# Paris - Capitale du Monde - UPDATED!



## Turing (Jul 9, 2012)

More, more! :applause:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Sure thing! 

29. 










30. Same place as seen from the bridge. Note the tags again. 










31. 










32. Someone very lucky lives in the top floor apartment, the view must be fantastic.


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## ko7 (Sep 7, 2009)

El_Greco said:


> 32. Someone very lucky person lives in the top floor apartment, the view must be fantastic.



I think it is also someone very rich. However the noise from the metro must be quit bad.

Thanks for the photos and the comments. Keep going.


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## Cyril (Sep 11, 2002)

Great set of pics. The weather was not good and light was quite challenging.


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## Turing (Jul 9, 2012)

Beautiful photos of Paris (and other cities in your signature)!


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## Good (Jun 20, 2006)

Very beautiful pictures ! 
I have waited for years for El Greco, one of the best photographer on SSC, and which is even better genuinely interested in quality architecture, to finally explore Paris and come back with a set of photos matching the ones he took in other capital cities !!!

You have made my day with this thread, but now I want more : gritty, dull & bland corporate, gothic, neo-classical, villagey, industrial, iron & stone, oriental, planned, chaotic, beige, bricks, concrete... post them all


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Not only very interesting photos, but good commentary too. Thanks!


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## cochise75 (Jun 21, 2012)

One of the best photo thread about Paris on SSC. kay:


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## kony (Jan 18, 2003)

cochise75 said:


> One of the best photo thread about Paris on SSC. kay:



don't exagerate lol but gorgeous pictures nethertheless


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Ulpia-Serdica said:


> This picture looks magical. :cheers:


Yeah, I'm pretty happy with it as well, it must look pretty good when it's dark. Thanks!



agus_southMVD said:


> Awesome pictures of an awesome city :cheers: Thank you for posting them :applause:


Thanks, man!



skymantle said:


> Paris - Capitale Du Monde...:yes: indeed Great pics and commentary. :cheers:


Thank you.



Mr Bricks said:


> Fantastic!!


kay:



Ni3lS said:


> Cool shots so far. They do however seem a little bit over-exposed.


There's plenty of detail in the sky, so they aren't overexposed. 

Thanks.



midrise said:


> Le Fabuleux......"City of Light".........and a favorite of mine, Art Nouveau architecture..:hmm:kay:kay::uh:


Thanks!



christos-greece said:


> Awesome, very nice photos from Paris; well done :cheers:


:cheers1:



Gouveia said:


> Agreed, cities are art, and this one, is the best we (humans) got..


Yes indeed, thanks for your comment.



midrise said:


> ^^I just played "Le Soundtrack", how appropriate, Libertango...........From the Paris of the south, Buenos Aires...........Let's tango........:dance2::dance2:


:cheers:



7rani said:


> Thanks for sharing these photos ^^ Just fantastic ^^


Cheers.



CEd94 said:


> On picture 10: Ministry of Culture and Communication rue de Valois. Wonderful pictures


So I see, thanks for that.



pierolol said:


> :drool:






ko7 said:


> I think it is also someone very rich. However the noise from the metro must be quit bad. Thanks for the photos and the comments. Keep going.


No doubt, but this building is not in Passy, but a bit further away - Avenue Victor Hugo, so shouldn't have problems with noise. 

Thanks!



Cyril said:


> Great set of pics. The weather was not good and light was quite challenging.


Yes, the weather was pretty crap, although I did manage to get a could of sunny shots!



Turing said:


> Beautiful photos of Paris (and other cities in your signature)!


Thanks, much appreciated.



Good said:


> Very beautiful pictures ! I have waited for years for El Greco, one of the best photographer on SSC, and which is even better genuinely interested in quality architecture, to finally explore Paris and come back with a set of photos matching the ones he took in other capital cities !!! You have made my day with this thread, but now I want more : gritty, dull & bland corporate, gothic, neo-classical, villagey, industrial, iron & stone, oriental, planned, chaotic, beige, bricks, concrete... post them all


Well thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed them. 



openlyJane said:


> Not only very interesting photos, but good commentary too. Thanks!


