Valet Parking

In France, if you go to a fancy restaurant or club and don't want to bother parking your car yourself, you ask the "Voiturier" (Valet) to do it. In this photo I photographed the one of Fauchon, on place de la Madeleine. The funny part is that before you were just supposed to tip them when they would return your car, now there is an "official price" which is generally 8 euros (still cheaper than a parking!). I was a voiturier once, when I was 20 or so for a very chic Cartier party on Place Vendôme. All I was scared of, was to scratch these super expensive Mercedes and Rolls Royces!

Men are from Mars...

You all know the best seller "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" by John Gray, I suppose. Well, in Europe, a Belgian guy - Paul Dewandre - adapted it for the theater and I went to see his show last night at the Olympia. Funny and so true... Here is a clip on Youtube, of course, it's in French.

Les "trenties"

Last evening I had a drink with a few friends at Bertie's, a pretty trendy, chic bar/restaurant located at rue Edouard VII, a pedestrian area located between Opera and Madeleine. On Thursday nights they have what they call "The Trenties" night - a play on words with 30 (trentre, in French) and trendy. And apparently, it works; the place was full of, what would certainly qualify as "Young Urban Professionals"... what we used to call BCBG (for Bon Chic Bon Genre) in the 80's. As for me, well, I felt a bit misplaced, I don't know why!

Paris Sales Shopping

Scandal! Remember? I told you the rules regarding sales (soldes) were extremely strict in France (only twice a year, from a fixed date to another, etc.). Now, the government has decided that there would be two more approved weeks for sales, at the convenience of shop owners, and a lot of them have chosen to use their additional 2 weeks now. Of course, like most attempts to change things in France, this new measure is widely criticized, especially by the French Garment Association. About the photo, needless to say that this shop is way past the soldes (by) date, as it is closed for good. Precisely why I like it!

Place du marché Sainte Catherine

Here is a place I've been willing to show you for a long time, but never managed to take a photo that I liked. It's called "La Place du marché Sainte Catherine" and it's located in the 4th arrondissement in Le Marais. It's one of those typical Parisian squares, that was built centuries ago (actually in the 13th century) surrounded by cafés and restaurants and relatively old buildings (18th century). Some evil minds will say that this photo does not show much of the Place, of course, but it's the atmosphere that counts!

The first car!

If you think you have trouble parallel parking with your car sometimes, think of this. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the first automobile. It was made by Nicolas Joseph Cugnot, a French military Engineer in... 1770 and it is now exposed at the Musée des Arts et Metiers museum. 3 wheels, a steam engine, all this to carry up to 5 tons at the incredible speed of 4 Km/hour (2.50 Mph). OK, let's be honest, in never really worked, but it was the first time a vehicle did not need anything else than its own propulsion means to move. The photo is pretty boring, but I thought of showing this to you because of what I saw today: the last call to apply for a post-doctoral or senior research grant in a public laboratory in Paris.

Ziko or Sicko?!

Don't ask me what Ziko stands for, I have no idea. I searched the web and found many Zikos, one of them being a New Zealand band, but I doubt they "advertise" on the walls of Paris! Anyway Ziko must have something to do with music as in slang the word "Zic" refers to music. I just liked the aesthetics of the grafitti even though it's not very elaborate. I think it all comes from the black wall and the black fence, which is extremely rare - most fences they install when they have work in progress in the streets of Paris are green.. PS: thank you for your nice Easter wishes yesterday. I did not eat that much chocolate after all!

Paques

Yes, it's Easter, Passover, Pâques... And I already told you the story, but you may have forgotten it. So here it is again... "In France, on the day of Easter around noon, kids are told to search for eggs (generally made of chocolate) in the garden of their house (or on the balcony if they live in an apartment). These eggs are supposed to have been brought back by bells that just returned from a short trip to Rome (home of the Vatican) to be blessed by the Pope." And BTW, we're off on Easter Monday - not on Good Friday - so I still have a day off ahead ;-) If you wonder where this photo was taken, well... I do too. Because I forgot where it was, even though it was not that long ago. As we say in French "I have the memory of a goldfish!"

The multiple faces of the French police

When you think of the police, aren't you more likely to picture the guy who just gave you a parking ticket than the one who watches over your neighborhood? Why? Because they have an image problem! How do you fix this? With better communications. Like, for instance, this new years best wishes video message, or with this huge plastic canvas hanging on the front of La Préfecture de Police (the main Paris police building) on the Ile de la Cité. It shows all the faces of police(wo)men, from the one that dives into the Seine to rescue people who fell into it, to the one who clears mines, without forgetting the civil servant that issues your passport.

