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Rue Crémieux

Rue Crémieux It’s as if I’m going out again with my old lover. I’m discovering new things about him that I wasn’t aware of before. That’s how I feel about my love affair with Paris . Case in point: Rue Crémieux. Rue  Crémieux  is a sleeping beauty with its cobblestone street, pastel painted fa ç ades, thoughtful murals, potted plants and an air of unhurried pace amidst the bustling Gare de Lyon area.   The concerted efforts of the residents of Rue  Crémieux  to beautify their neighborhood is cause for applause. This is what happens when neighbors commit themselves to a worthy and far reaching goal. I love the illusion of a tree straddling the house as if it always belonged there. Notice the murals on this house. These well thought out personal touches define this neighborhood. To get to Rue  Crémieux, take the metro to Gare de Lyon. Walk down a few blocks along Rue de Lyon which is across from the station and Rue  Crémieux will be on your left side.

Fashion Show/Défilé

The program for the Fall/Winter 2014 Collection One of the unique experiences I had in Paris recently was attending the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann fashion show. Paris is, of course, at the forefront of haute couture so I was thrilled to have the chance to be at the défilé. The show beautifully presented the trends of the season. I was mesmerized by the variety of fun, chic and elegant outfits. The clothes and accessories worn by the models on the catwalk were available at various GL department stores.  By the way, no photos are allowed at the fashion show but I inquired from the usher who seated me about the no photo policy and he informed me that I could take pictures without a flash. It's always good to ask first. The ensemble shown above is categorized as PopTimisme. PopTimisme is defined by rhythm, color, and energy. It evokes New York City's street style. Young fashionistas will be both comfortable and hip in this plaid shirt with cool bl

Rue Thermopyles

 Rue Thermopyles Rue Thermopyles takes its name from Thermopylae, that narrow pass in Greece where a great battle was fought in 480 BC between a handful of Greek warriors under the command of Leonidas and the 150,000 strong Persian army under Xerxes. But that's the end of the similarity - a narrow street. Rue Thermopyles is a tranquil neighborhood with trees climbing up the walls of its houses and covering some of them in rich foliage. The cobblestone street is lined with potted plants. If you continue walking to the end of the street and make a right, you will find these two charming homes one of which is nearly hidden from view by trees and shrubs. In front of these homes is the Alberto Giacometti Park, a small square which is a nice extension to Rue Thermopyles. Paris is a big city with staggering urban growth that comes accompanied by the cacophony of modern day living. It's refreshing to find a haven such as Rue Thermopyles, a little piece of "co

La Coulée Verte

Viaduc des Arts La Coulée Verte or the Promenade Plantée is a 4.5 kilometer trail on what was once an elevated railway track that was decommissioned in 1969. The trail begins at Bastille and continues on to Bois de Vincennes. The Promenade has been planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. Every section has a landscaping theme such as the bamboo grove or the fountains. There are vine covered trellises and enough benches for those who wish to read their newspapers or chat with friends or just hang out.   Of the flowers on the trail, I saw white roses and dark pink double impatiens. There were many shrubs with tiny flowers - one which I noticed looks similar to jasmine but minus the scent. And I was delighted to see holly, so perfect for this season. It's amazing to find many blooming plants this late in the fall.   Bamboo grove I met several joggers along the trail which promises to be a good, long run all the way to Vincennes and back. But walking has its rewards

Love, Love Locks and Paris

L'amour is alive and well but it's beginning to take a toll on the Pont des Arts in Paris. The growing tradition of hanging love locks on bridges around the world has destroyed sections of this footbridge. The city of Paris has previously removed and replaced certain sections of the railing as the locks weighed them down and caused the grates to separate from the railing. The Pont des Arts is checked regularly as damaged railings pose safety issues as well. Some of the locks are fancy and well thought out, some are engraved with the couple's names but most locks are plain and heavy and the names hastily scribbled with a marker. Many locks are now rusty and the names have faded into oblivion. If you arrive in Paris and want to hang your love lock at the Pont des Arts but you didn't bring a lock, worry not. There are lock sellers around the bridge who will gladly sell you one along with postcards and other souvenir items. These resourceful street peddlers

Perigee Moons of 2014

July 12, 2014 What a year it has been for skywatchers. The night sky was ablaze with three perigee moons and two blood moons. It was a challenge to get a photo of la pleine lune  with my simple IPhone camera. I wanted to record a "bigger than life" moon (that's why they're called supermoon) but the zoom feature couldn't really do the job. (I need a DSLR camera.) Here are some impressions from my IPhone and IPad cameras anyway. August 10, 2014, early evening August 10, 2014, against the black of night September 9, 2014 I missed the blood moon and the lunar eclipse on October 8th. Below is a photo I took from the park during my late afternoon walk on the 7th. October 7, 2014  Obviously I was over the moon to have witnessed these natural phenomena. "Tell me the story About how the sun loved the moon so much That she died every night Just to let him breathe." Hanako Ishii *  *  * Images by TravelswithCharie

Antique

One fine September day, my friends and I decided to drive around Panay Island starting from Roxas City. We planned our itinerary to include lunch in Kalibo then drive through Nabas to Pandan in Antique and down the coast to Iloilo City. It was a short drive from Nabas to the border of Antique but it was a long drive down the coast to Iloilo.  And it rained buckets in late afternoon. This didn't dampen our road trip though. Antique is relatively free of traffic and the main road is well paved. There are many old bridges to cross along the way, most of the time within sight of the beautiful coastline marked by some rocky beaches. We stopped in the town of Tibiao to see the falls and try bathing in a "kawa". (The kawa is an oversized wok-shaped cauldron formerly used to cook muscovado sugar.) Alas the road up the hill was under construction and the entrance to the falls was closed. We got as far as the zipline where there's a marvelous view of the mounta