Paris, France, 7 Sep 2007: Abbesses MetroUpstairs, Downstairs

The Abbesses Metro station in the heart of Paris' Montmartre district is famous for the art nouveau entrance as well as the wall murals decorating the staircases that go more than 30 metres below ground level. It was recently extensively renovated. Colourful cartoons of Parisien scenes line the walls of the ascending stairwell (left column) while photographs of the Montmartre area are seen in the descending stairwell (right column). These eye-catching murals offer more than enough inducement to skip the elevator and take to the stairs. However, the effect and ambience are very different from the original murals before the latest revamp. I personally prefer the old look ... but what do you think?