Watching tennis with a view

Yesterday I told you about the giant screen in front of the City Hall where you can watch the tennis game of the Roland Garros tournament, here it is and with a view on Notre Dame ... better than watching it at home, isn't it ?

Paying tennis at the City Hall

This week is Paris tennis tournament "Roland Garros" second week and during the whole event, Paris is celebrating tennis like here in front of our City Hall. You can play and also watch tennis like I will show tomorrow. (Roland Garros official website)

Bouger c'est facile !

We find more and more of these signs in Paris. The little green text says "Bouger c'est facile" means "Move it's easy" and encourages people to walk. Then the sign shows different locations and how long it will take you to walk there. A nice wealthy idea I think.

Paris' flat iron

Some of you may know the famous New York flat iron building, I thought that nice Parisian building had a quite similar look. It's located on the corner of the rue Arsene Houssaye and the Avenue Friedland in the expensive are of the 8th arrondissement.

At the Butcher's

We find very little old butcher shop like this one located on the Saint Louis Isle. It's a little like been back in the past. The lady even has a chair to rest while the butcher is preparing her meat. Far way from Facebook and Twitter ...

Looking up at her

It's been quite a long time since I did not post a photo our our Lady. Isn't she beautiful ?

Buildings on Place de la Concorde

Close up on two buildings facing the Concorde square. Impressive aren't they ?

Eating horses ?

Yes, French (very few nowadays fortunately) eat horses ! This clothes shop is a former horse butcher and they kept the old sign saying " We buy horses". I guess this only thing Virginia will like is the red !

A sunny day in Paris

Now that the canal week is over, let's go back to the center of the city and enjoy a drink on the Rue des barres cafés and restaurants.

Theme week : canal 7

As I told you yesterday the canal end (for Paris) in the Sciences park of Paris (see website). The globe is a cinema theater. You can still walk or ride along the canal outside Paris for hundreds of kilometers ...

Theme week : canal 6

Walking north along the Canl de l'Ourcq. A the end of it lies the "Cité des sciences de la Villette"

Theme week : canal 5

At the end of the Bassin de la Villette we find this nice bridge crossing the water and making the limit bewteen the lake and the canl de l'Ourcq which you can see here. The bridge is a moving one, going up when boats and barges need to go through.

Theme week : canal 4

This barge on the bassin de la Villette is called " Adelaide the Opera barge ". It's a tiny theater where they play operas and musicals. If you want to have a look at there website : here 

Theme week : canal 3

Continuing to walk north you get to the link with Canal de l'Ourcq (see the nice bridge) and the brand new building that was built when the area was redeveloped. The water is used for sports like you can see with these kids and also as a little "water-port" .

Theme week : canal 2

Here is a larger view of the Bassin de la Villette which is the biggest artificial lake in Paris. It has been filled with water in 1808 and links the Canal Saint Martin in the foreground and the Canal de l'Ourcq in the background. You can find 2 nice cinema theaters on each side of the Bassin  names MK2.

Theme week : canal

This week I am taking you for a visit along the Bassin de la Villette and Canal de l'Ourcq in the 19 th arrondissment, north east of Paris. These 2 canals leads down to the Canal Saint Martin and then to the Seine River. For the past year this area has changed quite a lot being renovated and rebuilt. Today we start with the starting point near Métro Jaurès with the fountain and in the background the Bassin de la Villette which we'll see better tomorrow.
And for once here is a second photo of the place with this sign showing the boats the distances and duration of travel to go to cities along the canal :

Sunday hobby

What do you do on a Sunday when you live on a boat in Paris ? Take care of you plant !

Jardin de l'Hôtel Denon

This tiny garden is a public garden located in Le Marais area called "The Denon mansion garden" (Hôtel in French is also used for mansion). The mansion is the splendid building you see in the background.

Midnight in Paris

Sorry for not posting yesterday but Blogger was unavailable during the whole day and it was still out this morning. Today is cinema day as some of you may know that we're in the "Festival de Cannes" (Movie festival in south of France) period. The opening movie Wednesday was "Midnight in Paris" by Woody Allen and I went to watch it yesterday night. Paris lovers will like it as it's a nice romantic view of the city, even starting with views like postcards. The movie itself is surely not one of Woody's best but it is nice to watch.

Nature in the city

It looks like country but you're in the center of Paris here. Actually the city decided years ago to stop using chemical products to destroy weeds. In some places like here they just let them grow naturally ....

Thanks for your sweet messages yesterday !

Older

I'm getting older today and I was looking for a photo for that event. This is it !

Subway roof

The subway station "Jaurès" named after a French politician, is an outside station with a very nice glass roof.

Dancing by the river

Want to dance on a nice sunny Sunday ?

Looking for Asian food ?

You may find what you want in the rue de la Verrerie.

Street fashion show

The BHV, one of Paris big department store, organized a fashion show in the street ... not a usual fashion show as the model were ... dogs !

Queuing at Berthillon

Yesterday I was lucky to have to work the whole day in Paris (my regular office is in the suburb) and the weather being still incredibly nice, people were queuing for famous Berthillon's ice-creams on Saint Louis isle. 

Relaxing in the Square Leopold Achille

Let's take a break and relax in this nice little garden. The "Square" in French is a little public garden where you usually find some games for the kids.

Meert chocolatier

Meert is an old fashioned chic and expensive chocolate shop located rue Elzévir in "le Marais". Expensive but so tasty !!! One should really try even a small piece of something ...

Garden on the roof

This garden stands of the roof of a new public building in my street. The building is a gym and they had this great idea to put a garden on top of it. This garden is one of Paris "shared gardens" as we call it (Jardins partagés) where you can grow your own little part of land with vegetables. Information about these "shared gardens" is available on Paris website (here) but in French only.

Theme day : mailbox

What ? Yes you're right ... this mailbox seems a little too ... British for Paris, but that's my way of paying a tribute the the Wedding of the Century !!! And honestly, London's red mailboxes are much nicer than Paris yellow ones.

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