Author Archives: Parisian Fields

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About Parisian Fields

Parisian Fields is the blog of two Toronto writers who love Paris. When we can't be there, we can write about it. We're interested in everything from its history and architecture to its graffiti and street furniture. We welcome comments, suggestions, corrections, and musings from all readers.

The balcony scene

The painter Gustave Caillebotte and his brother, photographer Martial Caillebotte, loved balconies. They frequently painted and photographed people standing on ornate balconies overlooking wide boulevards, gazing down at the passing scene below.* And sometimes they set up an easel or … Continue reading

Posted in Paris art, Paris automotive, Paris civic functions, Paris streets | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Don’t go there

On a recent trip to Paris, we arranged to meet up with a friend, a Canadian architecture-school librarian. As the three of us wandered about Montmartre, she asked us an intriguing question: “What are those spiked things for?” I replied, … Continue reading

Posted in Paris crime, Paris streets | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A palace of commerce and a 1904 rendez-vous

“Dimanche soir – reçu lettre ce matin. Compte sur toi pour mercredi. Embrasse tous. Jean.” Sunday night – received letter this morning. [I] count on you [to come] on Wednesday. Love to all, Jean. The date on the postmark is … Continue reading

Posted in Paris history, Paris postcards, Paris quartiers, Paris shops, Paris streets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Rattled in Raspail (adventures in banking)

In 1910, Stephen Leacock wrote a short story called, “My Financial Career,” which began with the words, “When I go into a bank I get rattled. The clerks rattle me; the wickets rattle me; the sight of the money rattles … Continue reading

Posted in Paris travel | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Traces of tragedy on a quiet street

Not many people walk the length of the rue Jean Goujon in the 8th arrondissement. Either they are strolling along the river, or gazing at the likes of the Christian Dior boutique on avenue Montaigne (fashion central), the next street … Continue reading

Posted in Paris churches, Paris history, Paris streets | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Signs of Paris

On the first day of our first shared trip to Paris, signs such as this made me realize we were walking through history. We had bought the makings of a picnic lunch, which we ate on a park bench. We … Continue reading

Posted in Paris history, Paris popular culture, Paris streets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cheap eats

The very first time we went to Paris as a couple, we took along a book called Cheap Eats in Paris by Sandra Gustafson. This was in the days before the Internet and iPhones made restaurant recommendations easy to find, … Continue reading

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The photograph I didn’t take

It was winter and we were walking back to our rented apartment in the 14th arrondissement from Monoprix, with a borrowed buggy filled with basics – toilet paper, dried pasta, yogurt. We traipsed down a road called rue Campagne Première. … Continue reading

Posted in Paris art, Paris film, Paris history, Paris streets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jules Verne in the Métro

As a young boy, I longed to live in the fantastic worlds of Jules Verne, to explore the depths of the ocean in the Nautilus with Captain Nemo. I had not told Philippa this, but as we set off to … Continue reading

Posted in Paris history, Paris metro, Paris museums | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Nine minutes, twenty-one seconds

A recent New York Times article pointed out that the traditional division of Paris into Left Bank / Right Bank might be giving way to a more East-West distinction. (Some people will say that has long been the case.) And … Continue reading

Posted in Paris gardens, Paris history, Paris maps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments