R=Rue de Rivoli, French Faves - A to Z Challenge

On this street . . .there is much to do and see: shops, bistros, historical places, and arcades. In one section, the tourist shops, in another the high end hotels. 

Rue de Rivoli street sign - CC

R = Rue de Rivoli

The Rue de Rivoli is one of the most famous streets of Paris. It was named for the Battle of Rivoli, one of Napoleon's early victories against the Austrian army in 1797. A Paris municipal building is shown below, in the Marais section of the street.

A Marais section of the rue de Rivoli, Creative Commons, PD

Beneath the rue de Rivoli, runs one of the main brick-vaulted oval sections of the sewers of Paris. Above the street, you will see 18th century houses which have survived and are still used as apartment residences, short-term rental apartments or boutique hotels. 


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Closeup of the Details on Louvre building by DG Hudson

North of the rue de Rivoli is the Opera Garnier, also called the Paris Opera. See the A to Z letter 'O' for Operas of Paris.

East along the rue de Rivoli in the gilded statue of  Joan of Arc, She sits astride her steed, never daunted, facing the oncoming traffic. In the image below the Louvre Museum is on the right, the Hotel Regina, with arcades at the street level, is behind the statue.

Joan of Arc, Place des Pyramides, Paris by DG Hudson

The new street that Napoleon Bonaparte pierced through the heart of Paris took for one side the north wing of the Louvre Palace (before it became the Louvre Museum) and included the Tuileries Gardens.

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Do you know the history behind the rue de Rivoli? Have you heard of this famous street, or the older part of it, the Marais?

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:

Wiki - Rue de Rivoli
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Rivoli 

Rue de Rivoli -  DG's post A to Z Challenge 2012 

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Image Credit: Rue de Rivoli, in the Marais - Paris

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.
This licensing tag was added to this file as part of the GFDL licensing update. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

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Image Credit: Rue de Rivoli street sign

Author: Edal Anton Lefterov
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

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A View with a Window

A view needs a window to define it.  It's a point of reference.  Move ten degrees either way and the view changes.  Have a peek at these windows, and 'see what you can see'.


A window on old Paris 
Here we could sit and listen to the sounds of the city.  Leaning out over the wrought iron railing, we could see the view four floors above street level, up and down the rue de Rivoli. This window is in an eighteenth century building in old Paris.  How many other people have looked out that same window at that same location, at another time in history?  (During the revolution, this was the way to the Bastille where the monument sits today, and the march of Napoleon entered along this route. )

A Rue de Rivoli Window, Paris, by DG Hudson

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Under the Pyramid at the Louvre
From outside in the daytime, you see a striking glass pyramid, but from beneath the pyramid, you view the fractured blue sky.  That's another wing of the Louvre Museum that's showing through the diamond shapes in the photo below.   On sunny days, the sun streams in, highlighting the lobby area beneath and warming the statues.

Through the Pyramid Glass at the Louvre Museum, by DG Hudson

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The Back Gardens at Versailles
Looking out at a view of the back gardens provided another diversion for the guests and residents at the Palace of Versailles. Large windows cooled the interiors of the huge palace galleries, and allowed light to fill the dark palace rooms.  Strolling on the roof and in the gardens was in vogue at the time.  This garden was extensive to provide amusement for the royalty and nobles living here.

Versailles,window and balustrade by DG Hudson

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Arched Windows, in the Hall of Mirrors
The photo below is a reflection in one of the mirrored walls.  Having mirrors in the long gallery make it seem wider than it is.  The gilt on the statues, the natural light from the windows, the chandeliers and the mirrors create a light airy effect.  It works.  Versailles can surprise the visitor, I'm glad it was restored.

Reflection, Hall of Mirrors,Versailles, by DG Hudson

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Windows of Remembrance
Beautiful stained glass windows lighten the interiors of family tombs in Pere Lachaise Cemetery highlighting the fresh flowers placed there with care.  Some private tombs have limited access within for a quiet moment or prayers.





Stained glass Window, Pere Lachaise, by DG Hudson

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Would you like windows that you could customize to any virtual scene you  wanted, as many science fiction novels have speculated?   A sensory package for smells, sounds, etc. would need to be incorporated. I'm sure they would create an app for it. 

Do you notice windows as a design element in architecture?  Windows can also play an important part in a story.  What do you think? Please share in the comments, and thanks for stopping by.

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References:

Rue de Rivoli Post
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/r-rue-de-rivoli-to-z-challenge.html

The Louvre Museum
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/l-louvre-museum-to-z-blog-challenge.html

The Palace of Versailles
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/v-versailles-palace-to-z-challenge.html

Pere Lachaise Cemetery
http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2012/01/paris-pere-lachaise-cemetery.html

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

J = Jean d'Arc - A to Z Blog Challenge

A French Icon. . .

Jean d'Arc statue with Hotel Regina in back - by DG Hudson 


Jean d’Arc (Joan of Arc)


Joan of Arcadia, (French, Jeanne d'Arc) is a national heroine of France.  Born circa 1412 - 30 May 1431, this visionary peasant girl led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, paving the way for the coronation of Charles VII.


After motivating her fellow Frenchmen into action, she was captured by the Burgundians, transferred to the English for money, put on trial by the pro-English bishop and burned at the stake. 


Jean d'Arc was 19 years old.  She wasn't a witch, she was fighting for France, her country. 


The gilded statue of Jean d'Arc and horse can be seen heading east along the Rue de Rivoli, at the Place des Pyramides, a public square in the 1st arrondissement.  This is near the spot where she was wounded at the Saint-Honoré Gate in an unsuccessful attack on English-held Paris, September 8, 1429.





