“Notre Dame Cathedral after the fire”
Paris, France. May-June 2019. (12 photos)
This is Part 6 of my France 2019 photo series, and also Part 15 of my Europe 2019 photo series.
Recently I spent a month visiting France and Portugal, with a short visit to Singapore for good measure.
On this trip I spent 10 days in Paris. Everywhere you look, Paris has something interesting to see. And everywhere you look, Paris is a photo waiting to be taken. So here are another set of random photos for your contemplation.
As you would know, a fire engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral on April 15, 2019. My visit to Paris was less than a month after that fire and you can see some of the aftermath here. All the roads around the Cathedral were blocked off to pedestrians and cars, but I do have some photos showing the destruction in greater detail. For comparison, my photos of Notre Dame Cathedral from my 2018 visit are mostly in the post, Paris in the Spring (2).
“Paris, across the rooftops”
In 2015, The Ministry of Culture applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for “the rooftops of Paris”. However that is a lengthy consideration process, and the result is still pending, I believe.
“Just another day in Le Marais”
Street scenes like this simply don’t seem out of place in Paris. After my return from Mont Saint-Michel, I came across a large flea market on the streets of Le Marais.
“Oh when the saints go marching in”
Jeanne d’Arc (St Joan of Arc) on horseback outside the Eglise Saint-Augustin. The Eglise Saint-Augustin was built from 1860 to 1868. It was purpose built purely to provide a counterpoint to the famous columns of La Madeleine at the other end of Boulevard Malesherbes, according to the plans of Baron Haussmann. At least one critic has described the church as, “an eyesore: ridiculously sited, without proportion, crushed beneath an outsized dome.” The neighborhood around the church is now one of the most expensive in Paris.
“Above Paris”
“Stained glass heaven”
Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cite, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Ile de la Cite in the River Seine in Paris, France. Construction began around 1238 and the chapel was consecrated in 1248. It was commissioned by King Louis IX to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns, later hosted in the nearby Notre Dame Cathedral until the 2019 fire, which it survived.
“She’s got the look”
There are quite a few giant wall murals in Paris. I like how the girl in front of the building is almost giving me the same look as in the mural.
“Nuts”
“Atelier du Temps Passé”
The workshop of times gone by.
“Young & Happy”
Rue Mouffetard, Latin Quarter.
Other posts in this series:
Paris is a photo
Paris is a photo (2)
“Galeries Lafayette”
The Galeries Lafayette is a French department store chain. Its flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris is well known for its rooftop terrace offering free views across Paris (see the second photo in this post). Inside, the architecture and design is worthy of a moment or three of gawking. Here, I’m standing near to the centre of the main retail floor looking up at the beautiful domed ceiling. You can see they have recently installed a 9 metre long glass floor walkway from the 3rd floor, suspended 16 metres high in mid-air under the dome. It’s free but time limited, and often with a queue.
“Sunset stroll along the Seine”
This was taken at 9:47pm. Sunset is a beautiful time in Paris. The hard part is deciding where to enjoy it from.
Paris,
Teach me of your love,
Teach me of your cobbled streets
and rivers
Teach me of your painters who sit by your bridges,
Teach me of your gardens and the cafes and the treats,
Teach me of the sun as it sets in the trees,
Teach me
For I will listen,
Teach me and I will paint it,
With all the words it gives me.
… @atticuspoetry
…
In May and June 2019, I visited France, Portugal and Singapore.
This is Part 15 of this photographic series and Part 6 of the posts about France
Etcetera Etcetera Etcetera 
Your images of Paris are so marvelous and also full of love and humour…
Thank you very much. Paris speaks to me in volumes. I love the city.
Oh, to be in Paris again! Your pics make me wistful (wishful?), superb as they are!
The trouble with posting photos some time after visiting is that I want to return as well. 🙂 Thank you very much.
👍
🙂
Enjoyed these, Draco!
Thanks, Sue. There’s always something interesting to find/photograph on the streets of Paris.
Years since I visited…
Converse for me: took me years to go there.
😊
🙂
So that chapel is about 800 years old. That’s older than a lot of countries worlwide.