Thanks, Jane.



cochise75 said:


> One of the best photo thread about Paris on SSC. kay:


kay:



kony said:


> don't exagerate lol but gorgeous pictures nethertheless


Thanks.


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## capricorn2000 (Nov 30, 2006)

I'm quite impressed with your photos EG. I wish I can revisit her.


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## Assemblage23 (Jan 6, 2008)

Not only the pictures are quite beautiful, but the information you are providing is quite insightful; i hope there's more pictures coming. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

let's continue

33.










34.










35.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

36.










37. An old street somewhere close to Centre Pompidou.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

38. A nice square with a nice fountain.










39. Avenu Henri Martin. Even the street signs in Paris are stunning.










40. The little known Jardin de la Nouvelle France with its beautiful monument to poet Alfred de Musset.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

41. Monument to Russian soldiers who died in WWI fighting on the French front.










42. Waiting for a boat. I love the quays of Paris a perfect place to relax, especially if the sun is shining.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

43. Parisian girls.










44. It was quite windy.










45. The Île de la Cité.


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## EU-Europa (Oct 2, 2013)

Beautiful photos of a beautiful city. I love Paris.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

46. Musée d'Orsay, if the building looks suspiciously like a train station then that's because it once was exactly that. Today it houses the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.










47. And at night.










48. The elegant Pont des Arts.










49. Pont Royal.










50. The Louvre Pyramid designed by I. M. Pei who also designed everyone's favourite Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong. Way to go man!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

51. Ceramic Hotel - another cool Art-Nouveau building.










52. These are meant to be flowers but to me they look like some Zerg stuff from Star Craft.


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## 7rani (Mar 3, 2012)

J'aime de plus en plus ton fil ^^ Bonne continuation :cheers:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

53. Opera.










54. The view from the steps of Saint Vincent de Paul church.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Absolutely stunning! :eek2: Also loved the Grace Jones music to accompany the photos.. 
There really is no city like it, is there?


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## CB31 (May 23, 2010)

Congrats _El_Greco_ those are some incredibly nice photos. Thank you very much for sharing.

They're so refreshing.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Taller said:


> Absolutely stunning! :eek2: Also loved the Grace Jones music to accompany the photos.. There really is no city like it, is there?


Thanks, man. Yes Paris is Paris a fantastic and unique place. 

That Grace Jones track was used a lot in Polanski's Frantic movie, which is set in Paris, btw. Good one. 



CB31 said:


> Congrats El_Greco those are some incredibly nice photos. Thank you very much for sharing. They're so refreshing.


Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Paris :cheers:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

55. Now we shall go and visit Montmartre, but first a few left-overs from Arc de Triomph.










56.










57. Montmartre itself.










58. I love the density!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

59. Almost there. We can see the Sacré-Cœur.










60. A street next to the Basilica. It was absolutely full of tourists and yet the area itself was quiet, it's like these people only hang-out in one place and have zero interest for what lies elsewhere. Why bother visiting foreign places in the first place? I never understand such people.










61. Au Lapin Agile once the haunt of Picasso, Modigliani and many others. If you're wondering why the sign is behind the glass - well that's because it is an original painting done by Andre Gill.










62. Before it was known as Au Lapin Agile the place was called Cabaret des Assassins, which probably tells you all you need to know what Montmartre was like in those days. Full of artists, weirdoes, anarchists, eccentrics and what not.


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## kony (Jan 18, 2003)

Nice El greco, but i wonder why some have such a white exposure...it's too white actually


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

The highlights have been increased, however the details are perfectly visible to me so it can't be too much and I do like the whiteness since it gives photos a very cool feel. Thanks.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

63. A vineyard in the city!










64. Very quiet and villagey-feel, reminds me of Hampstead.










65. Steep streets are characteristic of the area.










66. Moulin de la Galette is one of those reminders that Montmartre was, for a long time, a village on the edge of a big city. The windmill was built in 1622!










67.


