous place in Paris. Not only is it one of the most beautiful monuments in the city, but on top of that it is known for having "sheltered" Marie-Antoinette for several months, before she was beheaded on the Place de la Concorde (Place de la Révolution at that time). La Conciergerie is also constantly covered in scaffolding (I suppose that's the price to pay for a monument that was built around the 12th century! Anyway, right now, Samsung commissioned French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac to make a huge fresco on it. I took these photos a few days apart from each others. See more here and in this video.

Sunset on Notre Dame

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:05:00 GMT

Another of this September evening light that is so beautiful in Paris. I passed by Notre Dame last evening around 7:30 on my way to my brother's and I could not help but admiring this stunning Paris landmark. Besides, for once that it's not covered in scaffolding... Have a great week-end everyone. I hope the weather is going to remain as clear as this!

Porte Saint Denis

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:31:06 GMT

The big arch in the middle of l'Etoile, on top of the Champs Elysées is not the only one in Paris. There are many other arches, like this one I photographed in the 10th arrondissement at the crossing of rue Saint-Denis and Boulevard Bonne-nouvelle. It was built in 1672 in replacement for a medieval gate in the city walls built by Charles V in the 14th century (read the whole story here if you're interested). It's a stunning monument, and the blue/cloudy sky makes it even more beautiful.

Sunset over Tour Saint Jacques

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:31:06 GMT

On my way to dinner last evening, I passed by the Châtelet area while the sun was going down on Paris. The light was absolutely stunning... This tower - that was recently renovated as you may remember - is the only remain of a former church dedicated to Saint Jacques precisely! (See the whole story here). The other landmark you can see here is La colonne du Châtelet (The Chatelet column).

Sunny break at the pyramid

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:04:00 GMT

Hurrah, it's been at least 2 days in a row that the sun has been shining in Paris! Not for long, tough, when you read these lines, the rain will have returned ;-( Anyway, here is a view of today, from the inside of the Louvre Pyramid, a glass an metal pyramid located in the middle of the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace. Very controversial in its times, this very modern structure is now extremely popular and was even duplicated in other places, like the Museum of Science and industry in Chicago. A definite must see if you come to Paris...

Where is everybody gone?

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:03:00 GMT

Those who have already been to Paris will probably have recognized the Assemblée Nationale, the French Parliament, one of the chambers where laws are discussed and voted (and where our representatives sometimes behave like 4 year old kids... but that is another story!) It is located in the middle of Paris, right by the Pont de la Concorde, near the Champs Elysées. Needless to say that normally there is a huge traffic on this bridge. But not in August... Paris is almost empty at the moment and that is why I love this particular moment of the year!

Rotten July!

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:09:00 GMT

People often ask me what to pack when coming to Paris? I never know what to answer as the weather is always very unpredictable... Hence last April and May, when we suffered an unusual and terrible drought and now July which is really windy, rainy and a little cold too (and probably not good for business). Only positive point: nice weather to take pictures ;-) Need I introduce you to the Arc de Triomphe? I did not think so!

Paris pollution

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 22:02:00 GMT

Pollution is a topic I rarely talk about, or it's generally not too much of a concern in Paris, except when it's hot and there is absolutely no wind, like yesterday (Monday). Airparif is the office that controls the air in Paris and, well at the moment, the various indexes (don't ask me too much about them, it's pretty complicated) that they produce don't look too good. Parisians should avoid going out, running exercising... You can see it in this photo I suppose, which is a little yellow and foggy... I've seen worse though! But God was it hot...

The golden arch

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:01:00 GMT

Yes, I know, you've it a thousand times, but not that close! I took this photo from my scooter, while I was driving (but not very fast ;-)) It was two nights ago, at sunset, and the light was really beautiful (the weather in Paris at the moment is amazingly nice). That's it, not much more to say. Have a nice weekend (and happy easter for those of you who celebrate Easter). We have a holiday on Monday here, but I'll stay in Paris to catch up on things and take a few shots!

