I Prefer Paris

#ProtegeTonSoignant- Protect Your Caregiver

Last Friday, I was walking on Place de la Bastille and noticed a series of black and white face photos plastered on the outside of the Bastille Opera. Upon closer inspection it looked like another installation from French street artist and photographer, JR. 

When I came home, I googled Bastille Opera photo exhibit and discovered something interesting. I was partially correct in assuming it was the work of JR. The project is named #ProtegeTonSoignant- Protect Your Caregiver, and it involves a community of doctors, entrepreneurs, artists, engineers, and communicators, who have mobilized to help healthcare workers in France deal the health crisis caused by Covid19. Over a three month period, the collective was responsible for buying and delivering medical equipment for almost 400 healthcare facilities in France, Corsica, and Mayotte, with donations from over 6,800 individuals, corporations, and foundations, collecting over 7,400,000€. 

To express further gratitude for the caregivers on the front line, photographers David Hugonot Petit, Adrien Lachappelle and Nathalie Naffzger took 500 photo portraits of caregivers, placing them in 10 venues throughout France including Béziers, Nantes, Paris, Colmar, Saint-Denis, Lille, and Bobigny.

JR was a major supporter of #ProtegeTonSoignant and in addition has setup other initiatives to help the people most in need during the Covid-19 crisis. 

#ProtegeTonSoignant at Bastille Opera until July 29, 2020

https://www.protegetonsoignant.com/

Please read my article about where to get the best croissants, crepes, croque monsieur, onion soup, steak frites, macarons, beef bourguignon, souffles and hot chocolate in Paris.

https://www.travelawaits.com/2550492/classic-french-dishes-and-where-to-enjoy-them-in-paris/?pv=related_list

I am happy to have the prolific author John Baxter as my guest on A Bite of Paris. John has written many books about Paris including The Most Beautiful Walk in World, We’ll Always Have Paris, and books about the neighborhoods of Paris. Montmartre, Saint Germain des Pres, and Montmartre. John has also written two books about food in France, The Perfect Meal and Eating Eternity. 

John and I had coffee outdoors at the pastry shop and café, Gerard Mulot, in Saint Germain des Pres. 

Please watch the video at this link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPCLR-6ACg

For more about John and to purchase his books go to https://www.johnbaxterparis.com/

Please share this video and don’t forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel.

Visit to France Miniature

A few weeks ago I was sent an invitation to visit France Miniature which is about an hour outside of Paris. I was so thrilled to receive the invitation because it meant I had a reason to get out the city for a few hours. I have not been on the metro or bus, since the lockdown in March, and the furthest distance I’ve traveled was a walk to Place Madeleine to go to Ikea in early June.

It was a big leap of faith to travel to France Miniature, because I had to take the metro, the RER train, and a bus to get there. I was armed with a mask, hand gel, and latex glove for the voyage plus a good book. All was fine on all three forms of transport, and everyone respected the mandatory mask wearing and social distancing as best as possible. I also traveled late morning at off peak hours, so the train and buses were not crowded.

Enough about the journey for now, because I bet you are wondering by now what the heck is France Miniature.

France Miniature is a 12-acre park with 117 miniature replicas of the most important sites, monuments, and treasures of France. From cathedrals, to small, ancient villages, to city squares, to Roman arenas, castles, railroad stations, and chateaux, France Miniature is a marvelous way to see the best of France in a unique way.The craftsmanship is meticulous, from each brick of an ancient site to the mini-cars and people situated in them. There are also replicas of the landscapes, and the park is filled with mini trees, shrubs, and waterways.

Of course, the Paris section of the park put a big smile on my face with models of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Arche de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, and a few surprises.

If you are bringing children to France Miniature, they also have an amusement park with 14 rides and attractions as well as a snack bar and sit-down restaurant, so you can make a whole day out of it.

The good thing about France Miniature is that the size is manageable, so there isn't endless walking like Disneyworld, or other large amusement parks, which can be exhausting. I comfortably saw everything in about an hour, although it wasn't very crowded when I was there, probably because school wasn't out yet for summer vacation.

Prices are reasonable; 23€ for adults, children 4 to 11 years old, 17€, and children under 4, are free. The park is open from April till November.

https://www.franceminiature.fr/en

Cathedrale de Sainte Cecile d'Albi 

The Circus 

Roman Arena in Arles 

Theater in Orange 

Village Jurassien

Place de la Concorde & Arche de Triomphe

Chateau de Culan

La Rochelle

Chateau de Chambord

Invalides

Notre Dame de Paris 

Sacre Coeur/Montmartre

Railroad Station

Viaduct

American Cemetery, Normandie 

Versailles 

Place Bellecour, Lyon 

Paris Window Boxes 2020

Here is my annual edition of my window box photos. It seems the window boxes were filled earlier than usual because of the very warm temperatures during April and May. It’s been a strange June weather wise, we went from temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit with sunny weather, whereas June has been mostly cloudy, with temperatures in the low 60s during the day. Nonetheless, it has not affected the abundance of flowers from the window boxes. 

