Rue de Rivoli, Paris

I've loved this card since I first saw it in someone's gallery on Postcrossing but only this week it arrived in my letterbox as a great surprise.

It shows cute little children crossing, "crocodile" fashion, the rue de Rivoli in Paris just opposite the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre. It brings back so many memories from the three years I lived in Paris.

A post for Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by Beth Niquette on her blog, The Best Hearts are Crunchy.

Salon d'Agriculture

 a

2013 was the 50th anniversary of the International Agricultural Show which is held, rather strangely to my mind, in Paris each year.  La Poste marked the 50th anniversary with a special issue of stamps and you can indeed see the Eiffel Tower in the background behind the cow carrying all those animals.

It is more than animals though, there are sectors for produce, gastronomy (this IS France we're talking about) crops, plants, nature and lifestyle, and agricultural services and professions.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, now hosted by Violet Sky at "See it on a Postcard!"

Paris, the city of romance

I used to have a car like that, though it was red, I had a number plate like that though on a different car, and I've driven around the Eiffel Tower often enough, though not so close.  So near and yet so far.  This never happened to me.  If only I'd known what I was missing I'd have made sure I was in the right place at the right time in the right car, and probably been arrested.

The card comes from Russia via Postcrossing.

Lunchtime in Paris

A glass of wine, a baguette, some cheese and some sausage, on the banks of the Seine in Paris.  What more could you want?

Apocalypse

The red horse of the apocalypse as pictured in a stained glass window in St Jean de Montmartre, Paris.  According to the Book of Revelations, there were four Horsemen of the Apocalypse riding white, red, black and pale horses respectively.

Revelations, chapter 6 verses 3-4 in the St James Bible:
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

The red horse was taken to signify war and slaughter.

This is one of two windows at the rear of St Jean de Montmartre, a church built around 1900 in reinforced concrete in the art nouveau style.  It is now listed as one of the historic monuments of France.

The steps of Montmartre

Or, as it should be known, "Les Escaliers de Montmartre".  It is a famous image from the Hungarian photographer, Gyula Halász who moved to Paris in 1924 and spent the rest of his life there.   The steps lead up the hill of Montmartre to the Basilica of Sacré Coeur.

Paris by night

I think this must be one of the best postcards I've seen of Paris at night.  It's a magical sight to go along the Seine when everything is lit up whether you're on foot or in a Bateau Mouche.  It looks beautiful on a bight day too, of course, but there's something special about the night time.  People often, very often, think of a view of the Eiffel Tower as a typical postcard from Paris or France, and it must be one of the most requested, but my preference would be this one any day.

Paris

I'm very fortunate to have spent three years living near Paris and so I've seen everything on this card for myself.

1. Centre National d'Art et de Culture George Pompidou, (Architects: R. Piano, R. Rogers, G. Franchini)
2. Le Musée d'Orsay
3. Etablissment Public du Grand Louvre et la Pyramide (Architecte: Ieoh Ming Pei)
4. La Joconde

I must confess that three of the four left me, if not cold, then lukewarm.  The Pompidou Centre is not lovely to my eye;  the Pyramid at the entrance to the Louvre seems incongruous but I accept that it does allow more light inside;  the Mona Lisa was smaller than I expected, behind a glass screen, and seemed ordinary to me.

I know, I know, I know.  Sacrilege.  But I think the Musée d'Orsay is wonderful, and will do so forever.

Musée d'Orsay on strike

I've changed my scheduled post for today to show this unused postcard of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.  Why?  Because employees in French museums and national monuments are on strike.   The Pompidou Centre, the Palace of Versailles and the Musée d'Orsay are all affected, and not only places in Paris, so too are Carcassonne and the city walls at Aigues-Mortes, as well as many other famous monuments.

The Musée d'Orsay has always been a particular favourite of mine.  It is a converted railway station, but such a splendid one.  It was there that I realised that great art wasn't something I ought to enjoy, but something that really did bring something special into my world.

