Spring Break in Paris With Maile

The music just below is one one of the recordings I made in Paris, this one of an accordion player on a pedestrian bridge. Hit play now so that the sounds of Paris will accompany you. OK. Can you hear the melancholy French jazz?

accordian player on the Ponte Nuef — accordion player on the Ponte Nuef playing a melancholy Autumn Leaves

Maile and I originally planned to travel to Paris together for our 10th wedding anniversary. Two and a half years later we made it, by ourselves, for a full week. We rented a wonderful loft appartment on AirBnb in the Marais, from which we sauntered out an back every day.

I took about 1600 photos with my little Canon G7X and got it down to about 250 favorites shots that I’ve posted as an album on Flickr. See the slideshow at the end of this post. I’ll try to whittle it way down here and tell the story of our trip primarily in pictures and captions.

We arrived on Saturday morning and took the train into the city. — We arrived on Saturday morning and took the train into the city (with Charles Beaver, Anais’s envoy).

Walking from the Metro to find our place we stopped at Le Petite Marcel for lunch. — Walking from the Metro to find our apartment we stopped at Le Petite Marcel for lunch.

The beautiful blue door to the building where we stayed. — the beautiful blue door to the building where we stayed

the reflection of our front building in the shiny black van opposite

The beautiful classic bicycle that was always locked outside our door

The Pompidou

We stayed two blocks from the Pompidou, passing it every day, eating across from it. Here are a few of the outside and then a few of my favorite works inside.

seven people sitting in front of the Pompidou

We stayed a few blocks from the Pompidou, a wonderful modern art gallery — my reflection in the window of the line and houses opposite

Man Ray's room of art and beautiful objects — Man Ray’s room of art and beautiful objects

shiny spinning metal shape with divets in a black and white lined box

I particularly liked the Gerard Fromanger exhibit, his use of monochrome figures and infographics.

Paris skyline — view from the top of the Pompidou; see the Eifell Tower shining it’s spotlight in the distance

we caught these break dancers entertaining the crowd in front of Hôtel de Ville — break dancers entertaining a crowd in front of Hôtel de Ville

Reflection on the front of a bus — reflection on the front of a bus

woman in red hat waiting, man in black coat turning away — waiting for the light to change on a bridge over the Seine

Paris swing band on the bridge over the Seine — Paris swing on a bridge over the Seine

reflection in bus window w driver smoking

Maile on the Ponte Nuef overlooking the Siene

people sitting on the steps leading down to the Seine

man running with child. one of my favorite moments to capturing, participating in that pure joy.

pedicabbies looking left as the man in black walks right

mannequin with reflection of tower and tree

I lived off these lovely fresh baguette sandwiches — I loved lunching on these fresh baguette sandwiches

the Mona Lisa hype machine (I found it hard to appreciate the Louvre)

Street Art

There was so much great street art everywhere, from centuries old sculpture to to stickers, art sellers and graffiti, chalk artists and street musicians. Hardly a block went by that I didn’t notice a gorgeous door. I was always stopping to snap something and then running to catch up with Maile.

statues throughout the city had been secretly blindfolded in scarlet (an art stunt meant to draw attention to the ubiquitous – and easily overlooked – statuary)

chalk drawing on wall — i love this chalk drawing, a face made out of squares, making eyes out of cracks in the wall

wonderful street art everywhere. vandals with a nice sense of color

poster of baseball cap — Trust The Classics

a cup of shit (by Space Invader, I think) — a cup of shit (by Space Invader, I think

Now listen to the slow funky Flamenco sounds of a guitarist echoing in the Subway.

Musée d’Orsay

Musée d’Orsay was a pure delight and inspiration. So many beautiful works of art that I’d never seen, and in a beautifully converted old converted train station.