One of the many names people use to describe Paris is the City of Light. According to the website Culture Trip, there are more than 296 illuminated sites in Paris, “if you count everything from hotels and churches, statues and fountains, national buildings and monuments, and out of 37 major bridges in Paris, an impressive 33 of them are illuminated to full glory each sunset.”

While many assume the name comes from recent illuminations, such as the Eiffel Tower, the name goes back to Louis XIV, the Sun King, and his attempts to make Paris a safer city through the addition of streetlights.

Whatever the origin, the city now comes to life every night. On our recent trip, we’ve taken to the streets a few nights to capture scenes of the City of Light.

The first two evenings we were in Paris, the city was flooded with football (soccer) fans for the Championship League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. An Irish Pub at the end of our block became one of many unofficial headquarters for the fans of Liverpool, and we could hear them singing and cheering late into the evening.

What’s a night life in Paris without the opera? Andrew chose Rossini’s The Barber of Seville for his adventure in the city, and we thoroughly enjoyed the delightful, slapstick of Count Almaviva, Rosina, Bertha, and Figaro.

The ultimate prize in any night tour of the City of Light is the illuminated Eiffel Tower. We walked along the river for some 45 minutes one evening, catching glimpses along the way until we turned the corner and caught the full view.

A magnificent memory.

More to come…

DJB

For additional posts in this series of photographs of Paris, click here for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Image of a Paris illumination by ABB.