The Israeli President, Shimon Peres, was welcomed to Paris today with great pomp & circumstance. It was also with a great holdup in terms of traffic throughout large sections of the west side of Paris. Walking to the office, I was held up at a crossroads nearby the Elysée Palace, then diverted on to the Champs Elysées where I snapped the shot below. A potential new setting for Abbey Road relived (right)? The Champs were empty from the Concorde all the way up to the Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) — a fairly impressive site, particularly since there was no one lining the avenue either. One person coming to my office in the 8th arrondissement was held up for over an hour by the consequent traffic.

I’m not sure if it was the image of French President Sarkozy singing “Come Together,” or perhaps it was Carla singing “Octupus’ Garden” that caused me to think of the analogy.