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Stroll at La Place Saint-Germain des Près
Want to travel or go outside but cannot? Visit parts of Paris with Colleen's Paris. Take a bus ride and a stroll (flânerie) with Colleen’s Paris on a 2-minute visit to La Place Saint-Germain des Près, Les Deux Magots and the Gothic Saint-Germain des Près with the oldest bell tower in Paris
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One Year Ago-One Month Ago in Paris Notre-Dame’s Fire
One year ago, April 15, the steeple of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc burned and crashed through the roof of Notre-Dame de Paris: architectural flaw? One month ago, March 15, the sun was shining; everyone ignored a lockdown, went to the "beach" and socialised. An invisible agent locked down work on Notre Dame and confined us to one meter apart. One month from now, work on the new scaffolding holding the burnt scaffolding may continue and we may be less confined. In the meantime, the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and garbage trucks still pass through my Paris street on time.
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Bell Rings Tonight at Notre-Dame
At 8 pm Paris time, tonight, April 15, the south tower bell, “Emmanuel”, will ring at Notre-Dame de Paris. It is one year since the fire April 15, 2019. General Jean-Louis Georgelin, in charge of the cathedral’s restoration, decided on this time, which coincides with the evening applause for health care workers during the Covid-19.
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Stopped by the Gendarmes
It is Covid-19 time and I am out for a beautiful, blue-sky morning walk with my camera. The delivery men on bicycles are collecting bags of chocolate for Easter from the chocolate shop on La rue du Pas-de-la-Mule. Walking past Places des Vosges, I passed a cinematographer and a director/producer filming for the gendarmery television network. Two mounted gendarmes were being filmed while questioning and chatting with locals about the document...
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Charlotte Perriand, Architect/Designer/Artist at FLV
Are you interested or curious about the synthesis of architecture, art and design? Two noted artist/architects who fit that description are Charlotte Perriand and Frank Gehry. Charlotte Perriand "imagined an 'art of living' that broke the codes of the time." The Charlotte Perriand exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton may be closing February 24, 2020 but you have time to download the audio guide! This exhibition and audio guide have a "use-by date" and will not be available once the next exhibit opens April 1. Listen to the stories of her career in interviews and exhibit descriptions. You will find them fascinating. Charlotte Perriand was a member of the Le Corbusier…
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Shuttle Arc de Triomphe to Fondation Louis Vuitton
Do you prefer light, airy, electric transportation? Would you like a scenic ride along the fashionable Avenue Foch to and from the Arc de Triomphe? When you plan a visit to the Fondation Louis Vuitton (FLV) you have alternatives: Line 1, Buses 63 or 244 or the FLV shuttle. The requirement to use the shuttle is to have an admission ticket to the museum. Oh my! What if you decide to go to the museum on a whim and have not purchased a ticket!?
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The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris: Tempting!
When is the last time you read a food guide in one sitting? The Food Lovers's Guide to Paris is the first food book I ever read cover to cover in one day. I can personally recommend it and say, "delightfully delicious". You are introduced to the book with a casual overview of then and now and reassured that French cuisine is here to stay. The guide is simply laid out and begins with a map and arrondissement locations of places mentioned in the guide. In the "How-to-Guide" section Helen Massy-Beresford gives essential courtesy tips. She then moves shows you to your table of dining or specialty shop pleasures with…
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Fixed Taxi Fare Between Paris and Airports – Strike Tips
Strikes getting the best of you? Book a taxi on the G7 Book a Taxi page in advance to get to the airports. Usually you can either step outside and into a taxi or book the same day. With the strikes, you want to reserve a taxi, with G7 whether going to the airport or into Paris. Taxi stands are outside the airport and do not usually have to be booked in advance. Rates vary between Rossy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY). After an expensive experience pre-fixed rates, I had a rude surprise. Being stuck in traffic to the airport Roissy-Charles de Gaulle one day, an anxious feeling came over…
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Find Wallace Fountains Find Paris
Have you walked around Paris and passed right by a water fountain from 1872 without taking a drink? Did you spend two Euros on a bottle of water instead? The non-profit Society of the Wallace Fountains is working hard to preserve the iconic Wallace fountains. The Paris water department (Eau de Paris) is responsible for their continued functioning. The water source differs throughout Paris. Where I live in the Bastille, ours comes from an aquifer. The fascinating story and a guidebook with maps and 21 self-guided walks is a great way for to hunt for the fountains. As Barbara Lambesis the author and President of the foundation says, “Find the Wallace…
