It's not a painting!

I know it looks like a painting but it's not. It's a photo of l'Assemblée Nationale (French Parliament) dressed with the colors of the European Union that I took last evening (Monday) from the Pont de la Concorde. France happens to be leading the European Union until the end of the year (see more on this site), that is why some monuments show the colours of Europe. It was probably planned a long time ago, but ironicaly, in these times of financial crisis, it seems to be extremely appropriate to remind us Europeans, that we need to stick together more than ever!

I need your help! For an article, I'm urgently looking for (funny) stories about traders - in relation to the recent crisis. Kinda like "Now that they've lost their home, too bad they can't even sleep in their Porsche because the seats don't fully recline!". If you heard any, please mail them to eric (at) tenin.com Thank you.

Théâtre Athénée Louis Jouvet

I'm just back from a dinner at Les Paparazzi, a very nice Italian restaurant located near the opera, in a little passage sheltered from the noise of the street (which is unexpected in this area). Next to this restaurant I found this superb - and very famous - theater called L'Athénée-Louis Jouvet (Louis Jouvet was a beloved actor during the first half of the 20th century). It was built before 1900 but it was renewed and 1996 and is now part of the French Historical Monuments which means it cannot be destroyed nor altered.

Almost redone!

Those of you who are true long time visitors of PDP may remember this photo from September 2006, in which I photographed a stone cutter currently working on the renovation of The Tour Saint Jacques. Well the tower is now almost renovated as you can see on this photo that I just took on my way back home (yes, the sun provided me with a wonderful light...). If you want to know more about this monument that originally belonged to a church destroyed after the French revolution, go here.

Invalides at night

Unusual point of view for today... I'm just out of a company party (Apec) that took place on top of the Montparnasse tower (some people say it's the best point of view in Paris because, precisely, you cannot see the tower!). Needless to say that I took my camera along... Et voilà! I took several pics from the spectacular rooftop on the 57th floor, but this is the one I like the best. It's Le Panthéon Les Invalides, a former hospital that has now been turned into a museum. Like the Pantheon(!!), it also shelters the tomb of several famous Frenchmen including Napolean's one.

The (hunch) back of Notre-Dame

I had to show you this. "This" is the back of Notre-Dame, the magnificent cathedral located on the Ile de la Cité that you probably have seen if you already made it to Paris. The good news is that, since yesterday it's now lit from the back as you can see on this photo (I already showed the front here). What more to say: it's gorgeous!

La Place Vendome

The Place Vendôme, is a very famous spot in Paris, and though I never showed it on this blog (I did take a photo there once, though, but the place was not visible). What you mostly can see on this shot is the "Colonne Vendome" which was erected in 1810 by Napoleon to celebrate his army. Precisely, this column is made of 1,200 melted canons that were taken from Napoleon's enemies during his wars.

Walking around the Louvre

Sometimes a photographer can trap another one! That's what I did when taking this shot in the main courtyard of the Louvre where the famous glass Pyramid (that I only photographed once here) was built. This pyramid is also surrounded by several basins that I used in this picture. Have a nice week everyone...

Green green

Have you ever dreamed of looking under the skirt of the Eiffel Tower? Well here you go! The green color is not usual, it's only temporary because of the current rugby cup (remember this photo?). A good occasion to say thank you to dear old Gustave... And to think that originally the tower was meant to be taken down after the 19001889 world exhibit!

A View From the Other Side

Most people are used to seeing St. Paul's church from the other side, in the Marais, but this photo was taken from Ile Saint-Louis. Commissioned by Louis XIII and completed by 1641, the church is one of the oldest examples of Jesuit architecture in Paris. Louis XIV had his minister, Cardinal Richelieu, give the church's first mass. The church was pillaged during Revolution, but some important works were spared. One of which is Delacroix' Christ in the Garden of Olives (1827), near the entrance.

Monument aux Mères

Paris will always surprise me... Today I came across the most unusual monument I've ever seen in my city: a monument dedicated to French mothers. And the weirdest is that I have been unable to find anything about it on Google. Anyway, all I can say is that it looks like it was designed in Soviet Union (see more photos here) and that there are several quotes engraved on it, one being by Albert Lebrun, who was the President of the Republic between 1932 and 1940. I Suppose this is roughly when this monument was built. If anyone knows more, please enlighten us! Update: here is - courtesy of Tomate Farcie - more info.