How I Saw Paris This Week (Part Nineteen)

Hello lovely Paris people! It’s time already for another installment of what I saw in Paris this week.

Strap in for this one – it seems I’ve been extra prolific with no fewer than 21 pics! I’ll try to be concise with the captions so as not to take up too much of your day. :-)

When transferring from line 1 of the métro you can catch a view of the boats in Port de l’Arsenal. The sun was pounding the plexiglass pretty hard and created a fantastic fireworks vibe on my lens. A lovely little surprise!

It’s fall and that means orange in all its forms. :) I got pretty excited about the cinematic feeling in this shot. I love this idea (which photography is so good at doing) where you take the absolutely mundane in life and elevate it to something poetic, simply by showing the intention of “hey, I want you to look at this right now at this moment”. Or…maybe this photo isn’t your cup of tea – I get it. :) But I’m down with the cones.

Another feel-good fall shot. My favorite time of the year! This is in Montmartre just next door to Au Lapin Agile, the city’s oldest cabaret. Those who join me for a tour of Montmartre will see it up close.

Saw this in the chic and classy 7th arrondissement. I only wish I were this cool.

Brunch at Hardware Society (18th arr). You should do it. If you can find a table.

One of my favorite shots lately. Place Saint Sulpice is, as I posted a few days ago, far better than TV. When I give my tours of Saint Germain des Prés I always get excited to show people this stunning spot. I feel very European here.

My mom was in town and I delighted in helping her discover Deyrolle (7th arr). The ground floor of the shop looks pretty normal but oh boy those upstairs rooms! Photos are strictly prohibited in this place but hey, blogger’s rights. :) I always feel like I’m living out a Midnight in Paris fantasy here, as one of the party scenes was filmed in this shop.

This was for #caturday and it’s a shot of one of the many quaint country alleys in Belleville. These cats, in case you’re wondering, totally own these spaces. Ain’t nobody gonna tell them any different either. They’re so Parisian I wouldn’t be surprised if they were smokers.

Never seen someone take a piece of melon and jam it into itself. This was one of those many food displays you see just about anywhere in Paris. I’ve always noticed the French eat melon more often that in the States. And that’s a good thing – it’s the damn nectar of the gods.

You know where this is. I don’t know if this time of day qualifies as the “Golden Hour” but it seemed pretty lovely to me. 

On the Atlantic coast of France in a town called Lacanau you’ll find this beach. There’s a large observation deck that seems to be there only for showing off the vastness of the ocean. My wide angle lens came in handy here. 

Rush hour life in Saint Germain des Prés. The Tour Montparnasse is what you see in the distance, the only skyscraper in Paris and one of the least-liked monuments in town. There’s a joke in Paris that we have two towers: The Eiffel Tower and the Awful Tower.

The recently finished Forum des Halles. The verdict’s still out on this grand canopy: is it a stunning technological marvel ushering Paris into the modern age, or is it just a bit of a let down? Time will tell but until then we can certainly admire the light and shadows of it all.

Letting goats “mow” the Tuileries Gardens is a thing these days. How great is that? And I just thought of a brilliant marketing campaign: take their milk and crank out boatloads of  “Fromage de Chèvre des Tuileries Gardens”. Think of it: the tangy richness of goat cheese with a hint of Catherine de Medici’s private royal grass, Brilliant I tell you!

Square Edouard VII (9th arr) has a cafe or two. This one was closed, obviously. But that one chair left alone, facing the world…what’s the story there? Who’s that for, me? Blogger’s rights maybe? :)

A little thing called sky porn. Sorry if that term offends anyone. Again, thank you wide angle lens attachment!

Shrooms!

Not far from Deyrolle is a hidden church called Saint Thomas d’Aquin (7th arr). And nobody ever, ever goes inside. They’re missing out!

This bakery/restaurant/tea room is called 13 A Baker’s Dozen. A very traveler-friendly and cozy spot tucked away in the Left Bank. 

Monkeys drinking coffee is just one perk of Terres de Café on Rue des Blancs-Manteaux (3rd arr). I’m so done with inferior espresso and this place meets my rather snobbish cappuccino standards (wow what a hipster statement that was!). Did I mention there are swinging chairs inside this café? What’s not to love.

The 18th century French painter Chardin gets some props in the City Hall of the 6th arrondissement. You’ve gotta be a world class artist to pull of the pillow-case-on-the-head look. But dammit he does!

There it is! Let me know which one was your favorite, and which part of Paris you’re dreaming of most.

Be sure to contact me for walking tours of this great city by going here, or if you’re too far away for such a thing you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or find me as a recurring guest on each episode of the Earful Tower Paris Podcast.

Until la prochaine fois!