Montmartre, Rive Gauche... neighborhoods or theme parks?

During the time I spent in Paris in 2017, I went to Montmartre, the quintessential Parisian neighborhood, home to renegades, artists, and renegade artists.  While I walked there (as much as I could, considering my impaired ankles) I wondered to what extent is the survival and identity of this area turned it into a kind of theme part about Paris in the 19th century.  Any ideas?  Take a look...

The carrousel that one meets upon exiting Abbesses, the metro station at the foot of the Montmartre hill.  It is, indeed, the Montmatre carrousel.

 

Poster store at the butte de Montmartre. 

Artist at work near the Place du Tertre.  He's not the only one in Montmatre.

Just as idealized as Montmartre is the Left Bank or Rive Gauche, with a number of spots that evoke (or rather scream) "Hey, this is an old place!"  From façades to cafés and park benches, there's an air of old things... But it is by no means something to dismiss. 

Gates of the Hotel de Ville. 

Street performer on the Ponte d'Arcole, a block away fron Nôtre Dame.  He's an unwilling prop in this strange museum... or just making a living?

Window corner of a building near the Ponte d'Arcole.  

Selfie takers at the Ponte d'Arcole, whose presence and attitudes only contribute to turn the place into a weird theme park... of sorts.

Now, both places have their very distinct areas and features.  Here's something from Montmartre.

People on the steps at the feet of Sacre Coeur.

One of the many stores and eateries in the windy streets around the basilique.  The "frogs"... 

Tables and a lone city hiker.

This air pervades the whole town... Is that the reason for its appeal?

Place de la République Dominicaine near Parc Monceau.  Those beautiful, impressive buildings exude old fashioned class...

This is the Café Courcelles, in the boulevard of the same name, at a place where two more streets meet.

The reason for the flags is that here, at the Passage des Ateliers, there's a flag making store (in addition to a wine bar and restaurant, and a few artists ateliers).

Whatever the answer, the city's charms remain unquestioned.  Perhaps it is always appealing because of its size, which seems adequate to human proportions and never overwhelms its visitors (no matter how large its museums and other places may be).  

In any case, as if it were necessary to say but I still want to add it, all the images above were made with a Leica M4, a Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2 lens, and a Sekonic L-208 meter in hand on Kenmere ISO 100 film (and, if not, Ilford FP4).

Paris and the 35mm Zeiss lens

During the summer of 2017 I had foot surgery, but before going in the hospital I spent some two weeks in Paris, and a few days in Germany afterwards. All that time I had with me two cameras: my Nikon D700 (with my AF 24-120 f4 zoom), and my Leica M4, with a Zeiss 35mm f2 and a 90mm f2.8 lens made by Konica.  For metering, I took a recently (back then) acquired Sekonic L-208 that can be small, discrete and accurate.  Film?  A mixed bag, but mostly Kenmore ISO 100 and Ilford FP4 (exposed at ISO 125).

Here, the photographs...

 Place St Julien Le Pauvre.  Artist setting up his work for sale.

 Place des Vosges.  Girl reading.  For this one, I used a Konica Hexanon 90mm f2.8 lens.

Place des Vosges.  Corridor and man.

The light was at all times intense and bright, but there were exceptions and places in which I was able to get (interesting) exposures with a bit more contrast, and an air definitely French, or at least continental.  Like these ones...

Men conversing in café by Place des Vosges.

Waiter, Ile de St. Louis.

 Photo shoot and model.  Palais Royal. 

Ladies and the cost of living these days.  Passage Jouffroy.

Girls at Café Dome, Rue Lévi. 

 

Not all the photographs I have show this "slice of life" quality.  Some are deliberately more architectural (or perhaps environmental), because... Paris offers everything everyone may want.  I wanted to do this trip and take a Leica I used to own (an M3), with a collapsible Summicron 50mm, but I sold it before anything happened.  I am now glad that I was able to take this M4 instead, as I have always found the 50mm focal length a bit too narrow for my taste.  Needless to say, I want to return, and I want to do some night photography like I did in Madrid.  But enough of that.  I'll return with some street shots (literally, photos of streets) that I liked because... I think they're a good representation of the charms of Paris.

A bientôt!