Dance heaven

Last night (Thursday) I had dinner near the opera and on my way back home, I passed by Repetto, a shop dedicated to ballet outfits which is very famous in France. I've always known it but I never really knew who this Repetto was. I started investigating, and found out that she was the mother of a famous French dancer called Roland Petit. She started making ballet shoes after WWII, at the request of her son. Since 1999 the brand is in the hands of Jean-Marc Gaucher who extended the range of products sold and gave it an international reputation. In 2006, half of the revenues still came from ballet shoes.

Where civil servants never go on strike!

Yesterday, for my work, I had to go to one of the most prestigious schools in France called L'ENA (for Ecole nationale d'admistration). There, students learn how to manage France, either locally or at the top of the French administration (most of the top civil servants that work with the President come from this school). A lot of French politicians also attended this school and a few top managers who work in the private sector too. Anyway, this won't tell you much if you're not French of course, but let me tell you that, for me, entering this mythical den what quite something! I photographed one of the corridors, the one in which all classes are ranked year by year on the wall since 1947. Fascinating.

A bus for the homeless

Yesterday I came across a nicely decorated bus near Montparnasse. At first I thought it was some sort of advertising, but I had a closer look and found out it was dedicated to the homeless. It's called Le Bus Abri (the shelter bus), which is a play on words with Abri Bus, which is what we call our bus stops, and it's painted like an apartment building, because, precisely it's meant to be a little temporary house, if a homeless person wishes to find a shelter for an hour or a day. If I understood well what they say on their site, this bus is also a political claim.

Game of Shadows

I love it when spring comes and when people start "living outside" again. It was so today. The temperature reached a steady 20°C (68°F) and there were a lot of people at café terraces and on the river bank like these two, who apparently decided to grab a bite in the sun, just before sunset (see the big shadows on the wall). Remember, that is what we'll all do on May 13, when the PDP picnic takes place ;-)

Paris Marathon 2009

It's not usual for me to set my alarm clock to 7:30 on a Sunday morning, but I really did not want to miss the Paris Marathon. I really look up to all these people who run so long in so little time (and I'm not even thinking of the winner, Vincent Kipruto, a 21 year old Kenyan who ran the 43 km in... 2 hours, 5 minutes et 44 seconds!). Of course running through the empty streets of Paris must be a special treat, but still! Anyway I took this photo in a tunnel on the river banks; I love the effect. Check this little Animoto for more.

Salon du Vintage 2009

I don't know if you remember the pink Nina Ricci dress that I photographed last year at the Salon du Vintage, an exhibition dedicated to fashion trends that have marked history. Well I went back this year to check out what the 80's had to offer, for that was what this 3rd edition was dedicated to. Not bad... Actually, much less ridiculous than what the 70's produced! Remember Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver in Working Girls (1988) or Flashdance (1983), those were the 80's!

Promenade des amoureux

On my way back home yesterday I saw a little silhouetto of a man (scaramouche, scaramouche!) in the middle of a garden along the rue de l'Amiral Coligny, near the Place du Louvre. I stopped right away and found out he was part of a temporary art exhibit by Italian artist Carla Milesi called "La promenade des amoureux" (the lovers walk). In fact there was not one silhouetto but plenty. I check on the artist's website and I also found out that they were made of... concrete. Very creative. To be seen until April 20,2009.

French Invasion!

I can't resist showing you the current ad campaign for Eurostar (the train that goes from Paris to London via the Channel tunnel) for I find it funny (it's probably even funnier to my British visitors). The English and the French have often been at war (including the one that lasted 100 years in 1337), but since 1904 and "l'Entente cordiale", we get along pretty well. Only, we still call them "Roast beefs" while they call us "frogs", but nothing nasty about it. Having said that, I may consider buying a Eurostar ticket for 77€ (that is really cheap) and pay a visit to London, Canterbury or... Cheltenham!

Laughing in Paris

I know it's no longer April fools day, but we still can have a good laugh, can't we? In Paris, we have until April 4 for that! That is, until the "Paris fait sa comédie" festival (a festival where a lot of French and Canadian comedians perform on stage) closes. It takes place around my home, in several theaters on the Grands Boulevards and in the street also, where, as you can see in this photo, they also have a few street events. Have a look at the video clips featured on the official site if you understand French (and French humour!) if not let me offer you this...

Thinking outside the box...

Today's theme day is "yellow". I thought of photographing a garbage can with a yellow top, where we put the paper we wish to recycle, but it was not really aesthetic. Instead I chose to show you something very French: a public mailbox. I've looked everywhere, but I have been unable to find out how many of them, there are in Paris. The only thing I can tell you is that they have not always been yellow; before 1952 they were blue (I'm sure very few French people know that!). Of course, as always, click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this theme day.

Back to the drawing board

Yesterday I went to the Salon du dessin (drawing exhibition), an art show that was held at La Bourse (yes, where I also took this photo). I used the word "drawing", but in fact it's much more than just plain drawings, but real masterpieces made between the XVIth century and the XXth. Now you're going to say: "how come you're not showing us one of these masterpieces?!" Well, simply because I think it would have been too easy!

Freeze!

Did I tell you it's cold in Paris at the moment? So cold that last Saturday a strange phenomenon happened around the Louvre Pyramid: everybody froze for 5 minutes! Of course I'm kidding. All this was planned by Charles Nouÿrit a French entrepreneur who also enjoys organizing happenings such as Freeze parties or No Pants days. Such an event is hard to capture on camera for, precisely, all photos are motionless. However, thanks to the very imaginative poses some of the participants took, you can have a pretty good idea of the effect (the most spectacular being the sudden silence). I made an Animoto especially for the occasion.

Anti tax haven demonstration

I can't say I really missed them, but since they come with the city... Them ? The demonstrations, of course! Today, I came across an Anti Tax Haven one. Guess where they organized it? Right on Place de la Bourse (stock market), of course! And as there is nothing like a good set to get the media's attention (including PDP's!), they built their own little tax haven island in the middle of the street, with real sand and a beach chair! Fun, but I'm afraid it will take much more than that to eradicate tax havens...

Red letter day

It feels good to be back home after a month... You know, check that nothing burnt, leaked or cracked... Fight the jet lag, empty you suitcase, check the mail... Talking about checking mail look at what I found in my mailbox this morning: a letter with two PDP stamps on it that someone - I won't disclose any names! - sent me after printing them on Zazzle. Isn't that nice? All this to wish me a good and safe return and encourage me to take more photos of Paris. I will!

Back to Paris

I had a wonderful time in New Zealand and Australia (have a look at Adelaide Daily Photo for a photo proof!) but everything comes to an end... When you read this I'll be on a plane to Paris. And as it's usually the tradition on PDP when I return to my homeland, here is a photo of the Eiffel Tower. I took it a few days before leaving and I kept it especially for the occasion! Happy to be back among you all ;)

Café Limonade

It's my last day down under. Pretty soon I'm going to give up pubs and go back to little cafés, around the corner ;) This one says "Café Limonade" on its awning. Limonade was imported to France by the Italians during the 17th century and the places that would sell it became known as "Limonadiers" and would also sell liquors. Towards the end of the 17th century coffee became more popular than limonade and soon awnings would show Café or Café-Limonade. This one, called le Café Brébant, does not originate from the 17th century; it's a brand new place that was decorated the old fashioned way on purpose.

Terrace Madeleine

In Paris, the weather is not always hot enough to enjoy a nice lunch outside, but still, Parisians would kill to own an apartment with a terrace! They would even kill more to own one in a nice location, like this one that I photographed on Place de la Madeleine on a sunny day. Needless to say that the price must be pretty high! If you want to dream, have a look at this site; some of the apartments are stunning!

Where all Parisians shop

OK, it's not a very glamorous photo, but I realized recently that I never showed you this French institution: Monoprix. Monoprix (which means "one price") is a kind of big convenience stores where you can find everything, including food. The chain started in the 1930's during the crisis ; it was then copied by others such as Uniprix or Prisunic that have all been bought by Monoprix. When I was young, Monoprix was considered too cheap to offer good quality products but in the past 10 years or so, they started upscaling their offer. Now they have a much better image and even opened smaller outlets called Daily Monop' open daily (except on Sundays) until Midnight where the rich urban crowd buys its fresh organic precooked gourmet dinner!

A view on the Théâtre de la ville

You're looking at Le Théâtre de la ville, a theatre located at Place du Chatelet in front of the Théâtre du Chatelet from where I took this photo. The Théâtre de la ville was built between 1860 and 1862 after the plans of architect Gabriel Davioud. It then burnt in 1871 after the riots of La Commune, then rebuilt on the exact same plans (except the inside) in 1874. The famous French actress Sarah Bernhartd "rented" it in 1899 and gave it her name (until the German occupation).

Evelyne in Red by Cooper

You're looking at a sculpture by Randy Cooper, a Californian artist whose work I love. He makes sculptures in iron wire mesh, which project "Shadow Sculptures" on the wall. It's very creative and very interesting to look at. I took this photo in a gallery on the Place des Vosges, but his work can be found in various places.

