When a French chef goes tapas!

I have a very dear friend who used to be a producer for television (before doing what she really wanted to do: be on stage! I already told you about her last year), and through her, I met Yves Camdeborde, a very famous French chef whose restaurant I visited last week. To be more accurate, I visited - and had the pleasure to eat at - one of his restaurants, the one called L'avant-comptoir, a sort of Tapas place, but very French! Very nice guy and for sure a place to visit.

A Sunday in Paris...

I had a picnic in the Luxembourg gardens yesterday and it was really cool! When I left, passed by the pond where kids can sail little boats rented by their parents. The photo quality is debatable, but the scene is sooooooo French, that I thought you might like it ;-)

Rust is beautiful!

When I heard about today's theme day I really did not know what I was going to photograph. What can be rusty and make a good photo at the same time? Well, I did not have to go very far; the Pont des Arts had all the rust I could hope for! I hope the love between the ones who put them there is less rusty than what their lock shows at present;-)). Have a look at rusty stuff around the world, thanks to the CityDailyPhoto blogger portal!

Selfie, part II

Here is another photo I took at the Pont des Arts and this time not to show the amount of locks attached to it. The minute I saw these four girls taking a selfie, I knew it would make a cool shot. I did not manage to grab the exact angle I wanted, but I had to be quick and discrete (they are not professional models!). 

Live barefoot, really?!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, in summer, you also find people walking barefoot in Paris! Well, there was one yesterday anyway.... Judging from the soles of his feet, I would not recommend it too much, but you know what they say: "this is a free country..."! Have a great Sunday everyone. Are you ready to go back to school?! I'm not...

Poor Pont des arts !

I went to Le Pont des arts yesterday because it's a lot in the news at the moment. The thing is that because of the tourist season there are so many "love locks" on the bridge that the panels are collapsing more than usual. To prevent people from adding more locks, the Paris town hall hopes to get the lovers to take selfies and post them on the social networks (and the Paris site Love Without Locks). They also put stickers on the pavement at the entrance of the bridge. Will it work? I doubt it, especially since there are about 10 people selling locks on and around the bridge!

Watching the sun go down on the Seine...

How romantic? Do I really need a larger caption? I did not think so! Just one precision though, in the photo the sun is just right of Le Grand Palais.

Through the keyhole

I felt like a voyeur when I took this photo yesterday afternoon from the Quai Malaquais! And though this courtyard, that belongs to the Beaux Arts (fine arts) school, is widely open the the public eyes. It's probably the way this lady hides her private parts that made me think of that! That's all, I just wanted to put a smile on your face and I hope I did!

Commemorating WWI

Yes it's a map and yes people are walking on it! Why? Because it's meant to be that way! To commemorate the 100th anniversary of WWI, the Senate - withe the help of map maker Michelin - put a giant map in the Luxembourg gardens on which it is possible to see the major battles that took place in the North-East of France. Very clever idea, even on a rainy day like yesterday! On the Luxembourg grids that surround the gardens, you can also see photos that were taken on the battle fields by photographer Michael St Maur Sheil. More (in English and in French).

Things change!

Paris March 13, 2013

Paris March 13, 2014

It's really incredible! Here are two photos that I took exactly on the same date, one year apart. The snow is fun, but the sun is fine, especially when you can lay in it, like these people in the Jardin du Luxembourg. It won't last forever, or course, but at least until  Sunday ;-)

Go west!

This week our President (François Hollande) is heading West, towards the United States and more precisely towards Silicon Valley, where a lot of young French entrepreneurs moved to create or work in start-ups. He goes there to learn from the local eco-system, but also to try to collect a few dimes from the digital giant such as Google or Amazon...  I though that posting a photo of one of the "founding fathers" - and the 3rd President - of the country was appropriate. This statue of Thomas Jefferson is actually at the end of the Le Pont des arts Passerelle Léopold Sédar Senghor on the left bank. 

Thinking of the future...

I wanted to start this new week with a photo I love. I took it at the Institut Hongrois (the Hugarian institute) at rue Bonaparte where they have, just outside their door, one of the most captivating sculpture: a barefoot woman sitting on a bench. It was made by Hungarian artist Lapis Andras, it's called "Kalap alatt" (under the hat) and it's a replica of an original one that was first made in 1975 and can be seen in the city of Szeged. Those of you who have been following PDP for a very long time may remember the first shot I made of this statue. I did not know the lady who was sitting next to it, but she was kind enough to come to the PDP picnic afterwards!

Soon the collapse?!

It's been a while since I've been to the Pont des Arts... Well, I passed by it two days ago and was totally amazed at the amount of locks that people have hung to the bridge! To the point that I felt like this was becoming a real safety threat! Now I understand why the city authorities are worried... Not to forget that now even the bouquinistes sell locks in case you forgot to bring one with you! Anyway the view is still beautiful!  

Every occasion to monitor your weight is a good occasion!

This is a scale that I photographed in the Luxembourg gardens yesterday. I did it, not so much because of the object in itself, but because the light was really fantastic. And then, I investigated a little more: why on earth was there a scale in the middle of the Luxembourg gardens?! Well... Now I know! It's because at the end of the 19th century people started monitoring their weight, while manufacturers invented automatic scales... One of them the Société anonyme française des bascules automatiques, rented 3 spots in the Luxembourg gardens to install paying (5 cents) scales. This one is one of them (well, maybe not the original!) and even though it does not work anymore, it's still there... 

Peaceful day at the Luxembourg gardens

It's always funny to "rediscover the world" after you've been "trapped" in a place for several days . All the usual scenes that you normally don't pay attention to suddenly become of extreme interest: cars, shoppers, cafés... and passers by in the Luxembourg gardens. This morning I happened to go there after a visit to my doc's and everything there looked wonderful to me. I know it's a little silly ;-) But I had the same feeling the first time I left the barracks after 3 weeks training during my military service (yes, a long long time ago, so long, it does not even exist anymore in France LOL). Facts and figures: the Luxembourg gardens is the second largest public park in Paris(22.5 hectares) and it was created in 1612 to surround the Luxembourg palace.

Beautiful Beethoven

It's been a pretty busy weekend in Paris (demonstration wise...) and there is nothing like a little music to soothe everyone (well I'm not so sure it works with ALL Beethoven's pieces, but that's the only music related photo I have in stock at the moment!) I took this shot at the Luxembourg gardens in which you can come across many sculptures and busts. This one is by Bourdelle, a very famous sculptor (which museum I strongly encourage you to visit if you come to Paris). Last piece of info: the European National Anthem is by Beethoven...

Somebody stop the rain please!

Ask any Parisian what he thinks of the weather at the moment and he will probably go "pfffffff" and raise his/her eyes meaning "I cannot take this cold and this rain anymore!". And believe me, that is exactly how I would behave if you asked me the question! There is a upside to it though: it allowed me to make this cool photo... You will all have recognized the Place Saint Sulpice I'm sure... And no, the lady in the photo is not Catherine Deneuve, even though she lives right there, in one of the buildings in the background!

Unchain my heart!

You all know about these love locks that lovers attach to Le Pont des Arts (and now a lot of other bridges and not only in Paris!) - see this article in the NY times for more. Well, I passed by it yesterday, found this little breach in it and thought it was very symbolic. As many point out, love is not supposed to be a chain - nor a lock for that matter - but you're supposed to stay together out of freewill ;-)

Poetry!

Here is a nice change from the usual graffiti... Even if technically it's not very different! Only this time it's legal and qualifies as "work of art". "It" is Le Bateau Ivre (The Drunken Boat), a famous poem by French poet Arthur Rimbaud that all French pupils have learned at school (at least partially). Thanks to the Dutch Tegen-Beeld foundation who committed calligrapher Jan Willem Bruins to write it on a wall, well you can now admire it on 300 sq meters (3229 square feet) at rue Férou (right next to the Pantheon Saint Sulpice) Dankü!

A very popular man!

Not a big Paris scene today, just something to make you smile ;-) A few facts an figures though: In France wearing a helmet on a motorbike (on any two-wheel vehicle with an engine actually) has been compulsory since 1973. Not wearing one costs 135 €...