Mousse au Chocolat X 3!

When you order mousse au chocolat in France, you are always in for a treat. Well you can see from Eva's face what's it like to have pas un, pas deux, mais trois kinds set before you! Oooh la la !!!

PS We all thought the garnish was oh so special, as only the French can do!

Les Chaises - Table/Chair Series

Saint Sulpice Foire aux Antiquaires

There was really no way those striped ones would fit in my suitcase, but I thought long and hard about it. The delightful bucket of flowers is what makes a Paris antiques fair so very special.

Musée d'Orsay, les horloges

The Musée d'Orsay, the former Gare d'Orsay has fortunately kept the open feel of its former life as a railway station , and its fabulous clocks! With an extensive collection of Impressionist paintings this museum should be at the top of your list. It's smaller than la Louvre, and I've always found it to be very easy to navigate and enjoy! Don't forget to have lunch here.

Église St. Madeleine II - Troyes, France

Each Sunday I feature a church or cathedral in France. Today we revisit the beautiful Église St. Madeleine in Troyes, France.

Ahhh, a Little Sax in Paris

French Stranger #41

I love a lot of things about Paris, but the street musicians are right up there near the top of the list! Strolling along the river one afternoon, Peter and I heard the soulful music of a saxaphone but couldn't find the source. Finally curiosity got the best of us, so we went down the stairway to the water's edge and found this musician under the bridge playing all alone. A delightful discovery. Paris, je t'aime!

I am pleased to share some good news. Two of my Paris street portraits are being featured on Parisien Salon.com! This is a terrific site that I visit every day. Please give it a look.

Le Verre a Pied

My last day in Paris I had breakfast on rue Mouffetard at le Verre a Pied. When I went to pay, I realized I had left my wallet back in my room. In my half anglais- half français ( and as Peter would say, my half sign language - well you do what you have to do) , I managed to explain that I would be back in 5 minutes and gave the nice owner 1.5 euros ( all I had with me) and left. I returned with the proper funds shortly! I was so appreciative that he had been so trusting, I went back and had lunch there as well. It was a VERY warm day so yes, I gratefully accepted a little ice for my rosé! Another very kind Parisian that made my stay in Paris so very special.

Breaking News! I am very pleased that two of my Paris photos are now being featured on Parisien Salon.com ! This is a beautiful site and all you Paris lovers will want to visit it every day, I do!

At the Flower Shop - 100 French Strangers Challenge

French Stranger #40

I"ve been sitting on this delightful portrait since last June. This has to be one of my favorites!. I spotted le chien through the open door so I stuck my head in and asked to photograph him. Then his happy owner came over and was nice enough to pose as well! Aren't they a great pair?

Guillon Fleuristes

120 Blvd. Raspail

75006 Paris

Sunny Day in Paris!

I know the photography rule about not taking photos in the harsh midday sun, but after I looked at this one a while, I rather liked the nice shadows that resulted. This sunny little table and chairs I found in le Marais. It was Bastille Day, and I had a wonderful time wandering from the Centre Pompidou, to le Marais and back. One of Paris' oldest areas, it is still one of my very favorite places to stroll, shop and take an incredible amount of photographs. I'm oh, so ready for another visit. Quelle surprise!

Who's There??

French Stranger #39

My very last day in Paris, I decided that if I walked past any courtyards with open doors, I was going to venture in and have a look. I was in "what have I got to lose " mode. As I peeked in here, this young lady who was having a little smoke break, walked around to see who was there. We chatted and I learned that she was from Tennessee, in Paris to visit her boyfriend. ( How romantic!!!) Thanks Mary for this nice photo! Snooping paid off here.

Memories for Sale

Les Puces de Saint -Ouen

(Paris Flea Market)

Église Saint Paul - Saint Louis I

As I have been featuring the churches of France each Sunday, today let's return to the beautiful Église Saint Louis-Saint Paul church in le Marais. "Commissioned by Louis XIII and completed in 1641, the Church is one of the oldest examples of Jesuit architecture in Paris." Be sure to click on the link, as it's a site which offers a panoramic tour of the entire church.

Street Scene

At the end of this perfectly Parisian street you will find the beautiful Église Saint Louis-Saint Paul in le Marais. Stop by tomorrow to see a photograph from inside the church.

Paris Bleu III - Trente

This beautiful apartment in Paris was, according to Peter's blog, designed by the nephew of Gustave Eiffel in 1914. Paris Bleu, how great!

Les Toillete Toters

As most of you know, Paris has some traffic/parking issues. I don't have the numbers but I would guess that most Parisians use the Metro, bus, bicycles or motorbikes. The rest have cars and try and squeeze them in every imaginable crevice on the streets. I'm sure not having a car saves the average citizen many Euros and a lot of hassle. That said, I 'm thinking there are times when a car might come in handy. Case in point: You need a new toilette for your flat. Now how do you get it home? I ran up on these two fellows in the Marais and as I followed behind them I couldn't help but laugh and snap as many photos as I could. That's what friends are for, oui?

A Little Bubbly at the Palais Royal - 100 French Strangers

French Strangers #38 and #39

I've never strolled around the gardens of the Palais Royal without finding some very interesting people to photograph. This cute couple was enjoying a little bubbly under the trees. I was feeling a little Paris bleu that afternoon , but they definitely made me smile. Merci!

