Un sapin violet - Rue de Sèvres

un sapin violet

With an emphasis on color, 

the new shades of Pantone coffee mugs caught my eye.  

The crocheted tea cozy is an updated version 

of an old-fashioned favorite.

The windows just dazzle!

8, rue de Sèvres

75006, Paris

 

Galeries Lafayette - le dôme en violet

Galeries Lafayette

The iconic art nouveau glass dome is illuminated in purple this year as it celebrates the beginning of its 101st anniversary.  The theme is thankfully child-centered at Galeries Lafayette for Christmas 2013, and there are many animated windows to delight children and adults alike.  

As you walk into the rotunda area filled with counters of perfumes, the sheer size of the dome will take your breath away.  In certain department stores they frown on photos but this shot is replicated by every visitor to Galeries Lafayette apparently with the blessing of management.

Galeries Lafayette
Boulevard Haussmann
75009, Paris
Métro Chaussée d'Antin La Fayette

Sapins de Noël - Passage du Grand Cerf

Christmas trees in Paris

Giggling on the first occasion of seeing 

Christmas trees dressed like sausages, 

I now find them totally charming.  

The stands made of split tree trunks are quite solid 

and they are ready to be carried off, 

through the Métro or by bus to a waiting Paris apartment.  

The scents of fresh evergreen are as omnipresent 

as those of the baguettes from the nearby boulangerie.

Messages du Grand Cerf

4, passage du Grand Cerf (Rue Saint Denis entrance)

75002, Paris

Une forêt de sapins de Noël

 

  A small forest of Christmas trees

As you cross Pont Marie from l'Île Saint Louis 

this stand of trees greets you with its silver and blue bows.  

Little pockets of decoration and celebration 

such as this can be enjoyed all over Paris.

Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville at Pont Marie

75004, Paris

Métro Pont Marie

Rue Cler - les sapins de Noël

 

Les sapins de Noël 

Most of the trees in Paris are quite petite compared to what one might see in the US.

If I lived there, I would want a small tree no taller than me, 

perhaps one like the little one on the right.  The log stands are beyond charming.

Rue Cler

(a pedestrian street)

75007, Paris

Métro École Militaire

 

 

Galeries Lafayette - Noël 2009 vs Noël 2011

The grand dome sheltered the 66-foot tree in a traditional decor in 2009.  The boxes were re-wrapped for a different color scheme in 2010.  The giant red Christmas balls of 2008 were stunning.  The "rock'n mode" for 2011 is quite different as seen in my post last week.

Let's hope that we just "rock away" from this year's theme when the season is over.  The poster for Galleries Lafayette seen in the Métro stations just sums it up.

Galeries Lafayette
Boulevard Haussmann
75009 Paris

Galeries Lafayette - Noel 2011

Under the exquisite dome of Galeries Lafayette,

the large tree towers many levels above the rez de chaussée.

I was a bit disappointed to see the "Rock'n Mode" theme

and would have preferred something a bit more elegant

such as the hot pink packages and bows or the giant red balls of previous years.

I am a romantic at heart,

and rock'n the tree was not what I was wishing for.

Galeries Lafayette
Boulevard Haussmann
75009 Paris

Ballerinas at Palais Garnier

On a snowy day we found this trio of ballerinas at Palais Garnier...

Paris Illuminates Paris -- très vert

This plastic bottle installation is part of an operation called “Paris Illuminates Paris”, which mixes the recycled green Sprite bottles and LED lights to create the Christmas lights down Rue Richelieu (near Palais Royal). This was the creation of Fabrice Peltier, a gallery designer, for 2009. I snapped this shot just last week so that answers my second question... Did they re-use the decorations? Yes, as you can see.

There are also four or five trees in Place André Malraux at the foot of Rue Richelieu. You can see a close-up of the construction below on the left.

Holly announced that she was going to be drinking a lot of Sprite this year to make her own! (The red ones are Badoit bottles.)

(Thank you, Peter (Peter's Paris) for pointing out these trees!)
Also, Anne featured this scene (in the daylight) at Just Another American in Paris here.

Petits sapins

For those with only the very smallest amount of space, here is a Paris option for your petit sapin de noel.

Paris is cold but only delightfully so with sun and no wind today. I feel very fortunate to have met both Laurent of Daily Photo Paris and to see again Peter of Peter's Paris. How wonderful to meet friends face to face!

Bon weekend to all!