Parisian perspectives with Karine

Karine - Le Pont Neuf (the New bridge)

7:00 AM - Karine, runner from Quebec, chose to make a Paris Running Tour to prepare the half marathon of Montreal, very close, and also, of course, to take advantage of the sports visit to discover the charm of a Parisian circuit.

What beautiful perspectives offered by the morning sun! Look at the photo above with the light beginning to enlighten the "Pont Neuf" (New Bridge), the oldest bridge of Paris (See this article).

We left early on this Sunday. At the start of the running, it was still dark. The silhouette of the Eiffel Tower appears in the dawn...

Karine - Alexandre III bridge

... as the Louvre, while the morning comes:

Karine - The Museum of the Louvre seen from the left bank

Still running towards the rising sun, we reached the Latin Quarter to meet the Sorbonne University:

Karine - "Rue Saint Jacques" - The University of the Sorbonne (and its observatory)

The Sorbonne goes follows the "rue Saint Jacques", former Roman way. The building which we see is the third version of the Sorbonne and dates of the 1880s. The Sorbonne University was established in the XIIIth century by Robert de Sorbon. It is in the heart of the Latin Quarter. 
Latin Quarter? 
Hispanic district? No, no!
In the Middle Ages, the students already came from the whole world to study there (among them, Dante, Erasmus). To speak together, a single shared language: the Latin! The passers-by eventually called the district Latin Quarter.

A little later, we cross the "Pont des Arts" (bridge of the Arts), considered as one of the most romantic of Paris (remember the Padlocks...)
What amazing perspectives on this bridge!

Karine - Pont des Arts - Click to enlarge this panorama

On the North side, the Louvre and the entrance of the "Cour Carrée" (Squared Courtyard), on the South side, the Institute of France, on the West side, the Orsay museum and the "Grand Palais" far off and lastly on the East side, the Island of "La Cité", which cuts the river Seine with the point formed by the "Square du Vert Galant".

Later by leaving the Louvre, we discover the perspective onto the Opera of Paris, the Garnier Opera. The architect Charles Garnier had refused to see trees along the Avenue of the Opera so that the perspective onto his Opera is not spoiled.

Karine - "Avenue de l'Opéra"

On our way back, we cross the "Place de la Concorde", look at both photos below, perspective onto the North and perspective onto the South:

Karine - "Place de la Concorde"

The church of "La Madeleine" and the National Assembly seem to be reflected. 
This was intentional. In 1806, Napoleon the 1st adopted the project of creation of a new facade for the former Palace of Duchess Louise of Bourbon, become "Assemblée Nationale" (National Assembly).
This new Colonnade (link in French)  of the facade reminds by its columns the facade of the Madeleine which faces it.
A new axis is given to the facade forming an angle to the original axis of the Bourbon palace and finally, columns are raised by the steps of an impressive staircase so that the Bridge of "La Concorde" does not mask the sight on the bottom of the colonnade.

Paris, always in the search for the harmony!

Merci Karine !

The route of the tour :

A new Running Tour in Paris with Manoella

Manoella - "Opéra de Paris" (Opéra Garnier)

7:09 AM - Do you remember Manoella, from São Paulo, Brazil? (See the post here.)

Bravo! Since last time, Manoella finished successfully her first marathon, the Paris Marathon. Manoella is now a marathon runner, a confirmed long distance runner since, three weeks only after the marathon, we redid easily a Paris Running Tour of more than 19 km.

In spite of the cold still present at this end of April, it is under a big sun that we admired the marvels of Paris:

- The Opéra Garnier (As we can see himit on the photo above)

- The Eiffel tower from the President Wilson avenue:

Manoella - President Wilson Avenue

- The Eiffel tower from "place de l'Alma", as well as the flame of the statue of Liberty (remember the article on this flame => here):

Manoella - "Place de l'Alma"

- The embassy of Brazil which we were able to greet (the wind was not very hard this morning and the flag was resting):

Manoella - Brazil Embassy, "Cours Albert 1er"

- The "Sacré-Coeur" of Montmartre from "Boulevard des Italiens":

Manoella - "Boulevard des Italiens" - Far-off, the "Sacré-Coeur"

- Two magnificent passages:

Manoella - "Passage Jouffroy", boulevard Montmartre - "Passage du Grand Cerf", rue Dussouds

- And many other amazing places of Paris...