Fontaine Saint-Michel

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:05:00 GMT

I already posted a photo of the Fontaine Saint-Michel here a few years ago, mentioning that it's a very common meeting point in Paris (especially for students), but I never posted a close up. Recently I went back there (yes, to meet someone!) and took this photo (not easy to take actually, because of the light - the fountain being always in the shade). For the record, this fountain was completed around 1860, it was made by Gabriel Davioud, a pretty famous architect who lived under the reign of Napoleon the 3rd, and its main purpose is... to hide a facade! More on Wikipedia, of course!

'Facade lift'!

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 22:08:00 GMT

You may find it hard to recognize this very famous Paris landmark and though, yes, this is La Conciergerie, the same building I photographed here, in 2009. Much less breath taking, don't you think?! Alas, due to the pollution in Paris, buildings need to be cleaned regularly, and there is no other way than hanging a huge scaffolding against them. Now, the big controversy is: should they but this giant ad on it while they're doing the work? Highly controversial of course and political too: the green party wants to ban them, the government does not because it helps contributing to the renovation costs. I personally like them when they are creative, like the one I photographed here. In this particular case I think Dior could have done better!

Sacré Coeur at dawn

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:06:00 GMT

It's been a while since I've shown you Sacré Coeur. I swear it's not a mock-up, although it may look like one ;-) I took this photo from far away in the 18th arrondissement and I don't think I've ever photographed it from that side. Anyway, by now, you probably already know this church by heart. It's located on top of Montmartre, was built around 1875 and 1914, and it's one of the major landmarks of Paris (and apparently the 5th most visited place in France. I bet you cannot guess what the top 4 are!)

Palais Garnier in the light

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:07:00 GMT

You may think this is the normal lighting of the Opera, but it's not. They probably had a special night or something, when I passed by it a few days ago. The quality is not very good (it's really time I change my camera!) but... you get the picture! FYI, this the Palais Garnier, after the name of the architect who built it and it's a beautiful building both outside and inside (you can visit it daily from 10 am to 5 pm for 9 € and it's worth it...

The birds!

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:03:00 GMT

No, these birds did not dive on me like in The birds, the movie by Alfred Hitchcock, but I've found the scene pretty scary. I took this photo near the Châtelet, by the Tour Saint Jacques, that has recently been renewed (see this post and this post). You can also have a good look at the weather we're experiencing in Paris at the moment. Grey and cold - and even colder soon... I'm off to Lille today, in the north of France, it'll be even colder!

Wish you were here

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:02:00 GMT

We're having a wonderful weather at the moment and it's really cool. I had my weekly meeting at La Défense today and on the way back I could not help but taking a photo of the arch with the clear blue sky in the background. I know you've seen this arch a few times on PDP, but there is always something to learn about it... Did you know it's 160 ft (50 m) high, that the large vault is 95.8 ft (29.19 m) high and 48.0 ft (14.62 m) wide and that a plane managed to fly through it once (in 1919)!

L'étoile !

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:07:00 GMT

OK, I won't even think of pretending I took this shot! Besides, it is highly prohibited to fly over Paris unless you have a good reason... No, I stole it from the television on the occasion of the arrival of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysées (that is actually what I like about this event each year: they show breathtaking views of Paris). Now, look more closely (click in the photo to enlarge it). Do you see the little "arms" around the Arc de Triomphe, embedded in the pavement? Very few people know they are there, because you can only see them from above. Well, they are star arms and that is why before being called the Place Charles de Gaulle, it used to be called "L'Etoile" (the Star).

Classic view

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:01:00 GMT

I spent Sunday afternoon at Le Vésinet, a nice suburb of Paris, in the sun surrounded with friends. On the way back I passed by Porte Maillot, at the bottom of l'Avenue de la Grande Armée, from where you have the best view of L'Arc de Triomphe (in my opinion). The French French flag between its "legs" is usually not there. They hang on special occasions, like the recent 14 juillet / Bastille Day. That's all. Have a nice week everyone!

