# Paris: The Clichés are Clichés for a reason!



## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Truly superb display of photos, really capturing Paris at its best. I've heard so many mixed opinions about Paris from it being like a museum to even being boring... but sebvill just wrote a perfect comment echoing my thoughts. 

Paris is a feast in my eyes. I visited in spring 2010 and was not disappointed at all. Can't wait to go back. Beautiful city! (and beautiful photos  )


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Indeed superb, very nice updates :cheers:


----------



## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Great thread! Paris truely is one of the most beautiful European capitals. :cheers:


----------



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

The tiny Furstenberg square, in Saint Germain, feels like a discovery when you walk through. It certainly lacks tour-group crowds. 







Most people visiting the square are there to visit the tiny museum Delacroix, housed in the painter's former residence. But even if you don't care about romantic artists, you could spend a delicious hour here, in the garden. Very civilized!












Saint Germain des Prés, one of the oldest churches in Paris, and the reason the neighborhood is named Saint Germain. 





















Cour du Commerce Saint-André, a belle-époque pedestrianzed commercial street. Very pretty and very atmospheric. Awesome place for lunch!























The church of Saint Séverin, a gothic beauty in the Latin Quarter, originally from the 14th Century but with add-ons and remodellings right up to the 17th Century. 



























Monumental Paris!


















Random scenes... I like taking pictures of the waiters of Paris. They often wear old-fashioned outfits. Or maybe because they're sometimes the only locals in sight! :lol:


----------



## Charles Portis (Mar 13, 2015)

Great thread and great title ! Nothing's truer than a cliché. Congrats.


----------



## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

A fine bunch of delicious pictures!


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Great, very nice photos from Paris as well :cheers:


----------



## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Thrilled to see this beautiful thread is still alive and well!!


----------



## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Beautiful shots!


----------



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

The Hôtel des Invalides started life as a hospital and hospice for soldiers. The large complex houses several important buildings, including the Museum of Military History. This is the city's largest courtyard. 




































I was actually avoiding this place. While I understand the need and the duty to honour one's dead countrymen, I'm uncomfortable with the glorification of war and associated indoctrination. This museum's narrative was fortunately subtler, and enhanced by military artifacts from all over the world, including an impressive collection of Japanese armour. The displays on the developments of both Word Wars are truly gripping and nuanced, even from an ideological perspective, which was a relief. But the real highlights for me were the two temples in the complex. This one, the Dôme des Invalides is another republican temple housing Napoléon's tomb, no less.

















































The actual church in the complex, the Cathédrale de Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, is a good counterpoint to the bombast of its secular counterpart. The restrained church is dignified and classy. 











More random Paris images. These are mostly about me indulging in my Paris real-estate envy! :lol:


----------



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Down to the métro now. I like that most stations have distinct styles. Makes for a fun ride. These particular stations had cheerful seats! 

















Park Manceu and the small Cernuschi museum of Asian art. 














Places to shop, eat and have coffee













Random Paris beauty































In the Marais, just North of St Louis Island, the beautiful Saint Gervais churh, yet another gothic beauty in central Paris. 















The Saint Gervais church is actually fairly recent, compared to earlier Gothic churches in town. If you have any interest in all things medieval, the Cluny Museum is an absolute must. 

































Not enough Paris? You're not alone! Here's more...


----------



## Londonese (Sep 20, 2014)

Amazing!!


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Really awesome, very nice updates :applause:


----------



## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Beautiful indeed! Love Paris.


----------



## General Electric (Sep 12, 2010)

"The clichés are clichés for a reason", but there is cliché and cliché... these are exquisite! :cheers:


----------



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Update from that inexhaustible treasure trove that is Paris! Let's stick to the North (Right) bank this time. 

Random images from who-knows-where! :lol:





















More fron the Louvre, the ultimate treasure trove! The largest museum in the world, no less... so don't even think about trying to see it all. Or even much of it. Just concencentrate on a couple of areas that really interest you. Then wander, looking at the building, rather than at the pieces. And don't forget to peek through the windows, which are mostly covered by courtains and drapes, even if security gives you dirty looks! Awesome views of the courtyards! :banana:




























The Village Royal is a small passageway just off Rue Royale in the Madaleine area. It's a residue of a XVII-Century estate owned by ther royals. Unfortunately, it's been scrubbed up beyond recognition. The high-end shops in the area don't help. Classy, but definitely not historical-looking or even slightly atmospheric anymore! 







As you walk West from here, you may arrive to a place where security looks tight and the area exhudes officialdom and seriousness. You've made it to the Elysée, or Presidential Palace. Open to the public only on specific days. The British Embassy and the ministries here add to the stufiness. 















Édouard VII Square is nice poligonal space with a couple of nice statues and some pretty art nouveau structures. You'll see plenty of locals just doing their work thing around here during the day, and theatergoers during the evening. 















The Neo-Byzantine church of St Augustine, featuring one of the largest domes in Paris. It needs restoring! 





















Square Louis XVI is really a park, with an "expiatory" chapel built by royalists in memory of the king who was killed when the Revolution started.


----------



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Back in the Right Bank















Let's check out the fancy Opera Garnier building. The other opera is the Bastille Opera, in the eponymous area. You have surely this images of the façade, so let's zoom in on some of the details. 





















The interior of the Garnier is a bit too lavish, in places almost garish, but after its first hundred years, Parisians started appreciating it more than they did when it first opened. 





























In keeping with the decandent tone, let's check out the Galeries Lafayette department store, the one every tour group visits. But let's go to the top floor for nice views of the Opera and the city beyond! 























Finally, let's visit a non-gothic (or neogothic!) church and settle for the neoclassical beauty of the Madelaine church, devoted to Mary Magdalene.


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Really great, very nice photos from Paris in those 2 last posts :applause:


----------



## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

A nice update.


----------



## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Paris is stunning! kay:


----------

