Saturday, December 23, 2006

Notre Dame de Paris at sunset


OK, I'm lucky! I can pass by Notre Dame de Paris every day if I want, and look at this fantastic piece of architecture. Today, at 5:30 pm, it was really magnificent. Not only is Notre Dame really clean now that they have completed its renovation (and removed the scaffolding!) but on top of that, at the moment, there is a giant Christmas tree in front of it. This photo only shows one tenth of this spectacular scene.

Put this photo on a Christmas card and more here!

39 comments:

  1. Wow, barely recognized it! They've done a wonderful job cleaning and restoring. It is now a true - golden - jewel of Paris.

    Wonderful photo, Eric - love the ruby and gold combination!

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  2. Great place to have a Xmas tree, I think, and cool shot!

    The structure is very difficult to photograph from that angle unless maybe you lay down on the Parvis, and even then you might need a special kind of lense to get everything to fit in...

    Happy Holidays everybody!

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  3. A beautiful photo for the City of Light. It's a great holiday gift; thanks for posting it!

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  4. Eric, thanks for this photo. Megan was just talking today about sitting in front of Notre Dame and how peaceful it was when she visited last year. Have a wonderful Christmas.

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  5. 2 days ago I was on top of Norte Dame overlooking the same tree and "place". Back in the US now. The image form there still very alive in my head!

    PS. went to Trocadero for the first time, just because of your picture on the Dec. 2nd. thx

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  6. Dear Eric and all PDP devotees,
    I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2007. Thank you Eric for the amazing commitment you have shown to us all throughout 2006 and for all the fun we have had.
    Joyeux Noel.
    M. Benaut

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  7. Stunning.

    Your photo leaves me awestruck with a kind of spiritual holiday cheer.

    Thanks.

    Wishing all passers by here tidings of world and inner peace (if only..).

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  8. Beautiful. Yes it looks remarkably different now it is cleaned. What are the red pieces on the tree? They don't look like baubles. Very pretty.

    Happy Christmas to you too M. Benaut! Should we verse it? lol!

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  9. hello eric,
    just wanted to say thank you for all the joy that you bring into people's lives on a daily basis...may it return to you a thousandfold in the new year...

    barbara

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  10. You truly are one lucky duck.

    Have a wonderful holiday.

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  11. Eric...signing in from Sarasota, Florida and glad I did. I don't think I've ever seen a Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame and this is wonderful. Red & golden..really beautiful.

    Happy Holidays to all!

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  12. Salut Eric! For some reason I couldn't email you - problems with my server, i guess - so I won't be able to tell you how your blog saved me!!! I'll try to explain: je suis une brasilien fille folle d'amour pour Paris! (pardon my french!) I've been in Paris for the first time last may and since then i've been making some serious plans to go back next june. What caught my eye here was, the super picture of Notre Dame, of course, but specially what you said about being lucky. I too felt so lucky during my stay in Paris, cause our hotel was in Bl. Saint Michel, so I passed by Notre Dame everyday! And every time i had only one thought on my mind: i'm really lucky!!!
    I'll be checking your blog everyday now..i've been looking for a site about Paris like this, and now that i found it, you saved me!
    E-mail me if you can, i'd love to know more about Paris for my next visit!
    Au revoir!

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  13. Beautiful shot Eric!

    Monica, I too was in Paris in May. And I too stayed in a hotel on Blvd. St. Michel! How weird is that?

    Merry Christmas everyone!

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  14. Great Picture, Eric. I'm just as lucky as you are since I live facing the Seine river with the Notre Dame to the left of my apartment. It's beautiful in the mornings and evenings! Bonne Fêtes!!

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  15. they did a great job. It looks wonderful!

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  16. Hi Michael! Great to see you, verse partner. Florida indeed. Pah, well i'd much rather be in frosty, cold, rainy UK... not. We miss you when you're jetting around the world; try to pop in to us again, there's some festive stuff at my blog which you've missed and your lack of comments have left an aching space.
    Have a great hols!

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  17. I'll be in Paris early January...please keep the wonderful christmas tree until then, ;-)
    Merry Christmas from Switzerland

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  18. Hi Eric,

    Seasons Greetings and festive cheer from Sydney, where it is now Christmas Eve!

    I had one of the most memorable experiences ever goign to massat Notre Dame at Easter. The whole cathedral was illuminated by candlelight as everyone lit a candle from a huge flame passed down the central nave from a fire outside...certainly a stunning piece of architecture!

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  19. The grand Dame ages beautifully!
    Merry Christmas!

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  20. WOWWOWWOWWOWWOW!!! It didn't look like this when I was there in APRIL!!!! I got CHEATED! LOL! Gorgeous Eric..and when you look up the definition of LUCKY in the dictionary...it says ERIC TENIN! LOL! ;-) I'll 10th what everyone's already said...thank you from the bottom of my heart for making the DP family such an awesome place to hang out...your blog has done more for me than you'll EVER know! ;-) Have a wonderful holiday season and an even MORE wonderful 2007! HERE-HERE! CHEERS! Ame xoxoxo PS: OH! I just saw the October piece about Filmloop! COOL! Gonna see about adding more bells & whistles to my blog next year after the chaos has died down to a low roar! LOL!

