Thursday, October 23, 2014

A Different Kind of Fence


For this week's "Good Fences" I'm taking you to Paris again - and trust me, this won't be the last time.


I love to take pictures of windows (and doors), and I noticed something about the windows in Paris: many of them have a little "fence" at the bottom of their windows. I don't even know how to call these! So I call them "mini fences". I'm not quite sure why they are there. For windows on the second floor and higher they might prevent you from falling out if you're stupid enough to lean that far out. Some practical people use them to put their window boxes on.


But what is the reason of this one? It doesn't prevent anyone from falling out (on the first floor?) or climbing in, even if they're jumping out of the wall.


These ones I get - and please notice how people park here! We saw that way of tight parking all over Paris, not only in Montmartre where most of these pictures were taken. I'm quite glad that we didn't have a car in Paris!


These mini fences seem to be everywhere - and these actually really seem to have a preventive reason since they are higher than the others (we had something like that in our apartment in Germany).


This one certainly is here just for decorative reason - and isn't it beautiful?


Perfume company Guerlain on the Champs-Élysées, however, has the most beautiful one - as it should be for a house of beauty.


That's my little "mini fence on window" tour through Paris. I hope you enjoyed it!




17 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

they are quite quaint! i really like the one you featured in first and last - the chippy shutters are just perfect accompaniments. :)

The Greenockian said...

Love the sculpture - great fun!
Liz

Anonymous said...

Good fences alright. My oldest Grandchild loved Paris but being a young teen back then she was into clothes and jewelry instead of fences.

So nice to see you have them up.
For show and tell Thursday

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Love all the wooden shutters and the little iron fences.

21 Wits said...

Oh wow, that statue is just my kind of style of art! I'd like, (may someday) have something like that in my own yard! Your window fences are just perfect in my opinion, and I am always fond of seeing Paris!

S. Etole said...

Fascinating little fences and windows.

Ruth Kelly said...

Fantastic series of photos. The sculpture of the man coming out of a wall is so unusual and I am like you, I can't for the life of me figure out how they park so close together and how on earth do they get their car out?

Tanya Breese said...

what beautiful windows and i like that sculpture climbing out of the wall! i will go to paris with you as often as you want :)

windrock studio said...

Just great images, I really love windows with old shutters. How in the world do those drivers ever get their cars out?!

Jeanne said...

Love your window shots and the reflections! I also had to laugh when i saw your shot of the parking in Paris. The first time we were there, we saw a SMART car that was pulled in sideways to a small space between two cars. Great advantage of those tiny cars.

GreenComotion said...

I thoroughly enjoyed all the photos and glad to learn they were taken in Montmartre. What a lovely place. My favorite in Paris!

Peace :)

Ida said...

Oh yes I do like your Parisian mini-fences. They are so charming. Can't say I'd want to park my car there though.

Pamela Gordon said...

I love taking pictures of windows from either side. These are all so beautiful and some are unique and I love the little 'fences' and window boxes and shutters. I can't imagine parking a car like that! Wow. Crazy. I enjoyed your series of photos. Pamela

joanna uk said...

Yes, they are so iconic. Glad to see that new buildings sport them as well.
Love the statue trying to extricate himself from the wall.

Unknown said...

Well, thank you for the tour of Paris and all the mini-fences! Wonderful photos and I enjoyed the man coming out of the wall and the car parking ... hmmm ... how does a person ever get out?

Amy Burzese said...

Exquisite little fences. Love the windows, but that parking . . . I just don't understand.

Anonymous said...

I love all the charming windows here...and the man walking through the wall.