The streets in Paris were pretty clean. We saw some cigarette butts, but not that many. There are trash bins, mostly plastic bags hanging from metal loops, placed all over, helping people dispose of trash easily. Every other days or so we noticed people out sweeping the streets. First we noticed that there was water running in the gutters. Just below a storm drain there was a pipe at the curb that issued a stream of water, that ran down the street to the next storm drain. The street sweepers used the water to push along any debris, like cigarette butts, that lingered.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We heard music as we were walking to Napolean's Tomb at Invalides and noticed a group of people gathered in the circle area in front of the church area. As we waited for a green light to cross the street we noticed this guy stop his sportscar and then start taking photos. With the music playing in the background it almost seemed like a car commercial but we think he either just got the car and was taking pics or he was planning to sell the car and needed pics to share. We did not ask.
The music was used to attract people to a demonstration. There was a gathering of nursing students with signs in the street in front of Invalides. They were protesting that their classes had been cancelled so they could help at the clinic to give H1N1 innoculations. We could not understand just what they were protesting.....the lack of classes, the fear of exposure to H1N1, or the fact that it was a nice sunny afternoon and they needed to be inside? We decided to move on into the museum when the police started to arrive.
We saw a number of panhandlers who merely had outstretched hands or were shaking cups holding coins pleading for money. This guy was the only drunk we saw, lying in a small park in the 7th arrondissement as we walked from Invalides to the Alexander Bridge on our way to the Christmas Market. This is near embassies and a very good section of the city.
We heard music as we were walking to Napolean's Tomb at Invalides and noticed a group of people gathered in the circle area in front of the church area. As we waited for a green light to cross the street we noticed this guy stop his sportscar and then start taking photos. With the music playing in the background it almost seemed like a car commercial but we think he either just got the car and was taking pics or he was planning to sell the car and needed pics to share. We did not ask.
The music was used to attract people to a demonstration. There was a gathering of nursing students with signs in the street in front of Invalides. They were protesting that their classes had been cancelled so they could help at the clinic to give H1N1 innoculations. We could not understand just what they were protesting.....the lack of classes, the fear of exposure to H1N1, or the fact that it was a nice sunny afternoon and they needed to be inside? We decided to move on into the museum when the police started to arrive. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We saw a number of panhandlers who merely had outstretched hands or were shaking cups holding coins pleading for money. This guy was the only drunk we saw, lying in a small park in the 7th arrondissement as we walked from Invalides to the Alexander Bridge on our way to the Christmas Market. This is near embassies and a very good section of the city.
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Many people visit churches when they go to Europe, to view the architecture and art. We stopped in this one near the Pantheon, because I had been told about its fantastic rood screen. What caught my eye was this marvelous stonewalk for a staircase.
Note also the simple chairs with straw seats that are lined up and linked together in rows. No pews as we have in the US.
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We saw a lot of 17th century construction. Years ago I was a real estate appraiser in Connecticut and was given an assignment to appraise what was identified as
the oldest
brick dutch colonial in Windsor, Connecticut, one of the state's first towns. The house was built in 1635, just 15 years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The architectural simplicity of the house in the New World is understandable given its location in a fairly raw colonial settlement, but it still is interesting to note the vast difference in ornamentation on these buildings in Paris.
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We saw a lot of 17th century construction. Years ago I was a real estate appraiser in Connecticut and was given an assignment to appraise what was identified as
the oldest
brick dutch colonial in Windsor, Connecticut, one of the state's first towns. The house was built in 1635, just 15 years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The architectural simplicity of the house in the New World is understandable given its location in a fairly raw colonial settlement, but it still is interesting to note the vast difference in ornamentation on these buildings in Paris.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Left Bank streets and Pantheon at night.
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These is the stonework in the road in front of the Military Academy.
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I love the architectural details that are so vibrant in older construction. Check out the face in the stonework above the door and how it is echoed in the door knocker.
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The French Military Academy, similar to West Point in the US, is located in the 7th arrondisement not far from the Eiffel Tower. We passed it walking from the marketplace to where the cooking lessons were held in Charlotte Puckette's house. Notice that the soldier in the picture taken through the fence is riding a horse. They still have at least ceremonial horse units.
The French Military Academy, similar to West Point in the US, is located in the 7th arrondisement not far from the Eiffel Tower. We passed it walking from the marketplace to where the cooking lessons were held in Charlotte Puckette's house. Notice that the soldier in the picture taken through the fence is riding a horse. They still have at least ceremonial horse units.
These is the stonework in the road in front of the Military Academy.
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Chimney pots on top of buildings of the University of Paris reminded me of London.
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