One Disappointing Trend in Paris

For my first day in Paris, I had booked online reservations to visit Notre Dame. 

Very pleased to have seen it. 

On the way, well over an hour before my visit was scheduled for, it seemed like a good idea to get off the St Michel metro station. 

Here was something else which I had not seen in perhaps 25 years, although I used to enjoy visiting. 

To my disappointment, it was closed off, possibly for repairs. But I really didn't like their covering, which had this enormous and tacky advertisement on it. 

Horrible.

They did something very similar by the Place de la Concorde back when I took my son to Paris in 2019. 

Here are some pictures:

Nor was it just the Place de la Concorde or St Michel that had these tacky gigantic banners. Here was how a part of the Place des Vosges looks right now:

Used to love these old Gibert Jeune bookstores:

Old Metro sign:

Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral seen along the Seine:

Conciergerie: