Bouquinistes on the Seine

This was a last-minute shot, after we had left an exhibition at the Hôtel de Ville (the town hall) in Paris.

The time was 18:45 on a gray early evening, but it was Saturday and some of the booksellers (bouquinistes) on the Seine (near the Pont Marie) were still open, with 19th century facades beyond (a few tiny lights in the windows). It's fun to view LARGE.

Edit: An imaginative blipper has just wondered if the four fellows striding along could be the Beatles :)

The town hall exhibition we attended was devoted to a key event in Paris's history: the Commune of 1870-71, during which the citizens of Paris resisted both the German army and the government of the newly established French republic. It was excellent, with period photographs, prints, posters, letters and more.

The Hôtel de Ville has regular exhibitions on a wide variety of themes. They are always of very high quality--and they are free. Thus one gets in line (on fait la queue), as we did this gray afternoon; we waited a full 45 minutes, to enter at 5:40 pm (the exhibition closed at 7 pm).