So very many of the places that are mentioned as being on strike are ones I have visited and loved.  It seems such a shame that there will be people who will miss that opportunity because of being in France at the wrong time.  However, I will say that all is not lost - there are many other places well worth visiting in Paris and beyond, and many of them may even be every bit as enjoyable.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Louvre, Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel on strike alert tomorrow (gadling.com)
• Public sector jobs protest shuts French museums and galleries (guardian.co.uk)

La Défense

I bought this card myself in 1992, for my son who was doing a project on the Grande Arche de la Défense, pictured on the card.  It has never been through the mail.

La Défense is one of the main business districts for Paris.  It surrounds the central area shown on the card and contains some very impressive modern architecture.  The Arche itself is very interesting:

• It is directly in line with the Arc de Triomphe and the Arc du Carrousel.
• The canopy that you can see suspended within the arch represents clouds.
• There is a viewing and information area right at the top.
• The sides are occupied by government offices.
• The whole is offset by 6 degrees to reveal the depth of the cube. (It was known as The Cube at the beginning of the project.)
  

Related articles by Zemanta

• Photo of the Day (11.10.09) (gadling.com)

Paris for lovers

Postmarked Paris, dated 23 October 2008.
Arc de Triomphe

I love this card - it has a story to tell.  I know there is only one cup of coffee there, but there are far too many croissants for only one person, even when that one person is me.  Therefore, someone else is expected to arrive....

Palais de Justice

Unused and undated.
306 Paris - Le Palais au Change et le Palais de Justice - Exchange Bridge and Law-Courts.

I'm posting this today because I was really quite intrigued to see an almost identical card on steviewren's "a little birdie told me so".  That one was dated 1919.  I don't believe I've ever come across a coincidence like this before. Around 100 years ago have passed, so most cards will have vanished, and it shows something that is hardly one of the ten most popular tourist destinations in Paris.

I'm interested that this one says "Palais au Change" and not "Pont du Change", and I'm wondering if it's a misprint.

A week in Paris (part 7): Les Bouquinistes

Never posted, bought 1991.

1726 - Paris
Les Bouquinistes.
Au fond la Cathédrale Notre-Dame.

Never posted, bought 1991

1671 - Paris
Notre Dame et les Bouquinistes
Notre Dame and the second-hand booksellers
Notre Dame und die Buchhändler
(also in Japanese I think, but I'm not attempting to reproduce that)

Les Bouquinisites, although translated literally as second-hand booksellers, has a particular meaning in Paris. Along the banks of the Seine, near Notre Dame, you find stalls selling old books, postcards and prints. The boxes used as a basis for the stalls are regulated, they must be painted a precise shade of green and be specific dimensions. Each seller has 4 boxes and only one should sell tourist items (in theory). They should be open at least 4 days a week.

If you enjoy rummaging through old books (or postcards!) you will love this area. I could spend hours looking at all of them.

A week in Paris (part 6): The Louvre pyramid

 

Never posted. Bought 1993.

Paris
638 - Musée du Louvre - la Pyramide
(Arc. I.M. PEI - Establissement Public du Grand Louvre)

The glass pyramid was built, somewhat controversially, as the new entrance for the museum. It was finished in 1989, not very long before we went to live in Paris. The previous entrance had been inadequate for the numbers of visitors it had. Although it is a wonderful sight in its own right, I do find it incongruous against the backdrop of the original building. At the same time, something had to be done about an entrance, and anything would have seemed out of place.

Previous post: The Louvre and its gardens

A week in Paris (part 5): Hôtel de Ville, Paris

1302 -  Paris
l'Hôtel de Ville, Paris
The Town Hall
Das Rathaus
El Ayuntamiento.

The Hôtel de Ville houses the adminstration for municipality, hosts large receptions and is the mayor's official residence.m The 16th century building was destroyed by fire in 1871 but was rebuilt in the earlier style.

