Wednesday, July 02, 2008

The old lady has a new dye!


Some of you mentioned it already in yesterday's comments (I guess it's been pretty much everywhere in the news), on June 30 at 11 pm the Eiffel Tower turned blue and grew 12 yellow stars... Why? Because those are the colors of the European flag and because France is to take its presidency for 6 months (FYI, there is no actual European President - yet? - but a pretty complicated organization...). Cool idea (the blue Eiffel Tower) I must say and very much appreciated by Parisians - and tourists - apparently. Talking about Europe, I'm heading to Brussels for the next two days, I'll try to keep in touch with you, but it's not going to be easy...

68 comments:

  1. I was hoping this would be the photo. Thank you!!!!

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  2. Have a nice time in Brussels. Don't worry about us: we will, as usual, talk amongst ourselves and besides we have this image to keep us company - tho' we will be thinking of you, of course.

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  3. I don't want to take "Guille's "réplique" about the Eiffel Tower but it is certain that the old Lady's outfit for Summer is nice, so bright and gay !

    Certainly not a "vêtement de deuil" for Europe.
    Hope it's going to be a good sign !

    Sorry, it's getting late and my English is tired too !

    Nice trip to Brussels, Eric, you can always take pictures of Paris at the Europe miniature !

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  4. *all together now*

    EIFFEL TOWER!
    EIFFEL TOWER!!
    EIFFEL TOWER!!!

    It's just gorgeous, Eric. Thanks for the information.

    Bon voyage!

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  5. This is stunning! Will it still sparkle (is it hourly? I don't remember.) in addition to the blue?

    Suzy I could "hear" your post before I even read it! ; )

    Eric, I hope you have a safe trip.

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  6. Man! "She" is SO nice in her blue dress! I had a pic nic along the Seine and didn't even notice that she became blue. Will she stay like that during 6 months?
    Yeah Sarkozy is now the President of the European Union, well, we'll see! I don't want to be malicious. LOL.

    (Thanks for the "congratulations", I'm still waiting for my art history results, in 2 weeks I guess...)

    Sleep tight everybody!

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  7. Eric,
    These French politicians are very cunning! Using the Eiffel Tower as a campaigning tool!!lol
    What is next? I hope they don't start posting here too! ;)

    Actually I am open to change and I like the Old Dame's new dress.

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  8. Still gorgeous after all this time!! And what a stunning dress she has on, I wonder who the designer is.......(definitely Parisian!)

    Beautiful as always, Eric.

    Have a great trip to Brussels also. It is strange to think that people go from one country to another there in Europe like we go from state to state in the US and it isn't really a big deal. But for me to say that I'm going to Brussels, that would be huge!

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  9. "I hope they don't start posting here too!"

    Don't be too sure Rose!!! Nice to see you again.

    Congrats, Guille and please feel free to be malicious!

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  10. Well, the old girl could use a make over, once in a blue moon at any rate. What a great image - although it does look as little ET, extra-terrestrial that is.

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  11. My favorite structure ever looks so festive! Beautiful photo. It's an amazing blue.

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  12. Hey, Cali -- way to go, GF.

    Suzy, I'm glad everyone let you say it yourself!

    Rose, actually I wouldn't mind if the politicos posted here. I'd like to see them deal with you (and everyone else).

    Eric -- great post! Thanks SO much, and enjoy Brussels.

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  13. I'm feeling the sixties coming on. Yes, yes, it's...

    "Devil with the blue dress, blue dress, blue dress...
    Devil with the blue dress on Wearin her perfume, Chanel No.5 Got to be the finest girl alive...She's a real humdinger and I like her like that...." (Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels 1966)

    Eric, another beauti-licious photo of the lady! May Brussels treat you well. Safe travels.

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  14. :-D
    Perfect! Couldn't wish for anything better to end the day!

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  15. Beautiful photo! I hope the Tower will still glitter - that was my favourite part :)

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  16. Exquisite!

    Merci bien, comme toujours!

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  17. I have always loved the Eiffel Tower as well as the color blue so it was very nice to open your post and see this stunning photo!
    Merci!
    Have fun on your trip Eric!

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  18. YES! Thank you Eric!

