To let, Paris. Studio appt - size 1.56m², rent €330 per month

A mother and child's 4m² apartment. (Photo - Facebook-Fondation Abbé Pierre

Paris, like many other major world capitals, has long been known for its housing penury and the high rents for small apartments which result from the laws of supply and demand, but two recent news stories have brought to light just how serious the situation has become as well as just how little the authorities seem to be doing about it.

We learned a few days ago that 'Dominique', a 50-year-old man with a low income, lived in Paris for 15 years in an 'apartment' measuring 1.56m², which is about the floor area of a good-sized dog kennel. The miniscule room was under the roof so he could only stand upright within a narrow 20-centimetre strip. Dominique was charged €330 in rent per month.

That story was followed up yesterday with another, similar one, that of a mother in her thirties who paid €200 per month for a cubbyhole of 4m² in which she lived with her small child, again, in Paris.

That this kind of thing should be allowed to happen in the first place in a country which (erroneously as it happens) proudly proclaims itself to be 'the country of Human Rights' is scandalous enough, but worse still is what the authorities did, or rather didn't, do about it.

The degrading housing conditions of both of these people had been known for many months by the Abbé Pierre Foundation, which fights for improved housing rights for the disadvantaged, and both of their cases were brought to the attention of the relevant authorities by the Foundation. But the authorities did nothing for over six months, despite the obvious urgency of the victims' circumstances.

In Dominique's case the authorities only took action very recently to remove Dominique from his lodgings and have them padlocked, with the owner being barred from entering, and it also emerged that three different private flatsearch agencies had rented the 1.56m² space over a long period, thus flouting a law which fixes the legal minimum for a housing unit at 9m², without housing authorities being aware of it. Dominique has been rehoused.

The case of the woman and child was even worse. She had financial difficulties which had led her to fall three months behind with her rent, and as a result the owner changed the lock on the door while she was out and put her meager belongings into plastic bags which she left in a corridor in the building before sending a text message to her tenant to inform her of what she had done. This broke almost every rule in the book, which obliges owners to send warning letters and obtain court permission to evict tenants. Also, she is theoretically liable for 'endangering life' and renting lodgings which are 'incompatible with human dignity'. Not only that, she evicted the tenant just recently, which means that she has also fallen foul of a law which forbids evictions during the cold winter months.

Many people, including myself, lived for a while in Paris (London too, in my case) during their early adulthood because of these cities' bustling lifestyle and opportunities, which young people often crave. And, like most of the others, I didn't earn much money so I had to content myself with about 10 or 12m². It wasn't The Ritz, sure, but there was room for a bed, a table, a small hi-fi system and an armchair or two. It was all part of the  growing up game. Nevertheless, although I gladly accepted those conditions in exchange for a chance to live in these cities I just cannot imagine how degrading and soul-destroying it must be to live in 4m², never mind less than 2m².

And it's not only a question of size, it's also a question of extortionate rent. As a comparison, I live in a high-ceilinged apartment of about 90m² near Lyon's city centre. It has a marble fireplace, wooden parquet floors and all mod-cons. Price? In the upper €400s per month. In other words I pay a rate of just over €5 per square metre. The lady with her baby though, was paying €50 per square metre, Dominique was actually paying a staggering €200 per square meter, and it's probably safe to say that they both earn rather less than many people.

High rents and small apartments are an inevitable part of living in a much sought after capital city for many people, but the almost inhuman conditions in which these two people found themselves does no credit to the Paris authorities. They should be forced by law to react immediately in cases such as these and they should also be able to circumvent the long wait for court proceedings which are characteristic of courts not only in France but elsewhere, in order to bring offenders to justice quickly.

This legislation is needed urgently because each day spent waiting for it to be drawn up and enacted is a day on which the poor of Paris will continue to be subjected to this kind of abuse because, as Dominique says, they have no choice. After all;

"It's either that or the street."

Lyon's mural art tribute to Mexican artist Diego Rivera

In May 2006 about 140 mural fresco and associated artists met up in Mexico City for their annual convention, and it was during this event that Guadalupe Rivera, widow of Diego Rivera, the celebrated historical, social and political artist and muralist, proposed in a speech that;

"..upon the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Diego Rivera, homage shall be paid to him in Europe by the mural painters of Cité Création."


The result can be seen below in a series of photos I took today here in Lyon of the spectacular mural paintings created in Rivera's honour by Lyon-based mural art specialist association Cité Création. The work consists of three mural paintings on the walls which enclose three sides of a public square, just next to a small park. The central element is this one, applied to the side wall of a building.

