Paris Journal 2011 – Barbara Joy Cooley Home: barbarajoycooley.com
Photos
and thoughts about Paris
Sign
my guestbook. View
my guestbook. 2010 Paris Journal ← Previous Next
→ ← Go
back to the beginning
|
“Bandits” was a 2001 movie starring Bruce Willis. Yesterday, a promotional film called “Bandits” was being shot up on the avenue de la Motte Picquet. We’d seen a couple of the equipment trucks parked there the evening before, as we’d walked home from dinner. The flyer posted to tell the neighbors about this and to ask for their “assistance” informed them that the trucks would be arriving at 7AM yesterday. So I thought maybe by midday they’d be shooting. I went up to investigate. Here’s a translation of the flyer: Letter of
Information for the Neighbors Madam, Sir: We inform you that
our company is now preparing for the shooting of a promotional film. Our creation of this film has called for
the the possibility of making certain sequences in
your neighborhood. These shoots and the
installation of equipment are anticipated on Tuesday, the 30th of
August, from 9AM to 8PM. We have the honor of
asking the neighbors and the users in the following perimeters From 47 to 53 avenue de la Motte Piquet
[sic] including the parking for 2-wheel vehicles From 50 to 54 avenue de la Motte Piquet
[sic] To kindly not park
their vehicles there so that our technical vehicles can park there. A team will be
charged, from Sunday the 28th of August, with reserving the
parking places and will allow, during the periods of non-occupation by our
vehicles, parking for the neighbors. For this
reservation, we have asked for and obtained the authorization of the
arrondissement’s commissariat. We are therefore
engaging our work accordingly in the best conditions, respecting your way of
life and the quiet of your neighborhood. In case a problem
occurs, the production team is at your disposal for all questions. We thank you in advance for your understanding and your indispensible help in the success of our project and beg you to accept, Madam/Sir, the expression of our sincere regards. While this sounds very polite and considerate, I’ve seen much more polite and considerate language used in flyers such as this in Paris. The fact is, the movie shoot was a great inconvenience and annoyance on this busy street on Tuesday. The tone would normally be much more apologetic. After I went through the area at midday, the production company evidently set up more equipment, on both sides of the street, and moved things around a lot. They set up tents with lounge/waiting areas (shooting a film involves mostly waiting, as I’ve observed) leaving only a narrow path through the middle of all their stuff for the normal pedestrian traffic on the street. But they did not attempt to restrict the movement of the regular pedestrians, at least not when I was there at midday and when Tom and I walked through there in the evening to go to the other apartment. Part of the transformation of the block involved hanging black canvas draperies over the terraces of a few cafés. I think the crews took over the cafés involved, and I hope those businesses were reimbursed handsomely for this intrusion. After we made a list of things to stock at the other apartment and locked it up tight, we went to dine at an old favorite of ours, the Bistrot de la Grille Saint Germain. I adore the terrine appetizer there – it is my favorite terrine of all – la terrine de la Mère Brazier. We shared one of those, and this time it came with a generous pile of the candied onion garnish. But no longer does this bistro give you a canister of pickles from which to serve yourselves. One meager little cornichon on the plate, that was all we were given by way of pickles! Stingy with the pickles, eh? What next? I had the lamb shank with puréed potatoes – good comfort food – and Tom had the salmon with tagliatelle pasta. He said it was excellent. After dinner, we walked all the way back to the 15th, so we had a couple hours of walking all in all yesterday, even after putting in a full day of work at the computers. (Well, there was a little nap time, too.) The night air was crisp and cool – very Autumnal. Yesterday’s newspaper informed us that the police cracked down once again on the illegal venders on the Champ de Mars and at the Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro on Monday. That’s good, because they’d started to proliferate again on Sunday, we’d noticed. It will take time and many waves of arrests to get the problem under control. There are just too many – hundreds! – of these vendors out there. It can be chaotic. That’s life in the city. For a city to be livable, it must be orderly. To be orderly, disorder cannot be tolerated too much. A little disorder becomes more disorder which becomes more disorder . . . you get the idea. Paris is highly successful at maintaining order, yet maintaining a romantic and fun ambiance. We admire this city, and we celebrate it every day we’re here. Sign
my guestbook. View
my guestbook. Note: For addresses & phone numbers of
restaurants in this journal, click
here. |
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
On our way
home last night, we passed by this anatomically correct Centaur sculpture at
the Place Michel Debré (formerly the Carrefour de
la Croix Rouge). Michel Debré, who died in 1996, was prime minister from
1959-62. He is known as the “father”
of the current French constitution.
Equipment
being set up on the avenue de la Motte Picquet for the shooting of a promotional film.
The
terrine, salmon, and lamb shank at the Bistro de la Grille Saint Germain on the rue Mabillon and
rue Guisarde. |