Jean d'Arc, Rue de Rivoli, Paris - by DG Hudson



Twenty-five years after her execution, an Inquisitorial court pronounced Jean d'Arc innocent and declared her a martyr.  Joan of Arc was beatified (blessed after death) in 1909, and canonized (declared a saint) in 1920.


Seeing the gilded statue in front of the Hotel Regina, her commanding presence forcing traffic to route around her, I realized that this was how I had visualized her.  A fierce young woman leading the fight to save her home, her country.


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DG's Theme:  PARIS, ETC  (Art, Film, Places and People)

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How does such a person arise from the general population (male or female)?  Strength of character?  Strength of conviction?  What makes our heroes and heroines stand out?  What do you think?  Please share in the comments.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc  Joan of Arc


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Rivoli,_Paris  Facts about the Rue de Rivoli


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The Right Place - Must Have Been the Write Time



Dragonfly and Fuschias - DGH photo collection



Serendipity = the ability of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident, good luck or good fortune

Odd Happenings = when something unusual happens that would be hard to duplicate for the same effect

This post will explore some of those moments where we feel lucky to be where we are, at the right moment to see a unique event. It is preferable that these events are non-life threatening.


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The Spawning of the Grunions

(San Diego, Mission Bay area, California)

Grunions do a twisting beach dance (by the hundreds) to further their species, and it happens at night on beaches along the California coast from Monterey Bay to as far south as Baja California. The fish can remain stranded and flopping about for several minutes and there are lots of them. Spawning peaks between March and June.

We saw this phenomena on a visit to San Diego years ago, but didn’t know it was a natural cycle until we read about it. It’s a vivid image, and would have been hard to plan for. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me that night.

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Sleek beauty at Air Museum - by DGH

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Chased by Hurricane Ivan 2004

While visiting Atlanta on personal business, I heard storm warnings about Hurricane Ivan, on its way to Atlanta. Planes were being grounded, and flights delayed. I managed to rebook my flight time to leave before Ivan hit later in the day. Things went downhill from there, with the flight I was booked to fly out on being delayed until the winds died down enough for them to land. After the plane unloaded then reloaded, we left late with no promise of making the connection in Chicago.

Arriving in O’Hare, I ran up one terminal arm and down another to arrive at an empty loading area for the airline I was on with one attendant standing there. I went up to verify that I had indeed missed the flight. He confirmed that the flight had taken off on schedule, but (he said) they had come back and were repairing a problem in the braking system. My seat had not been filled, he asked if I wanted to get on board when it left again, expected to be within 15 minutes.

A plane with a problem, hmm, but it was also an opportunity. I boarded, dressed in my usual black travelling outfit, and faced all those rows of staring faces looking at me as if I had been the problem. Not a friendly face in the whole lot. Someone was in my seat, so I was ushered to one in the back. As I settled in to my middle seat between two strangers, the woman on my left leaned over and said in a low voice, “Well, I guess we came back for you.”

I felt a little more relaxed after that, before I saw the title of the movie they were showing -- The Day after Tomorrow (in case you haven’t seen it, it’s about extreme weather conditions causing superstorms and hurricanes all over the world).

My flight reached its destination about an hour and a half late.  The opportunity had paid off, I was home. 

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A Mother Bear and Cubs at the Dump - DGH collection

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Bear Scare

Beware garbage dumps in remote areas, since they represent a supermarket to the wild bears. While coming back from the recreation centre on one side of the small company townsite in north central British Columbia, I took the channel that had been cut in the 21 feet of snow in order to get back to the staff house. Unfortunately, a Grizzly bear had the same idea. I turned around going back to the rec centre, but now another bear was coming toward me from that direction. What to do? Make snowballs of course, hard ones.

“I threw the snowballs first at the bear closest to me, attempting to discourage it without actually hitting it, my main concern being to throw as many as I could while shouting to scare it. The first bear turned and ran, and I followed at a safe distance behind running towards the staff house. He ran past, I went inside. I don’t know what happened to the other bear, it wasn’t in my best interest to wait and find out.”

(Note: this incident happened to a friend who had grown up in the big city, where bears don’t roam free.)

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Owl at Midnight on New Year’s Eve

Owls can be aggressive and especially if you’re near the nest. We’ve been swooped by owls before when walking through one of our natural parks in the Vancouver area. One incident occurred on New Year’s Eve exactly at midnight one year, when an owl sought respite from the noise by landing in a tall tree in our backyard. He sat staring directly at us from his perch, making us wonder what he saw. Food? Humans?

Just in case he was hungry, I hid my cat.

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Rue de Rivoli, Paris - Blanche Nuit - Oct 2/10 - DGH



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Everybody Turn Around

Gridlock on the highway, gas pipeline leak, police officers stop all traffic - just what you want to have happen when you’re out for a drive. Traffic behind us began to accumulate at a rapid pace as nothing moved. The gas leak had to be shut off first.

In the meantime, a few young determined males driving small cars got out of their cars and yelled at everyone to “Turn around, everybody turn around.” What?? The smaller vehicles might have a shorter turning base and be able to wiggle their way around, but no semi or big truck is going to be able to do that.

As about forty of the little cars turned and made their way over to the shoulder, heading back the wrong way, we moved to the front in the space just vacated. Just a couple of minutes after that, the officers cleared the barriers and traffic began to go again.   Bad timing on their part?

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Write it down, analyze it later.  It might be the seed for a writing project.