Next to this work and on a smaller wall at 90% to it is this rectangular mural.

And the building wall opposite the first one is host to the third and final element.

Each individual panel on the two building wall paintings, as well as the painting on the long rectangular wall, tells a story of a historical event era or phenomenon that Diego Rivera had adressed during his lifetime of painting. To help visitors, Cité Création also painted a pictorial and numbered guide for each wall, accompanied by explanatory text. Here is an example.

For those who don't read French however, I took a few close ups of individual panels and translated the descriptions of some of them. Here is a depiction of a major event in Mexican history. It is on the bottom left of the principal wall. 'Conquest and Christianisation. Scenes of religious conversions, forcible baptism or death for recalcitrants."

Next to it can be seen "The arrival of Hernan Cortés. The priest Pedro Alvarado, nicknamed 'the bloodthirsty redhead', gives back to Cortés the gold he has plundered..."

Over on the opposite, 'yellow' wall is a detail from this painting, bottom left, of "Workers. During the production phase of the Ford V8 engine at the Detroit factory."

On the bottom right of that same wall can be seen this almost Dantesque vision of "Carnival. Denounces the cupidity and corruption which reigns within Mexican politics. Diego Rivera caricatures certain governing figures as animals."

Finally, here's a detail from the rectangular wall. Unfortunately though, dear reader, I forgot to take a photo of the texts for that wall so I'm afraid we shall just have to wake up our neurones and use our imaginations to conjure up our own versions of what may be happening.

That homage to Rivera is situated less than a kilometre from where I am sitting, and it is just one of the dozens of other jumbo-sized mural paintings which are to be found all over Lyon and the surrounding areas (I took some photos of another one, and you can see them here). They were all painted by Cité Création. The association is an internationally-renowned organisation which employs dozens of painters in Lyon alone and it has painted or commissioned almost 600 mural paintings in countries all over the world.

But Cité Création doesn't just 'do paintings on walls', they fulfil a vital need here in Lyon and other major cities. City life can be exciting, but cities can also be soul-destroying at times, so these works - and it is difficult not to spot at least one during a random walk through the city - act as an effective antidote to some of the drab and depressing sights which are to be seen in any city. They are a colourful, inspiring, uplifting and informative mix of history and aesthetics. Every single mural tells a story of real people and events or imagines a better future.

They are the material of dreams.

Lyon: The Place des Terreaux and the gardens of the Fine Arts Museum

Lyon's Fine Art museum is one of the largest in France and Europe. A massive four-sided construction surrounding a large courtyard/garden, it is a magnificent XVIIth century building and its 70 spacious collection rooms and areas are home to many fine collections of paintings, sculpture, artefacts and other art forms dating from antiquity up until modern times.

The museum is situated in the heart of the city centre and one of its facades constitutes one whole side of the city's most beautiful public square, the Place des Terreaux. This photo can only take in half of its length.

Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon

The square is dominated by the Town Hall, a sumptuous and imposing building which is well worth a visit in its own right. It was built between 1645 and 1651, although it has been renovated since. 

Hôtel de Ville, Lyon

One of the other sides is occupied by this elegant and wildly extravagant statue - the Bartholdi Fountain - which was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in 1889, just a few years after he had designed the Statue of Liberty.

La Fontaine Bartholdi, Lyon

You can get a better idea of how beautiful the Place des Terreaux is by going here. Click left, hold, and move around on the moving panoramic video.

If ever you visit the Fine Arts museum, you will go through one of the entrance gates before crossing over one of these gorgeous cloisters....

...and emerging into the gardens.....

...at which point you shall instantly forget that you are in the centre of a major city. You are now in an oasis of peaceful calm with statues dotted all around amongst the trees, attractive flowerbeds and pathways, and there are benches everywhere to sit on in order to relax and take it all in. These statues are by renowned sculptors from well over a thousand years ago up to the 18th century, and it is not uncommon for first time visitors (and even regulars) to stop and spend some time in the gardens either before or after (or both?) entering the museum itself....

I have chosen not to describe them and their creators because I thought they didn't need my words, they just need to be looked at, although I shall be only too pleased to offer information on them in comments or in answer to email.

I hope you enjoy them and may I wish you an excellent evening.

