A very cold morning for the Stravinsky Fountain in Paris

The Stravinsky Fountain - Niki de Saint Phalle / Jean Tinguely - 1983

Paris, 2014, December 29th. A very cold morning (less than 0°Celsius). See above and below the frozen Stravinsky fountain near the Pompidou center.

The Art pieces still rotate on themselves and continue to throw water. This gives a surprising effect.

If you are in Paris, don't forget to go and see the art of Niki de Saint Phalle in the Grand Palais (until 2015, February 2nd) => http://www.grandpalais.fr/en/event/niki-de-saint-phalle

She did a fantastic and very original work. Amazing exhibition.
See some of her creations:

Go there, it's worth it (book on the Internet before!).

The FIAC is coming back

Giant Figure (Cyclops), 2010 - Thomas Houseago

The FIAC is beginning to be installed.
For the ninth consecutive year, associated with the and the Tuileries, FIAC presents, in the heart of the Tuileries Garden, a program of outdoor artworks.
Continue reading...

See also some pictures of the previous editions here: http://www.myamazingparis.com/search?q=fiac

The installation has begun:

Magna Mater, 2014 - Les frères Chapuisat

Beautiful Tube #3, 2014 - Lang / Baumann

Louise Fuller, 2013 - Georg Baselitz

Fanny Fanny, 1991 - César

Fontaine aux Nanas, 1974-1991 - Niki de Saint Phalle

In the garden of the Tuileries, two goats have for mission to crop the sloping lawns... Not really free because of their chains...

This Sunday was a very beautiful day in Paris, really sunny and warm, not so usual in October.
With such a blue sky, the Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre was clearly visible from the Left Bank near the bridge of "La Concorde":

The FIAC is here! Enjoy!

Be famous in Paris for 15 seconds!

Your Name in Lights at the Monnaie de Paris - Work of John Baldessari from Los Angeles

Monnaie de Paris* is about to reopen!
To celebrate this main event, famous artist from Los Angeles John Baldessari is invited to seize the majectic façade, between Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts, with his work Your Name in Lights.

For 15 seconds, your name will illuminate Paris!

You can apply, the exhibition will stay until, October 2014, 13th.

http://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/en_US/your-name-in-lights

Best place to see your name, the "Pont Neuf":

Good for the ego! ; )




* Read more here: http://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/en_US/company/about-us

The Zamansky tower, an exceptional point of view on Paris

View on the North of Paris from the Zamansky tower (Jussieu tower)

This third weekend of September is the European Heritage Days (in France the "Journées du Patrimoine").
The "Journées du Patrimoine" started for the first time in France in 1984, launched by the Ministry of Culture ("La Journée Portes Ouvertes").
During these "Doors Open Days", each third weekend of September, you can visit places, monuments, gardens and sites which are not normally opened to the public.

Many places are opened, see the 2014 program here.
Some famous buildings attract a lot of people. For instance, you may have to queue in a line for six hours to go inside the Palace of Elysée (French Republic President's residency).

This year, the Zmansky tower, administrative central tower of the University of Jussieu, opens its last floor, and no lines! The entrance is free, and if you are in Paris and it is still time for you, you can go there this Sunday before 6:30 PM => http://www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr/lieu/campus-jussieu-universit-pierre-et-marie-curie Metro station: JUSSIEU.

Look at what you can admire from this tower:

The University of Jussieu at the bottom

Looking towards the Bois de Vincennes (Eastern wood of Paris) Lock at the rock of the Zoo of Vincennes (artificial rock)

By looking towards the west, look at the Latin quarter and the Montparnasse tower. The Panthéon, now in works, exposes the work of JR.

