The little train to the Acclimatation Garden

In the Bois de Boulogne (sort of Paris equivalent to Central Park in NYC) there is a garden called le Jardin d'acclimatation (English) which original purpose, back in 1860, was to show the latest exotic discoveries to the Parisians (more than 100 000 animals, sequoias, palm trees, etc.) Unfortunately, none of these living creatures survived the terrible 1870 war against the Prussians (Germans). The animals were all eaten and the trees ended up in mantelpieces... Now the garden has been turned into a small amusement park for kids. To get there you can take this little train from Porte Maillot (17th arrondissement). Don't miss it if you come to Paris with young children.

Snow again

It's been a long time since we have had a "real" winter. Not only is it cold (well for us, not for Pensylvanians of course!!) but on top of that it is regularly snowing. It's really unusual in Paris and I simply love it even if it makes it difficult to run my bike.

Paris Catacombs

Under Paris there are about 300 kilometres of galleries. They originate from the time (under king Philippe Auguste, around 1200) when the city expanded so much that stones were badly needed. Later on, at the end of the 18th century, these galleries were turned into a huge cemetery and became the Catacombes. Now, most of these galleries are closed to the public - although you can visit a place called l'Ossuaire where skulls are to be seen - but some people still find ways to go under (I did when I was young not far from where I took this shot!). This time I did not take this photo, GRiZZ who is undoubtedly a Cataphile (Catacombs lover) did and I asked him if I could borrow it for ParisDailyPhoto. He nicely accepted. Do pay a visit to his stunning website you will not regret it.

Collage, rue Quincampoix

I came across this "graffiti" yesterday evening rue Quincampoix (3rd arrondissement). The term Graffiti is actually improper for it is actually more a collage (a patchwork of different pieces of cardboard) than an actual drawing on the wall. Although I have no idea of what it means exactly I have found it quite interesting. If any of you knows who made it - and if there are several of those in Paris - please let me know.

Update! Thanks to Roswitha, we know now who hides behind this work. VLP stands for Vive La Peinture and you should definitely pay a visit to their blog.

Freezing Cold!

Gee, it's really cold in Paris at the moment - about 0 degree centigrade (32 Fahrenheit). The weather people have issued a warning for the coming days for it should get worse! And to think I am off to the mountains at the end of this week...

Back to our normal activities

Christmas 2005 is over, let's go back to where we were...

Christmas Pudding

So today IS Christmas. The way it works in France is that the kids wake up early to find out that Santa Claus has come during the night (through the chimney pipe...) and has dropped their gifts under the Christmas tree. The most religious families go to Mass (if they have not already been at midnight) and start preparing the food for the Christmas lunch which will always end up with La bûche (as seen here), a delicious Christmas cake. Why is it that when we want to celebrate something - whatever the culture and the religion is - we need to stuff ourselves with food?!

Santa (Le Père Noël) is on his way...

Here is picture I took especially for Christmas eve. Santa and his vintage car were taking a break in front of a restaurant in the 17th arrondissement after his shopping spree. Maybe he had good luck finding what he needed at La Fnac (in the background), a large French chain of stores specializing in records, books, home video equipment... Maybe some of these goodies will be coming your way. Nevertheless, may I be the first to wish you and yours a very happy holiday.

Eiffel Tower in the mist

I know it's not very original to show the Eiffel Tower on a blog about Paris, but one, I do not show it very often, two, it's really beautiful at night and three, the current mist gives it a special flavour. Why miss it?! By the way, the light beam you can see in the mist comes from 4 searchlights that have been (re)installed in 2000; they turn around the top of the tower at a slow pace and are visible 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Grande Roue (Ferris Wheel)

Every winter the Grande Roue (Ferris wheel) returns to the Tuileries gardens (Jardins des Tuileries) at the very bottom of the Champs Elysées, on the other side of the Place de la Concorde. From L'Etoile (Charles de Gaulle Place) where I took this photo before the wheel was installed, the view is gorgeous. I will show it to you soon.

Running rabbits in the streets of Paris

Yesterday I went to a party at Le Cabaret, a famous club located Place du Palais Royal and on the way out I came accross an unusual scene: two jumping and running rabbits and a bunny girl (not to be seen on this photo, obviously). All this with the Louvre in the background... Only in Paris!

Doll House

When you enter Pain d'épices (gingerbread), a shop located at 29 Passage Jouffroy (9th arrondissement) eveything around you looks so small you suddenly feel like a giant... No wonder, this marvelous shop sells items for doll houses. If you look closely in the foreground, you can see small baguettes and shopping baskets! And further away towards the background there are miniature sweet containers, plants, cans, bottles... you name it. Everything you ever dreamed of to furnish Barbie and Ken's home sweet home!

French Pigs!

I pass this cute pig family almost every week-end when I go to the market near my home and I keep thinking "I must make a photo". Saturday I did. And here is the result... The charcutier (porkbutcher?) who uses them to attract customers even gave them a name (that is why they have a label). Clever.

The Christmas tree saga

Like in many places that celebrate Christmas, French people decorate their homes with a Christmas tree (le sapin). Parisians are no exception but, of course, we have to adapt to our urban conditions... The fact that we have to carry them up to the apartment, find some room (the average size of an apartment in Paris is slightly less than 50 sq. meters - 164 538 sq. feet), the heat that makes them dry and lose their pine needles quickly... means that many people buy them at the last minute (as seen here today). When it is all over, it begins another issue. We either carry them all the way down the stairs again, or... throw them out of the window!

Paris cobblestones

One thing very typical of Paris is our cobblestone streets. They are very slippery when it rains (I mean very!), but of course, it is far better to have them than mud. It is King Philippe Auguste, around 1185, who decided that owners of houses and/or streets would have to pay themselves for the paving. Needless to say, this measure was not very popular. As a result, only some streets (mainly St Jacques, St Martin, St Antoine and St-Honoré) ended up getting paved. After his reign, the "government" - well the kings (see here, for a complete listing) took the street paving in charge.

Le Grand Colbert Restaurant

If you come to - or already are in - Paris and look for a nice Brasserie which is NOT a typical tourist haunt then you might try Le Grand Colbert (2 rue Vivienne, in the 2nd arrondissement). The minute you enter you feel like you have gone back to the 19th century (OK, women no longer wear long dresses and hats!) looking at the ceiling molding and the carefully polished brass. You have to be into traditional French food (foie gras, sea food platters, Choucroute, profitéroles...). You will spend 40 to 50 euros per person if you have a 3 course meal and "normal" wine. While you are in the neighbourhood have a walk in the Galerie Vivienne nearby.

Artificial forest in front of the Paris Pantheon

I don't know if you remember this photo sent by Erica who got proposed to in Paris and who sent me a photo of her posing in front of the Pantheon (5th arrondissement). I went back there yesterday evening and enjoyed their Christmas decorations. They actually "planted" a "forest" of Christmas trees in front of the building and lit the whole thing. Very nice.

Real estate in Paris: the price is not right!

In Paris the price of real estate is really crazy. On this photo, a 30 sq meter studio in the 1st arrondissement (a good location) is sold for 276 000 €, that is 9 200 € per sq meter! The price of an apartment or a house (there are few houses in Paris) is primarily based on the number of square meters then on the location (it may double or triple from one arrondissement to another) and the general condition of the place (note that kitchen cabinets or appliances are generally not included). Balconies, terraces, elevators… are obviously a plus. The price shown in the ads include the agency fees but not the “notary fees” (mostly taxes) which amount to roughly 6%.

"Second skin" exhibit

In the exact same street where I took yesterday's picture (rue du Faubourg Poissionnière) my eyes got also caught up by an exhibition in the Fraîch'attitude art gallery. This gallery specializes into modern art and more particularly into art pieces made of fruit or vegetable or anything produced by Mother earth... And until December 17 (hurry!), they host an artist called Isabelle Tournoud who designs garments made of straw, eucalyptus leaves, dried tomatoes(!), and plenty of other gifts of nature! It's definitely worth the visit.

When taste runs in the family

I have been driving pass this store several times lately (42, rue du Faubourg Poissonnière in the 10th arrondissement) and every time I feel like taking a picture of the gorgious window shop. Yesterday I did! And I searched who was behind these stunning fabrics and house accessories. I then discovered the world of the Pansu, a family owned business (created by Jules in 1871) and now run by the great great children. I have not had the chance to go inside yet but I surely will and so should you if you're looking for high quality fabrics, tapestries, rugs...