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## kony (Jan 18, 2003)

true that there is some atmosphere in your pix, Montmartre feels like a place out of paris ! original angles


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Yes, you're right Montmartre does feel a bit like that, although it's also a bit sleepy for my liking. I much preferred Pigalle.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I've never been inspired to visit Paris - but for the first time, ever, I am. Your photos present me with a Paris that I am intrigued by. Thank you.

Most people don't stray for the same, daily, narrow confines, even within their own cities.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

You're welcome. 

I know people for whom Paris holds no interest even though they never been there, I also know people who can't wait to visit it. All the result of mass-media and popular culture which has reduced the city into a clichéd stereotype. 

It's a metropolis which means it can't be summed up in a sound bite. Just like London, Paris is a city of many faces. The best way to see and understand it (or indeed any other city) is to forget the stereotypes and discover it with an open mind. Be a flaneur.


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## GhostOfDorian (Dec 29, 2012)

El_Greco said:


> The highlights have been increased, however the details are perfectly visible to me so it can't be too much and I do like the whiteness since it gives photos a very cool feel. Thanks.


One can see, that it is your personel style. Paris is a kind of white or cream colored, so it strikes the impression of the real Paris very well. Then it was a cloudy when you took your pictures. This are not ideal conditions to shoot colourful pictures, but with reduced colour your pictures look great anyway.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

El_Greco said:


> You're welcome.
> 
> I know people for whom Paris holds no interest even though they never been there, I also know people who can't wait to visit it. All the result of mass-media and popular culture which has reduced the city into a clichéd stereotype.
> 
> It's a metropolis which means it can't be summed up in a sound bite. Just like London, Paris is a city of many faces. The best way to see and understand it (or indeed any other city) is to forget the stereotypes and discover it with an open mind. Be a flaneur.


Yes, that's definitely the way I like to explore cities. I have a tendency to feel drawn and fascinated, and even somewhat obsessive about certain places - which I then want to keep exploring. I've never really felt drawn to inland big metropolises, but your images provide some Parisian intrigue. :cheers:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

68. The building on the left was used in the film Ronin with de Niro.










69.










70. The famous metro sign!










71. Moulin Rouge.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

72. Boulevard de Rochechourart - the entire street is lined with dodgy bars, strip clubs and sex shops, not to mention full of weirdoes - in other words my kind of place! The posh areas may be beautiful but the dodgy ones are exciting. A bit of grit is always good.










73.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

openlyJane said:


> Yes, that's definitely the way I like to explore cities. I have a tendency to feel drawn and fascinated, and even somewhat obsessive about certain places - which I then want to keep exploring. I've never really felt drawn to inland big metropolises, but your images provide some Parisian intrigue. :cheers:


You don't like big cities?


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

GhostOfDorian said:


> One can see, that it is your personel style. Paris is a kind of white or cream colored, so it strikes the impression of the real Paris very well. Then it was a cloudy when you took your pictures. This are not ideal conditions to shoot colourful pictures, but with reduced colour your pictures look great anyway.


There were a few sunny moments during my stay, so I managed to get some shots under rather beautiful autumn light, although I don't really mind clouds, the most important thing is that it's not raining (for prolonged periods of time)! Thanks.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

El_Greco said:


> You don't like big cities?


I'm not naturally drawn to huge inland cities. That's why I've never felt inclined to visit Paris or Berlin, for example. I've never felt drawn to Madrid either - even though I know it is small by comparison to Paris.

I like coastal cities best; and even a huge coastal city like Istanbul feels a bit more spacious and open because of the presence of hills and all of the surrounding water.

Due to my personal circumstances I have not been able to travel as widely as I would like, and so when I do travel I want to go to somewhere which "calls" me.

I've been to San Francisco and loved it; and I really want to go to Seattle.

I love Sicily, and find Palermo thrilling and edgy; and I've recently returned from a trip to Istanbul - a city which I've definitely not finished with.

But now that my children are all grown and I am more able to take short city breaks - Rome, Genoa, Copenhagen & Toulouse are in my sights, and maybe some day - Paris!