Your Favorite Paris Story from last week received lots of great feedback and comments, I am inviting you again to submit your Favorite Paris Story if you haven' t before. Please keep it under 500 words,  and send it to me along with a photo, if you have one at r.nahem@gmail.com. The new deadline is June 24 and I will publish them the next day, June 25. I look forward again to reading and positing your stories. 

Place des Vosges Bench Photos Caption Contest

Last week all the parks and gardens were reopened since being on lockdown since March. Once again Parisians were treating their parks like an extended urban backyard. What a difference a week makes; The week before I walked to the almost deserted Place des Vosges and the center park was literally under lockdown, an eerie sight, devoid of human life. 

The following week the park was packed with kids playing in the playground, infants and toddlers shoveling sand into their plastic buckets in the sandbox, and adults idling on benches, getting a cool breeze under the awning of plane trees, while slurping ice cream cones or sipping cool drinks. 

I shot a series of bench photos in the Palais Royal in 2015 and was inspired to do so again on the Place des Vosges. 

I also invited my readers to make up captions for each bench photo. 

So I am inviting you again to make up captions for each photo. 

Enjoy the challenge and please send the captions to r.nahem@gmail.com before June 15. 

I look forward to receiving your fun captions.

Please remember to order a copy of Paris on Air for the June 2020 Eye Prefer Paris Book Club. Click link below. 

https://theearfultower.com/2020/04/22/paris-on-air-now-available-in-the-us/https://theearfultower.com/2020/04/22/paris-on-air-now-available-in-the-us/

Please watch my latest A Bite of Paris video, where I make and bake a Dark, Chocolate, Chestnut Cake.

Click here to watch the video.

Leaves and Flowers From My Courtyard Garden

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT CHOCOLATE, CHESTNUT CAKE RECIPE-

1.There’s an error in the ingredient list, it’s a 17.6 oz. can of chestnut puree, not 6 oz. 

2. I put the wrong link for the chestnut puree, here's correct link. https://amzn.to/2YNaXLs  

The old link was for unsweetened chestnut puree, which is incorrect. Sorry if you already purchased it. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I do a brisk, 30-minute walk in my courtyard garden every morning, which I started at the beginning of the lockdown. I usually listen to podcasts, either Fresh Air with Terry Gross with her great interviews, or the empowering Brené Brown with her series Unlocking Us. 

I’ve been noticing the changes in the flowers, plants, and leaves, with some of them dying, replaced by new ones. I’ve been photographing the changes and it’s been fun. I took a single, purple flower petal and a single red, rose petal and placed them on top of various leaves, plants, and other surfaces to experiment a little. After I took them, I thought some looked like collages. 

Do you like this series, and do you have some favorites? 

Tomorrow, I will post Your Favorite Paris Photo, and if you haven’t sent yours yet, please send it today to r.nahem@gmail.com 

On another note, today, May 11, is the first day France will lift some of the restrictions of the lockdown. Many businesses will reopen with precautions and restaurants and cafes won’t, but may be opened in June. Residents will be required by law to wear face masks on public transportation. 

Click on link below from France 24 to read more information about this.

https://www.france24.com/en/20200507-live-france-unveils-final-plan-on-easing-covid-19-lockdown 

Please watch my latest A Bite of Paris video, where I make and bake a Dark, Chocolate, Chestnut Cake.

Click here to watch the video.

 

 

Leaf Photos From My Garden Courtyard

Although, we are allowed to go outside to exercise for an hour a day, before 10am and after 7pm, I have limited myself to do a daily walk for thirty-minutes in my garden courtyard. Since I started doing this two weeks ago, it’s limited my photo taking reach. 

While taking my walk in the last few days, I’ve noticed the walkway has been littered with leaves in various colors, making some interesting forms. I took my I-Phone camera and shot them up close. Here are the results. I’ve also posted some of them on my new Instagram account, @literal_streetart 

Please help support Eye Prefer Paris by purchasing prints of my photos and all the photos in this blog post are available for sale. 

You can also go to my photo site www.richardnahemphotography.com and select photos

If you would like to purchase a photo please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com to let me know which photo you like, what size, and your mailing address. Purchases will be processed by PayPal. 

I am also offering a free gift with every order, a 10X12 inch photo 

Sizes & Prices 

• • 10 X 13 inches Price $45 
• • 11 X 14 inches Price $65 
• • 16 X 20 inches Price $100 
• • 20x30 inches Price $135
• • Shipping in the U. S. by U.S. Mail is $15 per order 
• • A 15% discount applies for orders of three or more photos 
• • Photos are printed Fuji Archival paper 
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Black and White Shadow Photos

On my walking path the week before last, it was a brilliant, sunny day and there were strong shadows coming off the trees and benches. I shot a number of photos in color originally. When I returned home, there was something missing about the photos, and there weren’t up to par with other shadow photos I’ve taken. I did some experimenting and converted them to black and white, and then added extra contrasting. I don’t usually do black and white photos, but I am very happy with these. I would love to have your feedback. Do you have some favorites? I threw in one color photo. 

