Arses On The Grasses

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Arses On The Grasses ~

Arses On The Grasses, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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This chap seemed rather incongruous lying on the lawn in full shirt and slacks bedecking when most of the people around that day were in shorts and summery attire.

I thought I'd play with the angle a bit to set him off jauntily with the somewhat stern statue in the background. So laid back he's falling over.

Paris parks get invaded at this time of year and the ban on lying on the grass has long gone from many of them so it's a fairly free for all, although some places, like the Parc Buttes Chaumont, seem to get more than their fair share of sun worshippers.

I was in the Jardin de Luxembourg the other day and saw a couple of people getting peeped at by a whistle-branding Nazi park attendant for the crime of sitting under a tree on one of their sacred lawns. I guess when there are hundreds of free chairs all over the place they feel justified in keeping some things taboo like in the good old days... what do you think?

And why not...

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

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© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Paris Or Bust

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Paris Or Bust ~

Paris Or Bust, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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Grabbed this one because it had the obvious reference to the capital, as well as the fact that there was a collection of little shops like the red one in the background with the names of countries such as Canada, the US, China and Japan emblazoned above the door. Travel agents, maybe?

This Morris column wasn't slowly turning as some of them do but it's still an iconic piece of Parisian street furnuture as famous as Wallace fountains and men's open air urinals used to be!

And why not...

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

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© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Holey Stone, Facman!

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Holey Stone, Facman! ~

Holey Stone, Facman!, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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A magical holey stone splodging out water is backdropped by some enigmatic graffiti on an official-looking building. What can it mean? I've no idea but it's the sort of thing you come across in the studenty area of the 13th/5th arrondissements of Paris - unusualness. The 'Fac' in the title of this post stands for 'Faculty', by the way, as in 'Faculty of Medicine' which is what the French call their universities in common parlance.

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Life's A Drag

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Life's A Drag ~

Life's A Drag, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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'Moon Vape', this place is called, and I actually saw someone puffing on a so-called electronic cigarette the other day as we waited, stranded, for a bus to take us around the recent train derailment disaster at Bretigny to the south of Paris, just down the road from me.

I don't really understand them. For one thing, why are they 'electronic', and secondly, what are people actually in- (and ex-) haling, if you please? Another type of smoke? Steam? Moondust? Some other strange brew? Yes, I know I could look it up, but then again so can you, and I prefer speculating.

This boutique isn't the first I've seen in Paris so it looks like it's a bit of booming business at the moment. And if it reduces people's cravings and / or consumption it must be a good thing.

Although probably like artificial sweetenters they'll find out soon that electronic cigarettes are even worse for you than the real thing, you mark my words.

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Wildlife Wilderland

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Wildlife Wilderland ~

Wildlife Wilderland, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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I like the 'V' my legs make with the bench edge, as well as the repetition of bench and legs at bottom and top of the shot. I'm also rather pleased you can't see quite how filthy my trainers are, which is a relief.

The legs top left belong to a boules (or pétanque) player, complete with fancy-pants magnet on a string device for picking up said boule without breaking yer back. Genius.

Other essential items for this game appear to be a cloth for dusting down the weapons before firing them and a tape measure for those delicate moments of high drama when they can't quite work out whose balls are closer to the puck, I believe it's called.

There are a wide range of shots you can fire, from the subtle aerial dropdown attempting to land the thing and have it stay there, to the vicious smash-em-to-smithereens approach aiming to nuke all the other balls out of the, err, ballpark. Squirrels, forage at your own risk!

And why not...

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

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© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Fish Head Foolery

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Fish Head Foolery ~

Fish Head Foolery, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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I kind of liked the shape the sky made through the leaves and the statue's contours. The tree, I see in retrospect, is the 'earlobe' tree, or something like that, which is quite rare in Paris and was a question I did for a 25 part quiz on Parc Montsouris a few years back. I'll have to do another one soon, I think, it was fun.

I also processed it quite heavily with an oldie, rather washed out sepia sort of effect, just for a change. Like it or leave it, but I think it's ok.

The statue was awkwardly positioned against the greenery so I couldn't get a better silhouette effect than I have or maybe I'd have gone for that. But then again I didn't want to lose the detail of this busty maiden grappling with a huge fish head (or is she riding it?) - good grief, who dreams up these things? Probably biblical or mythical at the very least. Which is where my knowledge stops, and this post likewise.

And why not...

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

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© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Ball Holding Patterns

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Ball Holding Patterns ~

Ball Holding Patterns, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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In any given Parisian park with a bit of rough ground you're likely to see groups of French men grasping, caressing, contemplating and above all tossing their balls with relatively high degrees of passion.

I content myself with regarding the spectacle from the safety of my park bench and feeling I'm somehow edging towards legitimate Parisianship although I've never manhandled the heavy metal spheres in my life, much to my regret; I'd really like to have a go.

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Walk The Walk

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Walk The Walk ~

Walk The Walk, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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The French, to generalise a little, love to walk for various causes and will use many excuses to hit the streets and protest for one reason or another. Especially, it has to be said, for leftist political themes.

The interesting mixture of calls to action on this wall near the Jussieu university in Paris caught my eye, as much for the attractive colours and textures as for the variety of passions on display.

And why not...

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

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© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Jolly Spiffing View, What?

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Jolly Spiffing View, What? ~

Jolly Spiffing View, What?, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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Looking out of the window on the second floor of the British Council in Paris, you see this. A rather incongruous sight of the union jack flying proudly with the Eiffel Tower in the distance on the Esplanade des Invalides...

A British Council chappy, who may actually have been French (chappie?) who was actually serving drinks has snuck in on the left, adding a certain conviviality to the shot. The shadows are pretty. I used to work there, and maybe will again, we'll see.

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2013 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.