Paris' Chinatown (Quartier Chinois)

Paris has a chinatown (actually two of them). In the 13th arrondissement, its axis is from Avenue de Choisy and Avenue d'Ivry all the way down to Porte d'Ivry. The second photo is taken in a Buddhist ceremonial hall where traditional music is played often during the week. This area in the 13th is inhabited by at least 50,000 Chinese, Vietnamese and Laotian nationals. Another Chinatown area has settled in the Bellevue area in the 19th arrondissement.

On our short walking tour yesterday, we were shown several areas of the Chinatown in the 13th including a Buddhist temple as well as a Mandarin social center. The first photo is one of the God of good luck found in the Mandarin center. Their view of reincarnation and reaching "nirvana" was very eye opening.

Pont Neuf

Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris. The bridge is composed to two separate spans, one of five arches joining the left bank to Ile de la Cité, another of seven arches joining the island to the right bank. The bridge was begun in 1578 by King Henry III. It was completed in 1607 and inaugurated by King Henry IV.

At the point where the bridge crosses Ile de la Cité, there stands a bronze equestrian statue of King Henry IV of France. This statue was destroyed in 1792 during the French Revolution, but was rebuilt in 1818. The statue is named le Vert-Galant in honor of Henry IV, nicknamed the "Green Gallant".

Paris Métros

For the infrequent traveler to Paris, I thought I'd put up a few photos of the Métro signage. I know that several years ago I was looking for the nearest Métro and couldn't find it. Yet, there it was right in front of my eyes directly across the boulevard. The problem was that I was looking for a certain type of Métro sign like the one here to the right, but as you can see there are many types of signage for the Métros.

Paris Passages

Paris has two dozen "passages" in various parts of the city. Most were built in the late 1800's when Paris' unpaved roads were filled with horses. This created an unpleasant atmosphere for shoppers, especially when it rained. One after another these covered alleyways were built. Today they host a variety of shops from trendy boutiques to quirky specialty shops. The one shown here is located at 10 rue St. Marc and 11 blvd Montmartre. It has uniquely historical offerings ie, old postcards, stamps and several quaint restaurants.

Navigo

The Carte Navigo is free (gratuite) for residents of Paris and Isle-de-France. The pass can be credited at ticket booths and machines for weekly (hebdomadaire) or monthly (mensuelle) use. If you don't have a French address you can still purchase a carte navigo découverte for 5 euros and then replenish it with weekly or monthly credits. You'll need a passport size photo to be attached to the card in order to make the purchase. Once you have it you can use it over and over again. If you're a regular traveler to Paris, consider getting one rather than buying the metro tickets. It is good on all public transportation. Above left is a photo of the Navigo-only turnstile that is in most of the métro stations entrances.

Pont Mirabeau

The French began building this bridge in 1895 during the Presidency of Sadi Carnot. It connects the 15th adn 16th arrondissements. There are three arches and the principal arch has a span of 93 meters. Interestingly, there are four allegorical statues. The one in this photo is the symbol of "Paris".

Allée des Cygnes

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in Paris with 46F (8C) temperature with lots of sun. We took a walk on "allée des cygnes" a small island on the Seine river that runs under le Pont de Bir-Hakeim and le Pont de Grenelle. Everyone and their dogs were out for a Sunday afternoon walk.

An interesting sight was the replica of the Statue of Liberty at the very southern end of the island. This statue was a gift from Americans living in Paris and dedicated on July 4, 1889. In a symbolic sense, this recently restored American gift closes the circle of gift giving that was luanched by the French in the 1860's with the gift of Miss Liberty.

Paris in the Winter

Some people wonder why you would spend time in Paris during the Winter months. Well, for one thing, there are certainly less tourists. There are hardly any lines (queues) at museums, art events nor at the unual touristy locations. Secondly, in the past several years the temperatures have been much higher in Paris than certainly New York or Chicago. We saw snow only once and it was gone by the afternoon. This is a perfect time of the year to get to know your arrondissement and its specialties.