City of Light

Paris – city of light

Is Paris called the city of lights because it was the first city to use street lighting or because it was the center for enlightened thinking in the 18th century?

Monparnasse Tower
Montparnasse Tower

From these sunrise pictures it is clear that they do not waste power by leaving the lights on all night.

Sunrises over Paris
Sunrises over Paris
Sacre Coeur at dawn
Sacre Coeur at dawn
Sunrises on Paris
Sunrises on Paris
Spring Sunrise
Spring Sunrise

At night the streets are well lit to allow for safety while business continues late into the evening. Many businesses do not open up until 10:00 AM.

Montparnassse
Montparnassse

In some parts of the city, the night activity is different from the daytime activity.

Place Pigalle
Place Pigalle

At this corner we waited for the train to take us up to the top of the hill to visit Sacre Coeur Cathedral. All along the street shop keepers were doing business as usual.

Place Pigalle film shoot
Place Pigalle film shoot

In the daylight hours it is a scene for some advertising photos. The actor is sitting on the fountain in the pin stripe suit. The photographer is hanging from the street lamp. <city of light?> The young man below him is reflecting light to reduce the  shadows behind the actor. The scene is being photographed in front of the Paris By Night Cabaret, Folie’s Pigalle.

At night the business is cabaret and club diner shows.

Moulin Rouge dinner theatre
Moulin Rouge dinner theatre

Most internationally known of these is the Moulin Rouge.

 

moulin-rouge

Moulin Rouge clip;   https://youtu.be/DmZAdsT0JDU

 

 – Where do you want to go today? –

https://www.reference.com/geography/paris-called-city-light-e7bb322e3a35ed3f#

One thought on “City of Light

  1. Hi Doug – had no idea that Paris was the first city to use street lighting – thanks for the fun fact! I love your sunrise photos. I’m not a morning person so never seem to rise early enough to catch these! Hopefully we’ll have the chance to get back 🙂

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