The End!

Here we are...! It's been nearly 10 years, though it seems like just yesterday, when I started posting a photo a day of Paris on this blog after I was given a digital camera for my birthday.

It's been a wonderful experience, for many reasons. The main one being the many encounters that it allowed me to make; people from all over the world that became friends. The second reason why I’m grateful to PDP is that it allowed me to improve my photography skills. I had never had any interest in taking photos, but this daily routine forced me to get into it and improve my technique. I still don’t consider myself as a “real” photographer, but I have to admit that I’m proud of some of my shots. And the third reason is more of a personal achievement. I often think of myself as a quitter, someone who starts many things and stops when he is fed up or after the first difficulty arises. Well, after almost 10 years of not missing a single post, here is at least one occasion where I can call myself “a finisher”.

I’ve had the pleasure and honor to photograph everything from street protests to well known Paris monuments, I have also been asked to photograph wedding proposals and traveling monkeys, I’ve been the creator of what you’ve coined the "Tenin perspective" which really began as an easier way to get down on the ground to photograph silly things like gutters and dog poop! And last, but not least, I also had the great pleasure of picnicking along the Seine with PDP followers from around the world every year .

But things do change. For many reasons I've decided to leave Paris and settle down in Senglea, Malta on December 1st, 2014, which makes it difficult to continue this blog - even until its official 10 year anniversary. I would like to thank you all for your presence during these years (some of you have been following PDP - and commenting - since the dawn of “blogging time!”),  wish you good luck for the future - starting with a wonderful 2015, and of course to find a nice replacement for PDP.

I also have a few special thoughts for all of my fellow CDP bloggers - the ones that are crazy enough to do the same in their own city! I wish them good luck for the future and remember not to miss a theme day!! and connect regularly to the portal! So now it’s only fitting that I end this adventure with a photo of the city I truly love as do so many of you. I took it on a summer night from the top of the Montparnasse Tower.

 Au revoir et à bientôt and don’t forget to stay in touch on Facebook.

Grosses bises.

PS : for those of you who are asking for a Malta Daily Photo, well, there won't be one (at least not by me), but stay tuned, I'm sure to come up with something... ;-)

Bastille Metro Station

I have never used the Paris metro as extensively as these past days and I must say, it's really convenient (especially when it's super cold!). For the first time in my life I even found myself on the platform of line 1, at Bastille! A stunning metro station overlooking the Port de l'Arsenal which is where several boats are docked (no, it did not remind me of Malta!). Add the sun to it, and you have a perfect next to last PDP photo ;-)

Back of La Grande arche de la Défense

I went to La Défense yesterday for some last minute shopping (the shopping mall there is the only one opened on Sundays) and I took some time to go up the steps of the Grande arche and look at the sunset on the other side. It was stunning. Now is the time to fly back "home" after a hectic week in Paris. However, it seems that Malta is going to experience the same cold wave that the rest of Europe is experiencing! It's a good thing that blankets were on the shopping list yesterday ;-)

Work in progress

I love how, in Paris, they (building constructors) hide their work in progress behind huge canvases. It's primarily an ad, of course (for a dating site for women), but look at the way they reproduced the windows and even the café awnings and the passage entrance. For a moment you could think they're real. Very clever.

Pine tree at the Eiffel Tower

Between the last minute gifts to buy, the "stuff" from the pharmacy that you can only find in France!, the unavoidable trip to Ikea (to see what kind of kitchens they have!) and the family gatherings, I haven't had a single minute to take a live photo (no kidding!). Today I managed to take a one hour break and since I was passing by the Eiffel Tower, I noticed this weird and sudden pine trees field underneath it ;-) So here you go! Cute... 

Sunset on Place de la Concorde

Nothing much to add... 

Merry Christmas 2014

I already posted this photo on Facebook a few days ago, but I don't resist posting it again here. It's a nativity scene I saw at the stunning Xara Palace (yes, in Malta, not Paris!) and well I really love it. The "grass" is actually bean sprouts. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it.

