Tag Archives: Gustave Eiffel

Art Nouveau and Aerodynamics in Auteuil

Posted on November 3, 2019 by

The southern reaches of the 16th arrondissement might be considered the Wild West of Paris. Auteuil was largely countryside when Haussmann was at work on central Paris, and his ideas about tidy facades that lined up neatly never stood much … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris architecture, Paris history, Paris quartiers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Doomed Attempt at Out-Eiffelling Eiffel

Posted on November 16, 2014 by

Even before its inauguration on March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was world famous. Loved by some, reviled by others, it would be the world’s tallest building until New York’s Chrysler Building took the lead in 1930. Of course, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris architecture, Paris expositions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Buttes Chaumont: The Park for the People

Posted on May 26, 2013 by

Although it lacks the aristocratic pedigree of some Paris parks, the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement is my favourite. The Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes were formerly royal domains for hunting. But the Buttes … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris parks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Mystery of the Missing Suspension Bridges of Paris

Posted on November 25, 2012 by

In the first half of the nineteenth century, France was a world leader in the design and construction of suspension bridges. And yet today not a single one of Paris’s nineteenth-century suspension bridges over the Seine remains. Why? It was … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris bridges, Paris history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Merry Christmas and don’t forget the bûche de béton

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

I hope some of you enjoyed the traditional French Christmas treat, the bûche de Noël (Christmas log), as we did. But let’s not forget another great French tradition: the bûche de béton. Or as some would call it: faux bois. … Continue reading →

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

French advertising postcards (I’ll drink to that)

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

With our flat only steps away from the Garden of the Champs Elysées near Avenue Gabriel, it was inevitable that we would meet. How could I resist colour so wonderfully lurid in a science-fiction/absinthe sort of way? My eyes didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris film, Paris food, Paris popular culture, Paris postcards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Finding the world in Paris postcards

Posted on February 11, 2011 by

Last week we showed a picture of a bridge, which was on my list of must-sees in Paris. And I wondered how many of those who flock to the Eiffel Tower also visit the 1867 suspension bridge over the artificial … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris bookstores, Paris bridges, Paris flea markets, Paris history, Paris nostalgia, Paris parks, Paris postcards, Paris shops | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Are these the souvenirs I left behind?

Posted on January 21, 2011 by

Last week’s blog talked about some of the things we have brought home from Paris. But I have also left behind many fascinating and varied things. I have photos of some, but even when I don’t, their memories are still … Continue reading →

Posted in Paris bookstores, Paris flea markets, Paris popular culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments