Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Rising stars


I do not like the post Christmas/New year period for all the excitement seems to vanish all of a sudden. This is mostly due to the Christmas decorations being taken down from the streets (they removed the ones of the Champs Elysées 2 days ago...). So before they take ALL the Christmas lights down, let me post a last photo that I took at rue de Rennes, in the 6th rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré in the 8th arrondissement. Remember my favorite quote by Oscar Wilde? "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars..."

49 comments:

  1. Very pretty. Is that Oscar Wilde quote the genesis of the Tenin perspective?

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  2. Good question, Mrs. V!

    I, too, love that Oscar Wilde quote. All his quotes, really.

    And I love these stars. I think they should be a permanent fixture here. Everywhere!

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  3. I'll fall asleep now with these beautiful stars and golden colors in the eyes. I like it very much.

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  4. Some of us are stars. That would be you!

    Is that Hermès on the left? On rue de Rennes in the 6th????????? I'm confused, but love the twinkling stars.

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  5. My favorite Wilde quote: The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

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  6. I, too, miss the Christmas lights when they suddenly disappear after the holiday. It makes the winter darker. Thanks for brightening up my day.

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  7. Yeah, I hate it when they take down all the sparkly stuff. So thanks for this last look at the Christmas stars, Eric. My fave Wilde quote (or one of them anyway): "A poet can survive anything but a misprint."

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  8. It looks like someone was blowing bubble stars into the air.

    If the red sign is the one I think you are referring to, Cali, it is for Camper, a shoe store. And knowing you, you wouldn't step into such an inferior place. Your shoes...rock!

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  9. Sad that the prettiest lights seem to be taken down again in the twinkling of an eye. This is very pretty, Eric!

    I love that quote too, Alexa! And this one: I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.

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  10. Phx: lol! Now I have to check the place out!

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  11. Thank you for lifting our gaze starward.

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  12. It looks like someone was blowing bubble stars into the air.

    IT DOES!

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  13. I love the photo and all the Wilde quotes! I leave my twinkly lights up on a ficus tree in my living room all year. It doesn't look as wierd as it sounds ... I think. I just saw a video (yes - video - & don't know if its avail on dvd, but probably avail on netflix) called "Wilde" with Brit actor Steven Fry. It was wonderful and he was an eerie look-alike for Oscar. Check it out if you can!

    Last night I was laughing to myself about all the Parisians chucking their trees out their apartment windows - that thought never fails to brighten my post-Christmas days. : )

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  14. Eric, I counted today and I'm up to 165 of my most favorite PDP photos on my slideshow. There are so, so many wonderful shots, its amazing.

    THANK YOU!!!!

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  15. First of all, nice shot.

    Second, nice quote!! I really like it.

    By the way, isn't Oscar Wilde burried at the Pere Lachaise cemetary? If memory serves, he has the most unusual tomb, covered in kisses, so we're probably not the only fans ;)

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  16. @ From Cali: You have to enable your Blogger Profile so we can click on your avatar and view it in full size. It looks like it's one of these delightful art pieces from Shell Sherry but we can't see it, quel dommage. Send email if you need a hand with Blogger.

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  17. Your quoting and these rising neon stars made my entire week!!!

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  18. @ Eric.

    I know what you mean. It's "back to business" a little bit too fast. But for others for whom the holidays are mostly depressing, seeing those decorations come down can be a huge relief.

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  19. Love the photo and the Wilde quote! It would be nice if they left the stars up longer, though.

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  20. I love the silver with the gold. And the horses atop the building at the rear!

    Yes, we saw Wilde's grave at Pere Lachaise. Most unusual. Many people revere him. I wish I could think of a quote besides the "last words" one: "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do." I don't know if he really said that, but it sounds like him, doesn't it?

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  21. I love the stars, they are wonderful... very well written as well..

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  22. Ne s'agirait-il pas plutôt de la rue Saint-Honoré ???

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  23. ... ou du Faubourg Saint-Honoré ?

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  24. Beautiful! I adore star gazing. I leave my lights up all year...I know this will surprise people, but they are strung on a giant metal Eiffel Tower! ;) If I cannot be in Paris, I make Paris wherever I am.

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  25. Even on Christmas day(2008) Oscar pulled in the crowds at Pere Lachaise. The tomb was sculpted by Jacob Epstein and covered in lipstick kisses.

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  26. My fave Wilde quote, and I hope it is true, is "When good Americans die, they go to Paris."

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  27. ...and some of us have been hanging around in bars."

    - That's why we're in the gutter in the first place - I can survive anything but a missed pint.


    Unlike others, I shall resist the temptation to quote Oscar Wilde, as "quotation is but a serviceable substitute for wit"

    Mmm... looks like Oscar's had the last laugh again.

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  28. You beat me to it Mrs. Vandertramp...that quote is actually on the wall here in my office...I so hope it's true!

    These stars are a great shot because they look more like New Years decorations then Christmas...sort of timeless.

    I am halfway through Wilde's "Portrait of Dorain Grey" now and it is filled with insightfull lines...