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## Mr Bricks (May 6, 2005)

Love the Montmartre shots!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

74. This is Place Vendome.










75. Jardin des Tuileries, created by Catherine de Medici as the garden for the Tuileries Palace - the palace itself became the site of the notorious massacre of the Swiss Guards during the French Revolution. There's a beautiful monument to the Guardsmen in Lucerne.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

Your type of place? Come on now EG, I would have thought you have more class than that. I mean I don't mind a bit of seediness and 'living dangerously' in life but Boulevard de Rochechourart is just plain tacky and tasteless....:yes:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Sure it's tacky and a bit tasteless, but it's also full of energy, grit and characters. I can and do appreciate the better and classier parts (like browsing the shopping arcades of the 2nd or exploring the wealthy areas in the West) but I always find myself drawn to places like this, I find them more exciting and more interesting. It's the same in London the western areas are beautiful but I always prefer East End.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

openlyJane said:


> I'm not naturally drawn to huge inland cities. That's why I've never felt inclined to visit Paris or Berlin, for example. I've never felt drawn to Madrid


Really? Those are some of the best places in Europe.  

There isn't a city or country I don't like. I'm interested in architecture and urbanity and generally am fascinated by cities and how they developed and how every place is unique in its own way. Which is why I can't stand the childish 'my city is better than your city' nonsense that you find so often on these forums. I think every city has to be taken for what it is and not compared to somewhere else. 



Mr Bricks said:


> Love the Montmartre shots!


Thanks, man!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

76. Place de la Concorde.










77.


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

:applause: Superb photography.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

....


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Wow!  What a city and what an original angles you show us. I love these pictures my friend! kay:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

openlyJane said:


> But now, I look forward to traveling more. Sorry my tastes and preferences are not the same as yours. :cheers:


No, no, not worry, I was just being curious. :cheers1:

Inland has a lot to offer too!

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated!





Benonie said:


> Wow!  What a city and what an original angles you show us. I love these pictures my friend! kay:


Thanks, man. You've been to Bergen yet?


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Superb, awesome updates :applause:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

78. Now a little tour of the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis which are the oldest parts of Paris.










79.










80. While I was taking this picture not far there stood an artist, canvas on easel, painting intensely, every now and then he would step away for a moment and look at the panorama, measuring something with his brush, then he would step back to paint. Naturally I was intrigued, so I went closer and...wow his entire canvas was filled with cocks of all shapes and sizes. That's some artist! :lol:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

81. The famous and timelessly elegant Notre-Dame de Paris built in 1345.










82.










83.










84. Rue Saint-Louis-en-I'lle - the main street of the Ile Saint-Louis.


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## kony (Jan 18, 2003)

El_Greco said:


> ...wow his entire canvas was filled with cocks of all shapes and sizes. That's some artist! :lol:


No wonder they call Paris the city of Sex, not sure if i was a painter doing my job in front of notre dame cathedral sex would be the first inspiration which comes to to my mind lol!!!!! i guess u were too shy to take picture of this weird painting haha


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

kony said:


> No wonder they call Paris the city of Sex, not sure if i was a painter doing my job in front of notre dame cathedral sex would be the first inspiration which comes to to my mind lol!!!!! i guess u were too shy to take picture of this weird painting haha


I wanted to, but once he spotted me and my camera he started babbling something angrily!


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Great shots El Greco - quite the showcase of this lovely city! Can't wait to go back soon. 



openlyJane said:


> I'm not naturally drawn to huge inland cities. That's why I've never felt inclined to visit Paris or Berlin, for example. *I've never felt drawn to Madrid either* - even though I know it is small by comparison to Paris.


:eek2: How could you say such a thing?! Haha. I hope my thread and other notable Madrid threads have changed your mind about the city. :lol:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks. Madrid has fantastic lifestyle it's worth going there just for that!


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks!


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## Leongname (Nov 13, 2012)

love Paris, never was boring there. nice thread.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

193. Boulevard Saint-Germain one of the main boulevards of Paris, once known for its cafes frequented by literary types who immortalized it in rhyme and song!










194. We went to a lovely Basque restaurant around here. The food was delicious, however as is typical in Paris not filling enough and relatively expensive. 










195. Grumpy old man looking out off his flat over Avenue des Gobelins. At this point we were on our way to the Chinatown in Place d'Italie. It's called Chinatown, but most people are from former French colonies in Indochina, plus Thailand. There's also quite a few more recent Cantonese arrivals. We will see pictures from there later on!










196. Boulevard Haussmann.










197. Boulevard Haussmann still...










198. The junction of Boulevard Haussmann and Boulevard Malesherbes.










199. Avenue des Champs-Elysees.










200. Oops! I was talking about Institut du Monde Arabe earlier and totally forgot to post picture of it! Well here it is! Architecture-Studio feat. Jean Nouvel, 1987.


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## thedomilie (Oct 18, 2015)

I really like the old city street.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Paris, El_Greco :cheers:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Great thread El Greco. Just can't get enough! kay:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks guys!


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## Cyril (Sep 11, 2002)

Great pictures! You really captured the soul of this city kay:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

201. Random facades of Paris!










202.










203.










204. Those old buildings are really beautiful. But I wonder what's the layout of the flat in the dome?










205. Lovely Art-Nouveau doorway.










206.










207. That narrow building is really cool!










208. The main Chinatown in Paris, although as I said earlier most people are from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. A great little area to explore!










209.










210. Apsara? Probably Cambodian.










211. Really cool and really massive mural on the wall of a tower block in Chinatown.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

212. Belleville - the beautiful town. A traditionally working-class neighbourhood with long history of left-wing politics. It was here that the regular army coming to re-take Paris from the Commune faced the toughest resistance. It is said that the last barricades stood on Rue Ramponeau. Sadly the left-wing views are still here with area now becoming a hipster mecca...










213. Spot the Eiffel Tower...










214. What's the connection with Fantomas?










215. One of the side-streets in Belleville which is absolutely covered in graffiti and tags...










216. Belleville is also the second Chinatown of Paris.










217. Totalled...


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

Interesting pics...Belleville has been an ethnic enclave for a long time now, starting with Greeks and Armenians in the 1920s and then Jews in the 1930s. They've moved on and now you even have Hipsters...haha. http://goparis.about.com/od/parisneighborhoods/p/belleville_profile.htm

Would it be fair to say that Paris is deteriorating in some quarters because that is the report I'm getting from some visitors who have been there multiple times. :dunno:


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## Kampflamm (Dec 28, 2003)

Very sexy. There is a certain monotony to the facades of course but it provides the city with such a distinctive look that it's hard to make a case against it.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

skymantle said:


> Would it be fair to say that Paris is deteriorating in some quarters because that is the report I'm getting from some visitors who have been there multiple times. :dunno:


It is. Places like the square in Montmartre, Trocadero, Champ de Mars and the riverbanks are overrun with scammers and fake-good sellers, literally and aggressively getting in your face. The metro is essentially a homeless shelter and frankly best avoided in the hours of darkness especially in eastern and northern areas (ie Chateau Rouge). My in-laws were shocked and vowed never to return.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

218. This time we opted for an apartment instead of hotel. Here's the views. Rue Damremont.










219. Night.










220. The view from Parc de Belleville. At 108m it is the highest park in Paris. The park was conceived by the architect François Debulois and the landscaper Paul Brichet. It was inaugurated in 1988.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

221. Having a drink, reading a newspaper. Chilling.










222. Doing some work.










223. Belmondo wannabe, elegant elderly bourgeois lady and some guy rolling cigarettes (just buy normal smokes, man!)










224. Nice trousers, not sure about the shoes though!










225. Parisians love their dogs, but don't like cleaning up after them...


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

226. The streets of Le Marais. Fancy boutiques and eateries rule here!










227. 










228. Here's some grittier stuff....










229. Nice mural.










230. Canal Saint-Martin. Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802, in order to create an artificial waterway for supplying Paris with fresh water to support a growing population and to help avoid diseases such as dysentery and cholera.










231. A little square nearby...


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## Romashka01 (Mar 4, 2011)

Excellent photos! There's so much beauty


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

Stunning.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks guys!


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## pierolol (Apr 29, 2009)

i'm really in love with your photos! when i see your thread i remember why I've chosen this city as my home city! congrats @El_Greco !


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