Made For Walking

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Made For Walking ~

Made For Walking, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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If I could know how many hundreds or even thousands of kilometres these feet had walked around this city I'd probably be surprised, but over 20 years of Paris passion you tend to get around a bit.

If I added in the metro, my preferred mechanical method of transport, it would be many more. But Paris, if you're in Paris for and because of Paris, is principally a place to walk around. The richness of the landscape and number of wonders within its boundaries must rival any capital in the world, which is why it's the world's number one tourist destination, it is said.

I don't spend too much time looking down on my wanderings but sometimes it can ground you to see what's going on under your feet, and those of you who follow my Paris plaques and drains and sidewalk graffiti series over on Paris If You Please will know what I mean.

You might also think i should really treat myself to a new pair of trainers, and I agree, although the rescued photo makes them look rather dirtier than they really are, honest!

The solitary leaf (beech?) was nature's doing, and autumn 2012 has been particularly splendid this year. The cigarette butts bear witness to the French's love affair with another kind of leaf.

There are many things you only notice when you're on foot which is why I'll continue to dirty my footwear whatever the weather, and let you know what I find.

And why not...

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

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© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

RDV 2013

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ RDV 2013 ~

RDV 2013, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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Poor old Samaritaine, we are all asking what she's going to look like when she finally reopens, perhaps next year.

A strange sign has appeared in the night: du soleil dans la nuit; sunshine in the night. Weird. What's that all about, then? The name of the new hotel complex they are currently fabricating behind firmly closed doors? Or some sort of artistic statement. Only time will tell. Or the internet, maybe.

As it is my fond memories lie in the old art department and looking down from up on high at all the galleries receding earthwards - I hope they keep them.

And the superbe Rue de la Monnaie facade has to stay too, hopefully restored to its original splendour, or washed at least.

This grand old dame of the Seine has lain dormant for too long. It's time she danced again, and that superb view from her heights became once more one of the not so secret delights of this sumptuous city. RDV 2013 on the mythical 9th floor of La Samaritaine, hopefully!

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Condorcet. James Condorcet

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Condorcet, James Condorcet ~

Condorcet. James Condorcet, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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Condorcet was a key figure in the age of French enlightenment and rationalism, but had a bit of a hard time of it, dying a mysterious death shortly after the French revolution in 1794.

That's him down in the right-hand corner, a suitably shadowy figure.

As a philosopher, mathematician and one of the first political scientists, he came up with some useful principles on fair voting and genuine results, as well as the Condorcet Paradox.

This latter shows that majority preferences become intransitive with three or more options – it is possible for a certain electorate to express a preference for A over B, a preference for B over C, and a preference for C over A, all from the same set of ballots.

Huh? It's the same as you saying you prefer Paris to New York, New York to London, but London to Paris. Illogical captain. How can this be possible? Well, it's easy enough, if you just introduce a bit of real world context.

You might prefer Paris to New York for its history, New York to London for its vibrancy, but London to Paris at Christmas because your family always meets up there... Similar circumstances can be imagined for the three election candidates above, based on their stances on various issues as well as their broader political allegiances.

Towering above Condorcet is Bond, Daniel Bond, in a similar stance. Paris loves to surprise me with these intemporal coincidences, and does so all the time. As it were.

Which isn't bad because it allows us one more illustration of the Condorcet Paradox. I'm quite certain, given the choice of three equally alluring Bond girls, Mr. B could see fit to prefer any one of them over the other two, for any number of reasons, corporal or otherwise...

Thus endeth, as many paradoxes do, the mystery with the ultimate solution defying logic of any type: we're only human!

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Goodie Goodie Gumdrops

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Goodie Goodie Gumdrops ~

Goodie Goodie Gumdrops, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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The only thing that makes this more than the original work, spotted in the Pièce Unique gallery in Paris, is two things, or three if you like.

First the fortuitous blue reflections over the eyes of the girl on the right. I don't know how they got there or even what they are but there they are and all the better for it if you ask me.

The second thing is the gorgeous grain. No, in fact it's not gorgeous if you look closely, it's horrendous jpeg interference but from a distance it's not too bad, and All My Own Work.

