The cascade

Although not a band, it sounds like a good name for one. Here is a moment of zen.

The Streets

I have only ever been a casual listener of the streets but seeing them perform live (and for their last time in Paris) they were AWESOME. I wish I could figure a way to see them again. Mike Skinner was a great performer, was really entertaining and quite ebullient.

Interpol

Absolutely great performers who sound like they sound. They weren't too talky but then they were there to sing and sing they did and were quite nice with the audience. 

Arctic Monkeys

I bet that you look good on the dance floor. They were really great musicians but need to work on their stage craft. No charisma whatsoever.

Fair rain

There was no rain forecast for the day. Unfortunately as always. the weather men lied. 

Polock

Cool band from Barcelona

Paris Rock en Seine

Death in Vegas - so cool and completely music and light based. 

At the foot of the tree covered hill is where the four stages of the festival are placed, all surrounding it

Seasick Steve, very much american rock. He was a real tramp as he left home at 13.

CSS - the girl is nuts - but great energy

Yesterday was the first of the three day music festival of Rock en Seine. It is at Parc de Saint-Cloud technically just out side of Paris ( just across the Seine). I have discovered three new bands which are fantastic, seen a few more already I liked, and watched a megaband, who put on a great show, but I just wasn't that interested. Respectively Seasick Steve, Herman Düne, Death in Vegas, the Kills, CSS, Kid Cudi, and the Foo Fighters (blah). Overall a great day, except for the bit of rain which constantly threatened and only made good on the threat after Seasick Steve and Death in Vegas (which was the last show of the night)

Point Éphémère

Williamsburg Brooklyn take note. You could use a space like this on the East River.

J'adore les nuages

/-)

The end is near

 While on the way to work today I noticed that these stalls, typically occupied by vendors of aluminum necklaces, soaps, trinkets, needlepoint initials, and things as such, were being broken down. Also today they began to break down Paris Plage which is the beach they create along the conduit that runs along the Seine for about a mile. I also noticed all of these kids, some church youth group of sorts walking around with their backpacks, sleeping mats, and hiking gear all upon them, and noticed this horde of them all breaking up, seemingly having just returned to Paris from their outward bound trip.  So this is marking the beginning of the end of summer. It doesn't mean that any of the restaurants have opened quite yet, but next week, the first of September, life will be back in full swing dans la ville.

Granny

"Mia’s family was more than useful to the girls when they arrived in Paris in 1964. The first person they contacted was Dorian Leigh, another legendary model. At Ms. Leigh’s wedding they sat beside the couturier Louis Féraud, who improbably invited them to model their designs in his next runway show. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/fashion/vicky-tiels-40-year-career-in-fashion.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&smid=fb-share

Working River

On the way to work this morning

 

Walking to work this morning (at 5:30) it was not only dark , but completely empty. I have never seen St. Michel empty. This is the equivalent of union square being quiet with not a soul to be seen at 5 am. I thought I was maybe walking through someone's dream sequence/disaster film,/alien invasion/body snatcher/parallel universe set. It was quite cool, but made me keep looking over my shoulder.

Character shoes

For those fans of Opera, you may or may not recognize the basis of Opera for all female performers, character shoes. Basically to keep these divas out of the air and onto the floor some little man decided that these performers would have to wear, quite possibly the ugliest shoes on earth (next to toe shoes of course). I happened upon a whole store of them in the Marais. I think they might still be considered fashionable by some doyennes of the Octogenarian set.

And then the last picture is of a pretty flower, kind of like sorbet to cleanse the palate, except this is to scrub out your eyeballs.

At the Flea

 

Here is a downlight which is used to curb light pollution, very nice.  And then there were a couple of these bizarre buildings which I am assuming had to be built like this as the received the air rights, but not the land rights? Weird...Haussman wouldn't be proud.

The Archives Nationale

It was nice to be able to go into the archives and see what the place was like. Typically the archives are closed to the public but as it is a holiday they opened them up so folks could walk through, look at the gardens and enjoy. They are building a new modern archives just outside of Paris, and once that is open this archive will hold only ancient records. There is also a rumor that the government might sell the building (a hotel particulier) to become a hotel. Hmmm. It would be a beautiful place to stay.

Summertime in Paris

This is what the high summer has looked like so far here. Hmmmm

A couple of places in Paris

St. Germain, and the Metro near Monmartre ligne 12