Ice skating for New Year's Eve

Let's spend the last day of 2010 on the Ice ring in front of Paris City Hall. I hope you all are going to have a great evening and I'll see you in 2011 ! 

Saucissons

Outside holidays markets offer lots of food from France regions like these "saucissons" from south west of France.

Metropolitain

Just because I like the word "Métropolitain" and the reflexion of the rue de Rivoli's building in the subway map.

The photographer in the Parc de Bercy

It did not snow for a week but since temperature are very low, the snow stays on in the gardens and parks like here in the Parc de Bercy where I shot this photographer shooting the Rachid Kimoune "Childrens of the world Statues" 

On continue la balade

As the blue sky is on, let's continue walking and leave yesterday's Place de la Concorde to the Tuileries garden where these seats long to welcome people. Why is that ?

Place de la Concorde

After ths snow we have had great blue skies since yesterday. A nice opportunity to shot lots of picture like this one on the Place de la Concorde where the holiday wheel stands behind the Louxor obelisk. The horse still has got snow on his back !

Noel on the Champs Elysées

Christmas market on the Champs Elysées on Christmas day.

Joyeux Noël

I am posting late today as I was preparing tonight's diner and then touring the city up to the Tower and the "Village de Noël" on the Trocadero from where I took this picture this afternoon.
Have a very merry Christmas everyone ! Joyeux Noël as we say in French !

The couple

Yesterday's snow alert was finally not that big and rain took the place but it's still cold in Paris so let's enjoy a coffee or tea in that nice Rouge bar in les Halles like this nice couple.

Le Musée des Arts Forains public opening

Like they did last year, the "The museum of Fairground Arts" reopened its door to individual public this Christmas season. Just a magical atmosphere. I would really recomend the visit if your're in Paris until January 2nd. 
For more about it see my last year post : Musée des Arts Forains

What a mess !

If anyone of you have heard about the 1 mile queue of Eurostar passengers in St Pancras station in London, I was there yesterday !!! I was fortunate enough to get through that crowd and board a train at 7:45 pm which made me arrive in Paris at 0:30 but lots of people are still stuck in London and Paris trying to get or come back from there. Incredible ! It only snowed Saturday in London and when we got in Paris last night there were not a trace of snow. Can you imagine that they closed Heathrow during nearly 2 days for that !

Bercy Village

More Christmas lights as we are approaching the date ... Here is the shopping center called "Bercy Village" located at the edge of the Parc de Bercy. I very often go there as my favorite cinema theatre is at the end of this pedestrian shopping street.

Le Monde

This building is "Le Monde" headquarters in Paris on the Boulevard Blanqui in the 13th arrondissement. This newspaper is our " Times ". It's considered as an intellectual quality newspaper. The funny is that befor they move their headquarters in this building I used to work there. Much better than now in the suburb ...

Foie de veau or Aligot ?

I will have "Aligot". What about you ?

Dis quand reviendras-tu ?

This titlle meaning " Tell me when will you come back ?" is one of Barbara's most famous song. Barbara, a French singer was born in this house at 6 rue Brochant in the 17th arrondissement of Paris near the Batignolles quarter. I walked by this house by chance and was deeply touched to see it as Barbara is probably my favorite French singer ever. She was born there in 1930 and died in 1997 and she's one of the major singer of our history. I had the chance to see many of her concerts in the last part of her life and her songs are part of my life as it is also for many French and maybe especially Parisians as she was a real one (born here!). The song below was recorded in the 60's but it's one of her "standards" that she kept singing all her life and to me so related to Paris ...

Shopping de Noël aux Grands Magasins

Yes "shopping" is a word curently used by French when they go ... shopping : "je vais faire du shopping" (I am going to do some shopping). Only our Quebec cousins have created a French word for it : magasiner.
So let's do some shopping at what we call " les Grands Magasins" in other words the " big department stores" which for a Parisian mean Le Printemps and Les Galeries Lafayette on the boulevard Haussman. Dont't you think Le Printemps has gorgeous decoration ?

Rendez-vous devant l'Opéra

There are always many people standing in front of the Opera house and they're not only tourist. For Parisians, the place is also a good and often used meeting point to wait for friends who then say " rendez-vous devant l'Opéra".

Middle age building

Paris has got very few Middle Age houses left. This is one of them. It's originnaly from the 15th century and is still occupied by private owners. There is even one apartment for sale as you can see on the sign put on the 3rd floor window (4th floor for our American friend as you count the "Rez de chaussée (ground floor) for first floor which we do not). Beautiful blue sky on Paris yesterday bu snow is to be back this week.

Too cold !

Better have the "croissant" inside today ...

Immeuble Haussmannien

Typical Paris Haussman Building with balconies on the second and 5th floor. These apartment buildings are among the most expensive in the city.

Champs Elysées boutiques at night

Sephora has put on great lightings this year an so does the Marriot on the Champs Elysées.

La vendeuse de crèpes

Guess what kind of pancake I like ? One more "péché mignon" ...

Snow storm

As some of you may have heard on the news, Paris and the area has been under a snow storm yesterday when 11 cm of snow fell in one afternoon which did not happen since 1987. Sorry I can't share a nice view of Paris under the snow but only this view from my office window that I took while I was wondering how I was going to get back home (I work in the north suburb). I wisely decided to leave my car at the office and come back to Paris by train and I was happy with that choice when I saw on the news that lots of people had to sleep in their car last night stuck on the highways.

