Belmont Restaurant by Alfred Bernardin

Belmont  Restaurant

turquoise cafe chairs

It was too early for the lunch crowd 

and it was more than a bit chilly on the terrace.  

This restaurant is found in the Montorgueil quartier

in a former showroom on Rue Réaumur.  

The dining area has a very high ceiling 

and is set on two levels.  

The decor is an eclectic collection of 

vintage and original designs creating a unique atmosphere.

bon weekend

Please check out the other reflections 

at James' Weekend Reflections.

Belmont Restaurant

68, rue Réaumur

75002, Paris 

Palais Garnier

Palais Garnier

I daresay the first time (or two) that you explore Palais Garnier 

you are more focused on the enormity and grandeur of the whole, 

but do not forget about the ceilings.  

The artistry is stunning with an ample application of gilt and detail.

Certainly, I would keep an eye on the chandeliers 

as you recall the history of one which fell.  

The phantom may be gone 

but the chandelier in my photo has an eerie tilt.

Palais Garnier

Place de l'Opéra

75009, Paris

 

Passage du Grand Cerf

Passage du Grand Cerf

This covered passage has attracted boutiques and galleries with offerings of art, fine crafts, jewelry arts, antiques, and more.  The original tiles and the high ceilings attest to its authenticity.

Originating from the end of the 18th century, these covered shopping arcades provided shelter from the inclement weather and the muddy streets of Paris.  Even today it is a great option to explore on a rainy weather day in Paris.

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

145, rue Saint Denis

75002, Paris

Métro Etienne Marcel

Au Gros Caillou

Au Gros Caillou

The dark street, the hand-lettered menus, the neon sign, 

the corner-facing entrance,

and this trio under the café lights...

You know that you are in Paris, 

timeless.....

Au Gros Caillou

210, rue de Grenelle

75007, Paris

Carrousel XXXVIII

Hôtel de Ville

le carrousel

The proper name for the carousel, as you may be able to read, 

is "Carrousel, la Belle Épouque," 

but even without a label its double-decker elegance 

and unique crown are recognizable.  

The rides are painted with the finesse of a fine artist.

The night scene with an outline of lights 

around the Belle Époque carousel are worth a visit, too.

le carrousel

Hôtel de Ville

75004, Paris

 

Église Saint-Louis en l'Île

Église Saint-Louis en l'Île

It was first a parish chapel.  

In 1642 Louis XIV decided to build a larger church 

based on plans prepared by François Le Vau, 

and  it was dedicated to St. Louis. 

The organ is magnificent and I will show it in a future post.

This Jesuit-styled church is considered to be

a perfect example of 17th century French Baroque.

bon dimanche

(linking to inSPIRED Sunday)

Église Saint-Louis en l'Île

Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île

Saint-Louis en l'Île

75004, Paris

un chat orange?

Chat Noir Orange!

This very large orange cat was mirrored on the other side of a doorway 

by an equally large (and orange) chien (dog).

Based on the shopper in the store with the same hue of "persimmon,"

I am thinking that "orange" must be the new "black."

(Off to find my orange accessories!)

BHV

4, rue du Temple

75004, Paris

la petite et son reflet

Jardin des Tuileries

The early rains left a multitude of puddles in the garden.

Is this precious baby pondering her reflection in the water, 

or is she full of mischief and planning to jump with a splash?

bon weekend

Joining James' Weekend Reflections

Jardin des Tuileries

75001, Paris

La Palette - "Respectez Nos Voisins"

La Palette

the terrace

As the rain fills the streets and sidewalks of Paris, 

a covered terrace is much sought after.  

Finding a seat here at La Palette is an extra bonus.

La Palette

43, rue de Seine

75006 Paris

Frédéric Garrigues - artisan fleuriste

Frédéric Garrigues

artisan florist

The objects in this Marais window caught my eye, 

but when I looked on the website at his 

creative use of flowers and "objets éphémères" 

I wished that I had walked inside.

l'Atelier Frédéric Garrigues

2, rue Saint-Gilles

75003, Paris

Métro Chemin Vert

Rue Jean de la Fontaine - le lion

The lion?

