Grand Paris : the Basilica Cathedral of Saint Denis

Saint Denis is a city located just outside of Paris city limits in the north and it's where you can find the splendid Basilica Cathedral. This place was founded in the 7th century by king Dagobert and became the burial place for kings of France as you can see on the picture. It really is a very interesting place to visit that you can easily access with the subway and that unfortunately tourist often miss.

The Paris Mosque

The Paris Mosque is the largest one in France. It was built in 1926 in the mudejar style. It can be visited and you can also find a nice Café to enjoy a mint tea and oriental pastries and you can also spend time in the sauna.

A moment of rest at La Sorbonne

La Sorbonne is Paris' most famous University where these 2 students were apparently taking a moment off.

Sunday bridge : picnic on the river

Yesterday we had a great evening picnic on the Seine river bank looking at the sunset over the Louvre (right side) and the bridges.
See all participants of Sunday Bridge on San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Pride

Today is Gay Pride day in Paris and it seems that "Fauchon" on Place de la Madeleine is participating.

Lunch time at the Madeleine church

Yesterday as I was passing by La Madeleine church going to a meeting I couldn't help taking a picture of the people having lunch on the stairs where this year they've put all these flowers.
Now, showing you the giant columns of the Church entrance I realize that I've never posted any picture of it so far.
Today we are welcoming our friends from Canada and the weather is finally hot and sunny which will give me photo opportunities while showing them the city.Have a great week-end everyone !

Institut du monde arabe

This building is the Arabic World Institute in Paris located on the Seine river bank. It is a cultural institute to promote exchanges between France and the Arab World. The building itself was deigned by French architect Jean Nouvel. The windows you can see on the side are  opening and closing apertures according to the sun. On top of the building you can find a nice desk from which you have a great view on Notre Dame Cathedral.

Inside a Parisian home

Ready for a nice diner ?

Fête de la Musique 2010

Yesterday I told you about the "Fête de la Musique" so here is a little "best of" what I saw and heard ! (Click on picture to enlarge). As I told you it was a great variety of styles !
I made a short video with my phone of one of our favorite place where we go every year. It's the Tigresses Diatoniques band, an old fashioned band distributing the lyrics before playing the songs so that everyone can sing. If you want to have a look I published it on You Tube (click her to watch)

Summer and music

Yes today is the first day of summer and honestly you would never believe it is considering the 11 degrees we have this morning in Paris. Well, the weather people say it's going to warm up this week ... let's hope they're right.

Anyway on the first day of summer, France is celebrating Music with the "Fêtes de la Musique" (Music feast). This event started in 1982 and spread to more than 100 countries worldwide. 

During the whole day and night people will be playing music and singing in streets, bars , stages ... You can find any kind of music you like from pop to jazz and classical to rap performed by one single artist or big bands.The lady on my picture it not playing for the event but she's a street artist you can see in Montmartre. I thought her picture would suit today's theme and I do not have pictures of today's artists yet. By the way it should not rain today so let's have fun ... after work of course ! 

Does your country have this event ?  

Sunday bridge : Fishing

Every Sunday the expressway along the river is closed to car and left to pedestrian, rollers, bikes and ... fishermen ! Isnt'it great to fish on the Seine at the bottom of the Pont Neuf ?
Look at all other Sunday Bridge theme participants on San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

Ca c'est Paris !

Celebrating

Today France is celebrating ... not the very poor football match that our team produced yesterday at the World cup, but we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the "Appeal of June 18th". This "appeal" is a famous speech by the General de Gaulle that he pronounced on the BBC radio  in 1940 in order to call French for resistance to the German army. You can read the speech translation on wikipedia.
This stature is the one you find on the Champs Elysées.

Not a football fan but ...

I must admit than even though I usually never watch football, the World Cup is something special. You can find hundreds of cafés like this one where people gather and watch TV together in a friendly atmosphere. Tonight will be France second match in South Africa and since our team is rather in a bad situation lately, this match is expected to be good for them.
Apart from all these little places, Paris is also offering 2 giant screens for football fans. One is in the Charlety stadium located in the 13th arrondissement (south) and the other one is on the Trocadero Plaza in front of the Eiffel tower. I'll try to get a picture to show it to you.
By the way what we call Football in Europe, and I guess all over the world except in the US, is what my American friends call soccer.

Welcome to Virginia

Great Paris blogger Virginia (Paris Through my Lens blog) arrived in Paris and I know she's got that thing with the "Red Paris" so it's for for Virginia !
For all others, as you can see if you look at how people are dressed in this typical Café, even though summer is supposed to be nearly here we are not having the weather we should (12° this morning !).

A few steps from the Eiffel Tower

Can you believe that this place is just a few hundred meters away from the Eiffel Tower ?

Football in Montmartre

Like many countries France is fully into the Football World Cup going on in South Africa (wish our team were too!). Not an hour without football talks ! This past weekend I was in Montmartre and I saw this guy doing a very good street show with his ball in front of the Sacre Coeur Basilica.

A bridge to Notre Dame

The Sunday bridge today is leading us to Notre Dame de Paris our Cathedral.
Look at all other Sunday Bridge theme participants on San Francisco Bay Daily Photo.

The Grand Palais glass roof

The Grand Palais roof has been rebuilt a few years ago and it's splendid. More picture on this blog : Grand Palais and more about the building on wikipedia.

Police on bike

Police on duty in the Parc de Bercy.

Romantic stairs in Montmartre

Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement is located on the highest hill of Paris and if you've been here you should know what I'm talking about. We then have a lot of stairs like that one and I thought black and white was the good choice for the romantic style given by these two couples.

Stormy weather on the Louvre

Rain is back in Paris. At least it give nice colors to pictures !

Église Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux

This church is located in Le Marais and is quite difficult to picture because it's in a small street so you have to use a wide angle.

Bubble lights and the Tower

Eiffel tower and street lights seen from the rue Montaigne.

Sunday bridge : lots of bridges !

We do have lots of bridges in Paris and most of them are beautiful.
To see more pictures of Sunday Bridges : see San Francisco Bay Daily Photo

A seagull in Paris

Yes we do have seagull in Paris !

Door : ENA

This beautiful building entrance is the " Ecole National d'Administration" (ENA) Parisian offices on the rue de l'Observatoire in the 6th arrondissement not far from the Luxembourg gardens. The school itself has move to Strasbourg a major city in the east of France but they still have offices in Paris like this one with this Arabic looking entrance.  
The school is known in France for being the one where more politicians go. The writing on top of the door is France national motto "Liberty Equality Fraternity".

During the 2 weeks of the Roland Garros Tennis tournament, an event is ongoing in front of the City Hall where you can watch live matches on a giant screen and also see some players on a small tennis ground installed there. You can see it on my last year post:  " Want to play" .

Tasty

Ah !!: Ladurée's macarons !!!

Theme day : funny signs

This month's CDP theme day is funny signs. This "Everything is fine" painting is presented at the Beaubourg Museum.


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants