Boulevard St Germain

Although strictly speaking a Velo du Jour moment, just have to mention that I had my first ride on a Velibes today – how exciting!

I confined it to an early morning tour, mostly along the banks of the Seine, to minimise any harm to innocent bystanders, as I find the whole driving on the right hand side thing, just too difficult for mots.

Anyone watching me as I attempt to cross the various rues and boulevards, would see a slightly disoriented tourist (though I’m surely not the only one), looking every which way - including occasionally upwards - to check for traffic before she crosses the street. And still I can’t quite get right… don’t suppose it can have anything to do with Parisians’ driving, could it? Mais non!

Much sightseeing to be done today, along the picturesque side-streets off the Boulevard St Germain.

Since many of the galleries were closed, we set our sights instead on the wall-art in some completely unexpected places. I guess you’d call them transfers as the images are printed on paper and stuck on the wall, but at what heights!?

I am deeply admiring of their climbing skills – especially given that I spend quiet a lot of time up ladders these days, installing my own work - though something tells me they probably work a little more quickly than I do (and maybe in the dark)?

My friends who were I town today tell me that Banksy’s Kissing Policemen – famously stencilled straight onto the wall rather than paper (though I don’t think Banksy is afraid of heights either) – has been framed under perspex by Brighton Council (close to where they live). True to form, though, apparently someone has graffiti-ed over the top of it!