And imagine that glass breaking when people are walking through…. that thought would have crossed my mind if I was about to pass.
OK, the thought that all that glass might break on me didn’t cross my mind at the time, but now that I think of it… 🙂 I’m surprised there weren’t any signs outside banning ball games.
I went once to the world’s greater aquarium in Dubai. While I was walking through it, my only thought was: “what if it breaks?” and the next day the aquarium cracked and the water reached the parking lot – or so I was told. It took them 2 weeks to fix it.
Hmmm, perhaps you have telekinetic powers? And don’t realise it.
Nuts it is. You always pick the best places for photos. Really enjoyed this series. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Well, yes, that was a spontaneous shot. Why would someone lie under that rhino? LOL
Thank you very much. I’ve gone for a mix of the usual and the unusual in this series. Paris is like that.
Mmmm, nothing much down under, I presume. Actually, it’s all about the perspective, like in photography.
Perspective and context makes a world of difference.
What gorgeous images of Paris. It has been 50 years since I was there but it looks pretty similar.
Thank you very much. Paris is timeless.
Charming as ever. I love the murals, and haven’t visited Paris since they first started coming up.
It’s a pity about the fire, but I think we are finally getting to see what Notre Dame looked like before Viollet-le-Duc remodelled it.
Thanks. The murals are beautiful works of art. I spent much of an afternoon just hunting for them.
Indeed, Notre Dame is a work in progress, and whilst the fire is tragic, it’s had a chequered history with various changes over the years. This is just the next phase, in a way.
The aerial of the city is super cool!
Stunning shots!
Thank you very much, Leyla.
Your tours of Paris always make me a little homesick for France. The sunset over the Seine is breathtaking. Bravo, Monsieur Draco.
Making you homesick? Now, that IS a compliment. Merci a vous. Just wandering around Paris is never a wasted moment. So much to see and live.
De rien, mon ami. 🙂
🙂
Any recommendation from a intrepid world traveler for a fellow blogger to spend to spend four to five days in Paris on a budget
Walk around a lot and enjoy the moment and ambience. That is my best advice.
A Paris Museum Pass may be appropriate depending on your needs. The rest depends on your interests. Personally, I tried to visit 3 patisseries a day. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Like that last bit of advice. Still in the planning গ stage for last of October.
If you have a particular question, I’m more than happy to help if I can.
Thanks.
How costly are hotels and convenient locations for hotels. Walking is not an issue. Both me and my wife are OK with walking or public transport but will lke to maximize the time as she does not have much vacation time.
As expected, the closer you are to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and other major sites, the prices rise but you’re going in shoulder/low season so prices should be lower in general. If staying further out, be near to the Metro. I spend little time in the hotels, so I avoid large hotels with amenities I won’t use.
Thank you. What do you mean by further out? I never have been to Paris, so do not have much idea. Trying to read and understand.
Paris is a large city and everything is spread out, although many of the tourist sights are along the Seine. In a straight line, Sacre Coeur Basilica (Montmartre) is about 5km northeast from the Eiffel Tower. In a straight line, Notre Dame is about 4km east from the Eiffel Tower. I suggest you create a must-see list, then find them on a map of Paris and that will give you an idea of where it is best to stay.
On my first trip I stayed in Montmartre, then moved to the 7th arrondissement near the Eiffel, then stayed in the 3rd arrondissement (le Marais).
On my most recent trip I stayed in the 3rd arrondissement before going to Portugal. On the return leg I stayed in the 8th arrondissement(near the Arc de triomphe).
Hahaha! Did you visit ‘The French Bastards’? I’ve posted about them.
There’s a patisserie on almost every commercial block in Paris, or at least it seems so. No, I didn’t try this one but I haven’t wandered around the Oberkampf district much. I’ll put it on my list for next time.
More fab photos and you are the most wonderful narrator! That glass floor walkway however looks totally scary and spoils the view from below, though I imagine the view from on it must be stupendous! Every time you do a Paris post I want to return.
