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December 05 2011
Water Reflexion
It's a much more profane photo than yesterday, but it's still worth the look. I took it from Le Quai de la Loire, by the Bassin de la Vilette in the 19th arrondissement. The bank you can see in this photo is actually Le Quai de la Seine, where the MK2 movie theater (known for showing "intellectual movies") I already mentioned on this blog, is located. You may want to click in the photo to see all details.
October 22 2011
Reading by the Canal
I just spent two days hanging out at the Webdeux Connect event (a cool French networking event for geeks like me!) and I did not have a single minute to take my photo du jour... So here is a very peaceful Sunday shot that I took by the Canal Saint Martin a few days ago, when it was still a little warm. There is nothing extraordinary in this photo, but I like it. Off to bed now, tomorrow morning (Sunday), France plays New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup and I want to see this ;-)
September 08 2011
The woman in the window...
How about a funny window setting to finish the week? I'm not talking about a shop window display, but a real window, a one that I found at Quai de la Gironde, by the Canal de l'Ourq. I just thought it was funny. Facts and figures: the big stones around the window are called Meulières, they were used until 1880 to build houses in Paris and its area.
August 29 2011
Bains Douches
Those of you who were in Paris in the 80's (and even later) probably remember a mythical dance club called "Les Bains Douches" (public bath) precisely named so, because it was located in a former public bath. What is less known is that there are still public baths in Paris (18, if I counted well) and that it is still possible to wash yourself for free in one of them if you don't have a bathroom of your own (or if you're homeless). I photographed this one in the 19th arrondissement at Quai de la Gironde. The photo is not very good, but I love the building.
August 28 2011
Then end of "l'Eté du Canal"
This Monday it's definitely "La rentrée" (back to school). Shops and offices will fully reopen, tourists are on the leave... and all the Paris summer activities are about to end. Paris Plage of course, which closed a couple of weeks ago and l'été du canal (summer at the canal) where you could attend concerts, see various exhibits, eat at a terrace, even take a very cheap cruise, all this on or along the Ourcq canal, a canal that goes from inside Paris to the Northern suburbs. Very nice. As for me, I'm in Marseille today, so I'll be by the sea;-)
August 27 2011
Lovers walk
Today is Sunday, a perfect day to have a walk though Paris en amoureux like this this cute couple that I photographed a few days ago, walking peacefully hand in hand and looking at each other from time to time. I’m sure her name is not Irene, like the hurricane that’s heading towards the US east cost, including New York City. I hope it’ll be less serious than what the media tells us.
August 25 2011
Little house in... the urban jungle
Amazing little house, that I found off rue Corentin Cariou in the 19th arrondissement. After some research on the Web I found out it's not at all a house, but the former Pont de Flandre train station that once belonged to the "small belt", a train track ring that would run around Paris and was closed to passengers in 1934. I read that they are going to renovate it... but it seems there is still a long way to go! Here is a little video, from another angle.
August 18 2011
Where to find a baguette at night?
Not the most glamorous photo posted on PDP? I agree! I even had to cheat a bit with it for the original was really... well... not nice! But the reason why I posted it, is that there is something truly Parisian in it - and truly unique: a baguette vending machine (on the left hand side)! Yes, people, a boulanger (baker) managed to create a baguette dispenser that can operate 24/7 (it's more than a dispenser actually as it completes the cooking when you pay, so that it's crunchy like a fresh one). Think of all the poor Parisians who crave for a baguette at 4am! Now they know where to go: 20 Avenue Mathurin-Moreau in the 19th arrondissement.
June 07 2011
La Grande Halle de la Vilette
Last evening I went to La Cité de la musique to attend a concert conducted by Les Arts Florissants, a Baroque musical ensemble conducted by William Christie. It was... Baroque! On the way out I took this photo of La Grande Halle, a remain of a former slaughter house that was built between 1865 and 1867 and was still used until 1975. Beautiful.
May 15 2011
Why run?
Here is another shot I took at Parc des Buttes Chaumont. There were a bunch of girls playing sort sort of games (I guess tag - what we call "jouer au chat" in French) and I waited for the perfect moment to shoot. I actually wanted to have the quiet guy by the tree and the running girl in the same photo ;-) Silly, I know...
May 13 2011
Getting a tan in Paris
Amazing! I just looked at the weather report in Paris and the sun is still shinning like crazy. No wonder some people are taking advantage of this very unusual situation for the season (I actually took this photo at Parc des Buttes Chaumont right before my departure). FYI, it appears that it is forbidden not to wear a shirt in Paris, even if it's very hot (only seaside cities allow it), but I suppose that in this kind of situations (a park) there is not risk of getting a ticket.
May 10 2011
Passage du Plateau
I already showed you the narrowest street in Paris once (the rue du chat qui fume), and now here is the narrowest Passage in Paris (1,50 meter wide). I found it but pure coincidence while I was touring the streets of Paris to take photos prior to my little vacation time. It's located in the 19th arrondissement, but there is not much I could find about it. Its name even has nothing original as, it's derived from the street name where it starts. Funny though, I wonder how movers do when then have to carry a large piano down there?!
July 01 2010
La Bohême ?!
The first thing I thought of when I shot this scene was La Bohême opera by Puccini. It takes place in Paris, among very poor people, some who "enjoy" the situation because they're artists, some who don't because they are just workers (or rather "cousettes"). In this present case, my guess is that this is more the second situation... Despite our welfare system, about 200 000 people are considered to live with less than 670 € per month in Paris, which is really not much. Sorry for such a sad note, but Paris is not all about glamor...
June 25 2010
Chinese restaurant
I'm just back from a farewell party in the 19th arrondissement and on the way out, when I left, I came across these illuminations in the window of a Chinese restaurant (rue de la Madone) ! I could not help but smile thinking it's was a little tacky, but also very marketing oriented: how to draw the attention to your restaurant at night! I doubt your comments will be as clever as the ones of yesterday with this photo, but this is just for fun...
June 16 2010
It's Okay to go the café
Very good friends of mine (one is a frequent commenter to PDP...) gathered some friends to celebrate their Pacs (Civil Union) yesterday evening and they did it at the Okay Café, a very nice restaurant located 41 Quai de Loire and overlooking the Canal de la Vilette. So not only can you enjoy a nice drink outside by the water, but on top of that you get to have dinner inside with a view over the canal (see this other photo I took). Pretty cool place I must say... You feel like you're in Venice or Amsterdam but not really Paris! They also have a "recreation" room in which they have this cool zebra!
June 11 2010
The mini Willy Ronis Tour
Several times, since the beginning of May, have I mentioned a "tour" I took in the 19th arrondissement (remember the "In the footsteps of Willy Ronis photo?"). Well, now is the time to reveal all about it. This tour is made by famous French photographer Jean-Paul Lefret who lives and work in the 19th arrondissement, precisely behind this gate. I really enjoyed the time I spent with him and the other members of the group (including the encounter with Stéphane Kovalsky, the grand son of Willy Ronis, that I photographed here with Jean-Paul). As you can guess, I really recommend this tour (no, I have not been paid to say that!!), not only for the photo opportunities, but also for the atmosphere (BTW, check the photos he took that day, I'm in one of them...). Check here for more details and here for a more practical info (that means "price"!).
June 09 2010
The girl in the Bistrot
I called this photo "the girl in the bistrot" as it reminded me of the kind of photos you can actually find in old catalogs from the 40's or 50's with a title that does not really add to the photo! I did take it in a bistrot - which name I don't remember anymore... - in the 19th arrondissement while I was taking this Willy Ronis tour I will definitely tell you more by the end of the week now (enough suspense!). I really liked the atmosphere.
June 02 2010
The sky is clearing up
Look at this blue sky (ok, don't pay attention to the chimneys!)... It's going to be like this until Sunday (at least). Which is good news for the 5th annual PDP picnic! (In case you still haven't heard of it LOL!). I took this photo in Parc des buttes Chaumont and I love the perspective. The lady in red was shaking a rug or something. Nothing more to add...
May 30 2010
Soon, the world cup!
Unless you live under a rock (or maybe if you're American and don't really follow everything that is soccer related) you probably know that the World Cup will soon start in South Africa. To be honest I don't think the French team will stay in the tournament very long... To much money and sex and not enough soccer I'm afraid ;-) There is even a supermarket chain who recently advertised saying "You TV set refunded if the French team wins the cup!" That says a lot. In the meantime I found this young, promising player training hard in the Jardin des Buttes Chaumont. So cute! BTW, if you want to follow the World Cup, go to Footbalistic, they are friends of mine.
PS : don't forget the PDP picnic this Sunday (June 6) at 1 PM. More details on this Facebook Page. The weather is going to be gorgeous.
May 24 2010
In the footprints of Willy Ronis...
Do you know this photo by Willy Ronis, the famous French photographer who is probably more known for this photo? Well, at the occasion of a tour I will tell you more about soon, I happened to go exactly where he took the photo in 1950, that is Avenue Simon Bolivar in the 19th arrondissement . Of course the magic of his shot is definitely not in mine, but I tried my best! Oh BTW, the gray haired man on the right is... Stéphane Kovalsky, the grand son of Willy Ronis! Cool encounter, I can tell you.
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