A couple of weeks ago, I promised to get back with more pics of Francois Mitterrand library neighborhood on the right bank of the Seine river.

The library’s located in the 13th arrondissement at farthest southern west of Paris.

I get an emotional bonding with this place since

I used to live just across the Seine river on the left bank at Cour Saint Emilion 3 years ago before moving out to California, US.

I used to walk the Bercy park and cross Simone de Beauvoir bridge just for the fun of it and get back to home.

3 years ago, Cour Saint Emilion was charming and full of life while the library’s surroundings just there on the other bank was still in the works. The library got yet its 4 glass building erected (a kinda eyesore in Paris, which historic architecture pattern is mostly beige stone).

The Simone de Beauvoir suspended pedestrian bridge was just 2 years old.

And the floating Josephine Baker swimming pool got just opened up.

Apart from running the empty place, there was nothing much to enjoy. The place was barren, boring. I’d have felt insecure there at sunset.

I got back two weeks ago to get some pics of the tall glass walls of the library and its wooden raised ground floor… And the place has changed tremendously.

The glass buildings have been melting in the environment and it feels like fresh air in a old town.

Bars and restaurants have hold up the bank a few feet away from the water. You don’t feel like you’re having fun time in Paris. It feels like some beach town in the South of France.

Where bikes and folks cruise through.

I took the bridge to go to what I used to consider my very own backyard. It’s within Bercy park. 3 summers ago, well before I ever imagined I’d become a blogger, I used to take GApple, my beach towel, set up under the apple trees, take a nap, connect to a free hotspot and surfing the Internet.

What you see just behind the Josephine Baker swimming pool is the Seine river and the stones of the left bank above the water. The pool is a floating building on the river. It’s funny, isn’t it? You’d go swim in when in Paris? 3 years ago, the occupation fee was €5/ 2 hours.

I eventually spent 4 hours around sunset shooting those. I was sat down on the marchs of the library, expecting the horizon getting orange when this guy’s green belt caught my eyes. He was 10 yards away, and I was training to focus on his belt, across the wire mesh of the pedestrian bridge, with my zoom lens. His girlfriend’s voice in the air got my eye attracted on her face, and I started to shoot on her face. It was obviously much more more interesting than a belt. They didn’t notice me at all. Their talk was vivid, with her moving, sitting down, getting up. It was fun to have time for once to concentrate on my shooting. Spying on them was … somewhat addictive… Shooting secretly a smile, a knitted brow or a deep look. At the end, I went to introduce myself and offered her to send some pictures out. A nice girl. Her name is Stephanie. Isn’t it nice to get to know someone that way? Thanks Stephanie.

Here’s the sunset I crossed Paris through to shoot. The first is from from the pedestrian bridge. The second is three of the 4 buildings of the library. Romantic place huh?

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Author: Gaelle