Bon homme de neige

The Jardin des Tuileries had many surprises on our recent visit with several snowmen and other icy creations. However, this fellow, short in stature, seemed to have the most artistry and character. As I snapped this photo other paparazzi moved in quickly.

Bon homme de neige
Temporary residence: Jardin des Tuileries

Ma Bourgogne, Place des Vosges

This post is for Virginia who will be arriving in Paris in just a week... I know that this is one of her favorite places and they will be attending her every wish with wine and laughter.

I wish that I could join her and Mary and Peter and....

Cold and lonely

In Jardin des Tuileries, we found this group of chairs and made a few observations... It appeared as if a group had recently gathered here amidst the snow. Had they shared a frigid picnic of sorts or an apéritif de la neige? There are two other interesting details. See if you can find them.


In the background is the statue known as L'Ami de Personne
On the back of one chair is a pair of eyes

Three Paris landmarks

From this perspective it seems that you could almost reach out and touch the obelisk... and perhaps the Grand Palais.

Un sac à main en cuir?

Would you believe these are chocolate?

Chocolat Michel Cluizel

201, rue Saint-Honoré

miam-miam

Église Saint-Eustache

Rays of light filtered through the majestic windows of Saint-Eustache.

During my recent visit to Paris, there were only about three hours of sunlight and shadows... I am glad that I was able to visit St-Eustache during this brief period of filtered light and capture a few photos of this magnificent church.

Joyeux anniversaire

Not from a pâtisserie, not made by the hands of a baker, not in Paris (but "beyond"), made and assembled by little hands in love and celebration.


Joyeux Noël, Merry Christmas

Still shopping?

You had better hurry!


Bon Marché
Métro Sèvres-Babylone

Architecture on Rue de Grenelle

This is a different vitrine de noël display with its elegant lines and exquisite miniatures. I do wish I knew something about this detailed model found in the window of a Rue de Grenelle bookstore in the 7ième arr.

I love how the glass bubbles delicately frame the scene

Les vitrines de noël

The windows will hold you and draw you in...

crystal, des bijoux, silver, fine fabrics,

and not the least of these...

a tower of macarons... pistache to be exact

miam-miam

C'est mon péché mignon

Saint-Ouen - Marché Biron

A trip to Paris is never complete without a visit to Marché aux Puces at Saint-Ouen. I love the look of winter and it had just snowed that Saturday morning leaving the tree decorated with a dusting of white. The long allée of Marché Biron with its glass-front display rooms was nearly deserted... the shopkeepers inside, their little dogs peering out from the heated interiors.

Marché Biron
Saint-Ouen
Métro Porte de Clignancourt

La Maison du Chocolat

In a search for the perfect chocolate eclair, we hurried to La Maison du Chocolat at the instruction of Carol (Paris Breakfasts) for the best in Paris. (More on that story later with photos)... After making friends in this chocolate heaven, we stopped to take a photo of the chocolate tree in the window.

It is too small for your eyes to read perhaps, but I will whisper the price if you promise not to gasp...

(590€) .............. I think I heard a gasp...

La Maison du Chocolat
19, rue Sèvres (and other locations)

Église Saint-Roch... Nativity

We have visited this church previously, but this time it was much more personal. Each morning we woke to the sounds of the church bells at 8 with their evenly paced 3 rings, 3 rings, 3 rings, and then 47 rings... no snooze alarm either.

Our apartment faced the side of this beautiful and active church and we were thrilled to hear the choir rehearsals, the sounds of school children, and the hourly chiming of the bells. What a treasure Paris has with its history of churches.

Bon dimanche

Église Saint-Roch
Rue St. Roch et Rue St-Honoré

Taking home the tree...

In Paris, this is a huge tree and it probably was quite heavy to carry. This gentleman put it down as he waited for the light to change at Boulevard Diderot. Perhaps he was carrying it to the barracks of the Sapeurs-Pompiers just across the street.

Caserne de sapeurs pompiers
26, rue de Chaligny

Bunnies in the Champagne - reflection

These bunnies playing in the champagne fountain (and splashing, drinking, and swimming) were a treat for children and adults alike. The window-viewing of les grands magasins is quite crowded, particularly when there is so much activity in one window!

Here is a video by Holly



For more reflections look at James' Newtown Area Daily Photo here.

A little chocolate, my dear?

At A la Mère de Famille on Rue Cler, this large chocolate deer drew quite a crowd. Miam-miam!


A la Mère de Famille, est 1761
47, rue Cler (and other locations)

Ballerinas at Palais Garnier

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

What a party that was!

Well, I was not invited to her party, but probably just as well...

... another example of the luxurious windows at Galeries Lafayette.

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.

Procession aux flambeaux -- 8 decembre

The churches of Paris gather for the Fête de l'Immaculée Conception every December 8th at Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet. Each of the participating churches brings its banner to be carried by its members. After Mass the families and persons of all ages light the candles and sing while walking through the streets of the 5ième, traffic stopped.



What an amazing experience...

Bon dimanche, mes amis.

Salon de Thé -- Le Musset

The bright, oversized decorations of Le Musset can be seen from a block away. No reason to be chased inside with inclimate weather... just duck into the heated area protected from the wind and order the Berthillon ice cream for dessert... brrrrrr!


Le Musset
5, rue de l'Echelle
M. Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre

Les Grands Magasins - Reflections

Oh my! This was our first stop after arriving in Paris...

Can you blame us? The windows of Printemps and Galaries Lafayette were calling....

and I caught the first snowflake on the tip of my tongue... what a moment!

For more reflections go to James' Newtown Area Photo.

Jardin des Tuileries... la neige

And the snow came, just as I had wished for in Paris!

We saw snowmen and snowball fights... We saw bundled little children and les chiens in their sweaters... The cold air makes your face sting and the Christmas lights make your eyes shine brightly...

I loved it all!

Parc de Monceau ... en hiver

I am headed back from Paris with many photos and stories... Can't wait to share them all!

Village Saint-Paul -- Les jouets anciens

Père Lachaise VI

What a heavy load to bear...

Snow in Paris... sur le toit de l'Eglise Saint Roch

This morning when we woke up, this is the view from our apartment window looking out on Saint-Roch. The many surfaces of the roof were coated in white. What a beautiful winter scene in Paris!

Bon dimanche...

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!

The color of the season... orange?

Hummm... Different, creative, colorful, le sapin de noël...

I'm fine with this!

Transporting le sapin de noël

So, when in Paris, how do you get the little Christmas tree home?




Sometimes,

it is necessary to improvise

with un petit sacrifice.

Rue Cler -- an array of trees

Paris streets are full of les sapins de noël... in the street markets such as this one on Rue Cler, à la marché alimentaire, and in front of the many florist shops.

As we took a moment to look at these petite trees, some actually resembling a "Charlie Brown Christmas tree," we marveled at the "stands" made of half-logs drilled with a hole to fit the trunk of the tree.
This smaller version of a tree seems to work quite nicely for the Parisians selecting le sapin de noël for the family.