If you look carefully, you'll read a different name in the centre of this photo : Gratianopolis.
This is the name which was given to Grenoble in 380, when the Roman emperor Gratien came and improved the walls surrounding the city.
Grenoble has been known under different names through time. We can say that the history of our city begins in around -43 BC, when a small celtic village was built by a population called the "Allobroges". This village was called Cularo, it was thus Grenoble's first name.
Tomorrow you'll learn about the second name of my city.
PS : this photo is a shot from the ceiling of our former art museum, which was also a library and which is now used to display various exhibitions.
On the center you can see the name Cularo painted.
This sculpture is displayed in front of St Laurent's Church and was created by Isabelle Valfort in 2006, on the occasion of a Festival held in Fort Barraux.
It represents the transmission of memory by older people to children.
Thanx for your nice comments and your regular visits to my blog. I really appreciate it.
A lot of new photos are on their way and I hope that you'll find them interesting.
This new dolphin is a sculpture on a fountain Place Sainte-Claire, near the entrance of an old food market called Halle Sainte Claire.
Some of you may find it a bit scary. I do agree, but I also think that it's quite beautiful and unusal.
To see the previous dolphins click here :
n°1, n°2, n°3.
Another shot from the set of pictures I realised back in the days!
For those interested, this man can be found on Rue de Sault, in the city centre.
On March 1st, theme day was : "men at work". I posted an image of a sanitation worker but I said that I initially wanted to post a picture of a cobbler. So here it is!
I must say that this photograph is quite old. I took it on the occasion of a photo competition about crafstman organised in Grenoble a few years ago (and I finished 4th, which wasn't that bad)!
Well it's not already theme day, however, this is a view from my living room window. No more rain today (at least!) sun is shining again over Grenoble. As you can see, there is a little snow left on the mountains but I think this time we're really on our way to summer.
Picture taken from the Musée Dauphinois, on the road that leads to the Bastille (which must be the highest point in Grenoble).
On the background, you can see the Tour Perret (Perret Tower), 80 meter high and built in 1925 by the Perret brothers on the occasion of the International Exhibition of Hydroelectric Power.
As all tastes must be satisfied, after a few "art-focused" images, I've decided to show you some tourist-orientated pictures, as I call them! I know they are as interesting as others, or even more maybe, for people who want to discover a city!
So here is the first one, taken from the 7th floor of a buidling in the heart of Grenoble, rue de la République. I must admit that I had never seen this high building in the city centre before I had to go there for my work. There are hardly any high buildings (well, more than 4 floors) in the centre so I was delighted when I discovered the view from this one!
The church you can see is called St André Chruch and is located on place St André, opposite side from our former law court.
This church was built on the XIIIth century and its first purpose was to host the Dauphin's (royal heirs) tombs.
In the background you can discover the Bastille, with its fortifications. But that's another subject!
Here is the whole building, and it is... :
An Art Centre.
The National Contemporay Art Centre of Grenoble, named « MAGASIN » opened in April 1986. It is a national and international exhibition venue. Open to contemporay creation in all its diversity, it has a forward-looking stance.
A product of the Grands Projets and process of decentralisation initiated by President François Mitterrand in 1981, it also embodies public efforts to integrate the French art scene into the European context.
The MAGASIN of Grenoble is one of the two National Contemporary Art Centres in France with Villa Arson in Nice.
The building: an industrial waste land.
The name « MAGASIN » is linked to the history of the building in which it is located. The National Contemporary Art Centre is housed in a 3000 m2 industrial hall built in 1900 by the Gustave Eiffel workshops for the Paris World Fair. Bought by Bouchayer-Viallet Ltd from Grenoble, working in the area of hydroelectric equipment, the iron structure was dismantled, transported and reassembled. During the first World War, it became a large center for manufacture of war material.
After 1960, the Bouchayers diversified their activities: coppersmith’s work, milk tanks... From 1970 to 1975, the building was used as a warehouse (MAGASIN in French). It was bought by the city of Grenoble in 1980.
« MAGASIN », written on the blue metallic door, has been conserved and became the name and the logotype of the National Contemporary Art Centre of Grenoble.
All these explanations are taken from the website of the Magasin. There is an English version but the website is very dull.
This could be another quizz : what do you think "Le Magasin" is ?
So if you want to have a guess, go on, try!
Still raining so, from my window again: 
This poem (1916) is from les Calligrammes by french poet Guillaume Apollinaire.
Today, an impressionist-like shot, taken directly from my bedroom window a few minutes ago. As you can see the weather is not exactly what we could describe as "fine" today!
An older photo, taken last year (as you can see, the trees have no leaves).
The old building is called la tour de l'Isle and it shelters temporary exhibitions. In the modern part of the building shown in this picture, you can admire old sculptures.
This photo, quite abstract, is in fact a view from a scultpure by George Rickey, in the museum park.
