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Paris Canal Saint Martin is “unemployed”
Every fifteen years, Paris undertakes the cleaning of Canal Saint-Martin. In river vocabulary, “Chomage” is the process of completely emptying and cleaning a canal. The last “chomage (unemployment)” was fourteen years ago. Was I in Paris or flying across the Atlantic? Not wanting to rely on memory, I grabbed the camera. The sky was blue as I headed from the Bastille where the canal disappears under the promenade along Boulevard Richard Lenoir to République where it once again resurfaces. The Saint Martin Canal is one of Napoleon the first’s projects to provide drinking water to Paris. Construction began in 1805 and it opened in 1825. As I exited the metro…
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Paris Attack’s Discreet Memorial
On my way to Canal Saint Martin, I exited the metro République by the north exit on the Esplanade André Tollet. I was met by one of the new plaques to the memory of the January and November victims in Paris, Montrouge and Saint-Denis. The Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, unveiled the Paris attacks memorial plaque January 10, 2016. A small grouping of memorials, candles and flowers decorate this small plot discreetly placed away from the plaza center. The notes, candles, notices of opinion or even a plea for information for a lost sixteen-year old boy cover the main République monument below the bronze statue of Marianne, which symbolizes the French Republic.…
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Bataclan Revisted
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Paris Scenes – A Rainy November Night
A week after the Paris attacks I went out to see if anyone else was out. Along the Champs-Elysées the cars were moving along as usual, the Ferris wheel was turning. They switched on the lights along the avenue a day later than planned. Not many wandered the the Village de Noël Christmas market lanes and sidewalks. Walking toward the Seine, Dior along the Avenue Montaigne had the most spectacular decoration among illuminated trees. Catching the bus from Alma-Marceau to Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower ...
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Pierre Cardin’s Permanent Paris Museum
Pierre Cardin goes to his studio everyday, continues working with his stylists and leaves a notebook next to his bed to make notes and drawings.... In 2014 the fashion designer told his closest assistant and former apprentice, Renée Taponier, that just in case no one pays homage to his legacy of work after he passes on, he might as well do it himself. He opened a museum on rue Saint Merri. What a collection! This visit opened a new world for me about someone who I thought just designed men's suits and the Beatles collarless jackets. Ingenuity and a view to the future with no pang of nostalgia are alive…
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Iconic Paris Walk Along the Seine
Sometimes views only change with the seasons. I had to wonder how many times these same scenes have been photographed over the years. The scenes are iconic and never seem to be boring. We went for a walk along the Seine yesterday between Gare d'Austerlitz and Cathrédale Notre-Dame de Paris. We enjoyed a salad for dinner on the Ile-Saint-Louis with the sun setting. People were lined up at the Batobus* stop for Notre-Dame. Were they all in line for the sunset cruise? Not all could be accommodated, and they waited for the next one.
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Paris Fashion – Read a Book
Want to read a French book? Don't want to spend a fortune if the exchange rate goes bad? Buy a two euro book. All Parisians read a book. Ride the Paris metro and look at what people are holding in their hands: A book.... "Boule de Suif" is a book of short stories by Guy de Maupassant that began my two euro addiction. I skipped looking up the adjectives because I understood the gist of the stories. Each of the stories is about a woman....
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Paris Shower Walls-How to Clean Them
This is a question that has popped up lately in conversations: How do you keep the mold off a Paris shower wall with poor ventilation? Answer: Using the right products and vigilance after everyone has showered. For a long time I was using a window/wall wiper and a multiusage cleaning product. Then I would wipe the walls with a sponge or microfiber cloth. This worked but lacked a certain cleaning power on the white grout (the filler between the tiles). I tried vinegar, even mixing it with scented face water to tone down the strong smell. Until one day, my yellow bath pouf (fleur de bain) was dying. It had…
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Photography Tour Ideas in Paris
A reader asked about photo tours in Paris with instructions after reading my article “Paris Photo Walk at Pont Alexandre III” Here are some of the companies in Paris. I also recommend checking TripAdvisor and MeetUp. Better Travel Photos (tours in Paris and London), 32 Avenue de Suffren, 75015 Paris, France Phone Number: +33 6 74 04 21 84 Paris Photography Tours, 25 Rue de Cotte, 75012 Paris, France Phone Number: +33 6 17 08 54 45 Photo Tours in Paris (various cities), 7 rue Valentin Hauy, 75015 Paris, France Phone Number: +33 6 40 14 84 49 Pictours, 5 Rue Joseph Granier, 75007 Paris, France Phone Number: +33 6…
Enjoy Paris Through My Eyes