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  21. Hey Susan! Very weird but very lucky huh?! My hotel was the Dacia Luxembourg. And yours? I'd love some tips of other hotels in Quartier Latin.
    I forgot to post my e-mail: barrosmonica2@yahoo.com.br

    So Eric, if you have some tips I'd appreciate it! Thanks! Merry Xmas!

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  22. Monica,

    I wonder if we even passed each other...so funny! I stayed at the Observatoire Luxembourg. Sorry, I don't know of any hotels in the Quartier Latin. Mine was right on the border of 5th and 6th across from the gardens and I always went into the 6th (I love the 6th). A friend had recommended it to me. Hotel was fine (3 Star) and had a great indoor winding staircase that made you feel you were in a house. But, when I walked out of it the first night, I was a little freaked out because there was no one on the street. Kind of scary to me. But it was only a few blocks down to be in the thick of the 6th and there's a metro station right there (but that first night I was too dumb I guess to use it). Instead, I walked the several blocks and it was kind of scary because it was so desolate. Don't think I would stay there again because of location (it's nice to have some things very close I think).

    I've stayed in the Hotel Splendid (stupid name but nice hotel) in the 7th on rue Tourville. I really liked the hotel and the location. Balcony views of Eiffel Tower, some restaurants right across the street that stayed open really late, although it was quiet at night as well but I felt much safer on that street walking at midnight.

    Next time, I will either stay right in the heart of the 6th or possibly the 3rd.

    Any suggestions from anyone else where to stay if you want to be close in?

    On my way out of town now! Have a very merry christmas all!

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  23. Vous êtes vraiment chanceux habiter à Paris. J'aimerais voir l'image entière. Peut-être demain ?

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  24. Beautiful picture, Eric.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  25. This is so gorgeous! Happy Holidays everyone!

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  26. Oh Eric, what a fantastic shot! It's so beautiful, and though I've never ben to Paris it makes me very nostalgic for Christmas' past.

    Gotta say, tomate, your comment made me giggle at the idea of Eric laying down somewhere trying to get the perfect shot of Notra Dame, possibly having a gaggle of tourists tripping ovr him! I wouldn't be surprised if Eric would endanger his life for the perfect shot for us. That's true devotion!

    lynn, they look pretty much like traditional ball ornaments when I made the picture full size on my comp.

    Michael! We miss you so much! Hope you're having a good time in sunny Florida. I'd hate to be there, though. I just could never have Christmas without at least some nippy weather. A couple weeks ago the weather persons were talking about temps in the 50s and possibly even 60s! I was agast, simply agast! But now they're talking about a sprinkle of snow, possibly even enough to stick. I hope so, because I truly dream of a white Christmas every year.

    Now I'm off to prepare for 2 full days of holiday joy! (Until Jeff's mother gets in her typical holiday cranky modd and starts yelling at people. Then I'm dropping them and heading to my parents!)

    Ohoh, that reminds me! My dad's home from the hospital and doing well. He'll need home care for a couple of months, but he's healing nicely and getting healthier then he's been in a couple decades! We haven't gone to visit yet because I've been awfully sick, though. :( Can't wait to see him Monday!

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  27. hi eric,

    a new dream of mine (after visiting paris and france this past summer) is to live in paris for 1 year and to travel all over europe. spending xmas in the city of lights would be an amazing experience.

    question: how do homeowners or apartment owners rent out apartments? in new york city its either listing it in the newspapers, on the web yourself or to pay a real estate broker to rent it or sell it for you. what do most property owners do? when i'm ready to rent a place in paris, where should i start?

    many thanks!

    from a designer in new york.

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  28. Such a wonderful picture, Eric!!

    I'm beginning to feel Christmassy as I went to the mall and had my picture taken with Santa.

    Happy Holidays to Everyone!

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  29. to monica and susan: if you're looking for a very reasonable place to stay in the 5th, check out HOTEL DES GRANDES ECOLES on rue cardinal lemoine - i saw it listed in the book STYLE CITY - PARIS, and tryed it out in july ....besides not having any a/c during that broiling weather, i really enjoyed it...great location, it has a charming courtyard, and it was 'tres parisien' je pense.

    to the 'designer in ny' you might try LODGIS for apt. rentals. i had rented an apt on rue des gobelins on the border of the 5th and 13th (for only a week) in october through them, and was very pleased with the service etc. if they don't do yearly rentals, there are many online, just google it... good luck ....and btw i am a designer in ny too!

    MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL pdp devotees :)

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  30. oops, didn't mean to be quite that anonymous ;~)

    barbara

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  31. What a spectacular photo, Eric. And I'm SOO pleased to hear the scaffolding has finally been removed! Looking forward to getting some good shots in March...sans the scaffolding.

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  32. Beautiful photo. Looks like a spectacular work of art.

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  33. thanks barbara!
    appreciate the recommendation.
    will check it out next time i head over to paris.

    designer in ny

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  34. That is a very cheap hotel Haxo. Maybe I'm strange but such low prices make me nervous about the accomodations.

    Got any recommendations for about 150 Euros?

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  35. wow...so beautiful! this photo just really makes me want to be in paris at christmas!

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  36. i love this site!! i just stumbled across it yesterday and it's great.. i've never been to paris but i'm a secret francophile and would love to visit one day.. cheers!! :)

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