Studio 104 de la Maison de la Radio

This won't probably tell you much if you're not French, but if you are it will! This, ladies and gentlemen, is the entrance to the Studio 104 de la Maison de la radio, a mythical studio from where a lot of radio shows (including live concerts) are broadcasted (see the inside here). I was lucky enough to visit it yesterday, thanks to a good friend of mine who works there (in a news channel). It was pretty moving - almost as the visit of the Abbey road studios in London ;-)

Remembering the dead...

It was hard to pick today's photo for I had to 1) comply with the CityDailyPhoto theme (Landmark) and 2) think of the dead, for, in France, today is La Toussaint (all saints day), a day where you're supposed to think of the loved ones that passed away. Then I remembered I had several photos that I took in the Montmartre cemetery, which definitely qualifies as a Paris Landmark and of a tomb of a famous painter  who died in 1927: Edgard Degas (originally spelled "de Gas"). By adding a spooky colo(u)r, it could also have qualified for Halloween, but it's not really a French tradition, so no need to add more constraints ;-)

Caged Conciergerie

This stunning building is called La Conciergerie, a building that used to be part of the Palais de la Cité where the French kings used to live. It is also famous for having been a prison, especially during the French revolution; it's were Marie-Antoinette was kept prisoner until they decided to execute her (it's even possible to visit her cell and many other things if you wish - not before October 8 though). I thought it was ironic that because of the fence they installed to protect Paris Plage, this former prison was currently "caged". It also makes a cool photo ;-)

Farewell Monsieur Berthillon

Everything (and everyone) must come to an end, and the sad news came today that Raymond Berthillon, the founder of the famous Ile Saint Louis ice cream place passed away on Saturday, at the age of 90. If you've been to Paris, you've probably stood in line at least once in front of his landmark store - or in one of his approximately 150 Paris area resale shops. To maintain the quality of his ice cream and sherbets, Mr. Berthillon always refused to industrialize the production and would only offer seasonal flavors (depending on which fruit he would find at the market!). And of course, like any self-respecting Frenchman, he would close every August so that his employees would enjoy a month's vacation! So the next time you enjoy a Berthillon ice cream, remember to think of the man who started it all. More on Wikipedia.

French Communist Party HQ

In France, we still have a Communist Party (Le Parti Communiste Français) which never changed its name, even after the fall of Soviet Union in the 90's. Its heaquarters are very famous, because of the architecture of the building, designed by Brasilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1965 (the white dome was built later in 79/80). Between 1994 and 2002 the French Communist Party had to face a real decline and money shortage. That is why this building was rented for several very capitalistic events, like fashion shows (Prada, Issey Miyake, Dries van Noten, Yves Saint Laurent, Vuitton...). I took this photo recently, taking advantage of a nearby meeting.

Samaritaine won't reopen before a long time...

If you came to Paris, you probably know about La Samaritaine, and old department store located at Pont Neuf and named after an old water pump that was near the bridge. Well, this Paris Landmark was closed in 2005 and was suppose to reopen in 2013, after a large renovation. But two associations (L'association Société pour la progtection des paysages et de l'esthétique de la France (SPPEF) and SOS Paris) pressed charges, claiming that the project does not respect the aesthetic rules of Paris. I don't know how it's going to end, because the Paris town hall and the developer appealed of course, but one thing is sure, it won't reopen before 2017 at the earliest... In the meantime, it can still be photographed!

Molitor (Part II)

Do you remember this photo? Well, I told you how this swimming pool was part of my childhood memory and that I could not wait until they opened it to the public to see what it looked like. Little did I know that... the PR person in charge of Molitor spotted my photo on PDP and contacted me to let me know that she would be happy to let me in if I wanted to! It took me less than 1 second to reply! And voilà... This was taken from the new rooftop of the building that is going to be a restaurant/terrace. I have a zillion more photos, needless to say, but I have to wait until tomorrow when the grand opening takes place to publish them ;-) 

Gare d'Orsay

Yesterday, I passed by the Gare d'Orsay round 2 pm and realized that I had never taken a photo of it from this side! So here you go...  For those of you who don't know it, this building used to be a train station (that is why it's called La Gare d'Orsay) and became a - must see - museum in 1986. The building, is stunning whether you're inside or outside. As you can see the sun is back is Paris and people are out! 

Notre Dame's day

It's Aug 15, the day where Catholics celebration the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus. I thought it was appropriate to show you a photo of Notre Dame de Paris, the most beautiful church in Paris, which is also celebrating its... 850th anniversary this year (amazing!). A real masterpiece (see more on Wikipedia) that is very hard to visit, because of the many people that want to visit it too! It's worth the wait though. If you're interested (and can read French), I found a brand new study about Catholicism in France; even though it's loosing a bit of ground, it's still the first religion in France.

Sunset on Notre Dame

Another of this September evening light that is so beautiful in Paris. I passed by Notre Dame last evening around 7:30 on my way to my brother's and I could not help but admiring this stunning Paris landmark. Besides, for once that it's not covered in scaffolding... Have a great week-end everyone. I hope the weather is going to remain as clear as this!

Sunny break at the pyramid

Hurrah, it's been at least 2 days in a row that the sun has been shining in Paris! Not for long, though, when you read these lines, the rain will have returned ;-( Anyway, here is a view of today, from the inside of the Louvre Pyramid, a glass and metal pyramid located in the middle of the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace. Very controversial during its time, this very modern structure is now extremely popular and was even duplicated in other places, like the Museum of Science and industry in Chicago. A definite must see if you come to Paris...

Rotten July!

People often ask me what to pack when coming to Paris? I never know what to answer as the weather is always very unpredictable... Hence last April and May, when we suffered an unusual and terrible drought and now July which is really windy, rainy and a little cold too (and probably not good for business). Only positive point: nice weather to take pictures ;-) Need I introduce you to the Arc de Triomphe? I did not think so!

Where is everybody?

Those of you who visited Paris will probably think this is a fake! Why? Because generally, at this very famous location (Le Sacré Coeur), there are dozens of people running around, like little ants... (depending on the sources, it's the second or third most visited places in Paris, with 10 million visitors per year!) , but not this morning at "dawn", when I passed by there just before going to a meeting in the neighborhood. Enjoy...