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Project 365 – Week 23

With a blink of an eye, we’re nearly half-way through the year. It feels like it should be summer already, but the weather is not showing signs of this sort, preferring to swing to and fro between a real scorcher of a day and a horribly wet one. Elsewhere, heavy rain had flooded numerous central European cities and towns, and those in the French Riviera were greeted by tornadoes! Sort of make me glad that we’re only dealing with either sunshine or rain in Paris.

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Hotel Belloy

3 Jun: The beauty of buildings in Paris often lies in lines and symmetry, but that doesn’t necessarily means something square or rectangular. Instead, they radiate in accordance to the layout of the streets. Paris doesn’t do organised repetitive blocks, which inevitably means a large number of apartments come with irregular shapes and could render them quite tricky to decorate on the interior or to maximise whatever little space there is in an apartment. Small hotels would have an even tougher time trying to fit, say, an ensuite bathroom in…


Cakes

4 Jun: F celebrated his birthday with not one, not two, but a whooping three variety of cakes – individually sized – from our favourite pâtissier. We had started the meal with some pan-seared scallops, followed by roasted leg of rabbit as the main. I was a bit nervous cooking the rabbit (first time!) but since the boy said his mum always cooks rabbit for his birthday… I could bake a cake but by going to PH, it reduces the amount of time I spent in the kitchen that day, not to mention if the rabbit didn’t work out, at least there would be beautiful and delicious consolation cakes. Luckily, everything went swimmingly well :D


Headless saints

5 Jun: I was in Amiens for the day and sure enough, I paid the Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens a visit. Spotted at the left western entrance: headless saints (just like Saint Denis)! These are depictions of Saint Victoricus and Saint Gentian who were decapitated by the Roman governor, Rictius Varus. Curiously, Saint Fuscian (who was also decapitated and legend had it carrying its head together with Victoricus) is found at the same portal but across from Victoricus and Gentian, with his head still very much intact. I’m not entirely sure why this is the case (as in, not all on the same side of a portal nor all depicted as cephalophores) as they were buried together and are usually spoken of together.


Canons and Eiffel Tower

6 Jun: Hôtel des Invalides was a purpose-built complex, ordered by King Louis XIV, to house and to care for destitute soldiers who were invalids, unwell or old. Afterall, to leave them on the street in poverty was hardly a reasonable “reward” for those who fought and sought to protect the crown and the country. Today, it houses a military museum, among other purposes, and I particularly like the view from here towards the Eiffel Tower. There is a particular sense of grandeur and power of the canons, protecting the city and national icon that is the Eiffel Tower.


Flowers

7 Jun: This is what I dub “the prettier sight of summer”, the explosion of colours and blooms, with inviting fragrance that wafts gently at all passerby. There is a large number of florists in this city, reflecting the love that the French has for a beautiful bouquet or two inside their apartments. For anyone who have nimble green fingers and a small spot of balcony, then they will carefully tend to their small window-side gardens and enjoy the fruits of their efforts.


Christian tearoom

8 Jun: How is it that I managed to pass by this tea room on a fairly regular basis and not notice it as a Christian tearoom? Could it be the distraction from the fire station right next door, I wonder… Or maybe it’s because we’re finally getting a warm day that the windows are all open for a change and I could look in to the interior to take note of the religious statues and crosses for the bell to ring in my head?


Square du Temple

9 Jun: Central Marais in Sunday sees the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, businesses in operations, long queue at the l’As du Falafel… However, just walk a little northward, and things would start to calm down again. The garden of the Square du Temple was the very image of zen. Spotted inside the park, a couple of touch-screen game consoles! I sat down to test the game (funny, since I don’t normally play nor play any game on consoles at all) but soon found myself losing interest, preferring instead to continue my leisurely stroll in the neighbourhood, seeking to know it better, and perhaps learn a secret or two whispered between the streets, the buildings, and the people who call it home.




Category: France, Paris, Project 365

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4 scribbles & notes

  1. med says:

    ooooo Happy BD F! Best wishes and hope to see u soon hehehe
    Yah…read about the crazy flood especially in germany….scary
    good thing ur side is still fine yah ;) maintain that way with more blue sky (^o^)

  2. med says:

    ooooo bummer…nvm…sun will be out soon alright ;) he cant hide forever hehe

    • Lil says:

      yup! like this morning, we plunged into darkness with thunderstorm, plus loooong lightning bolt all the way down to earth variety, and right now, as sunny as it can ever be for a june afternoon :D

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