Oct 16, Part 6 - Paris: Square du Vert-Galant

The Square du Vert-Galant is a park at the very tip of the Ile de la Cite in Paris. It's quiet, and very strange-feeling. Strange in a good way. You can see both banks of the Seine, because it's like being at the prow of a boat in the river. In the seasons I've been in Paris, it's always quiet here. I wonder what it's like in summer? I can imagine people coming here to cool off. You enter it by going down a series of steps from the Place du Pont Neuf.

The park is historic for a number of reasons. Jacques DeMolay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and Guy of Auvergne, the Preceptor of Normandy, were burned to death by Philip the Fair, King of France. The area at the tip of the island was actually built up from several pieces of ground with water flowing between them. It existed as a field of mud for some time. Philip watched the two men burn from his palace on the island.

At the moment, it's simply a nice park in the shape of a triangle.

Here's the "prow" of the island. The first bridge you see is the Pont des Arts, a metal bridge for pedestrians built between 1802 and 1804. It was the first metal bridge in Paris.

There's the other end of the Pont des Arts with the Louvre behind it.

Here's another photo of the Louvre (on the Right Bank).

The Samaritaine is just at the end of Pont Neuf on the Right Bank. It's a huge department store which opened in 1869 and features both Art Nouveau and Art Deco design. It was named for a hydraulic pump near that location that provided water to Parisians from 1609 to 1813, and had a bas relief of the Good Samaritan on it. The Samaritaine was one of the world's first department stores. It had to close in 2007 due to structural security issues, and is expected to open again in 2011.

Here's looking back at Pont Neuf and one of the tour boats that docks here. It may be a dinner cruise boat, I'm not sure.

From the prow of the island, we look back toward the passageway where we entered the park. Place du Pont Neuf and the statue of Henri IV are at the top of the granite wall at street level.

Over on the Left Bank side of the park, we get a view of the boats that dock on this side of the river. I've seen them every visit, and I think they're very picturesque boats. I'm not sure what type of boat they are, whether they carry goods or what. The first bridge is the Pont des Arts.

This photo was taken looking the other direction on the river. The bit of bridge you see is Pont Neuf. It's worth clicking on the photo to get a better look at the boats.

I think these boats and this dock area near the bridge are a really special part of Paris.

Now you can see the steps we came down from the Place du Pont Neuf. This area near the level of the river is all part of the Square du Vert-Galant.

I don't know what the faces stand for or who they're supposed to be, other than ornamentation. I don't know what the metal ring in the wall is about, either. Anyway, it looks historic and European.

This photo is a little out of context. We've stepped back into the park again to view the arched doorways where we'll exit the park. There are stone steps leading up to the openings, then you turn either right or left and climb more steps up to the street level and the statue of Henri.

Approaching the arches . . . look, they have large fake columns around them, making me think of temples in Egypt, which I've never seen, only in pictures. Note the plaque in the center.

Here's the plaque. It's another memorial to Jacque de Molay.

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Docks and things at the end of 12th Street, Astoria

Astoria is so much about history. Either it's already old, or it's going to change, and what you see will soon be gone. I took this photo on August 23, 2002, and as I type the blog post in December of 2008, the photo below is already history. The warehouses on the right have been refurbished and turned into a real estate office, a Coffee House, and some other things - or things in the making. They tried to keep the flavor, but of course it doesn't look old any more. I should take a comparison photo and link to it.

Both pictures were taken from the walkway along the outside of Baked Alaska, aka Doc's on 12th Street. The weather is so Astorian - low clouds with a sun break. I always love walking along the river. At the time I took the photo I lived in an apartment on Bond Street with a wonderful view of the water. I didn't know that by 2007, I'd be leasing the building that goes with the radio tower in these two pictures. You can't actually see the building from this vantage point.

August 7, Astoria: River Walk, waterfront, flowers, ships, and more

Here's the old ferry dock in the foreground at the 14th Street Pier. It's a nice day and everything seems picturesque. But looking back at this photo, I think, "Isn't it amazing how crooked I could get the horizon line without even noticing?" It must be a learning curve with digital cameras. I don't remember this happening so much with the old SLRs.

The old bundles of pilings at 14th Street remind me of asparagus with all the green mossy stuff on them.

Here's another veiw of the ruins of the old ferry with Englund Marine's building on the right and Tongue Point in the background.

I really like this detail of the old sign and siding of the Knappton Towboat Company's building. It says:

KNAPPTON

TOWBOAT

PARKING

ONLY

Now as I write this in 2010, it's gone. The building remains, but nothing of this image. I'll compare it sometime on my Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo blog.

Baked Alaska on the left.

Here's the seafood building next to Pier 11. I love the boats docked in front of it. The Wet Dog Cafe is on the waterfront to the left.

More boats. I fall more in love with my new town every time I see scenes like this one.

From the dock at Doc's on 12th (Baked Alaska), looking back at Sears and The Wet Dog.

Windows next to Sears on the River Walk. Not kept up, but photogenic.

Doc's on 12th Street.

Here's where the pilot boat docks. To the right is a platform, and to the right of that is where I took the picture of the Knappton sign.

Yes, here you can see what I just described above. The Knappton sign is along the River Walk to the right.

At the foot of the 14th Street Pier, and just across the River Walk (on the corner of 14th and Marine Drive) is this lovely patch of flowers. I got several pix today that I liked, and here they are:

I love this blue flower. It looks like they came from one of those wildflower seed packet assortments. It's not on anyone's property except the City's as far as I know, and I'm grateful each time I see this corner that someone bothered to plant it.

Going up 14th Street back toward downtown, it's nice to come across historical markers like this. I love learning the history, and it makes me happy that someone cared to take note. I've lived in several towns with a lot of preserved history; I'd find it hard to live somewhere without roots.

Back at my apartment, here's a wonderful cargo ship passing. The pic is from my back deck.

Here's my deck where the ship photo was taken. I go up a few steps from my back door and end up on this landing. The structure is really a fire escape, but each landing is made big enough to use for a deck. This adds such aesthetic value to my apartment, I just love it, especially because it's a long way around to get to the water. At least I can see it, even though the walking/driving route isn't direct.

From the deck looking upriver. Too bad about that condo, though they have an incredible view I'd like to see someday.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

July 19, Astoria: Bridge and river

I'm starting to see the wide variety of colors that play around the bridge in different lighting. I especially enjoy the light on the bridge with dark clouds behind.

The photo above and the one below are both taken from the East Mooring Basin, near the east end of the River Walk. As you can see, it's another misty, overcast day. It seems the weather is constantly changing here in the summer, from beautiful and bright to misty and mysterious.

The high temperature today was 64 degrees, with the low at 48. In Santa Barbara, we had some foggy June weather, but I'm not sure it lasted into July. I've never lived anywhere with summers like this, and I have to say I do enjoy it.

July 16, Astoria: Ferry boat ruins and a waterfront park

This picturesque spot is where the ferry boat used to dock in Astoria on the Oregon side of the Columbia. It crossed here to Washington. Now there's a pier on one side, and a building on the other, but the ruins have been left here to show the history of the location. I really like that about Astoria - so much of the history is accessible.

Just to the left of the ruins there's a large pier with an old warehouse and the river pilot boat dock. On the far right of the pier is this "waterfront park." If you think a park is only about grass and nature, forget it. You can walk out on this pier and enjoy the view.

At the end of the pier you can read about the river pilots and see harrowing photos of what it's like to get on and off the ships while the boats are rocking. Just a few yards away, you can see the actual pilot boats. This is amazing - a whole new world for someone who's spent her life in Southern California and the deserts of Colorado.

I've shown expanses of the river before, and here's another one. It's calming, breathtaking, interesting . . . it's lots of things. There are some ducks or small birds swimming out there not too far from the wharf.

Back home again. The flowers are looking beautiful in the green of the yard. I love having all this right outside of my apartment. The bushes are berry bushes.