Daguerre Again
The photograph of this shop was taken when we walked down the rue Daguerre. After re-visiting the Varda film, and seeing a few accordion players making appearances, I realize that this shop is probably one of the few things from the time of the film that is still more like it was then than any of the other shops along that street. I do not know how long ago the shop was closed, but I would guess it was not recently. I did not look for the shop while watching the film so maybe I will have to go back and watch it again.
In high contrast to the intimacy of Rue Daguerre and its feeling of community, the walk from Porte de Vincennes could not have been more different. The large scale of the boulevard and the openness of sky and space, and large but not high buildings, and comfortable lives once again took us out of the feeling of bustling city. The Metro stop has been newly designed by some artists with an enormous sand-blasted M in a three sided glass space. It feels like a cube even though it has only three sides. I cannot find any way to describe it better than to call it a cube. Even this entrance down and into the underground suggests light and space. The whole walk (No.10 on Simon’s clockwise list, and by chance No. 10 also in our more random order of walking) was a gentle downhill slope from the periphérique with light and space all around us. There were not many moments of great interest or excitement. Not every walk is full of discovery. This walk was simply a pleasant walk. EVH
notes from an urban hibernation 