Now we have radio controlled clocks, you might think sundials would become a thing of the past but instead, they seem to have become trendy: many new buildings sport modern-looking ones.

Because of the shifting relation of the sun and the earth throughout the year, a sundial has to be quite complex to show the right time and most sundials, like this one, are simple. They are therefore not intended to tell the time but are just for decoration.

For my taste, this one is a little overblown in the drama of its presentation but then, that’s Paris, isn’t it? And we love it just as it is.