Walking in Paris -- or any city -- is filled with surprises. Look up, down, behind you, to the left and right. Into shop windows or lesser known attractions. Inside, outside. All times of day. Some of these will mean nothing to anyone but me. But I hope some of these take you a bit off the well-beaten paths! (Although I couldn't resist my favorite Eiffel Tower photo!)
One of my all-time favorite memories was sitting in our friend Jerry's apartment, waiting for him to get home from work. We'd bought a bottle of wine and were tired from walking around all day. Nothing was more relaxing that looking out the windows at the rooftops and lovely blue sky.
I loved all the boulangeries we saw (or at least loved their offerings!) but for some reason, this is my favorite photo of all of them. Maybe it's just that the bread looks so good! Rick and I bought sandwiches here to enjoy in Place des Vosges.
It's quite possible that the most delightful lunch we enjoyed in Paris is with blogger Peter Olson (Peter's Paris), as he took us through a long and fascinating walk in Montmartre. We started with champagne and olives and it was divine!
The Montmartre cemetery was a real treat with some well-known "residents" and beautiful gravestones. When we visited, I was captivated by this black and white cat. Gypsy was very ill during our trip and died several weeks later. I like to think that this cat was reminding me that a black and white cat that looked quite identical would come my way a few months later.
Also in Montmartre, the "I Love You" wall. Many people find and photograph this and I confess it's not the best photo, but I love it all the same.
I could fill this post with garden and flower photos -- Paris has wonderful greenspace and beautiful gardens. But this Montmartre wisteria just made me smile.
During the course of our trips we did more than a little shopping. On my first visit, solo, Rick asked me to visit the music district at Rue du Rome. It was pretty obvious by the signage in front of the various shops that musicians frequented this area.
So, when we returned together, we had to visit again, this time for Rick. It was a horribly wet day but that didn't stop us! (I should have brought along a book, as he spent a good deal of time trying out guitars!)
We were also attracted to wine stores (the wine section at Le Bon Marche)...
...and bread! Poilane was a must!
Of the attractions/museums or memorials that were most memorable to me, one stood out for its simplicity and the reminders of World War II -- The Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation (English: Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation.") Included in Architectural Digest's list of the "Ten Most Significant Memorial Buildings, its crystal light gallery for each of the 200,000 French martyrs murdered in deportation camps during the war is powerful.
(When you see a photo of the "back side" of Notre Dame and the Seine and note that black rectangular "window" in the wall at the very point close to the water, that is the memorial. It's very discreet.)
Another museum that many don't think to visit and should is the Musee Jacquemart Andre, a private home with a remarkable collection and special exhibitions.
I'm not sure why I love this photo of walking along the Seine and looking down as much as I do, but it just speaks to me of Paris and the power of a river to draw people to it.
There are so many wonderful places to rest during a long walk. The Jardin du Luxembourg has it all -- beautiful gardens, a wonderful fountain and a large pond where you are able to watch young people sail their boats -- or sail your own!
I leave you with a shop in Montmartre that isn't fancy -- indeed, I never went within. But I couldn't resist the sign!
If you were me, could you?
Sharing with: Paris In July / Share Your Style
61 comments:
The best time to visit Paris is the Summer. I was there in November 1969 and it was wet and dreary and cold. Horrible weather to go sightseeing. Some of your photos look like Impressionist paintings. Lovely shots!
Good morning, I really enjoyed your post today with the photos of Paris-that meant something to you.
I really enjoy posts like this as it lets me see places I know I won't visit in this life time of mine. thanks so much for sharing hugs Kathy
Great photos! I love Paris! I have never heard of someone NAMED Michigan -- that's remarkable.
I enjoyed your trip down memory lane. I also remember several of these photos. It certainly made me feel like I was right there with you as you walked the streets of Paris. Simply wonderful memories, Jeanie.
I had forgotten about the theme July in Paris. In July I spend too much time watching the Tour de France live on TV. During all my trips back to Paris to visit my family I avoided the summer months – fares were higher, too many tourists as well. I went in July several years ago to help my mother move, but it was a busy time, and I did not have much time to walk around.
I enjoyed looking at your photos. When I was back home we rarely were in Paris in July or August, but were staying by the seaside, usually Normandy or Brittany as the South is too warm. I see you wrote 10 posts in July, I’ll go and read them. I only wrote one, but mine are long and I’m still moving from Georgia – the endless move…
Beautiful photos and memories of Paris.