Another view on the west of Paris. Watch the "rue des Ecoles" in the center of the Latin quarter, then the Invalides and the Eiffel tower

Very close, the Island Saint Louis. Look at the statue of Sainte Genevieve, the Patroness of Paris (watching the east, in case Attila and the Huns come back... ; ) )

Look at how some Parisians enjoy the sun at the end of the Saint Louis Island

Watch also on the south of the tower, very close, the hidden Roman Arenas of Lutèce (old Paris name). Look at the runners where you could see gladiators and wildcats at the time of the Romans.  

What a view!

You can also visit the University itself during these Open Doors Days.
Funny to go back there 34 years after (my university)...

The Eiffel tower goes to the beach!

The river Seine - Right bank

Do you remember the Red Eiffel tower? We talked about this red tower made of folding chairs here.

Today will be the Paris Plages opening. Beaches in Paris:

Paris-Plages - Beaches in Paris

Paris-Plages in front the "Conciergerie" on the Island of "La Cité"

Paris-Plages all along the river Seine on the right bank

We already talked about Paris-Pages here.

See the official Website here.

Red Eiffel tower at the beach

In the background, the Pont-Neuf and the Eiffel tower (the one!)

Enjoy Paris-Plages!

2014 National Day in Paris: one of the best fireworks at the Eiffel tower

July, 14th in France!
You have probably heard about La Bastille and the famous storming of the Bastille, one of the major symbol of the French revolution, which occurred on the 14th of July, 1789. Our Anglo-Saxon friends call the French National Day the Bastille Day. Actually, the French National Day refers to "La fête de la Fédération", another major event, which took place one year later in the park near the Eiffel tower, the "Champ de Mars" :

La fête e la Fédération, au Champ de Mars - Charles Thévenin (1764 - 1838) - Musée Carnavalet

2014, July 14th. As each year, fireworks all over the country. The one on the Eiffel tower (first time since 2002) was related to the start of the first world war. 1914-2014.

A great show, let us see some pictures and videos:

Champ de Mars - The long wait before the concert and the firework, just to be able to see the show (about 1/2 a Million persons in the place!)

At 9:30 PM, the concert:

The night is coming

At 11:00 PM, the firework. The main theme is linked to the two world wars.

VIVE LA PAIX (Long live peace):






IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE (John Lennon):

What a show!

A red Eiffel tower arrived at the Champ de Mars!

Eiffel Tower "Bistro chair" - Champ de Mars - In the background, "Ecole Militaire" (Military School)

This 24th of June, a new Eiffel tower arrived in the Champ de Mars.
A new Eiffel tower 13 meters high constituted by 324 red chairs. 324 Bistro folding chairs. 324 as the 324 meters of the real Eiffel tower.

This folding chair was created at the same time as the Eiffel tower (1889) and build as a very practical and useful furniture for Cafés, Cafés terraces, gardens and parks.
At first, the chair was made in wood and then in colored steel.

Little sister!

Come to see these two sisters!

A new very Great Man at the Pantheon

Mongolian (standing position) - Hong Bia Shen 2009

1. Who is this great man?
2. What is this strange rocket behind him?

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1. This great man is a "Mongolian", a statue created in 2009 and offered recently by the artist Hong Biao Shen to the University of Paris La Sorbonne, temporary exposed in the "rue Soufflot", the street in front of the Pantheon (Soufflot was the architect of the Pantheon).

2. The Pantheon, surrounded by huge scaffolds.

The restoration of the Pantheon

The building is currently under restoration.
See this movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bjQlISRVRE

If you click on the picture, you will read the inscription "AUX GRANDS HOMMES LA PATRIE RECONNAISSANTE" which means "To the great men the grateful homeland".

The Mongolian, another great man?

Well, the Great Men are buried in the Crypt. There you can see the tombs of many very honorable persons, as Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Rousseau, etc.
Only two women... Marie Curie and Sophie Berthelot the wife of the chemist Marcellin Berthelot (buried together).
No doubt it would be fair to have more women honored by the Pantheon. See this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/world/europe/at-resting-place-for-frances-great-men-calls-to-include-more-women.html?hp&_r=1