I Prefer Paris

Paris Window Boxes-2021

It’s my annual edition of the Paris window boxes. For 2021, I concentrated mostly on the window boxes in my neighborhood, Le Marais. Do you have some favorites? 

Eye Prefer Paris 16^th Anniversary 

I want to thank the following people for generously donating to Eye Prefer Paris so I can continue my subscription service. Your donations exceeded my initial request of $540 and I will apply the extra funds towards a second year. I also want to thank you for your kind notes you included in the donation. 

Nancy S., Judith R., Chris K., Kathy G., Carol P., Judy H., Barbara E., Susan S., Liz S., John K., Monique VD., Angela LV., John H,. Edward N., Jan L., Richard B., Kathy M., Dr. J., Joanie S., Leann R., Mary Lynn C., Diane S., Barbara L., Carmen C., Debbie H., Bonnie F., Judy S., Cheryl M., Virginia G., Jerry F., Russ R., Cheryl T., Pete K., Jeanie T., Carolyn A., Michael H., Allan VF., Diane K., Annie P.,Brunie F., Susie F., Peggy and Jim B, and Linda S. 

My apologies if I have forgotten anyone. 

Reopening of Stravinsky Fountain

The delightful Stravinsky Fountain has reopened after being closed for many years for renovation. Located across the Centre Pompidou, the fountain was a collaboration between artists Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, who were married. The 16 works were inspired by composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky, and the brightly colored sculptures are by Niki de Saint Phalle and the black mechanical ones were created by Jean Tinguely. 

The sculptures represent the Stravinsky musical pieces and are listed below.

The Firebird, The Musical Key of G, The spiral, The Elephant, The Fox, The Frog, The Diagonal, The Death, The Mermaid, The Nightingale, Love, Life, The Heart, The Clown’s Hat, and Ragtime. 

Experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 275 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you, my insiders, Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Square des Batignolles

My friend Bill O’Such is much like me, a photo flaneur, roaming the streets of Paris with his camera, capturing images that strike his fancy. Bill told me that he strolled the Batignolles neighborhood, in the upper part of the 17^th arrondissement and liked the feel and look of it, recommending that I visit.

It was a sunny Sunday and walking through the streets, I came upon Square des Batignolles a charming, neighborhood park. Encompassing nine acres, Square des Batignolles was constructed in 1862 and was part of the Haussmann reconstruction of Paris in the late 19^th century. Engineer Charles Alphand, who also designed many well-loved parks in Paris including Parc Monceau,  Parc Montsouris, and Parcs de Buttes-Chaumont, laid out 24 sub-gardens in the square.

Although the park was crowded with Sunday strollers, there were some serene parts of the garden where one could relax and take in the beautifully manicured gardens with late summer flowers and blooms. As you would expect, plenty of activities kept people engaged such as ping pong tables, a playground, a carousel, and a marvelous-looking stall for crepes and ice cream.

Special Announcement

Come and join American chef and James Beard nominee Alison Settle and award-winning food and travel writer Dana McMahan for a once-upon-a-star dinner event on October 27 and 28. CLICK HERE for more details.https://elleferafera.com/2023/10/13/south-x-south-dinner-in-paris/

 Experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 250 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you, my insiders, Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

 

Night Photos Along the Seine

I went to a performance on a boat right by Notre Dame a few weeks ago and was so inspired, that I started to take photos on my walk home. It was a beautiful night, crisp and clear and as I walked along the quai along the Latin Quarter, passing Notre Dame and Ile Saint Louis, I took in the splendor of the Seine, and all that comes with it. Lovers were strolling arm in arm, joggers were breathlessly making their way, friends were picnicking and drinking wine, taking in the view, and a lone man was having a solitary cigarette break. Seine cruise boats with vivid lights sailed up and down with happy tourists savoring the views.

I experimented with some black-and-white photos and would love your feedback.

 

Experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 250 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you, my insiders, Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Window Boxes 2023- Series 3

Window boxes in every arrondissement are in bloom and I have been capturing their abundant growths in my third series this summer. Do you have some favorites here?

CLICK HERE  to view Window boxes series 1

CLICK HERE  to view Window boxes series 2

Please read my latest articles I wrote for Travel Agent Central

Two High Tea Experiences in Paris https://www.travelagentcentral.com/europe/two-high-tea-experiences-paris

Two Jewish Museums in Paris https://www.travelagentcentral.com/europe/paris-insider-two-jewish-museums-visit

 

 

Vintage Olympic Posters at Hotel de Ville

Paris is gearing up for the 2024 Olympics big time, with construction all over the city. Streets and boulevards being dug up and repaved and there’s scaffolding on major monuments including Place de la Concorde, Opera Garnier, the Grand Palais, and the Arc de Carrousel.

