Angels in the Architecture

Fourteen years ago in June, Richard and I honeymooned in this city, on our way to getting married on the island of Crete.  We did everything backwards: first bought a place together, then moved in, then had a honeymoon, then got married, and now we date.

Anyway, our time in Paris in 1997 coincided with a tour co-led by our friend Phil Cousineau, and a new (then) friend, the architect Tony Lawlor.  Tony helped open our eyes to Paris above the first floor.

 

Normally in Paris, one walks with eyes toward the sidewalk, because the 2.5 million Parisians are so delinquent about cleaning up after their six billion or so dogs.

But Tony urged us to look up, regardless of the consequences, because so much of the soul of architecture was in the embellishments, the flourishes, the frou-frou elegance and sometimes downright silliness.  It's always the human touches that liven up the essential utility of the spaces we build to protect us from the elements.

So this Paris Play (number 60!) is a salute to our friend Tony, with a shout-out to Paul Simon, who wrote these delightful lyrics that Richard still sings every time he points his camera upward:

He looks around, around

He sees angels in the architecture

Spinning in infinity

He says Amen and Hallelujah!