The other night, we dined with friends at a restaurant in the 5th arrondissement, La Petite Perigourdine. As you might guess from the name, the cuisine is typical of the Perigord region in southwest France.
After a filling meal, we took a long walk on the Left Bank.
Paris at night is beautiful. Here are a few photos.
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| Église Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriaque |
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| Le Panthéon |
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| L'Institut de France, home of the Académie Française |
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| La Tour Eiffel |
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| La Tour Eiffel |
Pop Quiz: Why is Paris called the "City of Light"?
(a) The phrase La Ville Lumière (City of Light) refers to Paris' important role during le siècle des Lumières (the Age of Enlightenment) during the 1700's.
(b) Paris in the mid-1800's was one of the first European cities to install many thousands of gas street lights throughout the city.
(c) Both (a) and (b).
Answer below.
Answer: Choice (c) is probably the best answer. The phrase La Ville Lumière arose first as a reference to Paris during the Age of Enlightenment and was reinforced a century later with extensive lighting of Parisian streets, bridges and monuments.
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