Celebrating the Olympic Games, Hotel de Ville is presenting an outdoor exhibition with framed posters from past host cities and countries, starting with Tokyo from 1964 and finishing with Tokyo again in 2020. It’s fascinating to see the progression of the graphics over the decades and it was fun to see the poster from the Los Angeles Olympics from 1984. The missing posters include Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Athens 2004 ( I have inserted photos of the missing ones).

The dates for the Paris summer Olympics are July 26 through August 11, 2024. Surprisingly, Paris has not hosted the Olympics since 1924.  

Posters are displayed on the gates at the entrance to the Paris Tourist office at 26 rue de Rivoli, 75001.

Paris Today

Paris Today

 

Window Boxes 2023-Part Two

As I’ve roaming the streets of Paris the last few months, I’ve discovered lots more delightful window boxes on the balconies and terraces. Do you have some favorites?

Two Pocket Parks in the 13th Arrondissement

While photographing the street art in the 13^th arrondissement last week (CLICK HERE to read if you missed it) I discovered two pocket parks during my walk.

Square Gustave Mesureur is named after Gustave Mesureur (1847-1925), who started out as a designer and later became a politician, holding various, government positions in Paris. He was met with much resistance when he proposed removing saint’s names from some the city streets.

The cute, little park is filled with lush trees, plants, and flower beds and a playground with colorful and imaginative activities.

Little lending library

Just a few blocks away is Place Louis Armstrong, named after the beloved, American musician and singer. It was inaugurated in 1991 to mark his first recording outside the U.S. at a recording studio in the same neighborhood. He played in some of the top concert halls and venues in Paris, and he also made a film in Paris in 1961, Paris Blues, with an all-star cast including Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier, and Diahann Carrol.

Boulevard Paris 13 Street Art

Since 2009 the Galerie Itinerrance has collaborated with the hotel de ville/city hall of the 13^th arrondissement to display the work of international and French street artists on the sides and fronts buildings in the neighborhood, much like an open-air museum.

I had a rare afternoon off from touring at the end of May, and I decided to check out the art in the 13^th arrondissement, taking the metro to the Place de Italie stop. Most of the art is concentrated in tall, modern apartment buildings on Blvd. Vincent Auriol and nearby side streets. It was fun looking up and seeing these extraordinary works of art, and the figurative ones peering down on me. I couldn’t photograph all 33 works but managed to capture about half of them.

https://boulevardparis13.com/oeuvres/

https://itinerrance.fr/galerie/

Top photo: Gamin de Paris by Seth

Rise Above Rebel by Shepard Fairey @93 rue Jeanne d’Arc 75013 Paris

Hush- artist unknown- 169 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Artist unknown 

Turncoat by D*Faceb @155 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Le Chat by C215 @141 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Sun Daze by Hownosm167 @ Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité by Shepard Fairey186 rue Nationale 75013

Mural of Philippe Pinel 

Evelyn Nesbit by BTOY @3 rue Esquirol 75013

Artist Unknown

Artist Unknown

Photographes de la rue Jeanne d'Arc1 by Jana &Js @10 rue Jeanne d’Arc 7501

Artist Unknown

Et j'ai retenu mon souffle by Faile @98 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

La Madre Secular 2 by INTI @ 81 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Etreinte et lutte by Conor Harington 85 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Envolvente by Add Fuel @ 135 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Dr House by Invader @ 46 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

David de la Man -Untitled @ 6 rue Jenner 75013

Artist Unknown

Fragile Agile by Pantonio @ 91 Bd Vincent Auriol 75013

Unfaded by Addfuel @120 boulevard Vincent Auriol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris Window Boxes 2023

Here’s the 2023 edition of my Paris window boxes. I have scoured almost every arrondissement in Paris to find the prettiest window boxes. Do you have some favorites?

Please check out my latest article about two terrific Italian restaurants in Paris on Travel Agent Central.

https://www.travelagentcentral.com/europe/two-terrific-italian-restaurants-paris?fbclid=IwAR104pekjnkheBrQfFUMiXfy7Uz-5esUvvfqfjyNutYpBmXaZQcxH6AegXs

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Tuileries Overlooking the Place de la Concorde

I am always inspired to take photos after seeing great photo exhibitions. After viewing the Thomas Demand exhibition at the Jeu de Paume last week, I exited to the Tuileries, raring to go. The elevated part of the Tuileries just behind the museum, is one of my favorite spots in the gardens, overlooking the gardens, with great views of the Place de la Concorde and the Eiffel Tower.

It was a pleasant, sunny day and most of the chairs and benches were occupied by people wanting to catch some rays, enjoy their take-out food, read, or just relax. I decided to capture them from behind, which would be more interesting composition wise. A few years ago, I posted a similar series of bench photos in the Palais Royal, which received a lot of positive response. (CLICK HERE to view).

A few minutes later, I captured the leave formations and still bare branches on the trees and the architectural shadows they produced.

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are  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,  Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 250 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour