LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

The Eiffel Tower’s refurbished 1st floor has shops.

On the 2nd, treat yourself to a gastronomic meal at the famous Jules Verne restaurant, 125 metres above ground. 

Finally on the 3rd floor you are at cloud level and have an exceptional 360° view.

--parisinfo.com 

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

A pop-culture movie cliché is that the view from a Parisian window always includes the Eiffel Tower.

In reality, since zoning restrictions limit the height of most buildings in Paris to seven storeys, only a small number of tall buildings have a clear view of the tower.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

Maintenance of the Eiffel Tower includes applying 60 tons of paint every seven years to prevent it from rusting.

The tower has been completely repainted at least 19 times since it was built.

Lead paint was still being used as recently as 2001 when the practice was stopped out of concern for the environment.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

The Eiffel Tower is painted in three shades: lighter at the top, getting progressively darker towards the bottom to complement the Parisian sky. 

It was originally reddish brown; this changed in 1968 to a bronze colour known as "Eiffel Tower Brown".

The only non-structural elements are the four decorative grill-work arches, added in Sauvestre's sketches, which served to make the tower look more substantial and to make a more impressive entrance to the exposition.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

The Eiffel Tower’s arrangement of the lifts has been changed several times during the tower's history. 

Given the elasticity of the cables and the time taken to align the cars with the landings, each lift, in normal service, takes an average of 8 minutes and 50 seconds to do the round trip, spending an average of 1 minute and 15 seconds at each level. 

The average journey time between levels is 1 minute.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

The Eiffel Tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. 

The top level's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground – the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. 

Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. 

The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the climb from the first level to the second. 

Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually accessible only by lift.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

The Eiffel Tower’s base is square, measuring 125 metres (410 ft) on each side. 

During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world.

A title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

Constructed from 1887–1889 as the entrance to the 1989 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design.

But it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world.

The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015.

--Wikipedia

LA TOUR EIFFEL

PARIS, FRANCE

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars. 

It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

The tower is 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris.

--Wikipedia

MARCHÉ COUVERT LES ENFANTS ROUGES

PARIS, FRANCE

The Enfants Rouges covered market, created in 1615, hasn’t aged a bit.

Paris’s oldest food market is situated in the Haut Marais, close to rue de Bretagne.

Parisians and tourists like to buy lots of fresh products at these stalls full of colour and fragrance.

The friendly atmosphere is ideal for a quick lunch at the Italian deli, the organic stand, the Lebanese caterer or at the Japanese snack bar.

On Sunday, brunch fans head to L’Estaminet, a restaurant tucked away in the heart of the market, or to La Petite Fabrique.

--parisinfo.com

ART NOUVEAU

PARIS, FRANCE

From the 1880s to 1914 an international artistic current developed under the name of Art Nouveau or Modern Style.

1900 marked the height of this art which characterised the Belle Epoque.

Forms inspired by Nature (plants, animals...), curves and arabesques all distinguished this original, colourful and richly decorated architecture. It proliferated in stone, metal, glass or ceramic.

The buildings of the Rue La Fontaine, close to the former village of Passy, or the “noodle” style of the metro entrances designed by Hector Guimard, are as famous as the floral decors of the magnificent stained glass in the department stores.

The expansion of Art Nouveau was accompanied by technical prowess linked to advances in metal construction: the Eiffel Tower sprang up to the height of 300 metres in 1889, and the Alexandre III Bridge straddled the Seine with a single arch in 1900.

--parisinfo.com

BUTTE MONTMARTRE

PARIS, FRANCE

Montmartre is a district full of authentic charm, famous for the Sacré-Coeur basilica and a magnificent view of Paris.

For the price of a metro ticket, visitors can take the funicular to the top of Montmartre hill.

More sporty types can climb the 222 steps leading up through the Louise Michel public garden.

After visiting the basilica, visitors enjoy strolling around this historic area: there is Place du Tertre and its famous caricaturists, the Espace Dalí, the Montmartre grapevines, the cabaret du Lapin Agile, the Musée Montmartre.

The walk continues down to the world famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

On the way, there is plenty to interest visitors: arty and trendy shop windows in rue des Abbesses and rue Tardieu, shops in rue Lepic, the cosmopolitan rue de Steinkerque and Montmartre cemetery.