--------------------

Night photos of Lyon, France

My sister came over from Liverpool to visit me here in Lyon during summer a few years ago. It was her first-ever visit to Lyon and she instantly fell in love with the city's elegance and architecture, insisting that we visit as much of it as possible during the few days she was here and telling me how "lucky you are" to be living in such a place.

And so it was that we would spend very little time at my apartment. One thing that particularly impressed her was how Lyon dresses itself up in its finest lights each evening and shows off its rivers, streets and buildings for all to see.

Which is why I thought I'd share some photos of Lyon at night. Some were taken with a mobile phone, others with a camera, and none of them are exactly David Bailey masterpieces but hey ho, I hope you like them anyway.

Much of Lyon's activities are centred upon its two rivers, the Rhône and the Saône, with the Rhône in particular being featured in the evening as it has a very wide left bank which has been developed into a leisure zone, full of barges which have been transformed into floating bars and restaurants. Thousands of people stroll along it in the evening during the balmy summer months, taking in the air and the sights. One of those sights is the river's 10 bridges, most of which are tastefully illuminated at night. Here are a few of them.

The 'Pont de l'Université was built in the early 1900s to link the Left Bank's university buildings to the centre of the city.

Pont de l'Université

Here's the Pont Wilson. First built in the 1830s, it has been rebuilt a couple of times, this incarnation being inaugurated in 1918. Like many of the other bridges it was partially destroyed by the occupying German troops as they fled the city in 1944 to avoid the allied advance in WWII. It was subsequently restored.

Pont Wilson

This is the Pont Lafayette, which began its life as the Pont Charles X before being rebaptised Pont Lafayette in 1830 after Lafayette crossed it. He played a major role in the French Revolution as well as in the American war of Independence. A quick look at Wikipedia tells me that he was made an Honorary Citizen of America in 2002.

Pont Lafayette

Meanwhile, back on the Left Bank, people are enjoying themselves on the barges, walking along, or sitting down and relaxing on the terraces and lawns.

Barge restaurant, with the Opera building at top left

One of my favourite hangouts

Hangin' out an' chattin' on the Left Bank

 

Some of the city's finest buildings are to be found along the Rhône, including the beautiful Hôtel Dieu. It was built as a general hospital before being used as the city's central maternity hospital, hence its nickname - 'l'Usine à Bébés', or 'The Baby Factory.'

L'Hôtel Dieu

This is one of Lyon University's faculty buildings. And guess where many students eat their lunch? Yup, down on the riverbank.

Lyon University faculty building

Here's another landmark, one of the towers at the municipal swimming bath complex, which overlooks the river. It makes me think of Star Trek...

A spaceship with its ladder deployed

There isn't just the Left Bank to see at night in Lyon though, so here are some pictures taken elsewhere. I took this sunset whilst crossing one of the bridges on my way to the city centre. You can see the swimming pool towers to the left.

On a bridge in Lyon, early evening

This is the sumptuous Célestins Théâtre. It, like many other buildings in Lyon, is a part of a UNESCO Heritage Site.

The Célestins Theatre

This church is on the banks of the Saône. Maybe it's just me but it looks like a rather forbidding place...

L'église Notre Dame St Vincent

Some of Lyon's best and most intimate restaurants are to be found tucked away in side-streets. This picture was taken from inside one of them and it shows one of the rear entrances to l'Hôtel Dieu, pictured further up the page.

Candlelit dinner anyone?

It's the same for bars. The big Brasseries on the main thoroughfares are okay, but I prefer the smaller bars which are to be found hidden nearby in back streets. This is an excellent and unassuming wine bar with a clientele of locals. Change-the-world discussions and hangovers the next morning guaranteed.

"Are you nuts? Don't tell me you voted for HIM!!!"

One of the city's well known characters, here on a bus. He can often be seen around town and he likes to sing Sinatra songs and others in his wonderful crooning style. He smells faintly of whisky, he's a real charmer, and the ladies love him..

This could have been taken in NYC. Classy guy

I read in the press this morning that it snowed last night in various parts of France for the first time since the end of last winter. It didn't snow here but it surely will soon, giving me the chance to take more photos like these. Snow? It's incredibly photogenic.

Lady, dog, snow. Near my place

Nature at work in the city

Lyon, not being like New York or Tokyo, does finally put the lights out and go to sleep, leaving the roads to late-night revelers, municipal maintenance staff and those going to work early.....

It's almost 4am and just the street lights remain to guide people home

May I wish you an excellent day, full of good stuff.