Curiosities of Paris: An idiosyncratic guide to overlooked

Curiosities of Paris: An idiosyncratic guide to overlooked delights... hidden in plain sight

Francophiles and Paris buffs will find something new and fascinating in this timeless guidebook, filed with sites, passageways, hotels, shops, and more

What ifâ€”walking around Parisâ€”instead of seeing only the Paris of 2017, you glimpsed Paris in Revolutionary times? Or Paris when it was home to 80,000 horses; or Paris lit by gaslight; or medieval Paris? What ifâ€”walking down a block in Parisâ€”you recognized the signs, mosaics, pieces of hardware, and architectural details as relics of many centuries that have stories to tell of past eras?Â This is whatÂ Curiosities of ParisÂ reveals.

Each of the bookâ€™s 800 photos of unique locations and architectural odditiesâ€”as well as utilitarian objects whose functions have long been obscured with the passage of timeâ€”discloses a previously unnoticed city. Even those who know Paris well might never have registered the thousands of details on every street that testify to the enduring presence of the past: the solar cannon at Invalides, street signs with the word â€œsaintâ€ and all fleur-de-lys removed; the unique features of Parisian street lighting. Youâ€™ll never look at an elm tree the same way again. And, withÂ Curiosities of ParisÂ as your guide, youâ€™ll feel very in-the-know as you walk down the Champs-Ã‰lysÃ©es past all the auto dealerships.

Organized by subjectâ€”including fountains and wells; centuries-old shop signs; vestiges ofÂ wars and ancient Egypt; hotels of legend; remarkable trees; sundials and meridians; equestrian Paris;Â romantic ruins; unusual tombs, stairways, and passageways; religious relics; mosaics;Â public barometers and thermometers; and hundreds more urban elements andÂ anachronismsâ€”the book also includes three themed walks (along the cityâ€™s ancient walls, in theÂ steps of Quasimodo, and through the French Revolution), as well as an index ofÂ street names.

This absorbing compendium is an essential addition to the library of the armchairÂ traveler andÂ flÃ¢neurÂ alike.
Country USA
Brand New York Review Books
Manufacturer Little Bookroom
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9781681371108
Color Multicolor
ReleaseDate 2017-05-23
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781681371108

Country	USA
Brand	New York Review Books
Manufacturer	Little Bookroom
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	9781681371108
Color	Multicolor
ReleaseDate	2017-05-23
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781681371108

Curiosities of Paris: An idiosyncratic guide to overlooked delights... hidden in plain sight

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