An old favorite

I've posted this photo before, but I've re-worked it a little for today's post. It's a section of the eastern façade of the Louvre palace, constructed in the seventeenth century under King Louis XIV, and the Pavillon de l'horloge, built around the same time. Beyond the Louvre, you can see the obélisque in the Place de la Concorde. Further beyond stretches the Avenue des Champs-Elysées at the top of which is the nineteenth century Arc de Triomphe commissioned by Napoléon Bonaparte. In the background is the La Défense high-rise business district with its very modern Grande Arche, still under construction in this photo.

The Louvre's grand colonnade. Digitized color slide, Paris 1988.

I think I took this photo in 1988 from up on the roof of the Samaritaine department store. There was an outdoor café on the roof, one of the best places for views of the city. Back in 1981-82, it was a real café with waiters. In nice weather, we could (and did) spend hours up there sipping wine and enjoying the views. By the time I took this photo, the café had been transformed to a self-serve kind of place. Same great views, not so much ambiance. Later, the café was closed altogether.