The doorway might be a bit intimidating to cross the threshold after dark.  

The eyes appear to penetrate and follow your movements, 

but that is impossible, n'est-ce pas?

8, rue Jean de la Fontaine

75016, Paris

le Royal Monceau -un tasse de thé

le Royal Monceau

Beyond 5 stars, this hotel has been granted the official "Palace Distinction" by Atout France, the French Agency for Tourism Development.  Too fine for my budget, a late afternoon tea with friends was a perfect compromise.  

The hotel decor is by Philippe Starck and this tea cup is a collaboration between Starck and famous French porcelain maker Raynaud.  The design is seen on the saucer and reflected onto the surface of the cup.  The figure (lips) disappear when you lift it off the saucer.  Whimsical, elegant, and not cheap.

le Royal Monceau

37, avenue Hoche

75008, Paris

Église Saint-Quiriace - la porte rouge

Église Saint-Quiriace

The setting for this Twelfth Century church

 is rich with history. 

We watched as she entered the red doors on gloomy day.  

You can catch just a brief glimpse of her blue robes in the puddle.

bon dimanche

Église Saint-Quiriace

Place Saint-Quiriace

77160, Provins

un petit garçon et son vélo

little boy and his bicycle

riding uphill on the uneven cobblestones of Rue Mouffetard...

This is a challenging venue for learning how to ride a two-wheeled bike.

On this Sunday afternoon, 

it was likely that they were headed to Luxembourg Garden 

with the soft chalky-dirt paths, 

perfect for a little one to practice the art of "balance."

Rue Mouffetard

75005, Paris

 

les amoureaux - Paris in love

Paris in Love

Hugs and kisses for your Valentine's Day

Rue de Sèvres

75006, Paris

Repetto - rouge

Repetto

A window in homage to George Balanchine's work in three acts "Jewels,"

inspired by the gems of Van Cleef et Arpels.

Repetto

22, rue de la Paix

75002, Paris

 

Eric Kayser - une tarte aux framboises

Eric Kayser's

raspberry tarte

Although it is not as healthy as a bowl of raspberries (perhaps), the delicious bed of custard and perfectly prepared pâte sablée makes it "almost healthy" and too divine to resist.

miam-miam

Eric Kayer

8, rue Monge

75005, Paris

Parc de Monceau - XXXVIII

Parc de Monceau

les amies

Two little girls, part of a school outing from the nearby école maternelle, 

pair up for the two-by-two walk back to the school.

Easily identified by their reflective vests, 

they resembled a tiny swarm of bees.

Parc de Monceau

Boulevard de Courcelles

75008, Paris

Métro Monceau

La Petite Rose

La Petite Rose

La Petite Rose is perhaps one of my favorite quiet places for lunch with seating for about 8 people.  With a choice of two salads and a quiche, you will be delighted with the fresh selections.  On previous posts you have seen a sampling of their beautifully crafted pastries (here)  The chef is Miyuki Watanabe, a Japanese woman who was trained in Tokyo, came to Paris to work for Gérard Mulot, and then opened her own shop.  (merci Clotilde Dusoulier)

Oh, and the chocolates are divine!

(Valentine's Day is Friday)

La Petite Rose

11, boulevard de Courcelles

75008, Paris

 

Église Saint Augustin

Église Saint Augustin

This church of the Second Empire, built between 1860 and 1871 by Victor Baltard, stands above the city landscape.  Saint-Augustin is almost 330 feet long and the dome stands over 260 feet high. The church incorporates several architectural styles, Roman, Gothic, Byzantine and Renaissance, and it is uniquely the first church in Paris to be built around a metal frame.

Although you cannot tell from this perspective, 

the church sits majestically at the convergence of many large boulevards, 

courtesy of Baron  Haussmann,  It is recognizable from a distance for its red cupola.

bon dimanche

Église Saint Augustin

8, avenue César Caire

75008, Paris

 

Père Lachaise en hiver

Père Lachaise

In summer these bare branches are filled 

with leaves making a canopy of shade from the heat and sun.  

