Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Night Views From the Pont Neuf



A week or so ago, Maya, Janet, Peter and I walked across the Pont Neuf on our way to the Louvre. The top photo is the famous Samaritaine. Built in 1869 this was once a posh shopping spot with a terrific view of Paris from it's rooftop café. It has been closed since 2005 for "safety reasons". There's been quite a bit of speculation about that and apparently the owners want to use the property for upscale shops, offices, a luxury hotel and include 2,400 sq.m for social housing. I think that idea has caused a bit of a Parisian "stir"!

The bottom photo is just a smidgen of Paris Plages (beaches) . The city of Paris has turned long stretches along the Seine into beaches, complete with sand, outdoor cabanas, and even some water features. Click on the link to see all the terrific events taking place. The French can take a theme and run with it can't they!!! I am still wondering WHY I didn't investigate this more and take more photos. Excusez moi !!!

Laurent's Daily Photos in Paris has more great shots of Paris Plages for you on his blog.

15 Minutes of Fame!
Some of my Paris photographs are now featured on a new online magazine, Norwizzle!
I will also be doing some photography work for them from time to time. Check it out!!!


Oh happy day! I have all my luggage and all's right with the world!

11 comments:

Harriet said...

What a classy shot of La Samaritaine. Now I am very glad that I was on the rooftop at least once before it closed. I am going to your link to see what info is available. I wonder when it's set to re-open????

Harriet said...

Thanks for the link. I thought the fate of La Samaritaine had been sealed; perhaps it may still be resurrected as a grand magazin!

Vagabonde said...

Thanks for the pics on Paris Plage. I always went to Paris in the Spring and Fall so I never saw it. It was created by the mayor of Paris in 2002 and I think it is quite successful.

Sheila said...

Social housing? does that mean low-income housing? Count me in...

alice said...

I'm very happy to read this good news about your luggage!
My daughter is going to live two streets on the right of La Samaritaine (when you are in front of the building, on the left it's Le Louvre, anyway!)), at the beginning of september...She'll have to cross Le Pont Neuf every day to go to Rive Gauche, poor little student ;-))

Virginia said...

Alice,
Well we'll all need to come and visit her in her new flat! Poor thing indeed! I want to know what she'll be studying and where. We need an email chat. Hope your holidays were wonderful. My sure were. :)
V

Harriet,
I think the stir was caused when it was thought the owners closed it so they could engineer this new venture and make lots of Euros. Tsk tsk

Thérèse said...

Thanks for the Samaritaine picture. I am still missing this wonderful store.

Maya said...

Those fake beaches were cracking me up. People are certainly desperate to sit on a beach aren't they?

Starman said...

You're lucky, when I returned from Germany after a tour with Uncle Sam, I sent a trunk containing just about every picture I took (the old-fashioned way of course). Now, sixty years later, it still hasn't arrived.

Daryl said...

Perhaps some of the Parisian idea men visited San Antonio and thought Riverwalk was a good idea ...

Jane Hards Photography said...

I confess I had never heard of Samaritaine. Consider me told.