Sunday, March 02, 2008

A building in danger


I don't know if you remember this photo that I took about a year ago. I went back to the same street today and found out that this amazing building, built in 1891, is falling apart. Mind you, looking at the old photo I could have seen it coming, for there were several cracks on the wall already! Anyway, nice and sunny day in Paris, I had a nice time walking around the Bastille area.I hope you have nice Sunday everyone, wherever you are in the world!

43 comments:

  1. I've seen this building after your first photo and it's really braced all over the place. Perhaps M. Benaut can explain how they do this intricate work on buildings.

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  2. I just wanted to say a simple merci and that I enjoy seeing your photos:) They will help me when I come visit your lovely city in the near future:)

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  3. From now on, whenever I see a little old man or woman trundling along on their Zimmer frame, I will think of this building.

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  4. Congrats on the GF, Michael - I won the GF in Cheltenham and already received my gift!!

    Eric, I remember your photo of this building from last time - it really does look precarious now - I hope they can save it. Not a very old building for Paris standards - I'm surprised it's not doing very well.

    Glad to see/hear that you had a gorgeous blue day in Paris - cloudy and depressing-looking here in Los Angeles.

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  5. What a shame the building is crumbling, Eric.
    Yay Michael, Happy GF! lol

    Glad you got it Pont Girl!

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  6. Zimmer frames

    These gal darn new buildings (for Paris). They just don't make them like they used to.

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  7. I have been lurking here for weeks, coming to see the new photo every day.

    We were in Paris almost a year ago now, and I love seeing photos you post of things we saw as well as photos that are new to me.

    Terrible about this building. It's really lovely, you'd think it might be saved.

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  8. It's sad to see that lovely window boarded up. I wonder who owns the building now.

    Not that I have sour grapes or anything, but does anyone remember the reason why I didn't qualify for the GF the other day? My first thrilling first, and I didn't get it! (boohoo, poor me...)

    We'll have to ask PHX-CDG for a ruling!

    Looks like it was a lovely day in Paris!

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  9. Let me comfort you, Petra! The constitution says, two full lines of lucid commentary on the picture. Michael's hubritic "GF for me!"makes me shake my black robed body and wigged head in puzzlement.(I decided to be British today).
    Unfortunately for you, but luckily for Michael, he put down his glass of wine and ARRIVED second, on his second comment,then redeemed himself with what he wrote. He indeed has won the GF award today, but quite precariously.
    Pssst...between you and me, we have a great advantage due to our time zone difference with those European upstarts. We have to also keep Monica in the movie theater to have half a chance against her. Bon chance to you!!!!
    In fact, you are probably still awake right now as it is 9:48pm in PHX and should be 8:48pm in CA,non?(5:48 am in CDG?)

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  10. Michael,
    I would be glad to assist. Firstly, I have walked the length of Rue de la Roquette, hier soir, from Bastille to Voltaire and on to the cemetary. It's about one mile in total. It's hard work but most pleasurable. At the moment, in my dreams, I am pondering which ice cream to eat en Rue Saint-Louis en L'Île, and negotiating a new moto-scooter for Eric.
    It's a Piaggio MP3 which I hope he will like. It's amazing how there is so much to see and do in Paris. Perhaps, in the morning, I will take the Métro to Père Lachaise or Philippe Auguste and look from that end. There's so many beautiful old buildings in the onzième and I would love to restore them all. Perhaps in Septembre when I arrive.
    Crikey, I'm exhauted. Where's that ice cream, now?

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  11. Thank you, PHX. I'm not enough of a fanatic to go back and see if I arrived second AND did two full lines of commentary. Probably one or the other but not both!

    You're right about the time. One hour's difference. It's already 5AM in Paris.

    Time zone changes must be the hardest thing to deal with in your job.

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  12. Oh, I AM a fanatic. I looked. I gave four full lines of commentary in my second post, but my second post came in fourth!

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  13. I was shocked at the number of monuments and buildings, bridges, I noticed undergoing some kind of repairs or rennovation, when I last visited Paris. I guess I sort of took it for granted that these buildings and monuments could withstand the test of time without any help at all, but they do need help every now and then.

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  14. You all crack me up! It's why I like coming here. I completely forgot the rules in my excitement, so am willing to bow down if the rule-keeper insists.

    As for M Benaut, just one little clarification is needed. You said, "I have walked the length of Rue de la Roquette, hier soir, from..." Were you in town last night and forgot to tell us?

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  15. Petrea, no sour grapes at all. I simply didn't pay attention to the rules. You may take my place if you wish ;-)

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  16. Sorry, one more from me and then I'll shut up. I couldn't let a comment go by without saying bonjour to my good PDP commentor friend Tomate! How are you doing?

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  17. Oh no! There is so much history there... :(

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  18. Michael, I believe I was twelfth tonight. If you don't win the GF, anonyme gets it.

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  19. It was only after you've mentioned it that I realized that what I saw was bracing the window and not decorating it. :( that is sad.

