Thursday, May 17, 2007

Sarkozy, day one


As of today we officially have a new president. This morning, he did what all new Presidents do: go to his new office (the Elysée Palace), walk a few steps on a red carpet, shake the hand of the former President (Chirac) and make a speech. He then jumped into a big car and went up the Champs Elysees, where I took this photo. Needless to say that, due to security measures, it was not an easy task... Tonight, quite sadly, I also eye witnessed the work of looters, probably anti-Sarkozy protesters.

25 comments:

  1. Good shot! Yes, I imagine security must be pretty tight around him these days.

    Yesterday, when you mentioned that you were going to post a very difficult shot to get, I thought for some reason you might be shooting from a Segway. Were you? ;)

    Looting is a terrible way to express frustration with the election results. What exactly is looting some poor shmuck's business trying to accomplish?!!! C'est malin. (Great shots, there, too, by the way).

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  2. Eric, CONGRATULATIONS! You did an excellent job! This is a great shot, and historical too! I can imagine how hard it was for you to photograph him.

    I know there has been lots of divergencies about the new government, but I really hope everything will turn out ok and that he can be a good president for France. (and of course I hope he can maintain a good relationship with other countries!)

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  3. Were there a lot of people applauding as he passed by? Is there a parade too or just him in a car?

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  4. Bravo, Eric! What an awesome shot this is! It should be in a newspaper! I am surprised at how exposed he is - aren't they worried that someone might harm him? I hope he does some great things for France, even though I don't agree with his politics. Nice-looking man, though, I must admit ;)

    On a separate note, I love the cherubs on the facade in the background - they are darling!

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  6. Wow Eric this is just a great photo - what were you talking about?! Well caught. I have to say it has a little bit of a Dallas Texas feel about it, though, that cavalcade, bit sad...

    Looting is such a shame, a bad spin-off of the day. Though i must say i love the photo of the glass on the ground! The photo, not the act.

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  7. It is a quite excellent photo--very clear. A local newspaper printed a Paris correspondent's column that described Chirac's farewell speech as somewhat lackluster; I, however, thought it was quite well-done, asking for unity. What did you think?

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  8. Exciting photo!
    I was told that the President of France is sworn in without a bible. If this is true, then it is a laudible separation of church and state.

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  9. Come to think of it, I'd be worried about the new government too. What does his own wife not voting for Sarkozy says about him?

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  10. Just imagine what is going through his mind at this exact moment!...
    1/ I made it.
    2/ I made it.
    3/ I've f...ing made it.
    4/ Well no time for joking now: ya du put... de pain sur la put... de planche!...

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  11. Hello, I present my blog photographs to you on a small city : Martel. in the Quercy (the black perigord in France), the area of the foie gras and the omelette to boletus.

    mon blog of photographs on the town of Martel.

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  12. And next: he jumped into a plane to visit Angela ;-)) He seems to have lots of energy, the new president.

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  13. I agree, pont, he's not too bad on the eyes.

    Eric, always in the think of it, huh? You work so hard for us!

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  14. Wow! You got a great shot of him. You always seem to be in the right place at the right time. I liked looking at all the people on the other side of the street taking photographs too. A great picture!

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  15. Good photo. Sakozy was even looking your direction. Every time I try to take a similar sort of photo the subject is always looking the other direction. I guess a good politician is always posing for photos from all angels. I really like the pedestrians in the background with their cameras. I'll bet your photos is the best of all those taken.

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  16. We commenters really do disect your photos, n'est ce pas? Cherubs, other photographers. I recall your photo of the chevaliers devant Les Invalides, and the motorcycle cops here are similarly dressed. Are they the same police force, with bikes in lieu of horses? Contrast U.S. motorcycle cops with heavy leather jackets and pants, black or blue.

    Well done on the photo: I think it's perfect. The new president is part of the population, though moving faster and hard to 'capture', even with a camera. Merci pour votre trevail.

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  17. Cherubs on one side, a satyr on the other. Oh, those French...

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  18. Wow...I'm impressed Eric!!

    Allons enfants de la Patrie Arise, children of the fatherland
    Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! The day of glory has arrived!
    Contre nous de la tyrannie Against us, tyranny
    L'étendard sanglant est levé. (bis) [10] Has raised its bloody banner (repeat)
    Entendez-vous dans les campagnes Do you hear in the fields
    Mugir ces féroces soldats ? The howling of these savage soldiers?
    Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras They are coming into your midst
    Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes ! To cut the throats of your sons, your wives!

    Aux armes, citoyens ! To arms, citizens!
    Formez vos bataillons ! Form your battalions!
    Marchons, marchons ! Let us march, let us march!
    Qu'un sang impur May tainted blood
    Abreuve nos sillons ! Water our fields!


    Oh well...we shall see, we shall see...Bon Courage toute le monde..Until then we shall SingSing..Sing!!

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  19. Yes, phx-cdg, religion has no say in running France, and only influences political decisions when different groups of believers have problems with each other and have to be treated with care. It's laughable to a lot of us here to listen to Bush, for example, claiming to be acting in the name of 'God' when the other bunch are claiming exactly the same thing. Thank goodness we don't have to suffer such nonsense!

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  20. I hope he lives up to his promise and governs for everyone. (I say this without cynicism, just hope)

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  21. Holy molly! Has there ever been an assassination attempt on a French President?

    This does not look very safe for him.

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  22. I don't believe that France has a constitution that grants the "right to bear arms". In the U.S., the whackos believe this means that everyone can carry guns around whenever they want. This is why there are so many guns available, this is why we have so many violent crimes, including assassination attempts periodically. Do you believe that those who wrote the U.S. Constitution in the 1780s imagined a 9 mm Glock semiautomatic with 14 rounds in the magazine? Or the Uzi?

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  23. Yes, there has been several. Charles de Gaulle in the 60's, Chirac more recently (by a not very dangerous mad man, but still) and maybe others that I don't know of - or that nobody knows of officially.

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  24. Surely a French assassination would display a little more savoire faire than thecrudeness of a gun? A doseof arsenic slipped into the creme brulee? Ground glass in the bouillabaise?

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