Category Archives: Paris metro

Designer of the invisible

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Parisian Fields

When you arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, one of the first things you will see is the work of a man who died on September 10 of this year: Adrian Frutiger, type designer. You won’t give it a … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris history, Paris metro, Paris travel | Tagged Adrian Frutiger, André Gürtler, Arcueil, Bernard Parmegiani, Bruno Pfäffli, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Charles de Gaulle airport, Deberny and Peignot, Erik Spiekermann, Helvetica, Henk Gianotten, Herculaneum, Iridium, Mark Simonson, Ondine, Paris metro, Paul Andreu, Peignot, Roissy, Serifa, Univers, Versailles typeface, Villa Moderne | 19 Comments

The blessings of a Navigo card

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Parisian Fields

I spend a fair bit of time on transit. Getting to work three days a week involves a 10-minute bus ride followed by a 20-minute subway trip. Downtown appointments mean a 30-minute streetcar ride. The Toronto Transit Commission buses are … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris metro, Paris travel | Tagged Arts and Métiers, Gregor Dallas, Ina Caro, Lapin de la RATP, Lorànt Deutsch, Metrostop Paris, Monmartrobus, Navigo card, Paris metro, Passy, RATP, Toronto, Toronto Transit Commission, trams, TTC, Tuileries | 24 Comments

Remembering the Great Paris Flood of 1910

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Parisian Fields

This blog is dedicated to my son Alex, his wife Dawn, and their two children who, on September 12, 2013, were evacuated from a home to which they can not return to escape the ravages of the Colorado flood. With … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris history, Paris metro, Paris streets | Tagged 1910 flood, Austerlitz viaduct, Boulevard St. Germain, Gare d'Orsay, Lambert gymnasium, Paris flood, Red Cross, rue de Montaigne, rue du Bac, rue Félicien David, rue Gros, rue Michel-Ange, rue Surcouf, Saint Sulpice Seminary | 10 Comments

The once and future Paris transport museum

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Parisian Fields

The huge Maison de la RATP on the quai de la Rapée has a sweeping view of the Seine and an impressive central atrium in which are positioned a few examples of historic trams and omnibuses. What it does not … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris metro, Paris museums | Tagged AMTUIR, Association pour le Musée des Transports Urbains, Chelles, Clive Lamming, Colombes, et Ruraux, Francois Siegel, Gare de Lyon, Harry Beck, Hector Guimard, Interurbains, Lapin de la RATP, Lapin du Metro, Les archives inédites de la RATP, les Halles, London Transport Museum, Maison de la RATP, Malakoff, Metro Insolite, Musée national des transports urbains, Paris metro, poinçonneur, poinçonneuse, RATP, Saint-Mandé, Univers de Leo | 11 Comments

An Unbuilt Bridge and the Allure of Paris

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Parisian Fields

The bridges crossing the Seine are a major part of Paris’s beauty. Could a bridge that was never built also be an asset? Consider the magazine headline below. What does it tell us about Paris and tourism when in July … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris bridges, Paris metro | Tagged Frigorifique, Institut de France, Jules Després, Opéra Garnier, Paris metro, Paris padlocks, passerelle des Arts, Place de l'Opera, Pont des Arts, Popular Mechanics | 16 Comments

Ticket to ride

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Parisian Fields

Here’s a question for contestants in a game of “Connaissez-vous Paris?” How many railway stations are there in Paris? Most people would say six: St-Lazare, Nord, Est, Lyon, Austerlitz, and Montparnasse (the original version of this station is shown above). … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris history, Paris metro, Paris travel | Tagged Alan Sutton, Auteuil, Boulainvilliers, Chemin de Fer de Vincennes, Courcelles-Levallois, Denfert-Rochereau, Gare de Reuilly, Gare de Vincennes, Gare du Pont Mirabeau, Gare Montparnasse, Gare St-Lazare, gares paris, Javel, Paris et ses 50 Gares, Paris railway stations, Paris train stations, Pascal Lambérieux, Passy-La Muette, Pereire-Levallois, Petite Ceinture, Place de la Bastille, Port-Royal, railway line, railway stations, railway travel, Réseau Express Régional, Roger-Viollet, Sceaux, Verneuil l’Etang, Viaduc des Arts | 5 Comments

Dateline Paris 1900: The Astounding Moving Electrical Sidewalk

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Parisian Fields

In 1900, if you were lucky enough to have a ticket such as this one—and almost fifty million people did—you were in for an astounding treat. Paris and France went all out to make the Paris Universal Exposition the biggest … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris expositions, Paris metro, Paris popular culture | Tagged 1900 Exposition Universelle, Anne Friedberg, Charles Rearick, Eiffel Tower, electric lighting, moving sidewalk, Palais de l’Électricité, Paris metro, Place de l’Ecole Militaire, Pont Alexandre III, trottoir roulant | 6 Comments

Jules Verne in the Métro

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Parisian Fields

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 →