Good return in Brazil!

Merci Manoella !

The route of the tour :

Running in Paris at the sunrise, with Denise

Denise - "Quai de l'Horloge" (Pier of the Clock)

6:58 AM - With Denise from Porto Allegre (Brazil), we start running early. We took advantage of the morning light to admire streets and monuments and see the city waking up. While staying near the Seine, we visited the center of Paris by alternating the right bank and the left bank: the Latin Quarter, Saint Germain des Près, the "place de la Concorde", the Louvre, without forgetting the Island of the City (as shown on the photo above, Quay of the Clock, at the foot of the Horloge of the Conciergerie, recently  renovated).

We made a small detour on the "Pont des Arts" to appreciate the rays of the sun enlightening the West of Paris:

Denise - Pont des Arts

A little later, we found the Garnier Opera, quite enlightened by the daylight:

Denise, avenue de l'Opéra

The avenue of the Opera, created during the works of Hausmann, had initially been planned with trees. Charles Garnier, the architect, did not want these trees. He had wished that the sight of his Opera was completely unobstructed. Without trees, the Opera is indeed very visible since the place André Malraux near the Louvre. 

Denise - Mairie of the 1st arrondissement (1st district city hall) and the church Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois

A little farther, we met two buildings. They are alike, right? 
If they have the same architecture, they have nevertheless very different uses. One is a public building: the City hall of the 1st district and the other one, a religious building: the church Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois.
This group owes its existence to a particular history:
August 24th, 1572, in full religious war, bells of this very old church gave the order to eliminate all the Protestants of Paris. This signal was the beginning of the horrible Saint-Bartholomew's massacre.
In the 19th century, town planners made the project to extend eastward the historic axis Louvre-Tuileries-Concorde-Champs Elysées. It should cause the destruction of the church.
The baron Haussman, in charge of the big Parisian works, refused.
Indeed, as he was Protestant, he did not wish that people can interpret the destruction of the church as a personal vengeance. 
He also asked for the construction of a city hall, completely similar to the church, by concern of harmony. He made raise between both buildings a tower-bell to strongly separate the "religion" and the "republic".
Parisians, derisive, called the group "L'huilier et ses deux burettes" (the hand oiler and the two cruets).

We finished our running by way of the Island of the City and the Latin Quarter.
About 11 km, sports and instructive!

Merci Denise !

The route of the tour :

In front of the Opéra Garnier with Lourdes

Lourdes - Opéra Garnier Paris
Click on the picture for a larger view

8:17 AM -  Lourdes, from Mexico, ended its stay in Europe with a short stage in Paris. How to take advantage of Paris when we have not a lot of time? A fast morning run before taking back the plane? Why not?! How lucky! The weather was very beautiful on this Saturday morning.
From the North of Paris, we thus ran to join the Louvre and the Tuileries by benefiting of the Palais Royal, the place Vendôme and the Opera Garnier.

We made a small break to be able to admire the Opera.
If you look on the right of the Opera, in the left of the porch, you perceive a statue, the Dance :

Click on the picture for a larger view

"La Danse ", representing the genius of the Dance, was realized by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux for the Opéra Garnier. It is here a copy. You can see the original statue at the Museum of Orsay.

During its implementation in 1869, the work made scandal! "What?! Naked women enjoying life!"

The architect Charles Garnier, creator of the opera, even received a famous letter: " I have a woman, Sir, and girls fascinated by music who often go to the opera. It will be impossible for them henceforth because I shall never grant to lead them in a monument the sign of which is the one of a bad place. "!

Some even threw ink on the statue:

Under the pressure of the public opinion, Napoleon III was ready to remove the work, but the war of 1870 burst and saved the statue. To find the original statue (cleaned!), go to the Musée d'Orsay. Take advantage of it, the museum was completely renewed in 2011.

Merci Lourdes !

The route of the tour :