Ghosts In The Wind

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Ghosts In The Wind ~

Ghosts In The Wind, originally uploaded by Paris Set Me Free.

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Meet Emmanuel. A bell. Not just any bell, you understand. A 13 ton monster which is rung to mark certain ceremonies and on significant occasions. Such as the Liberation of Paris in the 2nd World War, or the day after the 11th September, 2001 following the attacks on New York's Twin Towers.

Climbing the south tower, as anyone may do, allows you to get up close and personal with Emmanuel, although not when he's ringing, obviously. 13 tons is a lot of bell, and it comes from the thickness of the walls - a good armful of metal - and don't bother trying to swing the bell yourself. You might as well piss in a violin (classic and charming French idiom, for your edification) for all the good it would do.

'Being Quasimodo' is probably the number one tourist activity in the bell chamber itself, along with taking pictures of said faux-hunchback and making grinny little 'V' signs if you're Japanese, of course.

Getting to see Emmanuel isn't the easiest of endeavours, and we ended up waiting for ages to squeeze through the one-at-a-time passage way (for both directions) in order to get our chance to live out Hugo's dream...

Luckily, the hidden little square between the two bell towers is replete with mythical beasts - chimera if you will - for all tastes and lenses, from the quite literal - elephants and pelicans - to others which simply defy description and which you will see something of if you follow this blog assiduously. Not that you can miss them.

Emmanuel tolls in a resounding E-flat, and his timbre is eerie and evocative, to say the least. Videos exist of his voice if you care to investigate further, and I suggest you do. After all, describing a bell without hearing it would be like talking about painting without seeing it. My violin metaphor is serving me well today...

And why not...

J è  GRAB MY 20 AMAZING PARIS CURIOSITIES FREE NOW!  ç J

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