Sitting in pride of place at the very heart of Île de la Cité, Notre Dame is one of those ‘must see’ Paris attractions. Construction of Notre Dame started as early as 1163, although completion wasn’t until 1345. The following postcard of Notre Dame was produced using the technique of albumen print which was developed by FrenchmanLouis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard in 1847. During the Franco-Prussian war of the 1870s, the Paris Commune – a radical socialist and revolutionary government which seized control of the city shortly after the defeat of Napoleon- chose Hôtel de Ville as its headquarters. Many French people protested the Commune’s power, however, and took to protesting.

By comparison, most of the modular buildings come in around this height, so I think we have to give the LEGO designers here some leeway as an Eiffel Tower that would stand 3 times the size of the one included would look really out of place in a small diorama such as this. However, it really puts into perspective just how tall it actually is! Conclusion The Second Stage brings the city of lights to life. With minimal parts a familiar scene of the Seine with it’s Bateaux Mouches comes to life alongside the Eiffel Tower., and a hot air balloon floating above. Many may not realize, but the first hot air balloon and the first lighter than air balloon flights were both started in Paris. (While the balloon in our model is reminiscent, it would have been nice had it paid further homage to those original intrepid flights and shown in either of the original color schemes.) Throughout Paris, particularly in the second arrondissement, there’s a smattering of covered passages known collectively as Les Passages Couverts. These are essentially early shopping arcades and while there were once 150 such walkways in the city, today only a few dozen survive. The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author. The Completed Model The technique involves the albumen (white of an egg), silver and a variety of other chemicals. As I’m sure you’re well aware, there was a terrible fire at Notre Dame in the spring of 2019, which resulted in the destruction of much of the ecclesiastical building’s roof, as well as the loss of its spire. As such, Notre Dame Cathedral no longer looks quite like this vintage Paris postcard! Via Wikimedia Eiffel Tower on 20th March 1888Kilo Shop,125 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France &69-71 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, Franc As is always the case when building at a microscale, every element must be there for a reason — and having things comparably scaled is super important as something out of scale is very noticeable. With the bright colors and instantly recognizable landmarks, do these sets measure up to the challenge? Let’s find out! #40568 Paris Postcard Vincent Van Gogh and his brother Theo also lived here for a time at No. 54, prior to their move to the nearby town of Auvers-Sur-Oise. Other highlights of the street include some of the last Parisian windmills, as well as the birthplace of the Renault car.

As you probably know by now, the Arc de Triomphe sits at one end of the Champs Élysées and is just one of two triumphal arches in Paris (the other, smaller arch, is located by the Louvre and is known as the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel). This quirky little vintage shop is filled with treasures from manuscripts, to long lost dolls. A visit to L’Objet Qui Parle (English translation is literally ‘the talking object’) can easily be combined with a trip to Montmartre and you may well come away with an unusual souvenir! Marché Aux Puces de Saint-Ouen,6 Rue Jean-Henri Fabre, 75018 Paris, France The Eiffel Tower has come to be known as a symbol not only for France but for freedom, love, respect and pretty much everything else France stands for. The following photo was taken during the construction of the Iron Lady, and completion from start to finish took just two years.

Summary

The two previous postcards did not capture my attention, but I like 40568 Paris Postcard and 40569 London Postcard very much. Their vibrant colours are outstanding for display and I am pleasantly surprised by the presence of subtle details, particularly on the Parisian model. Using the Guimard Metropolitain font was ingenious, for instance. With Paris, the extreme differences in height work to create a proper feeling of the city but let’s crunch the numbers on this one. Big Ben stands a paltry 315’ as compared to the Tower in 40568, and yet it’s actually taller in the set by about 1 plate. Ben is 37 plates tall which means each plate here is equal to 8.5’. In Stage 2, London bursts forth as the vibrant city that it is. But that’s where reality stops, and iconography begins here as well. It’s clear to most folks the bright red bus, the giant Ferris wheel called The Eye, and the rest of the represented buildings all shout – this is London! Ah, Montmartre. If there’s one district that feels like you’re strolling through the Paris of old, it’s this time warp in central Paris. The following postcard was captured in Montmartre in 1925 on Rue Lepic. Located in the 18e arrondissement of the city, Rue Lepic is easily one of the most iconic streets in the area and has been the filming locations for films such as Amélie. And while construction of the Arc de Triomphe began in 1806, the inauguration and completion of the arch wasn’t until thirty years later, in 1836. The Arc was commissioned by Napoleon at the height of his victories, following the battle of Austerlitz. It was intended to be reminiscent of the Roman era, and is modelled on the original Arc de Triomphe in Orange, Provence!