    Kelly.. yes it has the "sparkles". I noticed this on a webcam of Paris that I frequent.

    Ahhhh, now for some wine.

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  19. Definitely another Parisian treat. I'm so glad you posted this, Eric! It is my first view of the lady in her celebratory attire. Sometimes when I look at this photo, the street lights appear to be shooting out from beneath the Eiffel Tower itself.

    Guille -- Yay! I'm confident that your art history results will be wonderful as well. I wonder whether your classmates have people around the world rooting for them. I believe it is safe to say that PDP is proud of you. :)

    Have a lovely trip to Brussels, Eric. If it's not possible for you to check in here, worry not. You deserve a break! Of course, if you find yourself missing us tooooo desperately and need a PDP fix, we'll be ever-so-glad to see you pop in. :)

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  20. Wow -- been at work way too long, and I just got a chance to sneak a peek at the post. Stunning. Got a couple more hours left and this is perking me up.

    Eric, you're the best - even when you're on the run (which is pretty often!) you stop to get up to the second photos for us. We don't just get a daily photo, we get a living chronicle. Merci mille fois. Hope you can have some fun in Brussels.

    Suzy - LOL - I know its coming now so I look forward to it! I feel like I can hear you even tho I never met you. :) Since I wasn't around for the first ET! ET! ET! I don't know how it first came out, but I love the exuberance - its great!

    Well, back to the grind....

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  21. Stunning. An Ingres painting. A Monet painting. A Renoir. A Chihuly glass sculpture. A beautiful woman.

    Nice photo, man.

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  22. All together now...AAAWWWWWWWW!! How beautiful is that??? I'm imagining I'm walking up the rue Saint Dominique heading toward the Champs de Mars and all of a sudden I see this light show!! Merci, Eric!! SUPERBE!!!!

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  24. jeff..fyi..just saw the Chihuly Exhibit in San Francisco at the deYoung...amazing!!

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  25. the colors of the European flag??

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  26. WOOOOOWWW!! Beautiful, beautiful blue. When I was there in May of 2006, the tower was also lit up blue (I can't remember why). It was lovely, though not this intense. Stunning photo, Eric.

    This photo would hold me for a couple of days, even if you didn't pre-set your next posts. Have a lovely trip.

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  27. Alexa
    Am I that bad?lol

    Coltrane_lives
    So this is the sort of music you listen to uhm? ;)
    For those interested here is a link http://video.aol.com/video-detail/mitch-ryder-live-devil-with-the-blue-dress/253144768?

    Petrea
    I remember that! I think it was on May 9th for Europe Day.

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  28. « Je l'emporte avec moi ».... « mais non je viens avec toi ;) » .... ça, c’aurait été marrant !!… Pour le timing, faut que je travaille, c'est sûr!

    Sorry, c'est un petit message spécial à Eric, juste pour rire ! ;)

    Hey Rose, glad to read you : lol about politicians here : who knows ?

    Guille, donc tu vas persister en droit... malheureuse!! LOL [Sérieux : bravo!]

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  29. There is a video of the "Tour Eiffel Blue Lightning" available on http://europe.areva.com/fr/index2.php (Areva being the sponsor of the event)

    Eric,
    thanks for the picture, we now know why the stars were for.

    Rose, "what's next?"
    Next is a big European flag, together with the (usual) French one floating under the Arc de Triomphe for the next 6 months.

    Brilliant Guille,
    Congratulations! Now enjoy your holidays, you deserve them.

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  30. Rose...you crack me up! My high school students tell me I listen to a lot of "strange music." Now that's funny. I do prefer Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" to Mitch and the boys from Detroit. Have a smooth day!

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  31. oh my that's such a beautiful sight and what it represents too.

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  32. The photo looks as if the street lights are shooting out of the arch. I love it madly! Here we would call her a "Blue Hair"!

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  33. Corinne « Je l'emporte avec moi ».... « mais non je viens avec toi ;) » .... ça, c’aurait été marrant !!… Pour le timing, faut que je travaille, c'est sûr!

    En fait ça n'a vraiment aucun intérêt touristique. Je suis arrivé par le train, j'ai pris un tram souterrain qui m'a mené direct à l'hôtel dont je ne sortirai pas avant demain soir pour rentrer à Paris !! So much for Brussels.

    Thib. Actually thank you. What you don't know people is that it's Thib who's been warning me about these stars for weeks now. Now we know why they installed them.

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  34. Eric ;)
    Alors bon courage.
    Mais en tout cas, côté météo parisienne, tu ne loupes rien : il a plu toute la journée ou presque. Tu dois manquer à Paris... qui est jalouse de Brussels !!
    Bonne soirée;)

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  35. Eric - Gorgeous photo. I downloaded it to my desktop immedidately. Thank you.
    Enjoy Brussels. Let us know if Bruxelles still "Bruxelles." (Nod to Jacque Brel.)

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  36. Carrie, I don't really remember how the first time came to be. It's all a blur to me now. I guess the mood was right and I just went for it.

    Sorry I'm so loud at times, but Eric gives great Eiffel Tower.

    ;)

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  37. I think Eric will have to rush if he wants to take a last picture of Ingrid Bétancourt on Paris City Hall since she has just been saved and "libérée".
    So I suppose that her pictute will be removed rapidly.

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  38. I meant a picture of Ingrid Bétancourt's picture on the Hotel de Ville.
    You translated in good English of course !!!

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  39. I just saw the news about her release. About time.

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  40. Thib
    Thanks for telling Eric about the stars. I guess I am glad Brussels decided against adding more stars every time a new country joins the EU or we would probably have ended up with a flag like the Milk Way!

    Corinne and Cali
    Are you implying that we already have a politician posting here? I know we have a few royals but politician as well? Soon Eric will be chargind entrance fee to this place. :)

    Coltrane_lives
    You must be easy to please! lol

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  41. Suzy!!!
    I can't believe you said that!
    lol
    I guess someone has to take Lynn's place while she is away :)

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  42. How a BIG day !! July 2nd, Ingrid Bettancourt's release... She is going to be back here in France and to see again her family after so many years. Fabulous!!
    I spent the evening with my brother and his (pregnant) wife (to give them several baby's things I had kept from my children's first age...)and that was a very, very moving moment to hear from this big new... All french Tv channels are now talking about that event.

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  43. Wonderful news indeed! Gives us hopes of so many others in the same situation will make it after all.

    Hey Monica... tava com saudades da sua carinha!

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  44. Hourra pour INGRID!!!!!!!!! WOnderfuL DaY!!!!!

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  45. Rose...did Suzy say what I thought she said? Next we'll probably hear about Eiffel Tower envy. [gulp!];-)

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  46. Coltrane_lives
    She either said what she said or we have a very dirty mind!
    I won't be talking about Eiffel Tower envy though! I have plenty of ETs ;)

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  47. I better shut up or Eric will throw me out of his blog!

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  48. Hooray for Ingrid, and for the heroes who arranged her release! It is indeed a great day.

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  49. Rose... e eu sempre com saudades de vcs, mas o tempo está escasso...!

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  50. the photo is divine.

    permission to grab please...thanks

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  51. Wow, isn't she just gorgeous! I'lll never get tired of seeing photos of the Eiffel Tower, not until I see it with my own eyes that is.
    I wonder, do you ever get sick of people from overseas asking to see it or saying they want to visit it?

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  52. My goodness the sight nearly blue me away...

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  53. Off to Brussels? Are you applying for President of the EU? Joking. I like the lighting of La Tour.

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  54. .. un photo sensationnel; merci bien pour nous partager

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  55. So beautiful!

    coltrane, high school kids have no taste what-so-ever. As much as I like some of the contemporary pop, I still prefer Miles, John, Duke, Count Basie, and all the great old jazz guys (along with other styles from the golden age of American music). I really think I'm just an old soul trapped in a younger body.

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  56. Soosha...I'm right there with you on that one! BTW...a beautiful profile shot you have there with your son! ;-)

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  57. *giggle* Thank you! *blush* You ought not to have said that, now I'll obsess over you for awhile. You poor poor guy.

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  58. Hello from New York! The blue lights look amazing. It must be something to see in person.

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  59. I don't like it :( but the photo is amazing! :-D

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