Paris

by streetsofmine

Some photos from France this time. In 2009/2010 i spent a year studying in Paris and fell completely in love with this city. I still remember ascending the stairs at the metro station Issy-les-Molineaux on the day i arrived, not speaking more than a few words of French. Those days are long gone now, but since I’m still living relatively close to France i keep coming back to this city with which i associate so many memories. This year I was lucky enough to get there twice, so the images below were all taken within the past couple of months (on my Fuji x100).

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Walking through the Marais instantly took me back to when i used to stroll these streets every day.paris x100 06

Turning off into a narrow side street i found myself on a Jewish street market. paris x100 07

People were browsing through old books and postcards, others are just having conversation. There even was an art exhibition in one of the rear corners.

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Over the past decades this part of town has changed from an authentic Parisian neighbourhood and the heart of the city’s jewish community to a strange mix of tourist attraction, shopping district and upper-class residential area.

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Different day, different part of town. We spent all day outside, getting a little bit more nostalgic with each hour we walked around.

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When we stopped at Bibliothèque Francois Mitterand at sunset the library’s glass facades were bathed in sunlight, making the building look as if it was glowing from within.

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This is what we looked like in the evenings. Paris can be exhausting.

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A new morning. The following shots are mostly from “Rive Gauche” and the two Seine islands.

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I am a big fan of Parisian street markets and can really advise anyone planning a trip to Paris to consider spending one morning on the Marché de Belleville or some other market.

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Twice a week, the median strip of Boulevard de Belleville turns into an almost endless string of market stalls.

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Fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, spices, fabric or just plain junk … the marketers sell everything, and they sell it passionately.

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The narrow lane leading through this chaos resembles a flooded river.

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Visiting these markets is one of the few remaining ways to experience an authentic part of Paris. Being the only guy carrying a camera might get you some unwanted attention though…

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Shots below are from Marché de Bastille and Marché d’Aligré. Both are much less crazy than Marché de Belleville, which can be a good thing when your idea of buying groceries doesn’t include close body contact with strangers.

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Different day again. Paris transforms into an entirely different city as soon as it begins to rain.

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Heavy rain might in fact be your only chance to get a photo of the Tuileries and the Louvre without one single tourist crossing the frame…

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Some last shots from Gare de l’Est, where I usually take a few more pictures before I depart.

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Wow this entry has gotten way too long, hope you liked some of the pictures! Thanks for watching!