Trick or treats?!

It's not really a French celebration (here we celebrate the dead on the November 1st), but... since it's a good business booster (for restaurants and shops that sell scary costumes like the one where I took this photo), you can see a lot of calls to attend Halloween parties everywhere in Paris right now (no trick or treats though...). So I thought I would play the game... On a different note - and believe me, with absolutely no relationship with scary witches! - I had the pleasure to have breakfast with Kim from Seattle Daily Photo this morning (see for yourself ;-).

Giant artichokes at Invalides

A-ma-zing. As I was coming back from the 15th arrondissement yesterday, I passed by Les Invalides and saw this giant artichokes sculpture (by Patrick Laroche who claims to be fascinated by nature) in the middle of the pavement! Really cool ;-) Turns out it's part of a contemporary art trail organized by the art gallerie 208 and a local association. So it's not the only piece of art you can come across in the 7th arrondissement at the moment ;-) Here is the only online information I could find about this (in French).

Alone in the city

I'm always embarrassed when I take such photos, because even though they have that kind of dramatic atmosphere that helps making good photos, they also contain a lot of suffering. There is not much to add, I'm afraid.

The 1st good-for-the-planet merry-go-round!

Low consumption bulbs, hybrid cars, windmills... everybody claims to have sustainable development solutions for the planet nowadays. In Paris, we've gone a step further! Now we have an ecologic merry-go-round, one that is powered by solar cells, a small windmills and... human power (that is the power of people - kids? - that pedal while going around!) Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Marcel Campion, invented it - OK, maybe it's a little far fetched, but still ;-) If you want to see it, it's easy, it's right at the bottom of La Tour Eiffel where I took this photo this morning.

Biking on the Champs Elysées

Another nice dawn view on the Champs Elysées. Nothing to add, I'm sure you'll like it too ;-)

Through the Cité de la Mode

You may remember La Cité de la mode et du Design, a pretty new building (it was inaugurated in 2007) that looks over the Seine. Very creative, it was a bit controversial (isn't everything?!) because the architects Dominique Jakob and Brendan Mac Farlane added a sort of green glass skin on the facade that faces the water (see some photos here). Last week I went there and here is the photo I took from the inside. I love the effect!

Champs Elysées at dawn...

OK, it was not exactly dawn, but 9 o'clock... But at this time of year (we're about to change time this weekend) it's almost like dawn! The light was really beautiful and since it was Sunday morning Les Champs Elysées were almost empty.

Vive la France!

So we did not win (the World Rugby Cup final) yesterday, but I had great fun. I woke up early to make it to "The Freedom" a pub located off Les Champs Elysées that I already mentioned here where the owner of fashion store Koko (a true Kiwi!) had organized a giant NZ meetup (French could join too ;-). Needless to say that the atmosphere was, well, very festive and that we heard a lot of "La Marseillaise" (listen) and "God Defend New Zealand" (listen) singing. Great moment.

Reading by the Canal

I just spent two days hanging out at the Webdeux Connect event (a cool French networking event for geeks like me!) and I did not have a single minute to take my photo du jour... So here is a very peaceful Sunday shot that I took by the Canal Saint Martin a few days ago, when it was still a little warm. There is nothing extraordinary in this photo, but I like it. Off to bed now, tomorrow morning (Sunday), France plays New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup and I want to see this ;-)

How I became a comic character...

Do you see the character in the upper left of this comic book, well it's me! Don't go thinking it's an actual drawing, for it's a piece of art by Christophe Weber that I saw at the Galerie W corner, at the Chic Today exhibit at La cité de la Mode, by the Seine. This is actually a live image, projected on a huge screen, with two cameras on each side; each of them films the people in front of the screen and turns them instantly into comic strip characters. Great idea! On top of that the Galerie W people had the marvelous idea of using polltogo to get people's reaction on the spot. Really Fun!

Pont des arts padlocks

I passed by the Pont des arts today on my way to La cité de la mode (I'll show you why later) and every time I go there, I'm amazed by the increasing number of padlocks that lovers from all over the world attach to the grids. I read that the Paris Town hall is not too happy about it, but that there is not much they can do - especially with the large padlocks! As you can see from the way people are dressed, it was pretty chilly today - but not as cold as I expected.

