Walking along the Pont de Bir Hakeim (bridge) in Paris
on the blog today to give you an idea of the neighborhood.
More night photos!
At not quite the middle of the bridge stands this statue
which I only realized recently was a likeness of Joan of Arc.
I have a whole new respect!
The bridge itself runs across the Seine
from the 15th arrondissement to the 16th,
from the Bir Hakeim metro stop to Passy on the 6 line
which runs over the top of the bridge.
The statue sits on a small pullout from the bridge
where people often gather to stare at the Eiffel Tower
and often sip something of their choice
(as evidenced by the empty bottles we frequently find left behind).
We have on occasion brought guests here
with a bottle of bubbly and glasses
to watch the tower sparkle
as we sparkle.
(We take our bottle with us!)
From here you can walk along the Seine and the boats
all with a view of the tower.
I love these boats which are often rented
but I especially love them in the summertime
when people sit out on the decks
in the warm evenings
sipping wine and eating
while they talk softly and enjoy the view.
The Pont d'Iena (next bridge over) connects the Eiffel Tower to the Trocadero.
In the early 1800's, Napoleon wanted a bridge to overlook his Ecole Militaire
(Military School and his offices) located on the other end of the Champ de Mars.
So from 1808-1814, he had this bridge built and named after
one of his battle victories: The battle of Jena
(apparently the American spelling).
The stairs from the bridge to the river
are called the Renault Stairs
where James Bond (Roger Moore)
drove a Renault 11 down the stairs in pursuit of an assassin
in the film A View to a Kill.
Christmas in full form
on the river below the tower.
I loved the colors here against the fog.
And the tower doing its sparkly thing.
Hope you've enjoyed this little walk
along a small part of the Seine in Paris.
Back next time with more of Paris!
(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen
Please do not reproduce
Bridge info via: Wiki)