Image via Wikipedia
I say this all the time which doesn't make it any less true. Paris is dripping in beauty. It surrounds us everywhere we go, and in the most seemingly unlikely of places. Besides the grand monuments that never cease to stun no matter how many times we walk by them, all one has to do is turn his head a different way, glance up or down, or from an angle that hasn't been reached on a previous walk to find something fresh and new, and for my consciousness and/or sense of aesthetics to be moved, uplifted, or stimulated.
It could be lighting that makes the difference, or even a good or bad mood. Even on an ugly street--and, yes, there are some--there is always something to be discovered that saves the lovely, gorgeous, or glamorous day. And we can say: By God, we live in the most beautiful city in the world.
Here are some details that I found on a building I wasn't impressed with on a street that went from okay-not-great to better.
(Photo by Beth Arnold)
You can see that the building is modern, perfectly acceptable, without being in the least bit noteworthy--except for these figures holding the address, the street number. Is there a name for this bit of architectural detail?
(Photo by Beth Arnold)
Take a look, you can discern the number. Does anyone know where this is?
(Photo by Beth Arnold)
I'm not telling...yet. But I love these guys who seem to be forever hanging out their elegant windows to let people know where they are. A more old-fashioned GPS.
Sometimes the beauty of Paris consumes us with its grandness, and sometimes it's in the details.
---Beth Arnold in Paris
