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.

Musée Bourdelle in and out

Two pictures today as I could not choose whether to show you the outside or the inside of the nice Musée Bourdelle located in Montparnasse quarter in the 15th arrondissement. It's a city owned museum (free entrance !) and honestly I'm no so found of that artists sculptures but the place itself really worths the visit. You can wander in what was Antoine Bourdelle's workplace and in the hidden garden (that you can see through the windows).

Sunday patisserie

What best can you find for a sunday than my 3 favorite tarts : Chocolate, Lemon, Raspberry. And today's French phrase : péché mignon. If you translate is means "sweet sin" and it's used in a sens that it is someone's "weakness", but a nice weakness. So, yes, I must admit that tart is my "péché mignon".

Some colors in the grey

The Stravinky Fountain near Beaubourg (seen in the background) gives us some colors in the grey Paris. Yes, still raining !

Bad weather ...

... but great sky ! We have some very rare short moments of blue sky these days and all the rest is grey and wet wet wet ... I hate November ! As some of you seemed to like yesterday's French expression, here is a new one related to the picture " c'est un temps de novembre " meaning " it's november weather". This is used anytime of year to complain when the weather is rainy and grey which is typical of November here but unfortunately also happens all year round.

Commemoration day

The giant French flag is back under the Arc of Triumph as today we commemorate the armistice of World Word I.
For this occasion it is a public holiday in France and since its a Thursday this year, lots of people (including me) also take their Friday off which gives a 4 days weekend ! In French we call this : "faire le pont" which literally means "make the bridge" (between 2 non worked days). If you'd work in France this week  people would ask you " est-ce que tu fais le pont ?" (do you make the bridge?).

The lady at the Palais Royal

This is just Paris

Want to have a drink ?

A chic place to have a "patisserie" and a drink at Ladurée on the Champs Elysées.

Waiting for customers

November is certainly the worse month in Paris as far as weather is concerned. Cold, grey and wet is usually what we get and it does not bring people on the Café outdoor tables ...

Sunday bridge : Ponts des Arts

I'm back on Sunday Bridge theme day with this view of one of my favorite bridge in Paris, the pedestrian "Pont des Arts".

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Classical at the Chatelet

It is a very rainy day today in Paris but it was not a problem for my day's joy : going to the Chatelet Theater and  listen to the Radio France Philarmonique Orchestra. Beautiful !

Rue de la Colonie

These little houses located on the Rue de la Colonie in the 13th arrondissement really make Paris look like a small country town Charming, don't you think ?

Autumn in Paris

Autumn colors in the very nice Montsouris Park in the 14th arrondissement.

Statues on a building

I just discovered that nice building on the Rue Lepic in the 18th arrondissement and wanted to share it with you.

Night street singer

Theme day : public transportation

The French "TGV" (High speed train) is certainly our number one public transportation. Here you see the Montparnasse railway stations with trains going west. You can for exaample take this train to the city of Tours ( Loire castles valley) that you wil reach within 1 hour instead of at least 2h30 by car (with no traffic which is quite never the case in Paris).

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