A few minutes walk from the Moulin Rouge, in SoPi (South Pigalle), the tea room in the garden of the Musée de la Vie Romantique is a delightful place to stop for refreshments.

--parisinfo.com

SECOND-HAND MARKETS AND ANTIQUE DEALERS

PARIS, FRANCE

In the heart of Paris in the Marais district, the little streets and courtyards of the village Saint-Paul are home to numerous antique dealers.

Close to the Eiffel tower, the Village Suisse, is a unique gathering of art galleries, decoration and antique shops.

L’Avant-Cour offers carefully-chosen objects from all around the world. 

You will also find shops with antique and hand-crafted jewelry. 

As for the brocantes or second-hand markets, they liven up different parts of the city every weekend and offer a diverse selection of goods including rare and old books, vintage clothing, toys and unusual objects.

Over towards Saint-Germain-des-Prés and as far as the Musée d’Orsay, some 110 antique dealers make up the Carre Rive Gauche.

--parisinfo.com

COMMISSARIAT DE POLICE DU 12ÈME ARRONDISSEMENT

PARIS, FRANCE

Despite looking vaguely art-deco in form, the structure was actually designed by architects Manolo Nunez-Yanowski and Miriam Teitelbaum in 1991, and houses the Commissariat de Police du 12ème arrondissement (the local police station).

Although the curves of the building are merely derivative, what makes it really noticeable are of course the sculptured human forms jutting out from the balconies on the top floor.

Sometimes labelled caryatids in descriptions of the building, these are actually telamons or atlantes, as the figure is most definitely male! In fact, the figure is based on Michelangelo’s dying slave sculpture which can be found today in the Louvre.

Manolo Nunez-Yanowski is very much a postmodern architect, and unsurprisingly worked with Ricardo Bofill on several projects. 

Indeed, two of their most well-known creations can be seen alongside each other in the town of Noisy le Grand to the east of Paris. 

The Arenes de Picasso for Nunez-Yanowski  (sometimes known as the camembert), and Le Palacio for Bofill. 

--parisinvisible.blogspot.com

ARCHITECTURE IN PARIS

PARIS, FRANCE

The history of Paris can be read in its stones as well as in books.

A monumental condensation of styles which will not leave the attentive stroller unmoved.

Antiquity left a heritage of its public baths and arenas to the city. 

The Middle Ages remains present with the Romanesque bell-tower of Saint-German-des-Près, and the delicacy of the Sainte Chapelle affirms the miracle of Gothic.

Paris is also the Classicism of the Grand Siècle, its domes and pediments, its dream of Antiquity already touched by the Renaissance.

You will be charmed by the eclecticism of the Second Empire, the thrust of Haussmann’s boulevards, and the metal architecture celebrated by the Eiffel Tower, which spearheaded Art Nouveau.

Art Deco did not lag far behind, and its modernity heralded the future concrete-and-glass emblems of a city in constant renewal.

--parisinfo.com

ÎLE SAINT-LOUIS

PARIS, FRANCE

Île Saint-Louis is the smaller of the two islands in the centre of Paris.

It is located in the historical centre of the city and is a great place for a walk full of surprises.

Stroll along the main road, Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, or go around the island along the quays.

Visitors can admire the numerous former private mansion houses from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Foodies will love the delicious ice cream at Berthillon.

--parisinfo.com

QUARTIER PIGALLE

PARIS, FRANCE

The Pigalle district, faithful to its festive reputation, continues to enliven Parisian nights.

From the Place d'Anvers to the Place de Clichy, everything is there for intense nocturnal festivities: cabarets, theatres, bars, clubs, cheeky shops.

To walk the streets of SoPi, no need to wait for the evening: you can enjoy trendy shops and gourmet addresses all day.

--parisinfo.com

GRAND PALAIS

PARIS, FRANCE

The Grand Palais is one of the most iconic Parisian monuments.

Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, it is recognizable by its large glass dome flanked by the French flag.

This architectural masterpiece of stone, steel and glass has been listed as a historical monument since 2000.

It comprises 3 major sites: the Nave, the National Galleries and the Palais de la Découverte.

The majestic nave, 240 m long, welcomes a wide variety of major national and international events: (horse riding, contemporary art, fairground, etc.).

The national galleries organize large-scale exhibitions on artists that have marked the history of art (Picasso, Hopper, Renoir, etc.).

The Palais de la Découverte is a museum and cultural centre dedicated to science, where children can learn whilst having fun, through permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.

--parisinfo.com

MOULIN ROUGE

PARIS, FRANCE

The Moulin Rouge was immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec and was the cradle of the music hall with the famous Mistinguett.

Since it opened in 1889, it has dazzled the whole world. Edith Piaf, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra and Elton John … numerous French and international personalities have over the years become enamoured of this legendary cabaret.

The room is magnificently decorated in belle époque style and red velvet, with typical burlesque frescoes.

A wonderful place to enjoy gourmet French food by the Chef David le Quellec, served with champagne - the official drink of the cabaret.

Admire a troupe of 60 artists from all over the world who perform twice each evening in the revue 'Féerie', a show made up of four breathtaking acts: feathers, rhinestones, sequins, sparkling decor, acrobats, original music, international attractions.

--parisinfo.com

MUSÉE D'ORSAY

PARIS, FRANCE

Internationally renowned for its rich collection of Impressionist art, the Musée d'Orsay also displays all Western artistic creation from 1848 to 1914.

Its collections represent all expressive forms, from painting to architecture, as well as sculpture, the decorative arts and photography.

You're sure to be dazzled by the beauty of the place: a train station that looks like a palace, inaugurated for the 1900 Universal Exposition.

At the end of 2011, the museum reopened all of its entirely renovated spaces as well as some new rooms: an additional 400 m² for the Pavillon Amont, Post-Impressionist artists at the heart of the museum.

QUARTIER MONTORGUEIL

PARIS, FRANCE

With its small pedestrian cobblestone streets, the Montorgueil district has lots of charm.

The main artery, Rue Montorgueil, is lined with local food shops, bars and restaurants as well as trendy clothing shops.

In the early morning, delivery trucks and a bustling atmosphere reflect the Paris of yesteryear.

In the streets parallel to Rue Montorgueuil, new restaurants, cocktail bars and bobo shops have opened, notably in Rue Saint-Sauveur, Rue Bachaumont, Rue Greneta, Rue Mandar and in the Passage du Grand Cerf.

--PARISINFO.COM

CITY OF MIAMI SUES STATE OVER LONG-DELAYED FLAGLER STREET CONSTRUCTION

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER REYES, COMMISSIONER HIGGINS 

AND ALL ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS 

WHO ARE PROTECTING OUR RIGHTS

Thanks to all the elected and appointed officials who are holding FDOT's feet to the fire.

We stated publicly, months ago, that only a lawsuit would protect the rights of people with disabilities, the elderly, folks who use wheelchairs for mobility and all of the hard working people.

Tens of thousands in Little Havana have lost all rights to mobility in this important corridor during disastrous work.

Ultimately, damages should be paid to the dozens of business owners who have lost it all, or on the verge of losing it all due to endless delays and failure to maintain access during construction.

Failure to maintain pedestrian mobility, even during construction, is a violation of civil rights.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article222922770.html

FIGHTING FOR PARK LAND IN DISTRICT 4, FIGHTING TO PRESERVE MELREESE PARK

MIAMI CITY COMMISSIONER MANOLO REYES: 

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS

Roughly a decade ago, historic 2-acre Bryan Park was subject to a plan that would have paved it over for an out-of-scale tennis center. Noise would have ruined livability. Homes would be flooded by lost permeable surface. A compromise protected the green space.

A Herald story listed Bryan Park "improvements" and we feared this meant development on the green space. Commissioner Reyes' staff assured that the fixes are ADA enhancements to the accessible to all playground on the developed half of the park. Thank you sir.

High praise for Commissioner Manolo Reyes and his chief of staff Esteban (Steven) Ferreiro. Within 15 minutes of my sending an email to my District 4 Commissioner, I was called back with full details of a worthwhile capital improvement coming to Bryan Park

Reyes continues to be a champion for green space, being 1 of the 2 NO votes against the giveaway of precious Melreese Park to billionaire investors. May he block the 4/5ths vote needed to approve sweetheart deal that would pave over the people's land for profit.

Manolo Reyes, an elected official who listens to people and cares about them.

SEINE

PARIS, FRANCE

The Parc Rives de Seine, with a total length of 7 kilomtres, extends along both sides of the Seine and provides a place to walk and relax along the water, in the heart of the city.

