A Pilgrimage To Paris
"The Darkness Within Me"
The day after the "Season of Hell" disaster I tried to find the places of episode 18. I was confident to find at least 2 places, because the production sketches named them: Gustave Square and Carillon Theater. I went straight to a tourist information and asked for them. The answer: Not in Paris. I felt like struck from the lightning. But finally I found them. Did I? Let's start with something real.
Pont Neuf again. If you compare it with the real one,
you see that the pillars are wrong.
page start
For comparison.
page start
The little noses with the benches...
page start
...and in reality.
page start
Kirika at the Railway.
page start
Behind the Gare d'Austerlitz. I believe, the location
where we see Kirika is if you follow this rails outside the Peripherique to the suburb Ivry-Sur-Seine.
But since the busstop where Kirika sits has Austerlitz and Bastille as destinations,
it can be behind Gare de Lyon either.
page start
That's probably the highrise district. It's
located around La Defense.
page start
Actually, it isn't Paris anymore. It's shared by
the suburbs Puteaux, Nanterre and Courbevoie.
page start
The so called Gustave Square.
page start
View from another direction.
page start
As you can see I've found this head.
page start
But as you can see either, no traffic, no shops,
no clock...
page start
...no matter in which direction you look. The name
of this place is Place René Cassin, the church in the background is St. Eustache.
page start
This is 500 m closer to Pont Neuf, where Rue du Rule,
which leads to Place René Cassin, and Rue du Pont Neuf meet. Unfortunatly you can't
see the place due to the traffic. So again they've created
a new place in Paris. To add: There are many places like this in Paris, with trees, that type of clock
and traffic around.
page start
The rearside of the Carillon Theater...
page start
...is in reality a part of the Louvre. Probably the frontside fits too.
As you can see,
the bridge had to be Pont Neuf, but at the screenshot it isn't.
The balustrade and the statues are probably inspired by Pont Alexandre III.
page start
As you can see, sometimes it's really hard to find the correct locations. Imagine you try
to find cafés, restaurants, shops and they were changed that way. At that evening
my rage turned into depression. As far as I can remember that evening was the worst
in my life. This day and the days before I walked miles what I'm not used to. In addition,
since it was raining several times a day, I'd worn the heavy motocycle boots, which
aren't designed for long walks, instead of light sandals. I felt physical pain.
Feet, legs and back were aching. My imaginations about Noir and Paris - shattered in a million
pieces. Concerns about money and my job, since I got no money with my maestro card
from the banking automat. So I knew that my boss, against his promise, didn't pay me again
and therefore my bank account was locked. Since I was alone in Paris no one was there to talk about it.
I can't remember that I ever felt so lonly. At the camping site no possibilities
to distract from this. I was drinking tasty Belgian beer, and as you know, alcohol amplifies
the mood you are into. As I went into my tent after finishing that small six pack (25 cl bottles)
some tears were running over my face. Fortunatly, as I told before, at the last
evening I was watching the Eiffel Tower at night and so this Paris trip ended at least
with a really beautyfull memory.
page start