Our lockdown here in France has changed again. We are no longer required, before going out of the house, to fill out a sworn statement specifying what time we left our house, our address, and the purpose of our outing (groceries, doctor's, pharmacy, etc.). Instead of being allowed out for only three hours a day, we no longer have a time restriction during daylight hours.
However, all of France is under curfew from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. every day. We're not allowed out in public between those hours unless we fill out and sign a form (une attestation) specifying that our outing has to do with going to or coming home from work, dealing with a medical emergency, or providing aid and assistance family members or other people in need of help.
This must be a lot easier for the gendarmes to enforce, since nearly nobody is authorized to be on the streets after 8 p.m. Over the past few weeks and months, Walt and I have been very careful to fill our the form with the required information, but neither of us has actually been stopped or questioned by anybody. Face coverings are required indoors (except at home).
Speaking of being out on the streets, here are some photos that I took in Paris back in the days when we were allowed full freedom of unmasked movement.
The building at 27, quai Anatole France, between the Palais Bourbon and the Musée d'Orsay
The Palais Bourbon is where the French Assemblée nationale meets. Across the river is the place de la Concorde.
Stepping out of the Cour Carrée du Louvre to cross the rue de Rivoli into the rue de Marengo
Around the Louvre
On the rue du Louvre
At the place du Châtelet
Some of these dry brush effect photos would be great enlarged, placed on canvas on hung on a wall. I wonder when the re-gilding started in Paris for architectural detail(photo #4). For New York, I think the late 1980s. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of re-gilding was done in Paris in preparation for the 200th anniversary of the 1789 French Revolution. So same time-frame as for NYC.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be fun to see myself in one of your street scenes of Paris!
ReplyDeleteIf you see yourself, be sure to let me know.
DeleteI never think about the Place du Châtelet street area... only the Metro station! LOL It's true for me that, because I spent so much time on the Metro when I was living there, that I never got a feel (at all!) for where things are in relation to each other, just walking around the streets (except for a few areas). You, of course, have spent countless hours walking (and driving) around Paris!
ReplyDeleteYes, countless hours and uncounted kilometres.
DeleteSome years ago, Ken recommended that I try the bus rather than the métro so I could look around. It helped a lot with my notion of where things are in Paris. (Merci, Ken, bonne idée.)
DeleteVery scenic! After several trips to Paris, I too switched from the metro to the bus system when it was practical.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started going to Paris, it cost twice as much — two tickets instead of just one — to take the bus compared to take the metro. So, being a poor student, I took the metro everywhere. Then in 1974 or '75 the city started selling monthly passes called the Carte Orange, which gave us unlimited access to the metro and the buses for a flat rate. So I started to ride the bus a lot. Having the monthly pass meant I could jump off the bus anytime I wanted to when I saw an interesting neighborhood or a market or a landmark from the window of the bus. Then I could jump back on and continue my ride. It was quite liberating. I still used the metro when I was in a hurry, but the buses were a lot more interesting and more fun.
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