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Palais-Royal

24 de November de 2015 — by Carol Pio Pedro — 0

Located in the 1st arrondissement, just a short walk from Musée du Louvre, Palais-Royal was the stage for important events during the revolutionary period.

Originally named Palais-Cardinal after its owner, Cardinal Richelieu, it was constructed between 1629 and 1639, but after the Cardinal´s death the palace became property of the King and its name changed to Palais-Royal, housing royal families up until Palais de Versailles was built.

The property gathers the palace, a theatre, an inner courtyard, galleries and a cozy garden.

Nowadays the main building houses the Ministry of Culture and the Constitutional Council. The regular colonnades are lined with fancy shops and restaurants and they enclose the peaceful garden, with its beautiful fountain and flowerbeds.

19- Palais-Royal 3 — Galeries du Palais-Royal

19- Palais-Royal 4 — Jardin du Palais-Royal

The inner courtyard holds the famous art installation, The Colonnes de Buren, designed by artist Daniel Buren, and it is totally worth a visit!

Palais-Royal is located near many attractions, such as Musée du Louvre and Jardin de Tuilleries. But if you want to explore new spots, it is also a short walk from hidden gems, such as Galerie Vivienne, Galerie Colbert and Galerie Véro-Dodat!

Where: Place du Palais Royal, 75001 Paris
How much: free admission
Metro: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre station (line 1)

Bisous

Carol

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Galerie Vivienne

19 de November de 2015 — by Carol Pio Pedro — 0

Paris has many covered passages and the most famous one is undoubtedly Galerie Vivienne, built in 1823 in the 2nd arrondissement and listed as a historical monument in 1974.

Due to its unique location this gallery (first named as Marchoux) attracted many visitors with its elegant boutiques and fine restaurants, but lost some of the appeal in the early 1900s when luxury stores moved towards Champs-Elysées and Madeleine.

After a renovation in 1960 followed by the inauguration of Jean-Paul Gaultier´s store the gallery recovered its prestigious and nowadays this hidden gem holds exclusive shops, antique bookstores, art galleries and nice bistrots.

The combination of a superb mosaic-tiled floors, hand-carved windows, crystal candelabras and a magnificent glass dome makes it the finest and most sophisticated shopping gallery in Paris.

There are 3 entrances, but the main one (still discreet) is on Rue Vivienne and it can be easily missed on your first visit. Speaking of it, once in this area I suggest a short walk to Place des Victoires and also to the gardens of Palais Royal. Three examples of cozy and quiet spots far from the crowd, but still in the heart of Paris.

Where: 6 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France
How much: free admission
Metro: Palais Royal (lines 1 and 7)

Bisous

Carol

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Wall of Love – Le mur des je t’aime

17 de November de 2015 — by Carol Pio Pedro — 0

The dramatic images from last Friday, when Paris was attacked by terrorists, have been stuck in our heads since then. During those hours of terror we all felt powerless, afraid and brokenhearted. But as the days go by, the way that French people are facing it is admirable and inspiring: they won´t let their lives be influenced by terrorists and are bringing joie de vivre back.

At a time that walls are built as boundaries and used to segregate people, a particular wall especially proposes reconciliation and union among people in the simplest way – and yet the most difficult – love. The work “Le mur des je t’aime” by artist Frédéric Baron and calligrapher Claire Kito is permanently exposed in the hidden little square Jehan Rictus, Place des Abbesses, Montmartre.

Le mur des je t'aime — Le mur des je t’aime

“The wall of love” was built on an area of 40 square meters, consisting of 612 tiles on which the phrase “I love you” is featured 311 times in 250 languages and dialects. The red splashes of color symbolize pieces of broken hearts, that the wall intends to gather. A work dated from 2000. Fifteen years have passed and this issue is more important than ever.

Where: Montmartre, Place des Abbesses, Square Jehan Rictus
Metro: Abbesses station (line 12)
How much: free admission

Bisous,

Carol

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