Thank you very much, Jude. The glasswalk was a fun experience with great views. I assume you it was very solid. Well, I did return to Rue Mouffetard on this trip because of one of your previous posts. 🙂
Stained glass heaven is my favorite. All wonderful photos.
Thank you very much.
I always enjoy your perspective on a city, and your tour of a gorgeous well-loved urban center is on par with your ability to see the gems.
Thanks, Sally. It’s my pleasure to show you Paris as I see it.
Only you would visit France and Portugal, and then hop over to Singapore for good measure! 🙂 As usual, your images are marvelous. I especially love your scenes from everyday life, like “nuts” and that poor naked mannequin in the Marais.
Such is the tyranny of distance. At least Singapore makes for an efficient and comfortable stopover on the way to Europe, with lots of good food.
Thank you kindly. Each time I’ve visited Paris, I have stayed in 2 different locations, to maximise the efficiency of my daily wanders, but each year le Marais has been one of those areas. It’s so very “Paris”, and the food options… 🙂
What a brilliant idea, to stay in two different places during the same vacation. It’s striking how much our choice of lodging can color the rest of the trip, isn’t it?
Indeed, particularly since the ambience in different areas of Paris can be so different from one to the next. I recommend this, but you want to be in Paris long enough to make it worthwhile changing lodgings.
Really enjoyed these – lovely and also humorous. Paris will be Paris…
Thank you. An eclectic mix from Paris. 🙂
Saint-Chapelle and the Galleries Lafayette are wonderful shots. The former was undergoing some reconstruction when I was there, and I’ve never been to the latter. How have I managed that? Rooftop sounds good. What’s a bit of queuing- I’ll get there early 🙂 🙂 But that sunset is blissful, so I’ll be hanging around.
Thanks, Jo. Definitely try to visit Saint-Chapelle. That stained glass is quite a treat. Galeries Lafayette’s rooftop view is a treat on a clear day. Mental note made to go back at sunset next time. 🙂
So much interesting beauty in Paris. Thanks for sharing. Some folks in the U.S. would want the rhino to have a diaper on its privates. 🙂
I guess there are people who will be offended by almost anything like this. In Paris, you’ll find bronze sculptures where certain body parts have become shiny, where people have been rubbing it, for good luck. 🙂
LOL
🙂
Lovely zoom in? on Joan. Great framing … quirky selection of shots. Like how you manage to avoid all the crowds and capture the essence.Thanks, Draco,
Thank you very much. Yes, I had a zoom lens, then cropped and straightened the photo a bit. I also took a photo from behind the statue, with St Joan and her drawn sword held against the traffic and sky. I like that shot too, but this one is more appropriate for the post.
Beautiful images of Paris. And yes you can see things in Paris you would not see anywhere else. Once I was in a store in Paris and a woman walked in and she was covered in a sort of bronze glitter make up and nothing else. Yup completely naked but for the body paint.
Wow, that would have been quite a sight. Was there a festival or parade on that day?
Wow. Some cheeky, informative, beautiful and puzzling information. The top of Paris shot captures how dense it is. I had no idea.
An eclectic mix, which matches the ambience of Paris. As you can imagine, at street level it is very easy to become lost, but that may be the best way to explore the city.
Magnificent! You always find such beauty!
Thank you. Paris is very photogenic.
When I first passed through Paris (several times) back in 1980 I wasn’t a fan. Too many rude experiences and not enough money didn’t help. The second time, in 2004 was a whole different experience. It was magical. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that I proposed to my wife there…)
Well, I’m glad the second trip was a significantly better experience, in all respects. That’s the way to remember it.
Paris has always been captivating. Every traveler’s dream destination. Romantic and eclectic
Indeed it is. Timeless, fresh and old at the same time.
Oh what a beautiful city Mr Draco! A photographers delight … That stained glass is amazing .. stunning! As is that last photo .. gorgeous glow
Sainte-Chapelle was stunning. All that stained glass and the light streaming in. Thanks, Julie. Paris is a special city.
You are killing me with the last shot…back again next summer I presume 😉
Cheers. Who knows what the future holds, but I wouldn’t mind going back. 🙂