This moving sculpture is made out of steel .
According to its creator, the movments that make the sculpture are direct "answers to wind and light"...
You can see another abstraction from the museum in my other blog, L'Orange qui saigne.
Because there are so many things that you haven't seen about the art museum yet...
This photo is taken right in front of the entrance of the museum.
You'll see bits and pieces for a few days but I promess I'll show you the whole building in the end!
Here is the third dolphin I've found in Grenoble, just by the Fontaine au lion, Quai Perrière.
To see the previous dolphins click here :
n°1,
n°2.
As you may already know it, we have a new president here in France : Nicolas Sarkozy.
I won't say much more on the question, if you want details you can click here. You can also check the websites of 3 of our major newspapers : Le Monde (quite neutral)/ Libé (left)/ Le Figaro (right).
For my part, none of the two candidates really convinced my so well, let's see what happens now.
I took this photo this afternoon, around 5 o'clock in a tea room called Le Passage (Rue Paul Bert). This place is really beautiful, decorated with taste and the different teas & cakes are delicious. I had a wonderful moelleux au chocolat. Yummy!
As some of you already know it, I've lived for a year in Birmingham (UK). I had a wonderful time up there. I've been back for almost 5 years now but I'm still craving for everything that can remind me of the life I had back in Brum. So I'm the perfect guide to every English-speaking places in Grenoble, especially pubs!
That leads us to our third stop : the Druid's pub. A tiny place in a tiny street (Rue Diodore Rahoult). Everything is made out of wood in here, from floor to ceiling! You hardly hear any French in this pub, and you hardly find any French people either!
Second stop : Le Comptoir Irlandais, a shop which, as you can imagine, sells Irish (and British in general) products.
May theme day gave me inspiration. So I've decided to offer you a little trip to a different Grenoble, an English-speaking Grenoble...
First stop : O'Callaghan Irish Pub. If you want to have a good old pint of Guinness there, you'll have to head for the Place de Bérulle, just by the river Isère. A three-minute walk from the city centre, and you'll find yourself right in the middle of Dublin.
This pub is really popular. If you decide to go there on a Rugby night, I advise you to get in early 'cause it will be packed by the first minutes of the game!
For this month Theme Day, different interpretation were possible. I've chosen to post a photo from another city, not (yet?) represented in the Daily Photo Community : Bilbao, in the Basque Country.
It is a picture of the Guggenheim museum, designed by the world-famous architect Frank O. Gehry. The giant spider in the foreground is a sculpture by French artist Louise Bourgeois.
Both the museum and the sculpture are very impressive. I count these creators among my favourite artists, so I was glad to fing such a great interaction between their respective works of art in the city of Bilbao.
Another interpretation of May theme day was to post a photo from our city, but that can lead the viewer to think it had been taken in another city. So, if you want to find a British flavour in my lovely town of Grenoble, check my post entitled London Calling...
And don't forget to check the other cities involved in this month theme : Monte Carlo, Monaco -Rome, Italy -Singapore, Singapore -Tenerife, Spain -Rotterdam, Netherlands -London, UK -Montréal (QC), Canada -Melbourne, Australia -Naples (FL), USA -Bastia, France -Hong Kong, China -Mazatlan, Mexico -Buenos Aeres, Argentina -Manila, Philippines -Arradon, France -Madison (WI), USA -Evry, France -Seoul, Korea -Shanghai, China -Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia -Sequim (WA), USA -Singapore, Singapore -Budapest, Hungary -Baziège, France -Hamburg, Germany -Toruń, Poland -Nelson, New Zealand -Madison (WI), USA -Vantaa, Finland -Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -Mainz, Germany -Dubai, UAE -Saint Paul (MN), USA -Cork, Ireland -Stockholm, Sweden -Menton, France -Tel Aviv, Israel -Albuquerque (NM), USA -Kitakami, Japan -Stayton (OR), USA -Szentes, Hungary -Stavanger, Norway -Grenoble, France -Villigen, Switzerland -Paris, France -Hyde, UK -Moscow, Russia -Joplin (MO), USA -Jakarta, Indonesia -Greenville (SC), USA -Cape Town, South Africa -Asheville (NC), USA -Seattle (WA), USA -Kyoto, Japan -Tokyo, Japan -Madrid, Spain -Auckland, New Zealand -Oulu, Finland -Lubbock (TX), USA -Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina -Baton Rouge (LA), USA -Sydney, Australia -Maple Ridge (BC), Canada -Vancouver, Canada -Seattle (WA), USA -Selma (AL), USA -Chandler (AZ), USA -Sharon (CT), USA -Manila, Philippines -Lyon, France -New York City (NY), USA -Los Angeles (CA), USA -Brookville (OH), USA -Hayle, UK -Wailea (HI), USA -Saarbrücken, Germany -San Diego (CA), USA
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