The End!

Here we are...! It's been nearly 10 years, though it seems like just yesterday, when I started posting a photo a day of Paris on this blog after I was given a digital camera for my birthday.

It's been a wonderful experience, for many reasons. The main one being the many encounters that it allowed me to make; people from all over the world that became friends. The second reason why I’m grateful to PDP is that it allowed me to improve my photography skills. I had never had any interest in taking photos, but this daily routine forced me to get into it and improve my technique. I still don’t consider myself as a “real” photographer, but I have to admit that I’m proud of some of my shots. And the third reason is more of a personal achievement. I often think of myself as a quitter, someone who starts many things and stops when he is fed up or after the first difficulty arises. Well, after almost 10 years of not missing a single post, here is at least one occasion where I can call myself “a finisher”.

I’ve had the pleasure and honor to photograph everything from street protests to well known Paris monuments, I have also been asked to photograph wedding proposals and traveling monkeys, I’ve been the creator of what you’ve coined the "Tenin perspective" which really began as an easier way to get down on the ground to photograph silly things like gutters and dog poop! And last, but not least, I also had the great pleasure of picnicking along the Seine with PDP followers from around the world every year .

But things do change. For many reasons I've decided to leave Paris and settle down in Senglea, Malta on December 1st, 2014, which makes it difficult to continue this blog - even until its official 10 year anniversary. I would like to thank you all for your presence during these years (some of you have been following PDP - and commenting - since the dawn of “blogging time!”),  wish you good luck for the future - starting with a wonderful 2015, and of course to find a nice replacement for PDP.

I also have a few special thoughts for all of my fellow CDP bloggers - the ones that are crazy enough to do the same in their own city! I wish them good luck for the future and remember not to miss a theme day!! and connect regularly to the portal! So now it’s only fitting that I end this adventure with a photo of the city I truly love as do so many of you. I took it on a summer night from the top of the Montparnasse Tower.

 Au revoir et à bientôt and don’t forget to stay in touch on Facebook.

Grosses bises.

PS : for those of you who are asking for a Malta Daily Photo, well, there won't be one (at least not by me), but stay tuned, I'm sure to come up with something... ;-)

Nativity scene

Christmas is approaching as you all know and it's not all about buying gifts and eating like a pig!! For the Catholics, it's the celebration of the birth of Jesus. That is why in all churches in the word you find a "Nativity Scene" (une crèche, in French). There is one at the very end of this church (Jean-Baptiste de Pigalle)! A photo I took long ago, so long I don't even remember taking it! Here in Malta, a very very Catholic country, not only churches have Nativity Scenes, but you can also see many everywhere on the island (in people's windows, at roundabouts, etc.)

Checking your phone...

I took this shot on the Bir Hakeim bridge, in the 15th arrondissement. A bridge made of steel that was constructed between 1903 and 1905. It has two levels: one for motor vehicles and pedestrians, and a viaduct above for the metro Line 6 that is supported by metal colonnades that are often used for photo shoots.

Enlightening the World since 1886...

Yesterday was the anniversary of the day when U.S. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor in 1886. As I'm sure you know, the NYC Statue of Liberty was offered by the French citizens to their American friends in recognition of the two countries’ commitment to liberty and democracy and their alliance during the American Revolutionary War. The one I photographed (on the Isle des cygnes) is one of the 3 replicas that we have in Paris.

Front de Seine

I had dinner in the 15th arrondissement yesterday evening and I passed by the Pont Mirabeau. I stopped 2 minutes to take this photo. A nice mix between the old and the new!

Hope!

Look what I found in a little garden in the 15th arrondissement! A statue called "hope". I thought that, providing all what's happening in this world at the moment, it was pretty appropriate! It was made by French sculptor Carlo Sarrabezolles (I never knew of him before, but he seems to be better known for sculpting concrete than metal). We have a saying in French that goes: "Where there is life, there is hope" (tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir), so I guess, there is still plenty of hope...

Leaving San Jose...

I'm sorry if all my photos tend to look the same lately, but the sun was so inspiring before I left that I kinda over used it! Anyway, when you read this I'll be on the plane, trying to get some sleep(!) on the way back to Paris. I'm happy to go back home I must say and to get to take new and different looking pictures! This is, as you all recognized, one of the 4 (or is it 3?) statues of Liberty replicas that we have in Paris.

Marriage photo shoot

The Bir-Hakeim bridge is a double bridge combining a metro railway and a road. It was built between 1902 and 1905 and it's a real masterpiece. No wonder then that a lot of photoshoots take place on it. Last Saturday it was not a fashion photo shoot that I witnessed, but a "simple" marriage one. Beautiful, isn't it?

Election time

It's election times... At the end of this month we have to elect the future mayor of Paris... In fact it's a little more complicated: we vote for a mayor in our arrondissement (there are 20 in Paris), then these mayors elect a super mayor who becomes Le Maire de Paris. The French political scene is not too inviting at the moment in France (is it anywhere?!), but I'll vote because it's a right only few people have in the world... 