Back to the cold

Okay, let's be fair, it's not THAT cold in Paris. It's quite mild actually... But I thought it would be, so I prepared this photo, that I found in my stock - I took it in 2007 after I visited the "Texas knitters", a group of women who knit for street furniture (see this post)!! How cool... 

Back "home"?

It's no longer "home", but it's not totally a foreign country either, so I don't really know what to call it anymore! The thing is, however, that I'm back to Paris today, to spend a few days with my family and to complete a few administrative tasks that I did not have the time to complete last month. I will have very little time to take photos, but I will try to, in order to end this blog as beautifully as possible ;-) 

Christmas lights on the Champs Elysées

I could not miss it, could I? By "it", I mean the Christmas lights on the Champs Elysées, a traditional seasonal shot which is very similar years after years... And though, if you've been in Paris recently you will notice that there is something missing in this photo... The Christmas market! For yes, the Christmas market along the Champs Elysées only started 6 years ago and I took this photo in 2007, when it did not exist yet!

Christmas Shopping!

I was looking for a photo to illustrate the chaos of last minute Christmas shopping (the one I always get trapped into!) and I came across this shot, that I don't believe I ever used. I like it because it could have been taken 60 or 80 years ago, in winter, somewhere in Paris (I believe I took it near La Madeleine). I hope you've done all your shopping, if not, good luck!

Nativity scene

Christmas is approaching as you all know and it's not all about buying gifts and eating like a pig!! For the Catholics, it's the celebration of the birth of Jesus. That is why in all churches in the word you find a "Nativity Scene" (une crèche, in French). There is one at the very end of this church (Jean-Baptiste de Pigalle)! A photo I took long ago, so long I don't even remember taking it! Here in Malta, a very very Catholic country, not only churches have Nativity Scenes, but you can also see many everywhere on the island (in people's windows, at roundabouts, etc.)

Packed metro!

In 5 days I'll be back to Paris (yes, already!) to spend Christmas with my family. I won't stay very long, but long enough to experiment a few Metro trips (I have no more scooter in Paris now!). Not exactly what I'm really missing, but I guess it comes with the package. Sorry for the delayed posting again, I had to take my computer to a repair store today and only got it back late...

Macho Paris!

It's a funny bit of news I came across today: a computer guy from Bordeaux, analysed the street names of several cities focusing on the names of them (their first name in particular). He found out, what will probably won't come as a surprise to you: in Paris 90% of the streets that were named after a person were actually attributed to a male!  To illustrate this I found this old photo that I never published (and I understand why when I see how bad it is ;-)) But I had no choice...

Eau de Paris

Funny how the things you now take for granted like water and electricity in a big western country are not that granted everywhere! To be honest, I never paid that much attention to the price of utilities when I was in Paris, because from the very first times I moved into my own place I knew it was something you had to pay and that it was not very expensive. Now that I am in Malta, I had to look into all this with much more attention for they have a different system here: the more you use electricity and water, the more you pay - that is the more each kwh and cubic meter is expensive. This to encourage households to be "reasonable". These bottles are part of the Eau de Paris collection, that you can find at the Pavillon de l'eau in the 16th arrondissement.

Rush hour!

I remember very well when I took this photo. I was on my way to work, it was winter, I was cold, but the sunrise was so beautiful that I stopped for a while and took a few shots. 

Taxi strike (Part 25!)

I just read that Parisian taxis would go on strike this Monday morning to protest a recent judgement that DID NOT prohibit Uber! I know they have a lot of constraints (including the fact that they have to buy the "right to be a taxi" (a licence) for about 300 000 €), but still... I don't think they will will in the end for the population is clearly in favor of alternative solutions; not only because of the price of course, but also because of the poor level of service that regular taxis deliver. I took this photo in 2007. 

Paris giant has left...

Browsing through my old photos, I just came across this one! I originally posted a photo of him in January 2008 and went back recently there to see if he was still hanging, but he had left (he left in June 2010, in fact)! Why did they hang this guy on this school? Because of a legend: a giant called Isoire (or Isoré, or even Issoire which is now the name of the street) used to rob people there in the old times. Someone (Guillaume d'Orange) is said to have chopped his head off, and buried the rest of the body on site! I wish I knew the real story behind this one!

