Our bridge
When we first arrived in Paris, almost a year and a half ago, we were enchanted by the bridges crossing the Seine and decided we would make it a family project to cross every one of them. We have since learned that there are 37 bridges in Paris although, as with most things French, the number is disputed. Some people do not count the passerelles because they only allow foot traffic, some do not count those outside of the périphérique and some will say that if an island intersects a bridge that counts as two bridges, not one. However many there are, each bridge has it’s own story and I want to know every one of them.
I am not the only one intrigued: I discovered an article in the New York Times, Knowing Paris by It’s Bridges by Elaine Sciolino. Elaine recommends spending an entire day walking along the Seine to discover each of Paris’s bridges. She says you can do it in one day and even take time for lunch. This is now at the top of my Paris bucket list, along with buying Elaine’s book, The Seine: The River That Made Paris.
There is one Parisian bridge that has become near and dear to our hearts. In fact, we call the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, “our bridge” when we need to clarify which route we plan to take going out or coming home. I cross it at least once a day and sometimes as many as five or six times. We have come to know its rhythms: we can anticipate which side it is better to walk on at different times of the day, which pedestrian crossings will be most efficient and we know the precise path you can take to be protected from the rain while, at the same time, staying out the way of cyclists and electric scooters. The girls love to slide down the handrail that leads from our bridge to the Île aux Cygnes, a park-like island that stretches from our bridge the other one we often use: the Pont de Grenelle.
The Pont de Bir-Hakeim links our neighbourhood in the 16th arrondissement to the 15th arrondissement where the girls go to school and where H goes to work at the hospital. It also brings us closer to the American Library in Paris and to the left bank of the Seine where we like to take weekend strolls and scooter rides. It has two levels, one for foot and vehicle traffic and the other for the line 6 metro line.
It was built between 1903 and 1905, making it relatively modern for Paris and unlike the older stone bridges that we admire while walking along the Seine, it is made of steel. It is both industrial and elegant. It offers a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower and is a favourite spot to watch the fireworks on Bastille Day. Originally named, the Pont de Passy, it was renamed in 1949 to commemorate an important battle from World War II.
The first time we saw a bride on our bridge we thought we were witnessing something special. We have since learned that the Bir-Hakeim is a favourite spot for photoshoots and that it is more common than not to see couples in their wedding wear. We make a game of counting how many brides we can see at one time and our record is eight. In the winter, we shiver for them as they pose in their strapless gowns while we are bundled in hats, scarves and winter coats. We have also learned that while they are dressed for a wedding, rarely is it actually their wedding day, but more commonly a staged shoot with stylists, props and rented gowns. Not just weddings, Bir-Hakeim is a favourite spot for fashion shoots, films, commercials and bloggers. We’ve seen dance troops, ballerinas in tutus, yogis with their mats spread in the center of the cycle paths, musicians playing (once on a full-on piano), fitness bloggers performing their workouts for video and many families and groups of friends doing their own photoshoots.
After months of watching all of this, I decided that it would be fun if we had our own photoshoot.
To the horror of my family, I informed them that I had booked a photographer to capture some images of us on our bridge. I wanted to do it when Desmond was in town but I left it too late to have a choice of time slots. Nobody was impressed when I woke them early on New Year’s Eve Day to get dressed up and go out into the cold for our photoshoot but it turned out to be fun and I am so grateful for the photos which will be a forever souvenir of our time in Paris.
I am guessing that I have crossed our bridge more than 500 times since we first arrived in Paris. Despite the routine, there are still days where I will stop and look out at the rooftops, or the Seine or the Eiffel Tower. There are times when I am compelled to take another photo despite having a large collection already on my phone. It is the same thing that I love about this city: there are so many layers of detail, beauty and history that you cannot take it in all at once. You keep rediscovering it and as something becomes familiar you see details that you had previously overlooked. As you learn a little more history, you notice a sign or a symbol that previously had no meaning. The more you look, the more you see. As for our bridge, I will continue to cross it every day. The good news is that if I ever get bored, there are 36 more bridges to discover.
Image by Olga Litmanova