Cold attack!

It had to happen... The summer is definitely gone in Paris, and the temperatures are about to drop dramatically - they said the thermometer would go down to 2°C (35°F) tomorrow morning (Thursday). To "celebrate" here is a photo of the "famous" mantelpiece of the Murano hotel (or rather as they like to call themselves the "Murano Urban Resort"!") at Boulevard du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement. This mantelpiece is located at the entrance, and it's really worth the look.

French Mothers

I don't know if you remember, a few years ago I posted a photo of a monument that I found by pure coincidence in the 13th arrondissement, dedicated to Les mères de France (French mothers). Well a few days ago, I passed by this place again... It's a stunning monument that recalls some of the soviet union ones (massive and somewhat univocal). It was erected in 1938 and served many political purposes throughout our recent history. Thus being said, the fertility rate in France amounts to 2,01 on average, which is one of the highest in the western world.

A modern man

I took advantage of the last day of sun (they said it would start raining today) to take a photo of a statue of Vauban, located in the Invalides gardens. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (his full name) used to live under the reign of Louis the 14th (to which he was an adviser) and is known for having designed almost unbreakable fortifications in many places in France (about 100). From what I read he also suggested to change the tax system, which created a big scandal at that time. What he did sounds strangely similar to what some of our today's politicians (we're are in pre-election times at the moment) suggest: protect France (not with fortifications, but with tariffs), change the tax system... Tools and methods change, but the problems to solve remain the same throughout the centuries !

The provinces in Paris

There are about 30 000 "new Parisians" every year in Paris. I'm not talking about newborns, but French people from the provinces who come to Paris to study or find a (better) job. Some stay, some don't, but globally studies show that one in three Parisians was born outside Paris. Yesterday (Sunday) I went at Place Stalingrad (where I took this photo) to one of the events that are regularly organized in Paris and where regional producers can sell their products (Crèpes from Brittany, cheeses from everywhere, beer from Corsica, etc.). Huge success (I personally stuffed myself with a slice of Far Breton!)

Château de la Reine Blanche

If you've been to Paris several times and want to visit something very old, very original and that very few people will have seen, here it is! It's called Le Château de la Reine Blanche (The white queen's castle), it was originally built in 1290! but what you can see now is actually a "new" building that was erected around 1500, following to a giant fire. This "castle" which is more like a big mansion really has a stunning history - linked to the Gobelin family (which is very famous in Paris) among other things. It has been recently renovated (as you can see) and can be visited. Of course, it's not in the center of Paris (it's in the 13th arrondissement), but sometimes, it's worth going away from the beaten tracks, isn't?

The world's fifth largest economy?

This is not the prettiest picture you'll see on PDP I agree, but it's also Paris... I took it at Boulevard des Italiens, near the Opera, a pretty rich area. I could not help but stopping and taking this shot that looks like a scene from the 3rd world: someone sleeping on the sidewalk on the right, garbage cans that still wait to be picked up (at 10 am!)... (and yes, the famous Tenin's perspective LOL!). Isn't France supposed to be the 5th largest and wealthiest economy in the world? Is that a preview of what's ahead of us?

Mysterious Collage...

Funny collage isn't? But it becomes much more interesting as you get closer. You obviously can't because you're viewing this on PDP and not at rue des Blancs-Manteaux where I took this photo, but if you click here, you'll see a blow up and I'm sure you'll recognize what this mosaic really is about ;-)

New parking tickets

Increasing productivity is a concern that has no limits. Even when it comes to parking tickets! Hence these new electronic parking tickets that have been introduced in Paris over the last months. No more papers to fill, the license plate number and the reason why the ticket was given are entered directly into a portable terminal and drivers are noticed via a simple note like this... To pay, you simply need to go online, enter the number that is on the notice and hand out your credit card! Simple, efficient and... very cost effective! According to studies, it reduces the ticketing time by 2!

Paris Café

I took this photo this morning at Saint Germain at the Café Bonaparte. Of course it's a little too much (too typical, too French, too blue, white, red!) but it's kinda cute ;-) I searched the web and found out that the first café appeared in Turkey in 1554 and that the first European one opened in 1615 in Venice. Paris had to wait until... 1643! Of course now we also have Starbucks LOL!