Jardin de Luxembourg: Children with wooden rods in hand aiming for brass rings
Visits of varying lengths between 2 January and 7 April 2019
Although I have made my home these past two years anywhere I spend the night, Paris, like New York, is where I have my favorite places and can arrive there without a map. It is where I can spend time with people very dear to me.
A bouquiniste selling books and prints along the Seine.A classic scene
Paris is where I wander aimlessly through ancient streets and wide boulevards, sit near the Medici Fountain, and stroll in the Jardin Luxembourg, browse books sold by the bouquinists along the Seine, ride a bicycle along the Canal Saint-Martin to the Bassin de la Villette in the north of Paris and watch men play petanque , see a film, and enjoy the undulating rhythms of the day while sitting at a cafe.
Jogger in the Luxembourg GardensIt is not unusual to see bakeries transformed into high-end boutiquesOne of many enticing restaurants in the 3rd arrondissementHotel de Ville against a Parisian skyIn front of Hotel de VilleCarousel waiting for ridersWhat had been a bustling expressway along the Seine is now a haven for pedestrians and cyclists.Attached to this man’s pole is a paper cup awaiting change.The very cold temperatures did not interfere with the musician’s playing of classical music. It was fluid and beautiful.The Pantheon: The final resting place of Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and Emile Zola and othersSaint-Michel Metro on a wintry day
Public life in Paris reveals a medley of humanity in all ages and attires: groups of children, wearing brightly colored vests, guided by their attentive guardians, walk in pairs, hand-in-hand; dog owners patiently wait for their beloved pets, sometimes in colorful attire, to sniff; aged men and women push walkers a few centimeters at a time across streets while concerned bystanders stop the traffic; lovers of all ages kiss; tourists take selfies against iconic backdrops; riders navigate skillfully, and not so skillfully, bicycles and scooters through the streets; a well-dressed woman wearing gold high-heels steps out from her sleeping bag on the sidewalk where she presumably spent the night.
The Louvre and I. M. Pei’s pyramid (Pei just passed away at 102 years of age).A special exhibition at Jardin des PlantesBahn mi shop in Chinatown. I go often to this area for the atmosphere and delicious Asian fare.Old postcards of Paris for saleParc de Belleville offers wonderful visitas and gardens in bloomNap near the Notre DameA small park in the Marais at dusk.An exhibition of Thomas Schutte’s work inside the Monnaie de ParisSpringtimeJardin des Tuileries: the chill does not discourage everyoneThe scooter-sharing, like the similar bicycle system, has become quite popular.The Medici Fountain in Luxembourg GardensA detailWalking by Le Bouillon Chartier, opened in 1896, brought me back to a gathering of friends I’d had there decades before. It still attracts customers in droves who await entry while standing in line.Artists’ workplaces open to the public annually in Fontenay Sous Bois, just outside ParisPassage du Grand Cerf: One of the original shopping mallsAnother beautiful PassageNotre Dame at night, a few weeks before its devastating fire
I never tire of the frequent beauty surrounding me in Paris, or become immune to its charm.
Wonderful narrow lanes like this one can be found throughout the city.
