Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Girls talk!


When I saw these two ladies, I could not help thinking of my childhood, when my mother used to chat for 5 minutes with some ladies of the neighborhood on her way to her daily grocery shopping ;) I photographed them in the middle of Parc Monceau, a park located in the richest part of the 17th arrondissement (the 17th arrondissement is broken into a rich part and a poorer one). On its western and eastern sides there are two of the most exclusive avenues of Paris (Avenue Velasquez and Van Dyck) where the price of real estate has no limit!

33 comments:

  1. Oh, yeah, I remember Parc Monceau. There used to be an American private school called "Ecole Active Bilingue" http://www.eab.fr/ right nearby, might still be there, too.

    I love this shot. Quintessential Paris. Contemporary Doisneau or something :D

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  2. This is a very appealing photo because it is illustrative of human interaction. It has friendship written all over it!

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  3. Great shot! We've sat in the Parc Monceau and watched parents watching their kids play -- I remember much more activity and again I marvel at how you've managed to capture a calm moment, isolating these two women's exchange. Lovely!

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  4. That's a candid shot, the two ladies look Asian. Seems that Paris is becoming very cosmopolitan!

    A photolicious blog
    www.veryclicky.blogspot.com

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  5. Your title cracks me up! Excellent!! They must be gossiping about those flambing real estate prices. Or maybe the shoes they bought together.

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  6. I love this one, Eric. You see this sort of conversation often in my village or in Menton. Neighbours and neighbourliness are so important.

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  7. As Elvis Costello once put it:
    There are some things you can't cover up with lipstick and powder
    I thought I heard you mention my name, can't you talk any louder ?
    Don't come any closer, don't come any nearer
    My vision of you can't get any clearer
    Oh, I just want to hear girls talk
    I got a loaded imagination being fired by girls talk
    But I cant say the words you want to hear
    I suppose youre going to have to play it by ear
    Right here and now.

    (Girls' Talk)

    I am a huge Elvis Costello fan. Seeing him in concert with Bob Dylan in 9 days!

    Great photo, Eric!

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  8. Le Parc Monceau is very special to me, because on our first trip to Paris, when we were waiting to check in, we walked aimlessly for several hours. Apart from l'Arc de Triomphe, the parc was the first recognizable landmark for me. I have had a Harold Altman etching of it for many years. It was such a thrill to be there!
    Angela Bell

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  9. Friendship is a wonderful thing. You've captured a moment of something to be cherished. Reminds me of two ladies my wife and I met on our way to St Sulpice one Sunday morning. Many questions for us Americans and so full of sincere conversation and life. It is a nice memory I have of Paris. Hope to return one day soon when my two daughters are old enough.

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  10. Thanks for this Eric and for sharing a part of your memories with us as well. I love Tomate's comment, "Contemporary Doisneau".

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  11. Ha ha ha! Yes, girls like to talk :)))
    Very nice blog, I like Your comments for photos...

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  12. When you were a child, five minutes must have seemed like an eternity and you probably weren’t keen on waiting on mama, no? But today, you’ve captured a moment that captured a warm memory for you. And that makes this photo priceless!

    I think this is the lovely park with the faux Corinthian columns around a basin?

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  13. These young ladies are so cuute !!

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  14. Elisabeth, I had the same reaction:
    ...and I want to know how
    girls talk..
    And I think that Joe Jackson recorded it, too, but it's Elvis' song.
    Elaine: you're right! In fact, their outfits differ only in color and a hat.
    I love people watching. I have many photos of people (usually pretty women) that we would watch and make up stories about. She's angry with her man on the phone because he's late meeting her in front of Cafe Mairie. She's talking on the phone with her lover at Jardin des Tuileries because her husband can't hear there. These two ladies, well, who knows....!

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  15. I love how dressed alike they are, even their scarves! I just got done reading "French Women For All Seasons" and there is a whole section on how to tie a proper French scarf!

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  16. Very interesting photo, Eric!

    I have one for you - Sting on a Velib!

    http://www.etonline.com/celebrities/sightings/2007/09/38572/index.html

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  17. I love the Parc Monceau, a truly urban Park. I believe the Parc Monceau was an inspiration for the Public Garden in Boston where I spent a lot of time growing up.

    I remember once I was taking a photo of a beautiful mansion on the Avenue Van-Dyck that leads into the Ave Hoche and an elderly French gentleman in a trench coat taking his morning walk absolutley snarled at me! LOL!! The mansion was so beautiful I couldn't resist, but I always laugh about it because I'm sure it is the same way I look at tourists in SF when I'm in a rush and they jump in front of me to take a photo of a Victorian house or a Cable Car..LOL!

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  18. Let's try this again...

    http://www.etonline.com/celebrities/
    sightings/2007/09/38572/index.html

    (remember to delete the space when you paste it in your browser)

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  19. Parc Monceau... il y a un film qui commence la'. La protagoniste fait le guide. Comment ca s'appelle?

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  20. very nice photo and website you got there... thanks for introducing PAris in a different way for us.. :)

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  21. Ixx9n2 Your blog is great. Articles is interesting!

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  22. 3rTkEM Please write anything else!

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  23. actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.

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  24. actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.

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  25. Please write anything else!

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  26. Please write anything else!

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  27. actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.

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  28. c6heB3 actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.

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  29. Eric, you´re wrong!

    Why? Because this charming park is in the VIII district, not in the XVII, but just to the north side of this park begins the XVII district.

    Yes, the avenues that you mentioned seem and are very exclusive, with beautiful "little" private palaces.

    Thanks! (Greetings from El Salvador)

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