On the left bank, wander from Pont d'Alma to the Pont Royal. On the right bank you can go from Pont Neuf to the Pont du Sully, as well as the Arsenal basin between the Quai de la Rapée and Place de la Bastille.

The Parc Rives de Seine, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site that is only open to 'soft' trafic (pedestrians and bikes), is lined with activities (playgrounds for children, picnic areas, terraces, cafes, climbing walls) and offers unusual views of some of Paris's great monuments.

-parisinfo.com

PONT ALEXANDRE III

PARIS, FRANCE

Inaugurated on the occasion of the 1900 Universal Exhibition and classed as a historic monument, the Pont Alexandre III is one of the most emblematic bridges in Paris because of its architecture and location.

At its four extremities are huge 17 metre-high pylons crowned with gilt bronze sculptures of winged horses representing the illustrious Arts, Sciences, Commerce and Industry.

Pont Alexandre III connects the Invalides on the Left Bank to the Grand Palais and Petit Palais on the Right Bank.

From the bridge you can enjoy a sweeping view of these buildings as well as the Eiffel Tower and over the Seine, which makes it a popular place for a stroll at any time of day or night.

--parisinfo.com

CIMETIÈRE DU PÈRE LACHAISE

PARIS, FRANCE

The Père Lachaise cemetery takes its name from King Louis XIV's confessor, Father François d'Aix de La Chaise.

It is the most prestigious and most visited necropolis in Paris.

Situated in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, it extends 44 hectares and contains 70,000 burial plots.

The cemetery is a mix between an English park and a shrine.

All funerary art style are represented: Gothic graves, Haussmanian burial chambers, ancient mausoleums.

On the green paths, visitors cross the burial places of famous men and women; Honoré de Balzac, Guillaume Apollinaire, Frédéric Chopin, Colette, Jean-François Champollion, Jean de La Fontaine, Molière, Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Jim Morrison, Alfred de Musset, Edith Piaf, Camille Pissarro and Oscar Wilde.

--parisinfo.com

BASILIQUE DU SACRÉ-COEUR DE MONTMARTRE

PARIS, FRANCE

The Sacré-Coeur, consecrated in 1919, is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris.

At the top of the Butte Montmarte, it has one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital, from 130 metres above ground.

In a Roman-Byzantine style, the Sacré Coeur is recognizable by its white colour.

Inside the building, the ceiling is decorated with the largest mosaic in France measuring about 480 m².

The crypt is also worth a visit.

And to go even higher up, visitors can access the dome where the 360° view of Paris is magnificent.

A short walk from the Sacré Coeur is the Place du Tertre, the district of Abbesses with its steep, winding roads, and at the bottom of the hill, the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

--Parisinfo.com

COMMISSIONER HIGGINS: THANKS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP

THE FLAGLER CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTION DISASTER

CALLS FOR PRECEDENT-SETTING ACTION

Residents -- especially those with disabilities and businesses, who have gone bankrupt or are on the verge of it -- should be able to sue the contractor for damages.

Something has to be the first test project.

The people responsible should be sued.

Women used to be banned from voting, that changed for the better.

African Americans and other people of color had no civil rights and that was changed via federal legislation.

Big companies used to be allowed to pollute at will, now we have the EPA, Clean Water Act, etc.

The LBGT community was not allowed to adopt or marry, and groundbreaking action changed that – clearly for the better.

Sometimes, things are so bad, only a landmark lawsuit or landmark legislation can shake things up and protect the abused.

This mess can only be cleaned up via a landmark case for protecting the built environment – during construction – for all.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE BEING DENIED

THE WAR ZONE DISASTER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ON THE FLAGLER STREET CORRIDOR IN MIAMI'S LITTLE HAVANA HAS DENIED BASIC MOBILITY TO WHEELCHAIR USERS AND OTHERS

We appreciate the Miami politicians who toured the Flagler construction debacle – and got some great press coverage from it.

With all due respect, much more must be done immediately.

We have worked in the press, public service and the urban design, architecture, transportation engineering and construction industries.

Our 30+ years of career experience perfectly enables us to evaluate the difference between reasonable delays/disruptions vs. abject (criminal?) neglect.

The Flagler reconstruction is a mess, a failure, something we're lucky the New York Times hasn't put on the front page as the worst neighborhood impact project in our nation.

Miami leaders are lucky that this disaster – on their watch – hasn’t been exposed nationally, though the people who have been trapped in their homes or who lost it all because their business had no access -- would welcome a national spotlight shined on this disaster.

Our biggest concern is lack of mobility for people with disabilities.

Sidewalks and crosswalks made impassible for months are a nightmare, especially for low income people with disabilities.

The Flagler corridor largely houses folks with very little money.

The good folks of this part of Little Havana walk to their work and daily needs.

Folks who roll in wheelchairs, some of them very shaky, fragile, old wheelchairs.

For virtually 2 years, hundreds of people with disabilities have basically been made prisoners because of this neglect.

This is a once in a lifetime issue that defines how far a leader will go to make things right for people with little to no voice.

We are encouraged by the recent tours made by city, county and state elected officials.

But we are way to old (and maybe wise) to sugar coat things.

This is a long, festering disaster of national proportions.

Significant city, county, state, nonprofit and other resources must be directed to this corridor immediately.

Poor oversight has turned it into a war zone.

We look forward to seeing how our elected leaders will dedicate themselves to a multifaceted humanitarian aid mission – to fix this mess, and to immediately help people in dire need.

PASSAGE OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT WAS ONE OF PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

ANY OBITUARY OF THE 41^ST PRESIDENT THAT FAILS TO HIGHLIGHT THE ADA ACT OF 1990 IS ADDING TO THE TREMENDOUS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

From the beginning of time, people with disabilities have been considered half human.

Even in the 21^st century, a half century past the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights legislation and more than a quarter century since the ADA as adopted, people with disabilities face harrowing discrimination.

Fewer than one percent of single family housing units are even minimally accessible to those who use an assistive mobility device, such as a wheelchair.

Millions of public spaces contain barriers to mobility.

Tens of thousands of brand new civic buildings and spaces are built in ways that segregate people with disabilities – forcing them to use humiliating side or rear doors to enter a facility.

The press, usually a bastion of championing civil rights, continues to use pejorative, 100 percent inaccurate phrases such as “wheelchair bound” and "confined to a wheelchair.”

The press, which I was a member of for nearly two decades, is embarrassing itself again today – in print, on TV, on radio and online.

Very few stories, even the super-lengthy ones reserved for the retelling of the life of a U.S. president who has died, have made any mention of Bush’s role in adopting the ADA.

The stories that mention it, make the most far-reaching civil rights legislation created for people with disabilities in the western world – sound like the 1,000^th most-important thing George H.W. Bush did as a leader.

I am an Independent and a Progressive.

But I take pause today to hope that our 41^st president is in a peaceful place and that his family takes comfort in the grace that he put into his career as a public servant.

Shame on any news organization that fails to list the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act as one of George Bush’s greatest accomplishments.

Far reaching-civil rights for all is very important.

Failing to see how important it is, tells us that the mainstream media still sees people with disabilities as largely worthless and deserving to remain marginalized.

https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/recollections/george-bush-and-the-americans-with-disabilities-act/

PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH RIP

HE CROSSED THE AISLE TO CREATE THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

President Bush the senior, the one known for his "Thousand Points of Light," worked tirelessly to create far-reaching legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Many of the most-famous Civil Rights and related legislation, to right longtime wrongs for African Americans and other people of color, was passed in 1964 with the Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House. 

But Bush, a Republican led bipartisan backing to finally, more than a quarter century after the 1964 federal Civil Rights legislation, protect the rights of people with disabilities.

More than 50,000 Americans are impacted by some degree of disability.

Bush worked with Justin Whitlock Dart, the co-founder of the American Association of People with Disabilities, who is regarded as the "Godfather of the ADA."

Dart got polio in 1948 before entering the University of Houston, where he earned undergraduate degrees in history and education in 1954.

The university refused to give him a teaching certificate because of his disability. 

The university is now home to the Justin Dart Jr. Center for Students with Disabilities, a facility designed for students who have any type of temporary or permanent health impairment, physical limitation, psychiatric disorder, or learning disability.

People with disabilities still have the highest rate of unemployment and underemployment of any minority group in America.

And the current evil version of the GOP threatens, constantly, to dissolve the ADA.

But today, we pause from our vitriol -- toward the party whose president stole the office and makes no apologies for ridiculing people with disabilities -- because (old school) GOP stalwart George H.W. Bush worked with both parties for the good of all people.