Here are links from my other shadow photos. 

https://www.ipreferparis.net/2019/09/shadow-photos-2-.html

https://www.ipreferparis.net/2019/07/shadow-photos-tuileries-.html

Please help support Eye Prefer Paris by purchasing prints of my photos and all the photos in this blog post are available for sale. 

You can also go to my photo site www.richardnahemphotography.com and select photos

If you would like to purchase a photo please email me at r.nahem@gmail.com to let me know which photo you like, who size, and your mailing address. Purchases will be processed by PayPal. 

Sizes & Price 

• 10 X 13 inches Price $65 
• 11 X 14 inches Price $95 
• 16 X 20 inches Price $125 
• 20x30 inches Price $175
• Shipping in the U. S. by U.S. Mail is $15 per order 
• A 15% discount applies for orders of three or more photos 
• Photos are printed Fuji Archival paper 

 

 

Cherry Blossoms on Rue Saint Antoine

As of last week, there was another set of restrictions put in place in Paris to protect against the virus. Now, we are not allowed to travel more than one kilometer from our homes, so now instead of taking my morning walk on the quai on the Seine, I walk up and down the walkway in my courtyard garden. Last Saturday I went out for groceries, and on my corner was a moment of happiness that I captured for you. The cherry blossom trees are in full flower and the pink flowers against the azure sky and the Haussmann buildings is spectacular. I wish you were here to experience it. 

Views of Ile Saint Louis

Since my gym is closed because of the virus, I take a brisk walk every morning along the quai near my house, to get my cardio in. (The government lockdown states you are allowed to go outside to exercise),

Last Thursday was a beautiful day just on the cusp of spring. and on my walk, I can see the Ile Saint Louis across the way, so I took some photos for you. 

I want to thank everyone so much for your kind and generous comment and congratulations on my 44th anniversary blog post and I was totally blown away. I also learned about may of your long marriages and relationships, so hats off to you too. I apologize if I didn't reply to every individual message, but please know I read all of them, and thank you again. 

If you missed the post, here's the link:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwHMPpnRLzkWtQdlfqjRdnQRpMW

I have one footnote about that night I met Vincent and forgot to write about it the other day. The party we attended turned out to be a Think Pink party and everyone was supposed to wear pink. Vincent was wearing a pink LaCoste polo shirt and on our 25th anniversary, I framed a new pink LaCoste shirt and gave it to Vincent.

If you are homebound during the virus crisis and looking for films to watch, please watch my partner Vincent's film After Louie with Alan Cumming

Here's link to view it on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/After-Louie-Alan-Cumming/dp/B079YF22TZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QUP7FWXTGL6K&dchild=1&keywords=after+louie&qid=1584273762&s=instant-video&sprefix=after+louie%2Caps%2C202&sr=1-1

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Magnolia Blooms in Palais Royal Gardens

Since we are all feeling the affects of the Coronavirus, no matter where we live, I am writing this special post. Almost all of us are in lockdowns in the U.S. A. and in France and most of Europe, forced to nesting at home. It’s a delicate and difficult time, so please hang in there. Also many of you had travel plans to come to Paris and had to either postpone or cancel your trip, which was also disappointing to me, as I won't get to see some of my friends and meet my newest clients. Until the travel ban is over, I will deliver the best of Paris I have to offer to your mailbox. Hopefully travel will open up again soon, so I can personally show you my favorite Paris in person. 

Today is a re-post of the glorious magnolia flowers in bloom in the gardens of the Palais Royal from last March. You can almost smell their perfume through the photos. 

Late last Saturday morning after relaxing with a café noisette at my favorite Paris café, Les Nemours , I strolled into Palais Royal to see if I could find something new to photograph. 

It’s funny how things in nature happen so quickly; Just a few days earlier I passed through the Palais Royal and all the trees were bare, nary a bloom. But suddenly out of nowhere, Mother Nature waved her magic wand and had the magnolia trees burst into bloom. Most were in that perfect shade of pink that only nature could produce, but I did spot a few white ones. The wind had strewn many of the leaves onto benches, the tops of shrubs, and on the ground. 

The sky was gray with a blue hue, kind of like that weird blue rinse grandmothers use to apply to their hair, which made the pink magnolias pop. 

Do you have a favorite from this series? 

If you are homebound during the virus crisis and looking for films to watch, please watch my partner Vincent's film After Louie with Alan Cumming

Here's link to view it on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/After-Louie-Alan-Cumming/dp/B079YF22TZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QUP7FWXTGL6K&dchild=1&keywords=after+louie&qid=1584273762&s=instant-video&sprefix=after+louie%2Caps%2C202&sr=1-1

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.