This August finds me dog sitting on the outskirts of Paris for 18 days. I’m trying out a new experience through an organisation called Trusted Housesitters.
The concept is that the housesitter goes and lives in a home away from home, looking after a pet or pets while their owner is away. It’s a great way to visit somewhere new for only the cost of the annual membership, (very reasonable) getting there, and it benefits the pet owner too as they don’t have to put their animals into expensive care. It took 24 hours after her owner left, but then Maga the Pointer was happy again.
Whilst here we’ve made a point of not being out of the house for more than 5 hours at a time, and have seen the usual ‘must see’ sights in Paris itself as well as some more local ones. As we’re here for such a long time there have also been quite a few days of just relaxing around the house and garden.
Approaching the Eiffel Tower, the sun was behind it, creating a halo effect.
A nearby Metro station brings you out by the Jardins du Trocadéro, and this couple were dancing the Argentine Tango. They drew quite a crowd on nearby steps, but equally, other people were walking right past them and totally ignoring them.
Eating lunch at a pavement café and I glanced up to this sight. I have of course enhanced the colours to make a more artistic image but the Tabac sign caught my eye. France’s tabac (tobacco shops) have long been a place for more than just purchasing cigarettes. Their iconic red sign, found in any French city, town and village, is associated with a place for locals to socialise over a beer or a coffee, or watch the horse racing and have a bet.
The Arc de Triomph, one of the most famous monuments in Paris.
It’s surrounded by roads so to get to it there is an underpass. It was worthwhile battling the crowds to see the impressive ceiling of the arch and carvings on the outside.
The Champs-Élysées is the main road that leads to/from it, and it’s full of designer shops. This Dior store was either under restoration or ‘coming soon’ and was ‘wrapped’ with this very classy plastic.
I liked this classy chic building on a nearby road.
But in a different location, I also liked this shabby chic one. Its shutters certainly needed some TLC.
This Metro sign is a very classic design. I must add that the train, metro, and bus services in and around Paris are very efficient and easy to use.
Heading to an area of Paris called Montmartre we exited the Metro right outside the famous Moulin Rouge.
With its narrow cobbled streets Montmartre is full of charm. Perched on the top of a small hill, the most famous Parisian district has lost none of its village atmosphere that appealed so much to the artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. We explored the area en route to the Sacré-Cœur which has sweeping views over Paris.
In the image above you can see the mass of ‘love’ padlocks. There must be thousands of them.
There are some great gargoyles if you look upwards. I always thought they were just for show but gargoyles serve the practical purpose of funnelling water from the roof when it rains, directing the water out away from the walls and foundations.
The sky was deep blue but with the sun behind the building I like the B&W treatment.
