L = Lights of Paris, French Faves - A to Z Challenge

Paris is called the City of Light**. That includes the streetlights of Paris, the lights illuminating the buildings of Paris, and the way the lights transform the streets of Paris at night.


L = Lights of Paris

Streetlights

The detail of the streetlights vary by location. The older the area, the more ornate the light standard and the lights. Some of the streetlights near the Louvre have crowns at the top, perhaps reminiscent of when the museum was a palace. Other streetlights on the bridges have a more elaborate design, such as the Pont Alexander III.

Streetlights, Eiffel Tower, Seine River and Bridges of Paris, by DG Hudson

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Lights in Paris at night create a certain atmosphere of warmth (in the bistros and cafes, on the streets, and on the bridges)

Cafe Louis Philippe, Paris by DG Hudson

The warmth shows at the windows of the bistros, and spills out onto the tables and chairs outside under the awnings. You are beckoned to the light, the warmth, the camaraderie, and the smell of good food.

The Seine River and Lights, Paris by DG Hudson

Illumination Lights = the act or instance of shedding light on something, such as buildings, or lighting something up. (Oxford Dictionary) i.e., Paris Illumination

The Hôtel de Ville

Night lighting brings details to the fore and reminds us of this building's infamous burning. In 1871, the Paris Commune chose the Hôtel de Ville as its headquarters and as anti-Commune troops approached, the Communards set fire to the building, destroying records from the French Revolutionary period. All that remained afterward was a gutted stone shell. (from Wikipedia and other references).

Communards = members and supporters of the Paris Commune, which lasted from March 18 - May 28, 1871.

Hotel de Ville, Paris, in Night Illumination, by DG Hudson

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Night Cruises on the Seine River

Floating down the Seine River on a Bateau Parisienne tour boat, we see the Alexander III Pont (bridge) . . .the water reflects the illumination highlights, like a Monet water scene.

Seine River, Paris, Pont Alexander III in background, by Green Eye, prop. DGH

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Do you know of other cities which illuminate or use artistic lighting to enhance architecture, especially in the evening?


Please leave a comment to let me know you stopped by, and if you are part of the A to Z Challenge. I'll be sure to check your blog, and reciprocate. If you're not in the challenge, thanks for stopping by to visit! I try to reply to all comments.

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The A to Z Blog Challenge is brainchild of Lee, at Tossing It Out.  Please visit the A to Z blog site to find out more information and the participant list.  There are also Twitter and Facebook presences if you want to check those!

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References:

**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris Wiki about Paris, see 'City of Light', Etymology section

MORE light illuminating Paris posts:

http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2011/12/paris-apartment-rentals-and-booked.html (includes the Paris Illuminations tour)

http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/02/paris-city-of-light.html (highlights of Illumination)

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_de_Ville,_Paris Hotel de Ville

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communards Communards

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R = Rue de Rivoli - A to Z Challenge

The Paris Metro sign. . .




Art Nouveau Paris Metro sign, rue de Rivoli, by DG Hudson



Rue de Rivoli


It's one of the most famous streets in Paris, a pleasant commercial street whose shops include the most fashionable names in the business.  The length runs through the 4th and the 1st arrondissements.  This street bears the name of one of Napoleon's battles, Rivoli, 1797.



Napoleon and the rue de Rivoli


Napoleon I decided to build a street from the Place de la Concorde along the Tuileries and the Louvre, across the Place de la Bastille (a wasteland after the 1789 Revolution), all the way to the Faubourg Saint Antoine.  For the first time, a handsome, regular, wide street would face the north wing of the old Louvre Palace.  The architecture was to be symmetrical, sober, and incorporate pedestrian-friendly passages and arcades that would eventually extend for almost a mile.


The long line of massive buildings that make up the northern side of the rue de Rivoli, with their covered and columned arcades, are a result of Paris' reconstruction in the early 1840s. These buildings now house the quarter's most tourist-oriented shops, boutiques and night-clubs. This walkway can get crowded, so keep valuables close and out-of-sight.

North of the rue de Rivoli, at the point where the Grands Boulevards crossed an enormous new square, the Opera Garnier was built. Behind the opera house today, you can find the largest department stores, the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

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 On Marais market day. . .



Marais Street Market on the rue de Rivoli, by DG Hudson



Our rented apartment in the Marais was right on the rue de Rivoli, four flights up, with the bedroom facing a quiet courtyard.  I won't forget the sounds of the city - the traffic, the motorcycles, the polite but persistent honking - that drifted up to our 1800s style windows.  Every morning, I opened those large windows so I could hear the hum  of Paris.
 

Further along the rue de Rivoli, there's the Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall), the Louvre Museum, and beyond that, the Tuileries gardens.  The BHV (Bazaar de l'Hotel de Ville), is a large French department store where we shopped a few times.  East along the rue de Rivoli, at the Place des Pyramides, is the gilded statue of Jean d’Arc (Joan of Arc) situated close to where she was wounded. See J = Jean d'Arc


Add cafes and sidewalk food carts in strategic places to the above and you'll have a good image of this historical street.

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A former palace, the Louvre. . .



The Louvre North Wing faces the rue de Rivoli, by Green Eye



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On the rue de Rivoli. . .the Hotel de Ville




Hotel de Ville in the Evening, Paris, by DG Hudson



DG's Theme:  Paris, Etc.  (Art, Film, Places, and People)
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Have you heard of the rue de Rivoli?  Did you know Napoleon was responsible for having it built?  Please share any comments.


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References:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Rivoli,_Paris

http://www.parismustsee.com/champs-elysees.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre

http://www.francemonthly.com/n/0105/index.php

PARIS - City of Light

Eiffel Tower Lights the Evening - DGH 2010

Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel)


Paris with all its lights on shows us a city proud to flaunt its beauty. It’s an impressive sight at night, when buildings take on a golden glow and the Eiffel Tower changes colour by the hour.

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Bright Cafe Lights on the Right Bank - by DGH

  Lights in the Side Streets

In the Marais when evening falls, walkers fill the streets looking for a place to eat and a spot to people watch by the Seine River. On the side streets, light spills out from the cafés and bistros onto the sidewalk, while the cosy tables invite us to stop.

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Bateau Parisiennes Tour - Illuminations - by Green Eye

Illumination Tours

Bateau Parisienne is one of several companies that provide tours of the Seine River day and night. Boats are open style or covered, depending on the weather, and provide an excellent view of the buildings in their evening finery. There are also driving tours available if you prefer the land route.

The unique design of the bridges can be seen as you slip quietly beneath. From this level, it’s also easier to see the detail of architectural grotesques and the unique style of the different bridges. I imagine scenes from the past when beaches ran down to the Seine River, and a few of the oldest bridges were new.

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Look Way Up at Notre Dame - by DG Hudson

 
Notre Dame Cathedral


Notre Dame looms over the Seine, its haunting Gothic style highlighted by the evening glow of lights.  Refer to 'Paris - Architecture Smorgasbord (from my 21st Century blog) for more photos and detail on this inspired building.

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Hôtel de Ville

  

Evening shot of Hotel de Ville with Signposts - by DGH



The Hôtel de Ville watches over the plaza in front, its sculptures lit from beneath. This is Paris City Hall. The quiet fountain off the the side bubbles pleasantly as we walk by, heading to our rental apartment. Public events such as fund-raisers are staged in the square at times. On those occasions, the building dons a different dress. (see 'Transformed photo' in sidebar)

http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/hoteldeville.htm  Hôtel de Ville


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Hôtel-Dieu de Paris

The illuminated photo of this building appears in another recent Paris post, Apartment Rentals and Booked Tours.

Hôtel-Dieu de Paris is the oldest hospital in Paris, and sits next to Notre Dame on the Île de la Cité. It was also the only hospital until the Renaissance. A few of the towers facing the Seine River have retained their medieval style complete with conical roofs.  Below is the day version.

Hotel D'ieu's conical towers at left - by DG Hudson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel-Dieu_de_Paris  Hotel D'ieu

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Seine River bridges

Always lots to see, on the river or on the bridges.

 

Bridge and Tour boat on the Seine River by DG Hudson

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Samaritain Paris 

This department store in the 1st Arrondisement closed in 2005.  In 2010, the lights still celebrated the store's past.  I liked the current design and the lights.  Who knows how long this version will last?

More info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Samaritaine.





Samaritaine in the Evening by DGH

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A photographer's dream, that's Paris.  It's the urge to capture the essence of the brightness, the thing that gives the city that overall glow.  And I don't mean electricity.
What is it about lights - the neon that seduces us, marquees that invite us in and special lights that enthrall us at certain times of the year?  In Paris, they keep it going year round and light up the best places.  

Do you know of cities like Paris that enhance themselves in the evening with lights, or other public events so people feel comfortable walking about? 

Please share if you do. 

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