Vivons heureux, vivons cachés

In France - a country of Catholic tradition - showing your wealth is very badly considered, if not a sin! Therefore, if you happen to be richer than your neighbour, you may want to hide it... We even have a saying that sums it up "Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés" (If you want to be happy, keep your head down) Therefore, it's not very surprising that in Paris, the chicest places to live are generally concealed from the view of everybody... Hence this Square du Croizic, a sort of "gated community" in the heart of Montparnasse where no cars are allowed and where all buildings were built  according to the Haussmann rules. There are many many places like this in Paris in all arrondissement, even in Montmartre. Needless to say they're pretty expensive!

Manhattan upon Seine!

OK, maybe there are not enough skyscrapers to compete with Manhattan, but that's close enough ;-) This area is called, Le front de Seine, it's located in the 15th arrondissement and it was not always like this... This part of Paris was very industrious (the 15th was known to be a worker area), but from the 50's onwards  factories started closing or moving to the suburbs. Since Paris needed offices and housing, the government thought of  building towers, like in many "modern" cities. The work started in 1967, but due to the many complaints (it was too "modern"), it was never totally completed and stopped in 74. Now they are renovating some areas, and especially a big shopping mall called Beaugrenelle, that should (re)open very soon. More (in French) here. 

From Montparnasse...

Last evening I was near the Montparnasse train station (which is located on a little hill). I stopped to take a photo of the Eiffel Tower from there, but just when I pushed the trigger, a bus passed by. I was a little cross, but it turns out it makes a real cool photo, much better that the ones I took after without the bus! Sometimes, fate is on your side ;-)

When farmers invade Paris!

Here we go again... Like every year Paris welcomes the "largest farm in the world" (aka Le Salon de l'agriculture) at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center. Officially, it's a trade show, but it's also visited by a wider public, including families with kids who can see for themselves what a steak looks like when it's alive! It's also the occasion to witness some interesting French traditions, like these Bergers Landais (shepherds from the Landes region) that used to watch their sheep perched on stilts (the Bergers were on stilts, not the sheep!)! 

Do judge a city by its facades!

I love the facades of Paris (well, most of them...). It's like walking through a history book. Sunday evening I was invited at friends' in the 15th arrondissement and I took this photo from their balcony! This is very interesting because you can see two types of facade: a typical Art Deco one from the 30's on the left and a little bit of what we call "post Haussmannian" style on the right. The latter is different from the original Haussmannian because of the "discovery" of elevators; top floors were no longer for servants, but for rich people who were not afraid to have to climb stairs anymore and wanted to enjoy more light. I love Paris!

Liberty watching over Paris

I'll never get tired of it! "It" is the Paris statue of Liberty, the one that was given to the Americans by the French, as a gift in 1885. I know you heard the story many times, but some still don't know it: sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (and Gustave Eiffel for the metal structure) started its construction in 1875, completed it in 1884 and shipped it to the States (in 350 pieces!) in 1885. And on July 4, 1889 the American community in Paris offered the French a bronze replica of the Statue (1/4 scale, about 35 feet high) which is the one in this photo! This dramatic sky, though, did not come with the statue ;-) it was the one I saw yesterday around 5 o'clock.  

Liberty Dance!

You all know there is a replica of the New York statue of Liberty in Paris right? (Actually there are several, but this one is the most visible, as it is on the tip of the Ile aux Cygnes - Swans island - a former levee that was turned into an island in 1827). Yesterday, the town hall of the 15th arrondissement organized a little event near the statue, with a band that put people into dancing mood! I  passed by it around 7 pm and took this photo.  Have a great week everyone.

On the bench

Look what I found at the Porte de Versailles today (Porte de Versailles is an area located in the South West of Paris where they have large exhibition halls, including the famous Salon de l'agriculture that I already mentioned several times and the Foire de Paris (Paris fair). It's just a bench, put a pretty colorful one. I thought it would make a cool photo and it does (the shadow helps, I must say ;-)) That's all, have a nice Sunday everyone.

Metro spotting

I'm not a train spotter, but I happened to find myself at Pasteur metro station today where the line leaves the underground and continues all the way to the 16th arrondissment (including the crossing of the Seine on the typical Bir Hakeim bridge) on the open air. When the metro was built, the idea of having elevated sections like this one was pretty controversial as you can imagine. People were afraid that it would destroy the nice perspective of our streets... Which it does! But only partly, and only in areas where going underground was difficult (at that time anyway). It is also noisy, but less since they replaced the steel wheels with tires.

The largest French farm...

Like every year, my favorite trade show returns! It's called Le Salon de l'agriculture and it just opened today. People call it "the largest farm in the world" for its spreads out on 150 000 sq meters (1 614 586 sq feet) and shelters no less than 4,000 farm animals ! Since this year is an election year, all candidates will visit it as  farmers' votes are very important - even though they only accounts for 3.6% of the active population nowadays. The guys in this photo are obviously from England. After all, it's also an International show!

Eiffel Tower in the mist part II!

Let's start the week from anoter riverside point of view. I took it Saturday evening on a way back from a dinner party in the 15th, from the Pont Mirabeau bridge (this time I remember the bridge I was on!). There is not much to add, is there?