Spirit of Paris - Photos of Paris

Archive for March, 2006

Stairs Galerie Vivienne

Stairs take an important place in Paris buildings. These are in the Galerie Vivienne, a passage built in 1823. The neo-classical style is inspired by the roman antic. The glass roof is elegant, the wall decorated with paintings and sculptures and the ground is covered with mosaic.

Vidocq, an former convict prisoner who became chief of Police, lived in 1840 at number 13, on the other end of this passage.

8 comments March 26th, 2006

Boulevard Saint Michel

Spring is two month fast this year in Paris. Demonstrations usually grows in May, not in March.
The Boulevard Saint-Michel is the main street of the Quartier Latin de Paris, the students area in Paris. Since may 1968 it has been the favorite place for them to demonstrate. Just in front of the Sorbonne, the student met the police forces, both decided not to move.

If you turn this picture in black and white, it will remind you of 1968. Same place, same humming in the street, same odour of lacrymal gases, same people with a generation leap and same atmosphere.

6 comments March 19th, 2006

Sous le ciel de Paris

Sometime a photo can be inspired by a music or a song. This is it. It’s typically french, we call this kind of music “musette”.

There is an old song, from the early fifties called “Sous le ciel de Paris” (under the sky of Paris). When I saw this view from the Pont de la Tournelle, over the Seine, I thought about it.

Here are the lyrics :

Paroles: Jean Dréjac. Musique: Hubert Giraud 1951 ? 1951 Editions Chaudens

Sous le ciel de Paris
S’envole une chanson
Hum Hum
Elle est née d’aujourd’hui
Dans le cœur d’un garçon
Sous le ciel de Paris
Marchent des amoureux
Hum Hum
Leur bonheur se construit
Sur un air fait pour eux

Sous le pont de Bercy
Un philosophe assis
Deux musiciens quelques badauds
Puis les gens par milliers
Sous le ciel de Paris
Jusqu’au soir vont chanter
Hum Hum
L’hymne d’un peuple épris
De sa vieille cité

Près de Notre Dame
Parfois couve un drame
Oui mais à Paname
Tout peut s’arranger
Quelques rayons
Du ciel d’été
L’accordéon
D’un marinier
L’espoir fleurit
Au ciel de Paris

Sous le ciel de Paris
Coule un fleuve joyeux
Hum Hum
Il endort dans la nuit
Les clochards et les gueux
Sous le ciel de Paris
Les oiseaux du Bon Dieu
Hum Hum
Viennent du monde entier
Pour bavarder entre eux

Et le ciel de Paris
A son secret pour lui
Depuis vingt siècles il est épris
De notre Ile Saint Louis
Quand elle lui sourit
Il met son habit bleu
Hum Hum
Quand il pleut sur Paris
C’est qu’il est malheureux
Quand il est trop jaloux
De ses millions d’amants
Hum Hum
Il fait gronder sur nous
Son tonnerr’ éclatant
Mais le ciel de Paris
N’est pas longtemps cruel
Hum Hum
Pour se fair’ pardonner
Il offre un arc en ciel

4 comments March 12th, 2006

Bon anniversaire Paris Daily Photo

Bon anniversaire Paris Daily Photo.

Eric, keep on photographing the most beautiful city in the world !!!

1 comment March 11th, 2006

Metallic architecture of Austerlitz bridge

This decoration on the side of the Viaduc d’Austerlitz reminds us with the origin of Paris.
The first parisians, the parisii, were known as boatmen and traders. Since middle age, the motto of the city is a latin sentence “Fluctuat nec mergitur”, which means “I float and I don’t sink” and the logo of Paris is a sailing boat over white lily flowers (the symbol of french kings). The logo is crown by a wall which represents the wall of Philippe Auguste, built in 1280 around Paris. Every municipal equipment bears it.

The boat here is surrounded by fishes, ropes and two marine anchors.

The decoration of the Austerlitz bridge was made by Jean-Camille Formigé who was the architext of the superstructures of the metro of Paris.

3 comments March 6th, 2006