A week in Paris (Part 4): Arc de Triomphe

1276 - En survolant Pais

L'Arc de Triomphe Place Charles de Gaulle

The Triumphal Arch Charles de Gaulle Square

Der Triumphbogen Charles de Gaulle Platz

Arco di Trionfo Piazza Charles de Gaulle.

Paris

801 - Coucher de soleil sur Paris

L'Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile

Neither of these cards have been posted or dated.

The Arc de Triomphe is a tribute to the soldiers who have fought for France, in particular during the Napoleonic Wars. Underneath is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

Neither of these cards does real justice to the sight of the Arc. The first time I saw it I was taking an escalator out of the Métro at Charles de Gaulle-Etoile. I looked up at the last minute to see it against a startling blue sky. It was magnificent and quite took my breath away. I had no idea just how big it was. I walked all the way around it, taking my life in my hands as I crossed each of those radiating roads.

And that brings me to one other point: I have never, ever, seen so little traffic on the Etoile. On the several occasions I was forced to drive around it, the traffic was 10 abreast, and everyone trying to move across everyone else.

A week in Paris (Part 3): Sacré-Coeur

Never posted.

1190 Paris
La Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre
The Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur
Die Herz Jesu Basilika von Montmartre
Basilica del Sagrado Corazon de Montmartre

The church, built on the highest point in Paris, first planned in 1873, has been open since 1891. The construction was financed entirely from public donations.

Paris
Le Sacré Coeur de Montmartre et le funiculaire
The Sacred Heart of Montmartre and the cable railway.

The second gives a better idea of how the church is placed on the hill. I have to tell you that on my first visit, the presence of the railway escaped me and I walked the whole way up. And then decided to climb up to the top of the dome. The view from there is wonderful on a clear day, but those steps! Round and round and round. Just as you think you are getting there, there are more.

A week in Paris (part 2): Île de la Cité

Unposted and undated.

832 Paris
L'Île de la Cité
The island of the Cité
Der Insel der Cité
L'isola della Cité

The Île de la Cité, a natural island in the Seine, is often thought to be the cradle of Paris, the place where the Parisii tribe lived. It is the heart of Paris and all distances from Paris are measured from the square outside Notre-Dame.

The Pont Neuf (New Bridge), at the far end of the island and not visible on this card, is the oldest bridge in Paris, the earliest surviving one built of stone rather than wood.

Three buildings remain from the medieval period - the cathedral of Notre-Dame, started in 1163, the Sainte-Chapelle (1245) and the Conciergerie prison. The spire of Sainte-Chapelle can just about be seen rising behind the right hand tower of the cathedral. A great proportion of what can be seen these days is reconstruction after considerable damage during the French Revolution. The Conciergerie is on the opposite side of the island and further away.

Updated to include a rather more attractive view from the opposite direction.

A week in Paris (part 1): rue Xavier Privas

Never posted and undated but it must have been given to me in approximately 1996 or thereabouts.

Quartier Saint-Michel
Rue Xavier Privas 1863-1927 poète chansonnier.
Photographe R Deshayes
PM.A9 39

The rue Xavier Privas is in the Saint-Michel area, in the 5th arrondissement and the Latin Quarter. The boulevard Saint-Michel runs alongside the Luxembourg Gardens, crosses the possibly better known boulevard Saint-Germain, and reaches the Seine near Notre Dame de Paris. It is a fascinating area, near the Sorbonne (part of the University of Paris), full of bookshops and cafés, with the Cluny Museum also nearby. The Cluny isn't often mentioned in comparison with the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and so on, but it is well worth a visit for the Lady and the Unicorn (La Dame à la licorne)  tapestries alone which are oh so romantic.

The card was given to me by the man I worked for at the time. He was a surgeon, a man of very few words, and a hard but fair taskmaster. The card, as I recall, was accompanied by a bottle of wine, though I forget why. I must have done something above and beyond the call of duty :)

Balzac's house, Paris

Never posted, bought approximately 1994.

Maison de Balzac

Cliché: Musées de la Ville de Paris SPADEM 1989

Editions Paris-Musées