    Glad you've enjoyed the walk and thank you for the good wishes. May you have a great day too.

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  20. Michael, I dreamt that I was in Paris; seemed pretty real to me. Spoke to a lot of French people and wandered around Père Lachaise, but I couldn't find Eric's old building. It is in a street off Rue de la R. but there are so many of them. I had better try in daytime. Bingo!

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  21. A lovely perspective on a not so lovely predicament! This building is fairly new, by Paris standards, too. Blue sky, sun shine, beautiful architectural details (I love that goo ga under the eve). Nice propotions to the building, too.
    -Kim
    Seattle Daily Photo

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  22. Kim.
    That goo-ga is a Parisian version of a machicolated Palladian entablature, with ogee and romanesque features. Only found in Paris !!

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  23. LOL !! It makes me laugh too Michael. Phx you're hilarious and the gown and wig suits you well. I welcome you to British heritage and i see the ensuing politeness between contestants was a good illustration of it he he ! Michael as Phx has allowed, i reckon you were a worthy winner, though came in with a good dose of luck in coming second too. Section V Clause III of the Constitution covers the ins and outs of this particular eventuality i believe.

    Petrea, i feel in my mystic bones that you may well be next. Are you competing tonight?

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  24. Oh and Michael & Monica i was out on a rare soiree last evening, so i missed your amusing comments but have now replied.

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  25. Eric, only you can make an old and derelict building look good under the scrutiny of your camera!
    Great photo.

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  27. Lynn, thank you for asking. I will compete tonight if I remember. This is my perennial problem.

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  28. It´s sad to hear that Eric, it seems a lovely building. I wish you a great sunday too (well, what´s left of it anyway)

    I am devastated! Everyone has won the GF but me.... even Michael who´s constantly in airplanes and should be flying over some ocean right now won the competition.
    Phx how DID you know I was in the movies?? You know me so well.

    Lynn, regarding your question from yesterday, I feel like I should tell you the truth: we don´t stand a chance against Michael´s Mlle. It´s no use to panic cause it´s a lost battle... she can, let´s say, cause such an strong effect on him, that I´m not sure we could!

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  29. I was walking somewhere, I think in le Marais (but not last night!) and noticed an old building with a wall that was, indeed, bulging out. There were iron rods coming out with a cross bar in an eyelet at the end of the rods. It looked like a series of tourniquets that could be twisted to squeeze the building back into shape again. These apparatus had been there for a very long time. They kept the house from falling. Like that very old house in the Marais (which Eric showed us last year), Paris holds amazing instances of "why hasn't that one fallen down yet?" I'm glad they haven't.

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  30. oh Lynn you're so funny, you can be so gullable sometimes.... I thought you already knew who the Mlle. is...

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  31. LOL Monica!! NO i don't know! My goodness she has the might of an unbeatable beauty and influence, then? We are sunk.
    re: prepositions, if you are IN the movies, you are an actress. If you are in the CINEMA, you are inside the building which shows the films, which is what you meant I think. You can say also that you were AT the movies, meaning you are in the cinema watching the film. At the cinema is also ok, the only confusing one is IN the movies. Actress only. lol Isn't English silly sometimes, but i felt you would want to know!

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  32. Oh that's right Lynn, I haven't reached stardom yet, so yes I was AT the movies!
    Thanks for that, I do want you to tell me these things.

    I wouldn't say the misterious Mlle. has a stunning beauty... but I can tell you she's a native from Brazil and you know what brazilians are known for right?!

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  33. Hmm... more curious. Whisper more to me. No-one is watching...

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  34. I may have to leave you to the race, Monica and i think Petrea will be here. It's been a fantastic day for me but my eyelids are dropping...lol... zzz

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  35. Lynn...
    Here is a little more about the lady in question...
    She is the kind of Goddess that makes heads spin after just a few moments and there is nothing anyone can do about it...
    The minute his lips touch her...he is lost!
    You don't stand a chance my friend :)

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  36. No golden finger pour moi! Monica, what ARE you talking about - I want to hear some deep dish Michael gossip, aussi :) :)!

    You are making me curiouser and curiouser!

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  37. Girls, there's no mistery really. We talked about HER here last month. I'm very fond of her too, and even Guille is a fan.

    you really make me laugh!

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  38. Quelle mystere! I cannot think who this is. Or.. what?? Am i close? Is it inanimate?

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  39. Not exactly inanimate Lynn... well, she certainly has the right moves and won't let him stand still.

    I'd tell you to go back some comments boxes from last month to see what we're talking about, but it's funnier this way!

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  40. You're having fun he he. I don't have time to trawl through all that. I'll keep guessing...

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  41. Vous connaissez Belfort? il y a le lion de Belfort sur le château, qui a été construit par Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi le constructeur de "Statue of Liberty" et sa structure interne est l'œuvre de l'ingénieur Gustave Eiffel. petite information inutile!

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  42. Great photo! I love Paris and hope to visit one day

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