Sunrise on the Tour Saint Jacques

The Tour Saint Jacques is a Paris landmark I often posted on PDP. When I started this blog it was closed, then under repair, then it reopened and now it's fully "operational". Like I already said, this tower is all what remains of the Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie ("Saint James of the butchery") church, which was leveled after the French Revolution. But the most interesting part, if you're a visitor is to visit it and enjoy a view that most Parisians are not even aware of! Check this.

Freeze!

No the title of this photo has nothing to do with the current Paris weather (even though I hear it would be appropriate!), but with a big "street freeze" I photographed at the end of March 2009. It was fun, shame they don't do that anymore... Sorry for the late posting these days, but I've had to get my local Internet subscription, and it was not easy to choose!

To work, or not to work (on Sunday)!

Yesterday, a very controversial law was discussed at the Assemblée Nationale (the French Parliament) presented today to the Conseil des ministres (the government). Why? Because it would allow certain stores to open on Sundays and late at night. This would be limited to touristy areas, but for France it's a serious breach in the "rest on Sunday" habit - even though already 30% of the people work on Sundays (hospitals, firemen, gas/petrol stations...). To illustrate this big debate, I found a photo that I took in La boutique de l'Assemblée Nationale (where the law is going to be discussed in January), a store where you can find many many blue/white/red objects! 

Lost cause...

It's funny to browse through my old photos because it reminds me of many events that took place in Paris during these past 10 years. Hence this demonstration against the anti smoking in public spaces law from 2006! Tobacconists were not too happy about it because they thought it would harm their business! In fact it did not really unfortunately; after a slight drop after 2005, the number of smokers started to increase again...

Driving the metro

I used to very rarely take the metro (I had a scooter in Paris - which is now hopefully on its way to Malta!), but I did from time to time. For me it was almost like a game, especially when I could take the first car and see through the driver's door, like I did in this photo, as you can see! At that time I have a very basic camera, not very good with low light environments, obviously...  

Return to the Kube bar

I hear it's very cold in Paris at the moment, which made me think of a "free will" freezing experience I had once in Paris. I was invited to Le Kube bar, an ice bar located in the 18th arrondissement (but not at all in the touristy part of the 18th arrondissement, which made me doubt about its viability at the time, but I check, they are still in business!). Quite impressive and fun (to do once, in my opinion, but not twice!). Read all about it here.

Croissant anyone?

Before I left for Malta I had to make a movie about the working conditions in bakeries! I then was lucky enough to shoot images during a whole morning in a boulangerie. Here is one of the shots I took. Quite appetizing isn't it?

Courting in the sun!

A few years ago I used to work at the top floor of a large building. On the ledge of my office window, I could often see pigeons "flirting"... Once, I managed to catch a pair on "film". Cute! Even though some people consider that in a city pigeons are no better than rats! Enjoy your weekend everyone, even though for most of you it'll be cold!

Chai 33

I totally forgot about this series of photos that I took at Chais 33, a restaurant located at Bercy Village, an area located in the Eastern part of Paris I already told you about several time. A "chai" is the place were wine is made and stored  (winery in English) and there were lots of them at Bercy in the old days (hence the name of the restaurant). Stunning location.

Winter sky

I hear it's very cold in Paris at the moment... It might even snow a little bit! I thought a typical winter sky was appropriate! I took this photo from les Tuileries if I recall,  

Marché Beauvau

There is a famous market in the Eastern part of Paris called Le marché d'Aligre. Most of it is in open air, but part of it is also sheltered in this covered hall called La Marché Beauvau. Definitely worth a visit, for the market and for the inhabitants of this neighborhood!

Cold and rain!

I took this photo from the first floor of the musée des arts et métiers, a great museum located in one of the Louvre palace wing. Not to be missed if you come to Paris. But the reason one I picked it today is that I looked at the French news today and saw that it was going to be 4°C in Paris today. I thought this was the perfect illustration!