Paris isn't a huge city unlike many of the world's other capitals. When the weather cooperates, it is best to take to its streets by bike or foot. As much as it is an excellent system, much is missed by griming out in the Metro. This is a day of strolling around the city. Lots of photo clichés, but hey not my fault this place receives a gazillion tourist each year.
The apartmentbound head to bask like lizards in the public spaces, of the more popular basking spots are the gardens of Luxembourg Palace, which houses the French senate. The petanque court/field thingymabob is also a good spot to chill and watch the regulars do their thing.
So grab yourself a chair and soak up the sun. The next photo is rather normalish, so I tried out some post processing technique. Michael Orton applied this effect with slide film using two layers of an identical image, although the one layer is very sharp, and the other is quite soft. So an Orton effect to add some interest to the sun soaker uppers in Luxembourg gardens. It looks like it came out of granny's box of photos, well, except for the coloured bits ;)
Reflections in the gardens.
From Luxembourg it is a gentle stroll downhill towards Notre Dame. The best thing about here is perhaps the small garden market alongside metro Cité, the beautiful justice buildings and a hop across the bridge to Ile St Louis.
Instead of hopping across the bridge, we headed in the other direction past Pont Neuf towards the Louvre museum.
Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge the connects left and right alongside the Louvre. The place to meet up and hang out.
Into the courtyard at the Louvre and then to the pyramid. Love it or hate it, you have to admit it makes for some interesting pictures.
Below the view from the head of the gardens of the Tuileries. The most central of 'parks' in Paris, connecting Place de la Concorde with the Louvre. Not the first view I'll give you of the famous scaffolding.
And in the gardens of the Tuileries there are ponds, and in the ponds there are ducks. I like ducks.
And because I like them a second one, or maybe it's the same one.... difficult to tell.
Standing near Place de la Concorde, sun now gone, the beautiful Tour Eiffel begged a photo or two. The slightest waxing crescent moon being lit up by the spotlight on the tower (look at the large photo)
and yes, another one of the tower, the same tower for sure. It's beautiful, I couldn't help it.
Final one of Eiffel tower, I promise! Well actually it isn't. This is a photo of a UV lens filter in my hand, in which the tower is reflected. I think it's cool, has an old image-circle-on-the-film-plate kind of feel to it.
Later that evening we returned to play with the lights of the Louvre... and then velib'ed home at some strange hour.
There you have a day in Paris on foot and bike. Wishing you some beauty in your surrounds that can distract you from the exercise you're doing.
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