On the Loose in Paris

The first day I arrived back in Paris in July, I was enjoying a glass of wine at a local café and spotted this petit chien. I thought perhaps he was waiting for his owner, who was there in the tabac, but apparently not. He scampered away shortly. A streetwise Parisian chien? I hope so!

Velib', Paris Rent a Bike

In July, 2007 the City of Paris began a new self service "bicycle transit stystem" called Velib'. Still going strong with 1451 pick up and drop off locations and 20,600+ bicycles, the idea has proven to be a grand one. Everywhere you go in Paris you see these bikes in use. The city even has special trucks that pick up excess bikes and take them to other locations as the supply and demand shifts throughout the day (computerized you know). The cost is nominal and payment is made quite painless. In addition, the city has over 371 km of cycling lanes, which hopefully keeps the cyclists out of harm's way in the bustling (hellacious) Paris traffic. And did I mention that biking is good for the environment as well? Score one for the City of Paris!

Oh, and don't bother asking if I rode one. You know the answer to that.

Église Saint Sevarin

Église Saint Severin in the 5th arrondisement is located around the corner from Blvd. St. Germain. Built in the 6th century, this lesser known church is a must. Of special note must be the set of seven stained glass windows in the ambulatory. Designed in 1966 by artist Jean Bazaine, they were inspired by the sacraments of the Catholic church. These especially vibrant windows are a beautiful compliment to the ancient church interior. The distinctive twisted palm columns are unusual as well. Saint Severin is now used mainly for classical and sacred music concerts. My thanks to my friend Mary Gilbert for making sure I didn't miss this special place.

La Belle Fenêtre

What more is there to say. This is another reason why I love Paris.

Well La Tee Dah!

Le Bon Marché is one of Paris' most upscale department stores. Oh it is ever so lovely and chic and PRICEY! According to Peter's Paris blog, bon marché means "a good price or good value". That's hard to believe, but I will say it's not to be missed. Did I buy anything you ask? Well after a lovely lunch, I found my way to the book department and bought two great photography books on Atget and Brassai! And they were a terrific value! While you're there, be sure and visit the food store across the street. It has an amazing selection of everything. Oh, and Peter warned me that they didn't appreciate photographing the interior of the store. Well if you check his blog post and mine, you'll see that neither of us paid a bit of attention to that! ( I'll admit taking mine on the sly)

For the Love!

This should clear up the question as to how I managed to walk "Peter's Paris Marathon" for most of the summer and didn't waste away to nothing! ( Didn't even come close, grrrrr) Window displays like this one at Gerard Mulot, might give you a clue. Oh what's a girl to do?

Can You Hear Me Now???

A Nice Rosé

Nothing like a very cold glass of rosé on a very warm Paris afternoon.

Musée Rodin, Another Look

Well you know how I feel about the Musée Rodin in Paris. I've posted many, many photos from here. I never tire of it. Today, my Eva and a young man that she and I thought was pretty funny. Channeling Rodin perhaps?

Église St. Madeleine - Troyes, France

The Pigeon and the Baptismal Font

Candles

A Late Night Walk Home

Back in June, I had a late night walk from the Metro back to the apartment. I enjoyed the nightlife.

Les Fleurs de Paris

The Paris Flower Market/Bird Market

One of the many things I love about Paris has to be the FLOWERS! Everywhere you turn there are flowers on balconies, streetside, in flower shops and even a small vase with just a few blooms on your table at even the smallest café.

The streetside displays from the corner flower shop were always so gorgeous!

I wanted that bucket with the pale pink roses !!!!

The Funkiest Fountain in Paris

Yesterday, I promised you another trip to the Centre Georges Pompidou. Here we are at the Stravinsky Fountain. When Niki de Saint Phalle and Tinguely collaborate, it's going to be something funky, colorful, and fun! Created in 1982, it consists of 16 mechanical sculptures, inspired by Stravinsky, all gyrating and blowing water. As I've said before......only in Paris.

So are you still wondering why I LOVE Paris??? It's a thrill a minute!

How hilarious and fun it this????

Centre Georges Pompidou

Color Coded Duct Work on the Exterior

If this seems vaguely familiar, this was one of my previous Paris Puzzles here. Now it's time to return to this most unusual place for a closer look. Today, the Centre Georges Pompidou. Begun in 1969 and finished in 1974, it's a tribute to then President Pompidou. Because of it's location, it is also referred to as "Beaubourg". It houses the Musée National d'Art Moderne. The exterior is not my cup of tea, but I did find the maze of colorful pipes intriguing. I have sinced learned that they are color coded: Blue-air, Green-fluids, Yellow- electrical, Red- movement and flow( elevators). The back side features large clear tubes containing escalators. It also features a very large expanse of concrete that I found rather stark and not condusive to sitting and enjoying the view, but apparently the French like it just fine. It was full of people eating, listening to music and just enjoying July 14th, Bastille Day of course! Tomorrow, we will return to have a look at the funkiest fountain in all of Paris!

Lately, Laurent, who does a great job on Daily Photo in Paris , and I have managed to tag team several spots around Paris. I'm flattered, but I think Laurent needs to be worried, very worried about following my train of thought! I link to his post of the Pompidou here.

Only the French could take a grand clay pot, spray paint it gold, put it on a pedestal, declare it art, and we would all buy into that!

Paris Rouge V

Red awning, red car......

I walk through the arch......what are the odds????

Today, Paris Rouge V is from the beautiful Palais Royal

At least I don't have to worry about reading "Roll Tide" on this red shirt!!!