Whoa, what got into me?! I must have been feeling inspired because this is the most prolific week of photos yet.
It’s Wednesday and time to recap my favorite shots over the last 7 days. I hope they help transport you to the City of Love/Light/Cheese/Café Crème…
A reminder that spring is absolutely springing in Paris. In fact, prepare yourselves for some cherry blossom photos because they’re surely on their way!Passage Verdeau (9th arr) isn’t the most flashy of the covered passages but isn’t that reason enough to love it? This retro mannequin shop sign grabbed my eye; I wonder what she was in a previous life, what sort of shenanigans she got up to before getting hoisted up there…Why do I feel guilty before photographing coffee foam? And why do I do it anyway? I guess I did it for the table this time, or maybe the relationship between the foamy shape and the metallic design. Or maybe I just wanted to show off. Why split hairs? This is La Caféothèque (4th arr).These next two are from the same café as above. I love this view because it perfectly embodies the modern office experience (at least for us city folk). I only wish I could rock leather boots like this guy does. What do you think he’s doing over there? Stock trading? Travel blogging? Ordering more boots?La Cafèothèque. Again.This is from a burger joint called Mamie Burger (9th arr). I liked the blend of old and new on this wall. Yes I’m still American and I still love burgers. Please don’t tell the locals.Galerie Vivienne (2nd arr) and its only original store from 1826. The current owner François is the grandson of the guy who purchased the shop in 1900. So yeah, historic, just the way we like it.I was fortunate enough to join my guide friend Ana who specializes in Les Invalides (7th arr), the army museum that contains Napolèon’s tomb. That’s what we see here. They say that when Hitler toured Paris after conquering it in 1940, he spent more time here than at any other monument. Figures. Turns out Adolf would make the same mistake as his French hero: invading Russia. That never works out. Speaking of which, I learned during the tour that this tomb is made of quartzite from…Russia! If you’d like a great tour of Les Invalides you can find my friend Ana on her Facebook page “Parisiana”.More extravagance at Les Invalides. This is exactly why I don’t leave home without a wide angle lens. If you’ve been to Saint Peter’s in Rome those twisty dark columns might look familiar. The French drew inspiration from the Vatican when designing the altar.Just more of Napoléon looking like a Roman Emperor. That was sort of his thing.Laperouse is a historic restaurant that isn’t hiding its age well. I heard years ago about its private dining rooms where fancy men dined with high-end call girls. They’d offer the prostitutes diamonds, and to verify them on the spot the ladies would scrape them against the mirrored walls. The scratched mirrors are still there, though somehow I’ve never gone in to find them. You see – even 7 years in Paris isn’t enough to get it all done!Not the most elaborate balcony you’ll find, but it struck a chord with me. When I see spots like this my fantasy is always the same: I wake up, pop on some quiet music, brew a strong cup of tea with milk, and watch a bit of Paris play out below. Ahhh…pass the pain au chocolat.This one gets the award for my favorite photo of the week. We’re at Les Invalides again, inside the officers’ rooms. Forget that lame balcony fantasy above – I’m switching to this one instead! I took this photo after the rest of the tour group had left, allowing me to cross through the room to the far wall. I don’t think I was technically allowed to go inside the space, which makes me love this picture even more.La Sorbonne (5th arr) and an over-the-top banister of the grand staircase. I love those little Zodiac symbols; what a nice reminder of the Parisian attention to detail.This one sort of speaks for itself – the finest ice cream in town! What flavor do I prefer? Either pistachio, salted butter caramel, or on a really hot day the most delectable of them all: melon. It literally tastes like a ripe cantaloupe in a cone. Ok forget about that period room fantasy – I’m dreaming of dessert now.
That’s it for this week! Hope you enjoyed a little taste (see what I did there?) of my favorite pics. You can check out last week’s photo’s here, or you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook to catch my perspective on Paris in real time. Au revoir for now.
“Forget that lame balcony fantasy above – I’m switching to this one instead!” HA HA HAAA! Truth be told, every single one of your photos put me into “Paris fantasy” mode. Beautifully done, Corey.
Lovely, lovely photos. I especially loved the ones of La Sorbonne (How did you manage to get in to get this picture?) In all my trips there, I’ve been able to get inside only once (tours are given just periodically, and they fill up fast!) Also, don’t know if I can wait until November to return to Paris–maybe will add another visit in June or July. . . . One of my first stops will be the Cafeotheque! And gorgeous flowers in Paris always brighten my day! Wednesdays are now special days with your posts from Paris!
Hi Cheryl, sorry took me so long to reply. My photos of La Sorbonne are in reality from a previous trip inside that was allowed during the Heritage Days. That’s the only time they let folks like me inside! So glad you’ll be visiting my favorite spot La Caféothèque. Perhaps we should meet there for coffee one day!
Great post! Yes, wondering how you got into the Sorbonne as well!
Hi there, this visit was part of the Journèes du Patrimoine.
Thank you for all your photographs in and around Paris. My wife and I enjoy seeing them and your Paris walks. You led us on a walking tour a couple of years ago. Keep up the good work – we share your blogs with others who also enjoy Paris.
We appreciate your work,
Stephen & Marilyn
Portland, Oregon
Thank you Stephen that’s really nice to hear. I’m always thrilled to know I have a receptive audience on the other end of these blog posts! Incidentally I grew up in the other Portland, over in Maine. And thanks so much for sharing with your friends!
afrenchfryeinparis.com 
“Forget that lame balcony fantasy above – I’m switching to this one instead!” HA HA HAAA! Truth be told, every single one of your photos put me into “Paris fantasy” mode. Beautifully done, Corey.
Lovely, lovely photos. I especially loved the ones of La Sorbonne (How did you manage to get in to get this picture?) In all my trips there, I’ve been able to get inside only once (tours are given just periodically, and they fill up fast!) Also, don’t know if I can wait until November to return to Paris–maybe will add another visit in June or July. . . . One of my first stops will be the Cafeotheque! And gorgeous flowers in Paris always brighten my day! Wednesdays are now special days with your posts from Paris!
Hi Cheryl, sorry took me so long to reply. My photos of La Sorbonne are in reality from a previous trip inside that was allowed during the Heritage Days. That’s the only time they let folks like me inside! So glad you’ll be visiting my favorite spot La Caféothèque. Perhaps we should meet there for coffee one day!
Great post! Yes, wondering how you got into the Sorbonne as well!
Hi there, this visit was part of the Journèes du Patrimoine.
Thank you for all your photographs in and around Paris. My wife and I enjoy seeing them and your Paris walks. You led us on a walking tour a couple of years ago. Keep up the good work – we share your blogs with others who also enjoy Paris.
We appreciate your work,
Stephen & Marilyn
Portland, Oregon
Thank you Stephen that’s really nice to hear. I’m always thrilled to know I have a receptive audience on the other end of these blog posts! Incidentally I grew up in the other Portland, over in Maine. And thanks so much for sharing with your friends!