Some sunday afternoon, in the late summer, a band come to play in the kiosque (a shelter) of the Jardin du Luxembourg.
This one, AFREUBO, has a sixty wind instruments players with a effective conductor. During an hour you can forget the modern style of life to get back to the 19th century.

This scene doesn’t remind you some work by Auguste Renoir ?

The Chat noir (the black cat) was a cabaret, open in the late 19th century in Montmartre. If everyone knows the famous bill by Steinlen in 1896, you can now see the original sign in Musee Carnavalet, a parisian museum dedicated to Paris. (free entrance)

For the french readers, you can read all the story and sing a karaoke on this site : Le Chat noir

Here are the true colors of Paris, gold and dark blue.

The towers of Notre Dame are open late for visitors on summer. They close at 11 pm on saturdays and sundays during june, july and august.

So you don’t have any excuse to miss such a view.

Hopelessly waiting for the sun. And doing it the french way, in a café.

In the heart of Paris, in the Jardin des Plantes, the botanical garden, a small piece of ground was left unattended on purpose, just to show us that life and grass can still find their way in the middle of a city.
The result is a small field of alfalfa. Even the small animals found a new home and have now a life on their own. Only the cows are missing.

In the Louvre there is a courtyard dedicated to restoration of statues. Day after day, a few students and specialists clean and fix greek and roman works to be shown again. Public can follow this activity through the bars of the gates.

This statue seems ready to get out and to start a new life, as soon the keepers will free it.

By the way, Paris is not only a 26 years old heiress but the King of Troy in greek mythology.

Royal square dedicated to Louis XIII, this place bears the name of the french district, “les Vosges“, who became the first to pay the revolutionary and republican taxes. It’s the oldest square in Paris, early build by HenriIV from 1605 to 1612.

Victor Hugo used to live in Place des Vosges, n° 6.

The western side of the Ile de le Cité is mainly dedicated to justice. On the front, you can see the Tribunal de commerce, a court of trade specialized in business and companies rights. Behind, the court of justice, hold the criminal and civils cases.

In the middle, the tower of the conciergerie is famous because of the oldest clockwork still working on its side. This clock saw Marie Antoinette left this court on her last travel.

Do you know Escher, a dutch graphic artist of the 20th century ?
He used to paint stairs going nowhere, giving a feeling of impossible reality.

I’m sure ESCHER was inspired by the LEFUEL staircase in the Richelieu’s aisle of the Louvre.

Here is a secret.
If you ever come to Paris and visit the Louvre, there is an unknown entrance to the museum. Near the end of the Flore’s aisle, the one by the Seine, you can get in by the Porte des Lions.
It is a regular entrance, only closed on friday. Usually, there is no waiting line.

Inside, a modern stair gives you a direct access to the “grande galerie” and the italian painters.

The Ecole du Louvre, a famous art school, is located at the very end of this aisle.