You highlighted places I would love to see if and when I visit Paris again!
Great photos, Jeanie. Although I have seen many of those places (or in the case of shops and street scenes, similar ones), your pictures give me a new look into my memories.
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I enjoyed seeing your Paris photos. Interesting seeing the cat sitting in the cemetery, what a nice photo and memory. Do you speak French so you could get around or was it pretty easy to figure things out. Of course, I would have to take the last photo too, not many places to see Michigan listed on a sign. :)
How wondrous. I swear I could hear romantic music playing in the background.
Hello Jeanie,
I enjoyed your Paris photos, so many pretty scenes and happy memories for you! Take care, enjoy your day!
So many memories and so many beautiful photos. Thank you for this walk down memory lane.
Lovely photos, thank you! I hope to someday visit Paris again. It seems as if it should be easier now that I live in Switzerland, but it's not been possible so far.
Oh, how beautiful... so enjoy these pictures of a place I've not been...
Your photos remind me of the couple of times I'd experienced France, and Paris, making me want to revisit again... but don't know when now. Thanks for all the Paris in July posts for 2022. Hopefully I can have the chance to visit again, and stay a while longer in Europe next time.
"the power of a river.." - yes, all rivers, not only the beautiful Seine, have the power to attract people, inviting them to walk along the banks and enjoy the water and the atmosphere.
Great photos Jeanie. I totally agree that there are always discoveries in cities when you look around. That is a great photo of the Eiffel Tower.And you found some other wonderful views also. Fun post. It's like going on vacation without leaving home. Hugs-Erika
Beautiful photos of a beautiful city.
Great photos that evoke happy memories of Paris. From your selection I can see that you have the eye of the artist. Being able to visit friends in a city is a blessing as you get a personal perspective of what it must be like to live there.
I enjoy going on my virtual trips with you! :)
Lovely photos! Can't wait to get to make my own Paris memories soon!
I wonder whether you will ever go there again, Jeanie? We have pretty much given up on air travel for the time being given the chaos at airports around the world, delays and cancellations, lost baggage and so forth. Memories may have to suffice.
Paris appears to be a photographer’s delight, and I am sure for other people too.
Some aspects I loved..we were just there at an unfortunate time lol the flooding..you could not walk along la Seine..the metros were not all working..a strike..garbage was piled high everywhere..the strike..and of course our theft and fraud.
Never did our weeks spent in Provence create such a bad feeling.That’s why my heart picks Provence..plus we are more country than city.
Wonderful memories - for me the sunset at the Eiffel Tower is stunning!
It is true. Paris at night is simply magnificent. Wonder if that crow is real.
Enjoyed reading that, Jeanie, and looking at your lovely photos. You convey the atmosphere of a city you obviously love and include some wonderful images. I love France, but confess I have never got closer to the capital than Disneyland Paris!
What lovely remembrances.
Thanks for sharing your trip..Lovely pictures...I'll probably never get there..
You have a way of making me feel like I'm there in the moment. What a wonderful trip!
I haven't traveled much, I'm not a good traveler now that I have time for it. Paris was a lovely city, though.
Jeanie, your photos are fabulous as well as your sentiments. I do love Paris and I love seeing it through your eyes!
Lovely post
The cat in the cemetery is precious. The glow on the water of the Seine is captivating.
Lovely virtual trip Jeanie. I really enjoyed our Paris trip. I want to go back and explore Provence and the open air markets. so much to see/ I know traveling can still be a pin in the butt.
Jeanie, your photos are so lovely. They make me long to return to France! Hopefully we can do that one day.
So loved reading about your Paris adventure with all of the wonderful pics! Janice
The only time I was in Paris, it was a totally unplanned visit for only three nights, and I was 17. My fellow exchange students and I were sort of dumped there when our travel plans were changed, and instead of sailing home on a cruise ship we were housed at a girls' school in Paris waiting to fly back to the States, and left to ourselves to do what we would in Paris.
Your post brought back the memories of those three days, memories that are very vague, because I neither wrote a journal or took pictures. I do recall that we spent time in Montmartre, though, and that I bought postcards. The Louvre was closed during our visit, but we enjoyed riding the Metro, and I delightedly drank cafe au lait for the first time, and at every breakfast in the dining room of the school.