And finally is the fact that I experienced the original, imagined by the artist perhaps looking at these girls looking at him. I then recorded it and sent it out in another form and now here you are contemplating it in your turn.

Who are these girls? Is it a mirror reflection? Are they the same person? What was the artist trying to say, if any more than that he or she could paint a beautiful picture? And yet there's something strange, almost disturbing about it too, I don't know, nothing evil or sinister, just... disquieting. Maybe it's that direct double gazing that gets me. And they're huge - wall-sized, maybe that's it too. Or maybe it's their little button noses and rosebud lips - almost too perfect for their own good. Naughty little girls!

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Growls From The Underground

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Growls From The Underground ~

Growls From The Underground, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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Ahh, it was about time I offered you a picture of our good old Paris public transport system methinks.

This helpful sign gives us some useful tips on having a safe journey, such as not getting off the train when it's moving, ditto for when it's not at a station, and of course not getting on when the door-closing alarm is sounding.

The last one is a bit of a joke, as everyone jumps on and off at the very last second, often getting their bags or themselves trapped in the doors. And what's even funnier is that the driver amuses him or herself by not reopening them so that the munched person panics like mad while half the carriage desperately tries to extract them from their predicament. Ho ho.

The RER - the big suburban trains - are the only ones where I am officially allowed to take my dog, who's quite a big one, but he needs to have a muzzle on, according to the powers that be. The problem is he hates it and is far less calm with it on, desperately trying to remove it, than without, when he snoozes.

Yesterday a whole bunch of 'controllers' got on and I forced poor Dasco to suffer his muzzle for half an hour and the ticket inspectors never even arrived. Oh well. Maybe they got stuck in the doors. Now that would be funny...

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Grrr, Purr, Hooo!

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Grrr, Purr, Hooo! ~

Grrr, Purr, Hooo!, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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There's two side to it. On the one hand I always wonder who actually buys these things, be they alluring young ladies sprawled across lush sofas or wall-sized pictures of owls and lionesses.

On the other, I'm glad they do, or at least that there is enough of a market for the things to produce such intriguing window displays as the one we see here.

Apart from the fact that it's an interesting combination of images, it's still mainly other people's work, which is why I played around with the picture a little more than usual. Looking at it now I reckon I've gone a bit over the top, but hey, if you're gonna use a special effect, why hold back.

As a matter of interest, if you wanna see what she really looks like, squint, and the effect becomes less obvious - it's a trick photographers use to see what the contrasts will look like in the final image, but you didn't want to know that, you just wanted to tell me that this image is... the sort of thing you like in your daily dose of the Paris streets... or not.

More of the same unpredictable images tomorrow or later today - what will it be?! The Eiffel Tower, perhaps? Hmm, probably not...

And why not...

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

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© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.

Not So Mellow Yellow

Paris iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Not So Mellow Yellow ~

Not So Mellow Yellow, a photo by Paris Set Me Free on Flickr.

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Personally, I'm a big fan. Of unusually painted Wallace fountains in Paris, that is.

So far in my collection I have a violent pink, a yummy yellow (above), two red and a grey in addition to umpteen greens of course.

I was amazed to discover that these fountains can be found all over the place, in sometimes surprising colour schemes. No such luck for Paris though, where bottle green is standard issue, and the aforementioned colours are supposed to be strictly temporary, symbolising the regeneration of the once-run-down 13th arrondissement of the city.

Personally, I'd like to see even greater variety, although I guess you can have too much of a good thing and the novelty value would probably wear off after a bit.

The one thing I'm missing from my (Paris) collection is a couple of special Wallace fountains without the lovely ladies, in order to save money, and featuring simple columns instead.

There are other drinking fountains in the city, but there's something special about these ones, and the crazy colours adds a little bit of modern magic to the legend.

Personally, I think there should be a bright purple one, just for the hell of it; blue would seem weird but interestingly celestial and certainly watery. Then the only thing missing from the rainbow collection would be orange, which I can see vividly in the form of big splashy satsuma spots on an existing green specimen. As ever, unusual sightings are always welcome - keep me informed and I'll try to do the same for you.

And why not...

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

_________________________________________________________________________________
© 2012 Sab Will / Paris Set Me Free - Contact me directly for photo tours, interviews, exhibitions, etc.