Paris By Night, Nuit Blanche 2014

The sheer beauty of Paris is an everyday supreme feast for the eyes day and night at just about anywhere in the city!   At night though, Paris earns her beloved and well deserved title of being called the city of lights, when she takes on a different vibrant energy, that sparkles and dazzles like diamonds in the skies.

One night out of the year, Paris offers her bosom of artistic delights, along with monuments and museums to all who have the courage and stamina to take it all in, all night long.    Called Nuit Blanche, or white night, it is a French term for an all nighter.

It started in 2002, by the then mayor Delanoë, who got the idea from the White Nights festival of Saint Petersburg.   It has proved to be wildly popular and each year there are different themes.

Up untill last year, monuments and historical sites were lit throughout the night.  Sadly, because of the austerity practices in place, the city is now turning off lights at one am in order to save over 200 million euros a year.

This year’s Nuit Blanche theme predominantly focused on the left bank, with walks guided by painted foot paths to follow leading you from one spot to another, in case you weren’t familiar with the neighborhood.

Before heading off into the night, I prepared a lovely feast of delicious sea scallops arranged on a bed of granny smith apples and served with a beurre blanc of tarragon and fresh coriander.  It perfectly matched a lovely Sauvignon blanc from the Loire, and with that, I felt fortified enough to tackle the twinkling city lights till when ever!

Being non conformist by nature, I did not follow any prescribed path, picking and choosing where to go.  In retrospect, I should have correlated my plans better, as I did miss out of visiting Hospital Necker and the School for the Blind, which I don’t believe have ever before participated.

One of the most original sights proved to be a whole musical troupe from Brazil, suspended from a giant tree in Park Montsouris as seen in the photo.  The samba and bosso novo type music was so lively and infectiously invigorating that I had a hard time leaving.

There were some illuminated trees throughout in sheer greens and blue and other bands playing a the kiosque.  I was surprised to see so many brave families with kiddies tugging along as the night bared on.

As usual, I headed towards Ile de La Cité and Ile Saint Louis, because even without any special lighting, walking around the Seine is always poetic and dreamy.  The golden coloured lights seem to dance along the ripples of the current as they pass under the many lit bridges.

The magnificent old street lanterns, which were each lit by hand in the old days, still have that special soft glow that is uniquely Paris.  Crossing the pont Notre Dame, I stumbled upon a guy who had the most lavishly decorated bicycle that I have ever seen, for which my photo does not do justice.

In the back, he had mounted his own street lanterns that were brightly lit,  but the most surprising thing was a working water fountain.  He had it ingeniously located in between the handlebars with a tube leading to a small reservoir of water that amazingly kept the fountain spraying non stop.

Hotel De Ville is the town hall of Paris and I loved the flowing strings of multi coloured balloons that sensuously undulated in the wind.  Just watching was addictively meditative and again hard to leave behind.

Crossing back to Ile de la Cite, the early morning hours had taken their toll on several adolescents who apparently had imbibed way too much alcohol to the extent I was worried for their safety, as one could no longer stand unsupported and had to be dragged along like a rag doll, collapsing in the gutter several times.

They were just a sample of many youths seen staggering here and there as the wee hours of the morning progressed. Apparently for them, it was more of a night to escape parental eyes than enjoying any sights and lights.

I was hoping that the baker’s professional chamber on Ile Saint Louis would still be offering fresh baked croissants as they have in years past, but sadly no.  This time I would have to wait till morning for a free brunch of  cafe and croissants offered at  Hôpital Necker, which is the city’s major children’s hospital.

I also unfortunately missed some circus performers doing aerial stunts over by Porte de Versailles, suspended above the petit centure railroad.  It is an old abandoned rail line that once circled the entire city that is currently being studied for renovation.

Crossing over the last bridge of the night, I caught glimpse of a spectacular spider web that the golden hued arches had framed as in eternity.

By 2:30 am, I had to settle on not seeing everything I wanted with only two metro lines open and tired feet.  The Cité metro station, with its huge globes of light,  looked practically deserted, but when line 4 roared in,  it was packed like sardines with all nighters like myself.

Sleep deprivation by the way can be good for treating depression in some folks, where as in others can trigger cycling into hypomania.   Though tired, I did have trouble falling asleep with all the walking around I did, along with the myriad of  illuminations flooding my retinas.

In the morning, I was completely ok with forgoing the free “brunch”, preferring to head down the street to my favourite baker for croissants which were as buttery and flaky as ever.

There will be another Nuit Blanche to be enjoyed next year, but in the meantime I can perfectly make up my own nuit blanche anytime I want, that is up until the metro closes and before they turn off the lights at one am! Vive la nuit!