Now, I wouldn't mind going to Paris for a planned trip, but only if I were with someone knowledgeable like you, who would prevent me wasting time! I don't think that will ever happen. Maybe I should go the vicarious route and do the bloggers' *Paris in July* next year. It sounds like fun! Thank you for the fun of this visit, too. <3
Wonderful photos, Jeanie.
oh so many wonderful photos jeanie. How lucky you are to have all these memories.
So beautiful.
I loved seeing your personal favorite photos from your time in Paris. It's easy to see why the Eiffel Tower photo is a favorite, and I am also quite taken with your photo from Le Bon Marche. The most powerful, for me, is the photo you took at The Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation.
Thank you, Jeanie!
A virtual trip with a seasoned traveler is the next best to actually going. Thanks for the tour. It's every bit what I dream it would be like.
This post makes my heart ache for Paris! I look forward to going back there some day but it's a good 5+ years off, probably more than that! But it's always there for us when I am ready/able to return! I love how basically every street is photo-worthy! From the architecture to the flowers in the window boxes to the skyline. It's all so gorgeous!
Just a magnificent trip. Thank you for sharing it with us. Have a wonderful day.
At this point in my life I am thinking I will never make it there but I love seeing your pics.
Thanks for this post on Paris. We were there several years ago. I remember having coffee at our hotel. They had a little café on the roof and I was looking at a sea of chimney pots with the Eifel Tower in the distance, oh wow! Great memory and your photos are fabulous!
So many wonderful sites you visited when you were in Paris, Jeanie. Some of them sound familiar, looking back to when the girls visited. Oh my, that bread shop - I could have stayed in there for a long time. And the jams and goodies! That must have been fun for Rick to browse in the guitar shop for such a long time. I like that "I love you" wall too. And the cat that you saw was special, especially since your beloved cat passed away around the same time. Paris at night looks so charming with the cafes and the night blue sky. Thank you for taking us along your terrific journey. It's nice to see Paris through your eyes, Jeanie.
~Sheri
These travel photos of Paris are just superb! Love the signs and decorations in the streets. The champaign looks great too. A great collection.
"Thyme for tea" sure made me laugh!
Fremantle, near Perth, friend Grace suggests we go to... somewhere far away in their car. It would take forever.
We had Pizza whilst talking.
Ingo: "Grace, here in Australia we have anything but time".
Me: giggle.
P looking at me as if I was crazy, but I just knew.
Grace, looking at her Pizza, "Ingo... we DO have thyme here in Australia!"
Wonderful pic of Eiffel Tower.
Ingo has a date with the dentist. She has a huge pic of this at the wall. And she will ask again if... WHEN I come for a check up!
I have not-so-nice memories of Paris, but then... I was 14 years old. Maybe - surely! - I would see it differently these days.
But, alas,plane-companies don´t fly and with mask and all... no fun...
I enjoyed visiting via your blog :-)
Wonderful posts and images . I wanted so much to Go to Paris with my wife but she passed on January 19 this year destroying my dream
What wonderful photographs and memories. My husband and I have been to Paris twice over the years and enjoyed it so much. All the art, and yes, the gardens and river, and all the little parks, as well as good bread and wine. Your photos brought so much back. Thank you for such a lovely share.
Paris j’taime ….🍀💗🍀
Jeanie,
Absolutely stunning pictures!! Thanks so much for sharing them with us!! I really enjoy seeing your travel pictures....Thanks so for always stopping by!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
Hugs,
Debbie
I have to visit Paris ! Amazing post
Such a lovely look back.
Your photograph of the Eiffel Tower is stunning.
Early wishes for a happy new month of August.
All the best Jan
Such a lovely look back.
Your photograph of the Eiffel Tower is stunning.
Early wishes for a happy new month of August.
All the best Jan
(the low carb diabetic blog)
All I can say is "oh, how I love Paris". Each time you share about Paris, I just smile. My heart yearns to go again.
Excellent
Thanks
Wonderful photos, Jeanie! It's been so long since I've been to Paris. Sigh....
Oh these are such wonderful photos of Paris that bring back a lot of lovely memories. You captured so much of the Paris atmosphere, it's beautiful.
Thinking about it, "Michigan" sounds quite a French sort of name! I'd never thought of it before though!
Wonderful Post
Thanks
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