In winter, the "tree bones" litter the narrow stone paths 

with a mosaic of shadows.

If you are a winter visitor, put Père Lachaise on your list.  

You can wander through the 110 acres 

and almost have the place to yourself, 

or you can get a map (here) and locate a specific grave.

The long shadows of winter will give you memorable photos.

le Cimetière du Père Lachaise

16, rue de Repos

75020, Paris

Les photographes en reflet

Three American Photographers

With an eye for reflections, usually those without the photographer, 

the three of us could not resist capturing the moment, a "selfie" of another type.  

Surely one camera would have been sufficient, but the overkill was pure delight.

We were specifically talking of James' Weekend Reflections meme 

that day in Paris, and so I join him today.  

Check out the other reflections here.  

James, this one was taken for you.

Rue Dussoubs

75002, Paris

Des fleurs de Marché Maubert - XIV

Marché Maubert

since 1547

The flowers in the street market appear with the daylight, at Marché Maubert, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  Most of the vendors display their wares at Marché Monge on the other days of the week.  Both of these markets have a flavor of the neighborhoods, and I have stayed just around the corner of Marché Maubert on many visits to Paris.  

If you return late in the day, you would not even imagine that there had been a street market only a few hours earlier.  The vendors fold up their tents for another day.  The city of Paris supplies and installs the poles and supports for this market at Place Maubert and at other market sites around the city.

Marché Maubert

Place Maubert

75005

Métro Maubert-Mutualité

Pont d'Arcole - la nuit

Pont d'Arcole

Walking in Paris at night 

after most of the crowds are gone is a favorite of mine.  

Each of the 37 bridges over the Seine 

is different and I am sad to report that 

I could probably name less than half of them.

One advantage of the winter months 

is that the night starts much earlier.

Pont d'Arcole

75004, Paris

Monsieur?

Pont d'Arcole

Man on the bridge with an umbrella, uh...

Charming man on the bridge in the rain with an umbrella...

...nothing more to say

Pont d'Arcole

75004, Paris

Le Violoniste

The Violinist

The sounds coming from his violin were clear and mesmerizing.  Asking permission for the photo, he nodded in return.  Clicking twice, I thanked him for his music, dropped a tip, and walked on my way as he gave me the hint of a smile.

I hope that all who passed this corner enjoyed a pleasant break from the noise of the street, replaced by the strains of Bach from this single violinist.

Métro St. Germain des Prés

in front of Église Saint Germain des Prés

75006, Paris

La Chandeleur - jour des crêpes!

La Chandeleur

Fête des chandelles

(Candlemas - English)

Today is Candlemas, 2 February, and it is celebrated in France with crêpes.

Today I will be making crêpes, holding a coin in my left hand, and flipping the crêpe pan in my right.  If I can catch the crêpe, it means my family will be prosperous for the rest of the year, such is the legend.  Also, one does not eat crêpes until after 8:00pm.

This chef at Crêperie Plougastel on Rue du Montparnasse, allowed me to take some photos of him as he deftly prepared all the crêpes for the lunch crowd.  I have been here three or four times, introduced by French friend Isabelle.  They have both savory and sweet crêpes with quick service and good prices.  On a street full of crêperies, this one is always well attended.

 

 

bon dimanche

 

 

Crêperie Plougastel

47, rue du Montparnasse

75014, Paris

 

 

 

Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole - Theme Day

Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole

depuis 1594

Hidden on a narrow street so very close to Notre Dame, this auberge has been open since 1594.  The structure itself was built in 1512 after completion of the Cathedral.

  The ancient wisteria twists upon itself, 

framing the door and window above.

Today I join the City Daily Photo bloggers with a traditional first day of the month theme, 

this first day of February, "ENTRY."  

Click here to see other interpretations from around the world.

Au Vieux Paris d'Arcole

Ile de la Cité

22, rue Chanoisse

75004, Paris