pied-à-terre

I have an acquaintance who is lucky (and wealthy) 
enough to own an apartment in Paris and I was lucky 
(and needy) enough to get to borrow it once, in the time 
bdc (before digital cameras). It was lovely to wake 
up to this view—through the old wavy-glass 
windows—of the local rooftops across rue Jacob. 

[To see more monochromes, visit Dragonstar's meme.] 

Les pompiers

Did you know that Paris firefighters are part of 
a French army unit?  And that the Paris fire dept.
is the 3rd largest urban fire service in the world?
When I lived here back when, my only contact
with the pompiers took place each year on the
eve of Bastille Day, when fire stations all
over the city hosted dances—and the firemen
were a good-looking crew back then too!

[Today is ABC Wednesday. To see more 
posts that feature the letter P, go here.]

Making an Impression

Things have changed at the Musée d'Orsay.
Now you're not allowed to take photos at all,
but when I shot (w/o flash, of course) this closeup of
Manet's Oeillets et Clematites Dans un Vase de Crystal
back in 2005, pas de problème.  And there was a 
guard sitting almost directly underneath this little
painting too.  I think it's the "flashers" (you know who
you are!) who have ruined it for the rest of us.  Just sayin'.

P.S.—it's worth enlarging this to truly appreciate
the beauty of Edouard Manet's brushstrokes.

[To see more Macro Monday shots, visit Lisa's Chaos.
To see more Blue Monday pics, visit Smiling Sally.
And if you are also Dreaming of France, visit Paulita's meme.]

Allô, allô, ne kitty pas, s'il vous plait

This is the corner of rue des Rosiers and rue des
Hospitalières St. Gervais (a very long name for a very short 
street).  The street art appears to be a collaboration:
I don't know who did the robotic creature in the background,
but I think I've seen his (her?) work in the 13th; Nature's Revenge is 
usually associated with the artist Ludo, but I can't see what he 
contributed here (maybe the butterflies?); the beautiful 
tigers are the work of Mosko et Associés (founded by two old 
friends, Michel Allemand and Gérard Laux, who grew up 
in the area north of Montmartre called Moskowa).

[I'm linking back to Paulita's meme, 
Dreaming of France, because I am, always—
and also to Orange You Glad It's Friday.]

Notre Dame, 8 a.m.

It's worth getting up early to have Notre Dame
(almost) to yourself, whether you want
to appreciate it in peace and quiet—
or take unpopulated pictures.

Paris in Winter

I found myself stuck one night with a friend on the
covered terrasse of the Café de Flore (poor me, I know),
when an unexpected snowstorm came up and we
were hardly dressed for this kind of weather.  Although
showers are frequent in Paris, snow is rare. There may be
a dusting, but the highest one-day snowfall ever
recorded was only a bit over a foot—and that was on
March 2, 1946 (another good day for a brandy at the Flore). 

Marché aux Fleurs

The covered but otherwise outdoor flower market
on the Ile de la Cité has been in operation
(except on Sunday, when it becomes a bird market)
for 204 years.  I don't know how these primroses
survive—I shot them on a snowy morning in February—but
what a wonderful way to brighten a dreary winter day!