Notre Dame 2010 Christmas tree

Let's continue with Christmas trees in Paris. This year we have a blue Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. It's gorgeous at night.

Red tree at the Italie 2 mall

"Italie 2" is one of Paris few malls. It's located in the 13th arrondissement on the "Place d'Italie" which you can see through the windows.

Le sapin de Noël

Already time to buy the Christmas tree ?

Pont au Change by night

Crossing the bridge on a cold December day. I may have lived here for years now, I still love it !

Les vitrines de Noël

Going to see "les vitrines de Noël des Grands Magasins " ( big department stores Christmas windows) is something a lot of Parisian and suburbans do at this time of year. As you can see they have put a special path for children so they can be at the good hight and away for tall adults. 

Blog friend meeting

Yesterday evening I had the great pleasure to meet Genie from "Paris and Beyond". She had just arrived in Paris that same day and she and her daughter fought jetlag and freezing weather to meet me for a nice diner in a Brasserie in the 5th arrondissement. I had a great time talking and sharing with them. That is exactly why I keep on going with this blog.

Little Parisian in the white

Snow is back and this time enough to stay on the ground. Hopefully the little guy is well dressed for the cold.

Theme day : Time

To celebrate the month theme day which is Time I present the Orsay Museum clock. This museum is a former railway station that is why you can see inscriptions "Paris - Orléans" as the trains from there where going to this city in the center of France.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

First snow on Paris

Yesterday we had our first snow. Not much but enough to paint the tower in white. 

Les Grandes Serres du Jardin Des Plantes

After years of work, the big Greenhouses located in the Jardin des Plantes (one of Paris gardens) near the Natural History Museum have reopened last summer. I did my first visit yesterday and I was delighted by the work done. You can visit 4 greenhouses full of tropical plants and very well explained. The buildings are gorgeous, the oldest greenhouse was built in 1714 and the gig metal structure ones like this one where built at the beginning of the 19th century. A nice place to visit if you're in town .

Christmas ligths

Paris is putting on its Christmas lights. Yesterday night I discovered the BHV's (one of Paris Big Department Store) near the City Hall and I must say I like it a lot.

Art at night

Art gallery in the 20th arrondissement.

Dans le Marais

T.G.I.F ! Heres is a Marais quarter view near the Place des Voges.

A short time with blue sky

Yesterday we had what the weather people say to be our last sunny day for at least a week since they even forecast some snow for the weekend. So let's enjoy the nice Bercy Garden while it's still sunny.

And a happy Thanksgiving to my American friends !

Diner at the Paris Vincennes Racecourse

Paris has 3 horses racecourses : Vincennes located in the Vincennes (east) wood and Longchamp and Auteuil located in the Boulogne wood (west). Here is the Vincennes racecourse restaurant at night where you can have a quite nice diner and watch the races ... and bet if you want. This is a place I'm sure most of you who visited Paris have never been too, unless you're a hors race fan. In French we call this place " un champ de course" (literally a "race field") and it is very popular to be on horse races.

A different Paris

Paris is not only the one most tourist just see, the monuments, the beautiful buildings, fancy restaurants ... It's also a city where people with low income live and where little houses like this one can still be found especially in the 18th, 19th and 20th arrondissement where I live.

Blog to blog

Looking at the very nice Genie's blog called "Paris and Beyond" I realized that this weekend I took nearly the same picture that the one she posted last Thursday but at night. So here's a variation of the place and a "blog to blog" talk like we sometimes also do with Virginia's Paris Through my Lens. 

She's back !

The giant wheel on the Place de la Concorde is back for the holiday period and so is the Christmas market on the Champs Elysées. I saw the wheel yesterday night for the first time this year and wanted to share it with with this picture mixing the Concorde Obelisk and the wheel. I will certainly have the opportunity to show you more since it's only the beginning of the period. Have a great Sunday (which will be a rain day in Paris) !

Artiste en herbe

A young budding artist (in French " artiste en herbe") in front a a sculpture in the Montsouris Park.

Paris cliché

I don't know about you but me, even though I'm living here, I never get tired of the "cliché" views of Paris. Notre Dame Cathedral's tower are certainly one of these photos but when I'm near, especially at that time of the day when they put on the lightings and the sky is not totally dark yet, I can't help staying there looking at this beauty and if I happen to have my camera with me ... here's what it gives.

A different subway station

This subway station is called " Louvre Rivoli " as it's located near the Louvre museum and on the Rivoli street. As you can see it has a special decoration that you will see nowhere else in the city's subway stations.

Montparnasse cemetery

Montparnasse cemetery is,with the Père Lachaise and the Montmartre cemeteries, one of Paris place to be for famous people when they die. Here is one of the most visited grave in Montparnasse. It's Serge Gainsbourg's, a very famous French singer and writer who died in 1991. I know my blog friend Virginia likes him so here's one of my favorite Gainsbourg song to her and to people who don't know him :

Who wants to clean the windows ?

Paris is full of beautiful building and one should always look up when walking in the city. Here is a splendid building built in 1929 designed by architect G. Grimberg with 2 sides of classic apartments and in the middle huge "ateliers d'artiste" as we call these big 2 floor apartments with giant windows in French. If you want to see it it's located on the rue Froidevaux right in front of the Montparnasse cemetery in the 14th arrondissement.