Architecture - La Place des Vosges

One of the first "planned communities" in the world, Place des Vosges was designed in the early 17th century under the reign of King Henri IV. It is one of the "not to be missed" sites in the Marais district of Paris. The Place includes beautiful fountains and lawns in the square, a café (Ma Bourgogne), and a free museum (Victor Hugo's former home at #6).

Architecture - La Gare

This week, a few of the architectural wonders of Paris. I came across this station (gare) when I was walking to the Musée Marmottan Monet in the 16th arrondissment. Formerly the Gare de Passy La Muette, it is now a restaurant called - wait for it - La Gare.

[A bit late posting today because of the holiday weekend. Hope yours was enjoyable!]

L'Orangerie - Le Baiser

A reproduction of Auguste Rodin's Le Baiser (The Kiss) stands just outside L'Orangerie. It strikes me as very French that as you leave the museum the last thing you see is one of the masterworks of Impressionist sculpture. 

L'Orangerie - Nymphéas

This is not a good photograph of me, but I am including it to give you an idea of just how completely you are surrounded by Water Lilies (Nymphéas) at L'Orangerie. I promise you, I was a lot happier standing there amongst the water lilies than I look :)

L'Orangerie - Musée

The Musée de l'Orangerie is my favorite museum in Paris and is one of the places I make sure to visit on any trip to Paris. A museum devoted to impressionist and post-impressionist art, it is most famous for housing Monet's Water Lilies (Nymphéas). These famous paintings are on display in an oval room in the museum and as you sit and view them, they almost seem to surround you. This is a wonderful place to spend a few minutes, an afternoon, or even the whole day.

Le Métro - Franklin D Roosevelt

My friend Sean took this photo for me of the Franklin D Roosevelt Métro station. FDR has always been my favorite station because it smells like Paris to me. This particular platform is always hot and windy and is nothing special to look at, but I love to go there and breathe in the smell of the city.

As a happy accident, he also got a shot of me in the train's window. This is one of my favorite photographs of the whole trip.

Le Métro - Châtelet – Les Halles

This is a video I took on one of many underground automatic walkways in Châtelet – Les Halles, a major Métro hub in Paris. Every day, 750,000 travelers pass through Châtelet–Les Halles. At peak hours, the station can see 120 trains in just one hour. Five of the sixteen Métro lines run through here so chances are you will hit Châtelet – Les Halles at least once on any trip to Paris. Châtelet – Les Halles, with 5 Métro lines and three RER commuter rail lines, is the world's largest underground station.

Le Métro - Arts et Métiers

The first thing you will notice about this post is that there is no photograph. That is because, despite falling in love with our local Métro station, Arts et Métiers, I neglected to snap a photo of it before we left. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful station (some say the most beautiful of them all...) and you should see it. So, here are a couple of sites with great pictures of Le Métro Arts et Métiers. Enjoy!

My Beautiful Paris

Cool Stuff in Paris

Yelp - A review of the Arts et Métiers station

Le Métro - Concorde

The Concorde Métro station is known for its mosaic decor, spelling out the Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen (Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen), a fundamental document of the French Revolution. 

Le Métro - Tuileries

The theme Le Métro continues this week, with a look inside some of Paris' 300 Métro stations. Many of these stations are known for their unique decor.

The platform at Tuileries is decorated with a retrospective of important cultural and historical events from around the globe by decade. Above, the 1960's, commemorating the first moon landing. Below, the 1980's, commemorating the AIDS Crisis, the introduction of the Swatch and the construction of La Grande Arche de la Défense.

Le Métro - Esplanade de La Défense

 

  

The logo for Le Métro moderne. This one is at Esplanade de la Défense.  La Défense is a major business district on the outskirts of Paris.  

Le Métro - Lamarck-Caulaincourt

Another variation on the Métro sign. This station is called Lamarck-Caulaincourt and was featured in the movie Amélie. (You can see it here.) The bar you see in the background is called Bar-Tabac Le Lamarck and is a lovely spot to stop and rest over a café au lait. 

Le Métro - Abbesses

This week's theme is Le Métro. The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit system in Paris and is one of the most striking symbols of the city. All over Paris you see signs for Le Métro (there are some 300 stations in all), some Art Nouveau, some modern, each one unique and artistic.

This photo is of the exit of the Abbesses Métro station, one of the remaining stations designed in the Art Nouveau style by Hector Guimard. These beautifully designed exits and entrances always make me feel as if I am stepping into another time. 

Manger et Boire - Infusion de Menthe

In Paris herbal tea is served not in a cup - that's for coffee - but in a small decorative glass, with plenty of sugar. This one was from our local brasserie, Brasserie Les Arts et Métiers, in the Marais.

Manger et Boire - Le Petit Dejeuner

This was our breakfast one morning: croissants, baguette (avec confiture de fraises), café crème and jus d'orange. Isn't it lovely?