    Sean

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  29. Misplaced Parisian: I leave my lights up all year...I know this will surprise people, but they are strung on a giant metal Eiffel Tower! ;) If I cannot be in Paris, I make Paris wherever I am.

    Me, too! One of these days I'm going to illuminate it properly, not just with a string of Christmas lights wrapped loosely around. But for now...it's easy.

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  30. Everybody is a star, your shine is just different from mine.

    I think that was Bootsy, or the Brides of Funkenstein, playing off of Sly Stone's hit, but I'd have to check.

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  31. Drummond: "quotation is but a serviceable substitute for wit"
    Works for me. ;-)

    Tomate: that is a drawing of Shell's. Good eye!

    Thanks for updating the street info, Eric.

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  32. What a great night shot! I hope to see it in next year's calendar. It certainly has us all talking, and your reader's comment about the Wilde quote having to do with "the Tennin perspective" gave me an idea for your coming 5th blogoversary in March: what if all your CDPB friends took a photo from a typical Eric perspective such as a ground shot or a skewed view and posted it on your anniversary date? Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, it might be a fun way to salute you and PDP. Maybe we could ask our beloved techie whiz D if it could be run like a theme day or have it BE the theme day for March? OK, you're blushing, but might we do this? It would be so fun!
    -Kim

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  33. Ahhh...Oscar Wilde, and those are certainly beautiful stars! Glad that you got to capture them before they are put into storage for next year!!

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  34. Stars... a good moment to note the passing of the great filmmaker Eric Rohmer.

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  35. Good olde Oscar on going thru US customs - "I have nothing to declare except my genius!" What ho!

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  36. Cnon -- Oh,no! I'm very sad to hear of Rohmer's passing. He made some wonderful films.

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  37. ETS and Misplaced Parisian - I 'm glad I'm not alone! : )

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  38. Mrs. Vandertramp - I think that's what Herb Caen used to say about San Franciscans. I hope it's true.

    Cnon - Yes, it is sad about Eric Rohmer. He was one of the last of New Wave auteurs. I especially loves his series based on the four seasons.

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  39. Carrie, no one is ever alone in their ET love here at Chez Eric. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know!

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  40. Drummond, MDR !! I did not catch it well at first but now I do and you're making me smile again!! Cute but also terrible ;)

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  41. About the wrong address. Well you caught me. I took this photo some time ago and I did not remember where! I saw the Loft by design sign and the only Loft by design store I know is located rue de Rennes. So here you go...

    @Cali "Some of us are stars. That would be you! " LOL

    @Alexa ""A poet can survive anything but a misprint."" I did not know it, but I understand why you're sensitive to it!

    @Carrie "Last night I was laughing to myself about all the Parisians chucking their trees out their apartment windows - that thought never fails to brighten my post-Christmas days. : )" Yes! I did not post about that this year as I must have mentioned it every year since I started PDP.

    @Carrie (2) " I'm up to 165 of my most favorite PDP photos on my slideshow" Can we see this slideshow somewhere on the Net?

    @Tomate "By the way, isn't Oscar Wilde burried at the Pere Lachaise cemetary? If memory serves, he has the most unusual tomb, covered in kisses, so we're probably not the only fans ;)" Yes, it's even on PDP!

    @Petrea ""Either this wallpaper goes, or I do." I don't know if he really said that, but it sounds like him, doesn't it?" I love it - whoever said that.

    @Kim "and your reader's comment about the Wilde quote having to do with "the Tenin perspective" gave me an idea for your coming 5th blogoversary in March: what if all your CDPB friends took a photo from a typical Eric perspective such as a ground shot or a skewed view and posted it on your anniversary date" Hey hey, that sounds like fun!

    @Cnon "Stars... a good moment to note the passing of the great filmmaker Eric Rohmer" True! Thank you.

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  42. I like when you talk back to us, Eric. ;-)

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  43. I love Kim's idea. Let's all (those of us who are photo bloggers) do a Tenin perspective shot for Eric's birthday.

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  44. ohh...just noticed that Hermes was right across the street...okay!!

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  45. Okay gang, Eric says it would be a fun way to celebrate his 5th Blogoversary. I will post something to the forum and ask D if he can help us out. We can leave it up to D and whoever is choosing themes for theme day if we can do this on the first day of March or on Eric's actual blog anniversary that month (I have to look up the date, but memory tells me it's the 5th or 13t--I know, my memory doesn't really work :-) ). Let's all take a photo from "The Tennin Perspective" TM (ie, camera placed on the ground, or a slightly skewed/tilted view) in our own cities. These are two trademark "Tenin Perspective" TM type of shots.

    Spread the word to all our PDP/CDPB friends to start thinking up the perfect tribute "Tenin Perspective" TM shot!
    -Kim

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  46. How beautiful. I love the idea of the stars climbing heavenward. (is that a word??)

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  47. love this!! you captured the lights so well. i was in barcelona and paris this christmas and i tried to get pictures that encapsulated the feelings of the lights in both cities. you did a much better job! nice!!

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