A meeting with a view

Fri, 28 May 2010 22:01:00 GMT

This morning I had a meeting in a communication agency in the center of Paris. It was the first time I visited them. A nice lady opened the door showed me into the main office and told me to wait in the meeting room upstairs... What she did not know is that I would take advantage of it to... takes photos! No matter where I looked, the scenery was absolutely stunning. So I took several photos, of course. I chose to publish this very Parisian one, where you have one the main landmarks of Paris together with the rooftops in the foreground.

Notice something different?

Wed, 26 May 2010 22:35:36 GMT

Look at this photo carefully. I know you know this arch (called L'arc de Triomphe), but did you notice anything different? Look closer... Click in the photo to enlarge it... Bingo! The sculptures on each side have been replaced with photos. Why? Because they are currently being renovated - until June 15. The one on the right is the most famous one; it was sculpted by François Rude in 1792 and it bears the name "La Marseillaise".

Wagner returns to Paris...

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:02:00 GMT

It won't tell you much if you're not an opera fan, but The Ring of the Nibelung 'L'Anneau du Nibelung in French) has returned to Paris after... 53 years! Quite logically it's also the first time it is being shown at the Bastille opera (one of the two major opera houses in Paris), since it was inaugurated in 1989. The Ring is actually composed of fours different dramas inspired by the Scandinavian mythology (I won't bore you with the details, if you're interested, check with Ms Wikipedia!) and it's a real masterpiece. Well, that is if you like Richard Wagner of course, otherwise you might borrow this famous quote by Woody Allen in Manhattan: "Everytime I hear Wagner I feel like invading Poland"!

La République

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:04:00 GMT

This is "La République", the statue that symbolizes the French republic which is, quite logically, located at Place de la République! It was built between 1880 et 1883 after the work of two brothers: Léopold and Charles Morice. The red "scarf" does not belong to the original work! It's made of plastic and was probably put there by a bunch of demonstrators (this location is very often used by protesters) just before I took this photo (on Sunday). I found it funny (the blue sky is real, but it's long time gone now!).

Invalides Dome

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:26:06 GMT

I'm just back from a dinner at dear friend's who live in the 7th arrondissement. On the way to their home, I passed by the back of the Invalides and I noted these green statues just to the right of the dome. It's probably a monument dedicated to the WWI soldiers, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I could not help but taking a photo. I love this place at night.

Air France office

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:01:00 GMT

Like I said previously it really was hard for me to readjust to the Paris time. Right now I could do with a quiet do nothing weekend in Paris, but I have to go down to Nice for a couple of days. I should not complain, as Nice will probably be warmer and sunnier than Paris and because I'm going there to attend the christening of a little niece I'm going to be the Godfather of! By the way, this is the Air France office at les Invalides. It's located in the magnificent ex Gare de des Invalides, built for the 1867 world exhibition.

Sunny morning

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:27:02 GMT

The past days (since my return from vacation) have been pretty hard. I have been extremely tired, it was dark and cold, and I really felt like hibernating! And this morning, when I woke up, the sun was shining. I then went through the Carrousel du Louvre (two 'r's in French to Carrousel!) like every morning and saw this. And "this" put a smile on my face that remained all day... "This" is the arch of the Carrousel, it was built in 1806 to commemorate Napoleon's military victories (more on Wikipedia). It's a beautiful monument and with this light it's even more beautiful. did you notice the Ferris wheel in the back?

Classic Sunday pic!

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:07:00 GMT

I had to get up at 6 am on a Saturday morning just to take this photo for you! No I did not... I'm kidding. In fact I took it much later, but it was still grayish/blueish and covered, so they left the street lamps on. There is not much to say about it: it's Paris, it's La Pyramide du Louvre and yes, it's beautiful (and for once empty!). Have agreat Sunday everyone, I still find it hard to recover from the Jet-lag on my end (but I know I mustn't complain!).

Patheon

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:08:00 GMT

It's always a pleasure to come back to Paris after some time, even when it's freezing! I passed by the Patheon this morning and the Christmas trees were still standing in front of it. The weather was so gray, I decided to turn the scene into a typical black and white photo. For the records this monument shelters the tombs of the French National Heroes but was originally built to be a church (read the whole history here). It's a fascinating place to visit if you come to Paris.