An early morning stroll in Paris from Bastille to Place des Victoires finds some interesting street art on the side of a building. It must have needed scaffolding and perhaps a hoist for the artist to have painted this vertical triptych so high off the ground.
Just down the street from Place des Victoires is Galerie Vivienne, which is always worth a wander through. Although it is bright and sunny this morning, walking though the stone floored arcade is bone-chillingly cold. Since I last visited, a trendy Italian Trattoria, “Daroco” has taken over Jean Paul Gaultier’s atelier workshop. Judging by the interior fitout, no expense has been spared!
Other than seeing the army patrolling around Place des Vosges yesterday morning, the police presence has been quite minimal on the streets. Walking past Cirque d’Hiver (the Winter Circus) is the first time I see obviously armed police in this area of the Left Bank. There is a long line of families with kids waiting to go to the circus.
Canal St Martin is an easy walk from Bastille, if you like walking. On a beautiful winter’s day in Paris like today, it is well worth the effort. The canal is flat and glassy, making for some nice reflections.
Just before sunset, the clear conditions make it a good day to venture up to the terrace at the Institut du monde Arab. It’s free, and the toughest thing is waiting in the cold for the light to drop enough to allow some traffic trails to be seen alongside the Seine, before the building closes at 6pm. Waiting for the light to change has some unexpected rewards – I can see a woman walking a pot-bellied pig along the riverside. I’m sure she came from one of the river boats moored alongside the quais! The two images below were taken within 20 minutes of each other.
