Another beautiful day in Paris! This time I was joined by a few members of my host family, so there was a little more structure to my venture, but not so much that it hampered on the exploratory nature which I adore. We came into the city towards the Place de la Bastille, which marks the place where the Bastille prison once stood, before the French revolution on July 14, 1789. The large column stands as a reminder of the events past.

After parking the car, we walked a bit before finding another great structure in the Place de la Republic. This one is named for the French Republic, and depicts Marianne, who is the French personification of liberty.

We walked along the streets of Paris for a bit, I believe between somewhere in the area of the 3rd or 4th arrondissement. Much like my previous venture, there was no shortage of architecture and natural beauty to be seen. Walking into one of the many nearby parks to view the scenery, we had the pleasure to witness a family of ducks venturing around the nearby pond. We admired their curious nature as they ventured close to the fence we viewed the from, before deciding to continue our walk.

Traversing the streets of the city, we witnessed many different sights, such as monuments and various types of art. From the ancient structures, to the modern street art, everything added a unique flavor to the ambiance present all around.

I failed to mention in my previous post, but along with the graffiti in the streets, there appears to be an astounding amount of ‘pixel’ art as well (art in the style of old video games). This pixel art is achieved by using ceramic tiles, which works quite well in achieving the classic look and feel of the old games. After a bit of research, it appears that these pieces are the work of a French artist that goes by the name of ‘Invader’ (named for the classic video game Space Invaders). Though he chooses to have his identity remain anonymous, his art can be seen not only around Paris, but apparently other cities as well, including Los Angeles. He has published books citing his many works, but they are unfortunately quite expensive at the time of writing this post.

Our walk brought us to Jardin Saint-Gilles-Grand-Veneur, and we sat down to have lunch. The setting had a great atmosphere, being surrounded by lots of green with touches of red and yellow in the foreground, while the old style architecture stood tall in the background. Encapsulated in this picturesque scene made for a pleasant lunchtime.

We decided to go for an afternoon coffee after lunch. It took some time to find an adequate place, however. Apparently during the afternoon, some places serve only for lunch, and don’t allow for customers wishing only to have coffee. Eventually, we did find a place willing to take us in called La Favorite. It was an interesting place, channeling an old, rustic atmosphere, while modern pop music played over the speakers. I’m told that these fusions of classic and modern are quite popular in Paris.

After coffee, we continued our walk, viewing even more sights.

We ended our excursion with a bit of ice cream from Amorino. This Italian vendor is especially nice, as their ice cream is presented in a cone, with the ice cream sculpted in the shape of a flower. The company has location over the world, including a location in Los Angeles, and I’d say it’s worth a try if you have a chance!

After finishing our desserts, it was time to drive back home. We were all tired from the walk, but it was time well spent. Another beautiful day in Paris!