three days in Paris

[feliciter]

Finally getting round to posting pics of Paris, whittled down from several to just one dozen:

The city's most famous landmark, which, unfortunately I neither ascended nor took night photos of. Opposite it on the Champ de Mars was the Ecole Militaire, the backdrop to people strolling about, sunning themselves on the grass, eating ice cream and

Comments

[flemmings]

Damn. I've seen other paintings by the artist of your unnamed picture, at an exhibition in Ueno that I went back to several times in 1993. Pictures of northern countries and climates-- can't even recall the name.

I'm pretty sure it's not Caspar David Friedrich, but someone in the same school? Johann Christian Dahl?

[feliciter]

Alas, online searches for their paintings in the Louvre matching the photo were negative (Peder Balke looked promising too, but the trail petered out). Friedrich has extremely evocative paintings. It's not famous enough to be on the Wikipedia list starkly coloured, depressing and shows nature triumphant, a contrast to the portraits, worthies and allegories (and the Rubens' lurid Medici cycle, which I had to pass through at least twice after getting lost on the way back from the loo).

[rasetsunyo]

The stained-glass windows are breathtaking.

[feliciter]

I wish I could have gotten closer to them, they were better than some of the art in St Peter's Basilica.

[ambientlight]

aww, the eiffel tower had stars on! i agree, that arctic landscape picture is most evocative, and i love that one stained glass shot. all the photos are perfectly framed; were most of them actually taken from a bus?? if so, i applaud your skillz.

what were the flags at the Arc de Triomphe, if you remember?

(it was spring when i went to paris, and not a great deal sunnier than your photos suggest, eheh. i reckon summer is still the best time to see most of western europe, if you don't mind braving hordes of tourists.)

[feliciter]

All exterior shots except the Eiffel and Ecole Militaire were taken on board (hence the superfluity of sky), when the bus stopped or slowed down at traffic lights (though it's not so much skill as practice, given that the bus went by them at least twice per route, except for the Montmartre route D:)

The EU flag (stars) has been there since France became the president of the Union (since July 08 IIRC) and the tricolor always does, probably.

(ah, so. One of my colleagues is going there in July - must get him to post the photos on Facebook)

[flemmings]

The superfluity of sky is cool by me. You ahd a lovely day for at least one bus trip, obviously.

The French climate may have changed since my own days, but going by the '80s, July is either unbearably hot, in a country and architecture not exactly designed for heat, or cool grey and rainy. OTOH my notion of unbearably hot may not be yours. OTOOH I think Singapore relies a lot on having large windows, if not actual balcony doors, that can be opened to let, like, *air* in.

[feliciter]

I suppose it can get quite hot (and relatively humid) in summer!Paris? Which may surprise tropical visitors despite being used to temps in 30s and 98% humidity.

Singapore relies too much a lot on air-conditioning, as well as large windows, high ceilings and balconies (a major feature of colonial architecture and houses that only about 10% of the population can afford to live in nowadays D:)

[yumearashi]

I've been to those places! ^___^ Your pictures are much better than mine were though ^.^;

*giggles at the 'very unmilitary activities'*

Was your first sight of the Winged Victory form the gallery below or the stairs above? I was very impressed when I stepped into that gallery and saw her majestically spreading her wings out over it. But that painting is really gorgeous too. We had so little time in the Louvre, it was a crime.

The stained glass at Notre Dame is really amazing. Have you ever see the cathedral at Chartes, or the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona? The former also has some breathtaking stained glass, and the latter has absolutely exquisite architecture.

I wouldn't mind going back to France some time, and improbable as that is.

[feliciter]

I saw her while ascending the stairs, and she was impressive. (even with the crowd milling around and taking photos, as usual.) I spent a day in the Louvre, and of course this was insufficient.

Never seen the other cathedrals, but will definitely visit if I go there, since the online photos are stunning.