Essence de Paris
by bakpakchik
For me, this photo captures the Essence de Paris as I felt it. The brilliant sculpture in the background representing Paris's longstanding association with the arts. The tourist lady in pedal pushers and sunglesses representing the touristy Paris of today. The French Fry (or is it Freedom Fry) in the foreground adding a touch of touristic humor to what might otherwise have been French cuisine.
From the Place de la Concorde...
by benzerga
From the Place de la Concorde all the way to the top of the Champs-Elysees, you will discover the Place de l'Etoile which is known today as the Place Charles de Gaulle. And, at this busy Place lies the Arc de Triomphe
New bike lanes
by Nemorino
In the past several years the city of Paris has built a number of fine new bicycle lanes such as this one on the Avenue de Laumière in the 19th arrondissment. This one is built in such a way that it would be virtually impossible a motorists to block it, and pedestrians will also have no trouble recognizing that this is a bicycle lane and not the sidewalk.
Second photo: This new one on the Boulevard de Magenta is also clearly separated from the street and the sidewalk. True, there's a pedestrian in the photo walking on the bicycle lane, but that's what we have bells for.
Third photo: Ideally, the building of new bicycle lanes is part of a concerted effort to upgrade the neighborhood. Here on the Avenue Jean-Jaurès in the 19th they have taken the opportunity to mark off new bus-and-taxi lanes, narrow the remaining motoring lanes, widen the sidewalks, plant more trees and install some benches, in addition to building clearly marked bicycle lanes in both directions. And when were done they put up signs saying "It's finished!" with before and after photos and an appeal to the population to take good care of this new space, "because it's yours!"
Fourth photo: Here in the 10th the mayor's office is inviting everybody to a street party to celebrate the upgrading of one of the streets. The headline at the top of the poster reads: "My district has a future."
Fifth photo: Separate bicycle lane on Avenue Daumesnil, near Porte Dorée at the eastern end of Paris. (Photo from 2008.)
The narrowest house
by bugulma
When I had a river cruise it was said that this is the narrowest house in the world (between yellow and red ones). It's near of Museum d'Orsay. So, it really looks like this. Interesting, who lives here today?
Tour de France: Not Worth the Wait
by von.otter
“I am afraid I play no outdoor games at all except dominoes. I have sometimes played dominoes outside French cafés.”
— Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Our Sunday in Paris coincided with the entrance of the Tour de France into the capital.
We had been warned by our taxi driver from the train station to avoid the Champs Élysées because of pickpockets. Instead, we took up spots along Rue de Rivoli, along the Tuillerie Gardens fence. The crowd was large but we had a good view of the street.
We waited, and waited, and waited.
The only diversions were the passing sponsor floats; although amusing it was not what we came to see.
We stood around for an hour, at least. The cyclists did materialize in a reasonable amount of time. Waiting in the hot sun with lunch approaching was not fun.
We ditched the prospect of seeing the contestants pedal through the city. We took lunch at the Café Loup outside the Louvre, followed by a tour of the Valentino Retrospective Show in the Museum of Decorative Arts, a branch of the Louvre. We watched the news later that night and we saw the winner and the two runners-up awarded their prizes. A great deal of patients, if you want to see the cyclists race through town.