Construction Aux Halles

In Paris, it seems like there is always construction going on. Even on my small block it is non-stop: as soon as one building has been repainted, another one is draped in tarp, prepared for pressure washing. When there are restorations on the inside, however, it becomes a bit more complicated, as the green aluminum siding just wouldn't do. At Les Halles, an indoor mall in the middle of Paris, you'll see creative solutions masking the current construction work. One wing has panels of mirrors, with an image of spectators in a theatre (there is a movie theater just beyond).
This continues as a lighted panel, which changes colors:
You can almost forget that it's just a temporary way of hiding construction, instead of an exhibition or permanent display.

And now for my gross-out moment of the week:
It is very hard to tell in this photo, but in an effort to combat the heat, there were people swimming in the Canal. Not only swimming, jumping off of the pedestrian bridges. The water is green, people! (Here's a previous post with a better photo of that disgusting, polluted water.) It reminded me of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer goes swimming in the East River. And of the famous promise Chirac made, that he would clean up the Seine and go swimming in it to prove it (never happened). Still, with the abundance of public pools, there is no reason to resort to the Canal to cool off.

tags: shopping, sights