I just finished reading "Barks and Purrs" by the wonderful French writer, Colette. This book is fabulous and fabulously funny as the entire story is told from the point of view of the cat, Kiki, and the dog, Toby. I looked at my own two cats differently after reading this book.
Colette famously loved animals, particularly cats, and lived here at what is now Place Colette in the middle of Paris in her later years.
People always talk about the dogs in Paris but everywhere I go in Paris I see cats. This lovely girl (she looks like a girl) was at a window in Montmartre asking to be let in.
This friendly kitty was sitting in a tourist shop in Paris letting everyone admire her beauty. She even made the tourist prints look attractive and more "Parisian", in some way.
Rue du Chat Qui Peche translates in English to "Street of the Fishing Cat". Built in 1540 it then ended on the bank of the river Seine and now has the status of being the narrowest street in Paris. I wonder how many cats went fishing on this street when the Seine would flood?
If you can't read the French sign on Rue du Chat Qui Peche, you can figure it out by the painting on the wall of the street. The cat sits under the umbrella guarding a fishing pole.
Everywhere you look in Paris you will see the famous Chat Noir. I'm still drawn to the iconic image even though you can buy it on every mug and kitchen towel in the tourists shops.
I took this photo of a hanging sign of a black cat at the Musee Carnavalet, one of my favorite museums in Paris. This musee in the Marais is dedicated to the history of Paris.
Back at Colette's grave at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris I wonder how many cats visit her in the dark hours after everyone has left for their homes and cafes. Many cats are known to roam Pere Lachaise, and I keep my eyes open for them every time I visit. Maybe they are just ghosts.
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