A Great Photo Trip - Paris and a Loop Through Europe - JohnBrodyPhotography.com

The trip was overly ambitious, ridiculously complicated, and as it turned out, perfect. Two weeks in Paris then three weeks driving a loop through Europe, then two more weeks in Paris.  The driving loop went through France to Belgium, Amsterdam, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Dijon France then back to Paris. Problems did happen, but even they  turned out to be blessings. For example: No little funky economy sedan at the rental house for our loop through Europe? No problem - we'll give you this fully loaded 5-Series BMW instead at the same price as an apology. No first floor no-view reasonably priced room in Switzerland? Very sorry sir, we'll give you a top floor view room overlooking Lake Lucerne and the Alps for six days... Yes, that really did happen.....

I have to say that the BMW fluke gave the trip a whole new dimension. It took us to places and heights that the car we had asked for could never have handled. Beyond that, what were planned as simple visits and tours to a couple of Formula One racetracks became very different events when I found out we could drive the circuits with no speed limits and I had the "Beemer." I have a whole new appreciation for the Nurburgring track in Germany now. M'lady was not be so fond of the track, but I loved it :) She may not have liked the drive on the tracks, but after 3 weeks and 4,000 miles in the car she's hooked and says her next car will be a BMW...

Paris, as always, was beautiful - the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre and D'Orsay Museums were their usual artistic treasures. Pont Neuf and Pont des Arts (bridges) were perfect for people watching and just taking in the French culture. Also, coming from L.A. and the 106 degree high temperatures, the cool Paris weather was a welcome relief staying in the seventy-degree range. We also made many forays into the countryside using my favorite trick for finding new places - just drive without watching a map or roadsigns, and intentionally get lost - I find some of my favorite locations that way, like the second image below.

There have been a few previous photo posts here. The photos below are a few new ones - random shots in random locations...

Small village near the Nurburgring Formula 1 Race Track in Germany - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Night Photo of the Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Paris France --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Field in Clery-sur-Somme in Northern france - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

The Umbrella Man --- A Little Rain Gives Solitude To A Stroller - Pont Neuf Bridge over the River Seine in Paris, an area usually swarming with people until the rains chase them indoors A Smart Man :) - JohnBrodyPhotography.com / John Brody Photography

The Alpha bird at a pond in the Tuileries, Paris. Caught mid-flight at 1/2000th of a second shutter speed --- JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Intense game of chess at Luxemburg Gardens in Paris - Furrowed brows and dead silence. The gent at left won with only 3 seconds left... JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Autumn Colored Leaf by the Pond - Simple shot of a backlit leaf with water droplet bokeh in the background. Big image but a tiny leaf, maybe an inch at most. Portrait Orientation - John Brody Photography / JohnBrody.com

Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III at sunset - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Moonrise Over Pont Neuf, Paris France - John Brody Photography

Pont Neuf Bridge, my favorite place in Paris - JohnBrody.com / John Brody Photography

Pont Neuf is my favorite place in Paris and maybe my favorite place on the globe. It's my personal "Heart" of the city, the center around which the rest of the city branches. An architechtural gem, it has been painted by greats like Vincent van Gogh, Renoir, Pissarro and countless others. It's surrounded by the Notre Dame Cathedral, Pont des Arts, the Eiffel Tower, the Opera House and hundreds of other monuments and attractions. It always has something to offer; great views, interesting people, a nice place to relax after a long day of shooting.

--- What most people don't know is Pont Neuf's odd and often deadly history. All through the 1700s, Pont Neuf was the center of Paris, busy with both crime and commerce. Benjamin Franklin wrote to his friends in America that he had not understood the Parisian character until had visited Pont Neuf. Several other writers describe how, even before the bridge was completed in 1607, gangs hid out under and around it and robbed and murdered people. It remained a dangerous place even as it became busier. For a long time, the bridge even had its own gallows for instant justice. This didn't keep people from gathering there, drawn by various street performers, acrobats, fire-eaters, musicians, etc., (much as they still do when I visit now). Prostitutes, pickpockets, and scam artists were ever present. There were respected tooth pullers, sellers of glass eyes and stones to beautify the face, wrinkle removers, wooden leg salesmen, news-vendors, jugglers, showmen, loungers, and thieves... I didn't mean for this to sound like a history lesson, I just find it all quite interesting. If you haven't been there, you must visit if you get a chance...

Per request, some basics... Called Pont Neuf (meaning New Bridge) during construction, the name stuck. Construction started in 1578. It's length is 781 feet or 238 meters. The Architect was Androuet du Cerceau....... Also per request I'm adding photo data: Canon 5D Mark II, Shutter 1.6 seconds, Aperture 9.0, ISO 1600, Focal Length 68mm. Cheers. --- John Brody Photography