New Year's Eve

Today we are still on the boulevard Haussman like yesterday and this is the second big department store located on this boulevard : Les Galeries Lafayette. As you can see they have a fabulous lightning for the holiday season and inside the store you can find a giant Chritsmas tree :

May you all spend a great New Year's Eve and see you next year !

Spring at Christmas time

"Le Printemps" (meaning "spring") is one of the big department stores in Paris. There are several Printemps stores in Paris but this is the biggest one located on the boulevard Haussman and here decorated for Christmas. The store has also beautifull windows decorated for the Holiday season with animated scenes.

Jours de fêtes au Grand Palais

(click on picture to enlarge)

I am back in Paris and ready to show more picture of the illuminated Paris. Here is what is happening in the Grand Palais located on the Champs Elysées. For the Holiday period they have put fairground attractions inside the great hall and among these attractions you can see the big wheel (I had a tour in it!). The place is beautifully decorated and it is a really great idea for the season. You can see more of the Grand Palais on their website.

Christmas eve in ... London !

I left Paris this morning for a long weekend in London where I am going to spend Christmas.

I wish you all a Joyeux Noël and I will be back for more Paris pictures next tuesday.

Manèges de Noël

During the school holidays for the Christmas period, the city of Paris is offering free entrance to its merry go rounds. So if you are in Paris , and not only with kids (I must admit I went on this one located in front of the Town Hall !), do not hesitate to ride a horse!

Christmas market

We are still on the Champs Elysées today where for the second year we have a Christmas market going on both sides from the Champs Elyséees roundabout to the Place de la Concorde. This Christmas market tradition originated in the Alsace region, east of France where they are still the best to see if you have the chance to visit this beautifull part of the country. But I must say that this one on the Champs Elysées is very nice and it gives life to this part of the avenue where there is no shops.
As I am talking about the Champs Elysées roundabout where this market starts, here is a picture of the way this place is decorated for Christmas :

Up and down the Champs Elysées

Christmas lightnings on the Champs Elysées avenue.

Ice skating at the Hotel de Ville

Like many cities, Paris has ice rinks installed for the end of the year. Here is the one in front of the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall).

Magic

Late posting today as it is already 10:55 pm in Paris but I waited in order to publish at last a picture of the Paris at Christmas time. In fact I did not have the chance to wander into the decorated Paris yet and today I really enjoyed my day feeling like a tourist in my own town and loving it. I took MANY pictures today and here is one of my favorite. I took it on the Place de la Concorde at the bottom of the Champs Elysées where each year we have that giant wheel.

Let it snow

It started to snow yesterday morning in Paris and for once we have the snow staying a little as this view from a Parisian appartment balcony (mine) shows.

Place des Voges

One side of the Place des Voges in le Marais area.

La Conciergerie at night

La Conciergerie is one of the most beautiful monument in Paris. It lies on the river bank on the Ile de la Cité right in the center of the city.Once a Palace it then became a prison where Queen Marie Antoinette was kept after the French Revolution.

Shopping for Christmas

A French boutique for Christmas shopping ...

Waiting for the train at the Gare de l'Est

This last weekend I took the TGV (fast train) to go near Strasbourg in the Alsace region, east of France on the German border. The Alsace region is very well know in France for its Christmas markets.
Here is a view af the great hall of the Gare de l'Est (east railway station).

Painted windows

A real work of art and sure better than nothing.

More of Le Marais

Part of the "Archives" building in Le Marais with ending of the day lights

Notre Dame de Clignancourt

Right in front of the 18th arrondissement city hall is the church Notre Dame de Clignancourt. Not famous but I like it.

East side

This view of the Seine river is taken from the "Pont National" bridge on the very east side of the city. On the left you can see the National Library towwer and on the right the trees fo the Parc de Bercy. This is a part of Paris that has changed a lot these last 10 years and which is still changing.
(click on picture to enlarge)

Knocked over by the view ?

A statue in the Tuileries garden.

Assemblée Nationale

The "Assemblée Nationale" also known as the "Palais Bourbon" is the house of the French Parliament.

Rue de Rivoli

The rue de Rivoli is one of the longest street in Paris starting in Le Marais and ending Place de la Conconcorde after 3 kms.
As it longs the north wing of the Louvre museum it has arcades like you can see here with shops and expensive hotels.

Old car

Colonnes

View from The Pantheon.

Gare de Lyon

The Gare de Lyon is the railway station for trains going south.

Eglise Saint Germain de Charonne

I already talked about this church in a previous post but I did not publish any picture of it yet. When looking at this little charming church possessing its cemetery around it (in the back) you feel like you are in a small town out of Paris, but you are in the 20th arrondissement.

Bridges

La Seine river and its bridges.

Theme day : waiting

Waiting to enter the Beaubourg museum (Modern Art) where an excelent exhibition of Pierre Soulages (French paintor) takes place. As you can see I was lucky enough to be inside since rain was starting. People outside were watching street shows while waiting.
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