The Paris of Woody Allen

It is not the Paris of Woody Allen.  That's a phrase that is used to describe the parts of Paris that are shabby and unsafe.  Fortunately, most of Paris is the Paris of Woody Allen.

The Seine and the Louvre, at night.

No matter what you think of the man himself, Woody Allen, when he made the movie Midnight in Paris, captured something that many of us feel about this city of splendor and rapture.

In the movie, Adriana says, "I can never decide whether Paris is more beautiful by day or by night."

Some of the most magical scenes in that 2011 movie were made at night.  Now that sunset is at 8:45PM, we are seeing more of that magic than we did early in the summer.

As we walked up the avenues to the Seine last night, we were in the Paris of Woody Allen.  Later, when we left the Seine to walk along the serene Rue de Lille and Rue Jacob, we were in the Paris of Woody Allen.

Street art featuring a beautiful woman, painted on doors in the floodwall of the river's left bank.

In between, we were in the Paris of Woody Allen, but in a place with far more people than I remember seeing in the night scenes of that film.  Down on the left bank of the Seine, between Pont des Invalides and Pont Royal, were droves of people strolling, sitting, talking, eating, drinking, even singing . . . the Paris of Woody Allen, but more festive.

Many cafés have opened along this stretch -- some of them are floating cafés.  It is all very casual; the one fancier restaurant that was attempted under Pont Alexandre III has failed; now that place is a large, thriving pizzeria, serving lots of beer at lots of outside tables; nobody wants to sit inside on a night like this.

The river bank, in the lower part of the photo, and the quai with the Musée D'Orsay in the upper part of the photo.

Up on the quai, even the old-fashioned brasserie/restaurant Le Frégate is now serving pizza, and crêpes.

We'd had a gourmet salad at home for dinner before our walk, but we did stop for refreshments at a crêperie on the bank of the river.  Then we ascended to the quai, and walked down the Rue de Lille.

On the left bank of the Seine, in front of the Musée D'Orsay, looking toward Pont Royal and the Louvre.

Tom did not remember Rue de Lille, with its assorted antique shops.  Peering into the lighted windows of the shops at dazzling chandeliers and fine paintings was a delight.  A few people appeared here and there.  But mostly, it was just us, enjoying the Paris of Woody Allen.

Rue de Furstemberg

The top of the Legion of Honor as seen over the floodwall, from the bank of the Seine.