Wholesaler in Le Sentier

I already mentioned the historical area of Paris called Le Sentier (after the name of one of the major streets that runs through it) which is also the heart of the French clothing wholesale. As I already mentionned, it was originally the Jews who had most of the shmates (clothe in Yiddish) business these, but now, they are more and more replaced by Chinese and Pakistani. Here is a proof! The René Somekh business does not exist anymore, even if its plaque remains...

Bateau Mouche

Yes, I know, it's a classic, but I know you like the bridges of Paris! This photo one is interesting because of the "Bateau Mouche", the flat boat you can see on the left passing under the bridge. You have to get on one of those if you come to Paris; it may be a little touristy, but, as you can see these boats have projectors on both sides, so that you can see the stunning buildings as you progress on the Seine. I recommend to take an evening "cruise" during a hot summer night.

Demonstration

I may be miles alway [I'm currently in Uluru/Ayers Rock and hopefully still alive, providing the many venomous reptiles of the region left me alone!] I know that today there is a big demonstration in Paris. As you guessed, I did not take this photo there, but during a previous one. It does not really matter as the demands are pretty much the same as last time: more money! If you cannot read French, this poster says: Liberty, Equality, fraternity: my ass!

Love is the answer!

I know I already showed you a graffiti by "Mr. Brainwash" aka Thierry Guetta, but I don't resist posting one again! I'm sure you'll agree with the message, even though it sounds a little too easy! I hope I'll get to meet this guy one day.

Eglise des missions de Paris

Here is a place, I'm sure that very few Parisians know about. It's the crypt of L'Eglise des Missions Etrangères de Paris, a church that was built between 1683 and 1697 and that is dedicated to the Catholic missionaries that France would send to a lot of countries in Asia where it wanted to increase its influence (Indochina, Siam - now Thailand, etc.). Of course, nowadays missionaries are less numerous (379 according to Wikipedia), but the place still exists and has one of the largest private gardens in Paris! Alas, you cannot visit them... But still, FYI, this church is located 128 rue du Bac, in the 7th arrondissement. [Note to the people in Sydney who want to join a little PDP gathering while I'm there.]

Les Parisiennes (de Kiraz) !

You remember this photo of  "Les Parisiennes"? Well, here is another kind of Parisiennes, that most French know and appreciate. They were created by Edmond Kirazian (better known as Kiraz) in 1959, an artist of Armenian origins who emigrated to France right after WWII. He created them for a French magazine called "Jour de France" that targeted the typical middle class French housewife of the 60's. Pretty wise in the beginning, they quickly adopted the less strict moral rules of the 70's, especially through fashion (ie the miniskirt they are wearing in this photo!) and language. I also discovered they appear(ed) in Playboy Magazine in a less dressed version! I took this photo at Le Musée Carnavalet where there was a exhibition dedicated to them. [Note to the people in Sydney who want to join a little PDP gathering while I'm there.]

Spring is coming up?

I hear this weekend may be sunny in Paris. It's about time! This year winter has been particularly tough, we've had snow several times (to my satisfaction I must say!) and an exceptional freezing period that lasted several days - and prevented me to take my scooter!). Let me celebrate the coming of spring, not with a flower, but with a very Parisian scene; the reflexion of the sun on a street sign located on l'Ile Saint Louis. [Note to the people in Sydney who want to join a little PDP gathering while I'm there.]

Jeu de jambes

I know I could have taken this photo anywhere, but I swear these are Parisian legs! I love the general atmosphere of this photo and the light and shadow atmosphere. That's all! [Note to the people in Sydney who want to join a little PDP gathering while I'm there.]

Institut du monde Arabe

Here is a building that I only showed once (and a long time ago!) on PDP and though it's really worth visiting if you're around. It's called l'Institut du Monde Arabe (the Arab World Institute) and not only is the building in itself a real masterpiece, but on top of that they often have interesting exhibitions. At the moment, and until the end of March, they have one about Napoleon and Egypt. I took this photo near the entrance, I love the perspective effect. [Note to the people in Sydney who want to join a little PDP gathering while I'm there.]

Partying in the street

You're all wonderful. Thank you so much for your nice anniversary messages. Like I said several times, you are my fuel! I thought I could celebrate with a joyful photo, taken after someone obviously had a little party in the street! I like the confettis, but I like even more the movement brought by the two legs over them. Champagne! [Note to the people in Sydney who want to join a little PDP gathering while I'm there.]

Four year anniversary

Four years! It's been 4 years that I've been posting a photo of Paris a day without missing one day, even when I'm on holiday - like at the moment. [I'm currently on my way to Sydney FYI]. Of course, it's sometimes a constraint, but it's also rewarding in many aspects: I get to learn more about my home town, I get to improve my photography skills, and last, but certainly not least, I get to meet wonderful people from all over the world! I'm also grateful to the more than 500 other city daily photo bloggers who have found the same pleasure as I in this adventure. Thank you everyone, new visitors and old.

Metro ramp at La Madeleine

I remember taking this photo at the Place de la Madeleine. My eyes immediately caught sight of the metro ramp where people were going up and down in a sort of artistic urban ballet! I finally ended up choosing this one because I thought it was the most aesthetic. Don't ask me why!

Rollerskating in the rain

Living in the north of France, I'm used to thinking, "If I were in the South, it would be warmer, or there would be less rain" - like in this photo that I took on the new Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir. What I'm experiencing is the exact opposite where I am at the moment (on the south Island of New Zealand); the more South I go, the colder and rainier it gets. Of course, it's the beginning of Fall here, so it's not that bad, and the scenery is breathtaking, so...

Tête de veau Sauce Gribiche

Not only do we eat frog legs (remember this post?) but all sorts of other odd animal parts that would probably be considered as disgusting by most of the people in the world. Let me show you a perfect example: la tête de veau (veal head)! However, it all depends on the way you cook it. And precisely, in France we're pretty good at seasoning (some will say "hiding") the taste of things. For example, here, this tête de veau usually comes with a sauce called Sauce Gribiche, which is to die for... I looked on David Lebovitz's blog (the "official" English recipe source in Paris!) but he's only into deserts, not tête de veau. So if you're really interested, here is the recipe in French.

It says no bikes!

This could be seen as a provocation: a bike attached to a street sign that says explicitly: no bikes! And though, nobody really cares... In every country there is a certain room around the law and people know from experience what's OK and what is not. When you're a foreigner, it's always tricky to adjust to the local rules. That's also part of the fun when you travel, isn't it?

Sunset over Paris

Yesterday evening I saw one of the most stunning sunsets I've ever seen in my life (I'm currently in Rotorua, an amazing site in the Northern part of New Zealand). Of course we don't have such things in Paris, but I also like when the sun goes down on the city. That is why today, I'm offering you a view of the sunset from my office (and before you say it... No, I'm not trying to show you how late I work LOL!).

Roger La Grenouille

It was hard to come up with a decent photo, because the place is not really photo worthy, but it's a real Paris institution. This restaurant is called :"Roger la grenouille" (Roger the frog) and I remember hearing about it when I was a little boy. As you can imagine, from the name of the place, the specialty of the place is frog legs [but not only!]. For yes, as you probably know we do eat frog legs in France (that is also why the Brits call us "Frogs"!). I had them once and did not like them. But I never went to Roger La Grenouille, I hear they cook them 9 different ways... Maybe I'll give it a second try one day...

Another tribute to the musée Maillol

Here is another musée Maillol photo... I saved it because I really like its framing; I took it on the first floor (for Americans: 2nd floor!) where they had - and still have until March 23, this temporary Russian painter exhibit from the Georges Costakis collection. They also have a special tribute to Dina Vierny, the muse of Maillol, the one who modeled for him and opened the museum in 1995 and who just died at the age of 90.

Another victim of the Internet?

I just read in the plane a few days ago that the Rocky Mountain News, a Denver area newspaper was going to close down for good, a few months before its 150th anniversary. "Due to evolutions in the media business, the article said..." You bet! Everywhere in the world it's the same. I thought this shop would illustrate this downturn perfectly. I also thought to myself, "What would Gutenberg think if he could see that more than 500 years after his fabulous invention (he is said to have invented the printing process circa 1450), the ink has now turned virtual!?" FYI, I took this shot on rue de Savoie in the 6th arrondissement.

Obama Superman

I found this graffiti near the Centre Beaubourg, so I suppose it counts as "art" no? It was done by an artist known as "Mr. Brainwash" aka Thierry Guetta (see his excellent website here). Even as I sit here on the other side of the world from Paris, I can tell you that Obamamania is alive and well. What do you think of the craze?

Theme day Glass

It's not because I'm away that I'm going to miss a Theme Day! This month's theme is "Glass". I've had this photo for quite a while (I took it at Le Procope, if you remember) and I thought it would do the job for today. It's a digestif (an alcohol one takes at the end of a meal - not me(!), but one of the guests that I was with). I love the way they present it "on a bed of ice". That is all for today. When you read this, I should be on my way to my final destination (well, to start with...): Auckland. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants