Saturday, 14 July 2012

Joyeux quatorze juillet!




Bastille day seems appropriate enough for posting some pics taken in Paris last week ...


where here in the gardens of the Palais du Luxembourg there were no signs at all of urgent calls aux armes citoyens. 


Au contraire, Parisians were taking advantage of a rare-for-this-summer sunny day to chillax (elegantly, of course) next to the Medici fountain and on the lawns ...


take a ride on the carousel


or enjoy a free concert at the bandstand.


Even les soldes were taken at a leisurely pace, with no crowds or queues. I certainly took advantage of them (though sadly not at Repetto, below, where even the sale prices were eye-watering) ...


with a stop or two on the side for roses and macarons ...



and afterwards took a well-deserved break (shopping parcels in tow) for some people-watching (at Les Deux Magots, where the waiters come direct from central casting).


Of course when people meet up on the streets of St Germain, it's also quite often dog-meeting time ...


Here Parisian dog with impeccable taste eyes elegant shoe appreciatively ...


Finally, in the spirit of Vive la France, and all that ...


... I leave you with my very favourite version of La Marseillaise - the reggae-styled, wryly-titled Aux Armes etcaetera by my very favourite Frenchman ...



Photo credit note: doggie shots in St Germain des Pres taken by Nicholas B. I must have been too busy eyeing the waiters.
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19 comments:

  1. pembrokeshire lass14 July 2012 at 09:59

    Wonderful!! It brought back so many memories!! Enjoy. Joan

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    Replies
    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose15 July 2012 at 02:39

      Glad to have brought back good memories for you, Joan - thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  2. Frances14 July 2012 at 20:00

    Karen, merci for the tribute to le 14e Juillet et aussi to M. Gainsbourg. This also my late father's birthday, so it's a powerful time on the calendar for me.

    All this just goes to show how much more we could have talked about last spring, and might be able to do in the years to come.

    xo

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    Replies
    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose15 July 2012 at 02:40

      I'll meet you for coffee in Paris any day, Frances :))

      Delete
  3. parisbreakfast14 July 2012 at 22:38

    Your photographs are to-die-for
    And ending with the Serge video
    equals Perfection!
    merci carolg

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    Replies
    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose15 July 2012 at 02:47

      Many thanks, Carol - from the mistress of Paris views that's high praise :)

      Delete
  4. parisbreakfast14 July 2012 at 23:31

    PS
    I to looked in at the Repetto sale and cringed.
    Trop cher..
    20% off is not very enticing IMHO

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    Replies
    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose15 July 2012 at 02:50

      Agreed. One can dream though. And I do love their trademark heap of pink ballerinas with the curlicued signpost angled on top - quite the most stylish way of advertising a sale.

      Delete
  5. Den positive vejleder15 July 2012 at 01:48

    Hahaha - cette chanson, elle est TROP cool!! :-)
    And as always I absolutely ADORE your pictures! I wonder when you were in Paris - I was there from the 4th till 8th of July! What a coincidence if we were there at the same time...
    Paris is my favorite city of all. I've lived there twice - both as fille aupair and student at the University Jussieu.
    Joyeux quatorze Juillet - et MERCI pour la chanson!
    /Eva

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    Replies
    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose15 July 2012 at 02:56

      Hi Eva - I'm so happy you're back in blogworld! Gainsbourg is trop cool indeed - he virtually defines cool, and I totally love his ironic delivery of these lines, makes me laugh.
      We were in Paris at the same time! How is it that we keep missing one another on our travels?!

      Delete
    2. Den positive vejleder15 July 2012 at 13:51

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Den positive vejleder15 July 2012 at 13:52

      Yeah, I don't know - that's a pity! But maybe we'll manage to meet sometime, somewhere in the world :-) Btw, I love your definition of how Gainsbourg virtually difines cool! I'll remember that line!

      Delete
  6. Tara Bradford16 July 2012 at 07:42

    Such a lovely compilation of Paris sights! My fave pic is the waiter. :) Glad you had a fun trip. Hope we can meet for tea on one of your visits!

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    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose18 July 2012 at 04:00

      I'd love that, Tara - or next time you're in London?

      Delete
  7. Unknown16 July 2012 at 15:48

    Karen I love your photos - so joyous, so colourful and so generous in every way. As an ex-dances I especially love the ballet shoes. I now feel as though I have celebrated Bastille Day in Paris. Merci! Fx

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    Replies
    1. Merisi18 July 2012 at 02:49

      Francesca,
      I could not agree more, your words express what I was thinking about Karen's images, only you did it way better!
      Merci,
      M.

      Delete
    2. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose18 July 2012 at 04:06

      Merci à vous deux - I'm touched, coming from two such accomplished photographers.

      Delete
  8. merisi in Vienna18 July 2012 at 02:47

    Paris, a feast for the eyes, through your lens! :-)

    O/T: I am reading William Boyd's "Any Human Heart" - and loving it!
    I had it on my "to read" shelves - bought back in the US years ago.
    How is that for serendipity?

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    Replies
    1. Karen @ Pas Grand-Chose18 July 2012 at 07:25

      Oh, glad you're enjoying that! I think it's definitely one of his best - though I loved Restless too, have you read that?

      Delete

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