Le seizième: Pinky-In-The-Air Paris
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Today I explored the 16th arrondissement, or "le seizième" as it is known to Parisians. The third richest neighborhood in the whole of France (with the other two also in the Paris metro area), the 16th is the spiritual twin of Kensington and Chelsea in London, Charlottenburg in Berlin, Upper East Side in New York City, and [there's-not-really-an-LA-equivalent] in Los Angeles. There's a warm glow of old money about it. There's venerable buildings inside which men once wore wigs and tights for reasons other than their Tindr profile. And there's manicured streets in which the nouveau riche are given only the very small concession of the occasional organic supplement store and spaces for mud therapy. A full half of the 16th arrondissement is given over to the Bois de Boulogne park, an urban Eden that's a sight for sore souls.
Lac Supérieur, Bois de Boulogne, 75016 Paris. Lexia Snowe, 2020
A stairway between streets in the 16th arrondissement, featuring a statue of Portuguese poet Luis De Camões. Estatua Luis De Camões, Boulevard Delessert, 75016 Paris. Lexia Snowe, 2020
I got a teeny bit obsessed with the facades of the residential buildings in the 16th arrondissement, many of which have been impeccably preserved from the 19th century. Here's an example. Rue de Passy, 75116 Paris. Lexia Snowe, 2020
And here's another. Lexia Snowe, 2020
Arc de Triomphe, shot from the Place Charles de Gaulle, at the intersection with Avenue Victor Hugo, 75116 Paris. Lexia Snowe, 2020
The Statue équestre de Washington, shot from Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie. Just for a moment, contemplating this statue, a shiver of mourning and pride and regret and relief crossed me all at once, as I remembered that America used to inspire people. 75116 Paris. Lexia Snowe, 2020
A skater boi soars alongside the fountain pool of the Palais de Tokyo, 75116 Paris. Lexia Snowe, 2020