A new year full of vitamins!

As I was in the 7th arrondissement at the marché rue Cler, I stumbled upon this stand of bright orange Clementines. Knwowing that I over indulged myself this year at Christmas (as always), I picked some up. In France we eat these during the Christmas season and winter months. I love them because they are
seedless, sweet, juicy, and packed with vitamin C and the fiber content helps fill you up and satisfy hunger! Some believe that it was Father Clement, an Algerian monk, who discovered them in the mandarin garden at his orphanage and named it clementino. Others claim that the Clementine originated in China much earlier and then migrated to the Mediterranean.

Man and the moon

I found this sculpture in the 10th arrondissement at the beginning of rue du Faubourg Saint Denis, and since I did not really like the surroundings (too busy!),  I managed to find a little trick to help you concentrate on them: Cool effect isn't it?! FYI, the man on the left is called "The man who carried the moon" but I don't know what the sculpture of the woman is called (maybe "The woman who carried the Earth"?). Apparently ,the artist who made these sculptures is Turk and his name is Cem Sagbil.

And now the floods!

I don't know if we offended the gods or anything, but this year's weather really sucks. No only have we broken a cold record (the coldest December since 1969!), not only did we have snow like - almost - never, but on top of that, now the Seine is overflowing! I took this photo yesterday near Notre Dame, where the water even dragged a garbage can out of its normal location. Quite impressive. Even the Bateaux Mouches are currently stopped because there is not enough space under the bridges! The funny part is that I'm leaving today for Chamonix, a ski resort in the Alps. More snow for me!

Snow remains

So I hear it's Northern America's turn now! I just saw a TV report about New York City in the snow and, well, the least I can say is that it's much worse than it was in Paris last week... And though there is still snow around here, for it's so cold that it does not melt. I took this photo in Montparnasse where they have a large Velib station. Needless to say that at the moment Parisians are a little reluctant to biking nowadays ;-)

Marché de noël

You think I took this photo in a ski resort in Switzerland or something? I did not! I took it on the lower part of the Champs Elysées where they have a huge Marché de noël (Christmas market). These markets originate from Germany (apparently at the beginning of the 15th century) and progressively "overflew" to the east of France. Now they are everywhere in France, including Paris. You find there typical Christmas stuff like decorations, food, candies... and gifts in general that are of lesser interest, for not very typical (mostly made in China gadgets!)

Party is over

So your head aches too? Well, no wonder after all this eating and drinking! I found this remain in the glass container down my apartment building, as I was heading to my gym. Moët & Chandon is actually one of my favorite Champagne brands ;-). But wait it's not over yet... I can see New year's eve coming and that means more food and more drinks. Why do we have to associate celebrations with stuffing ourselves?!

Joyeux noël everyone

I know, it's not very original, but, hey, when else could I use this photo?! I took it 2 days ago on the lower part of the Champs Elysées where they installed a cool merry-go-round for Parisian kids (tourist kids are welcome too ;-) I found this puffy face was a good way of celebrating Christmas. If only next year would be as smiley as this Santa... Anyway, when you read this I should be on my way back to Paris, ready to pack for some other adventures in the snow! I hope you had a nice, warm family day.

Christmas Shopping (Part deux!)

I had a long and tiresome day. Since I did not find anything 2 days ago at rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, I spent part of my day in the Galerie Lafayette area. Needless to say that the place was totally packed ;-) It serves me right, I should have hunted for gifts much sooner than that. Those who follow this blog for some time may have a Deja vu feeling though, as every year I post more or less the same lines ;-) Tonight (Friday) is Christmas Eve and if everything goes well (that is if my plane is not cancelled because of the snow!) I'll be in the South. But I'll have my computer with me, checking on you guys ;-)

Cute!

I went to the prestigious rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré today, where they have all these luxury stores hoping to find the last minute gifts I'm desperately seeking for. I did not find anything - way out of my budget! - but I found this cute little dog in the shop window of Lanvin. I did not have my proper camera with me so the quality of the photo is not too good (a little grainy), but good enough for you to have the spirit of the scene ;-)

Vroooom!

No more snow in Paris now, traffic is back to usual, including motorbikes. I was in the 7th arrondissement this morning just by the Ecole Militaire and I took this shot which, of course, is less attractive than the snowy ones, but I like the graphics and the atmosphere. FYI there are more and more 2 wheeled vehicles in Paris and it's no longer legal to park on sidewalks - I got several tickets! Pretty soon I'm sure they will have us pay for the parking in the designated areas...

Lost in the snow!

It was Monday yesterday and, as usual, I went to La Défense. I looked for photo opportunities as it had just stopped snowing and suddenly I saw this "lady in red" cross the snowy "field" between two paths. FYI, I took this photo from the office where I was, on the 33rd floor. Isn't IT cool?!

Christmas Week

It's Christmas week in Paris and people are not only looking for these very last gifts that they still haven't found yet (I'm sure you see exactly what I mean!) but also for the perfect dish to serve on Christmas eve or at lunch on the 25th. I'm a fish person personally so if I may send a personal message to the part of my family that is hosting me for Christmas this year, here is what I would love to have ;-) I took this photo at La halle aux poissons, 69 rue Castagnary, in the 15th arrondissement). A little far from the center, but definitely the largest and the best in Paris.

Yes, snow again...

Yes it snowed again over Paris today. And yes, it's a blessing for photographers! I'm sure you will love this photo, as much as I do. Only, I have to be honest and give credit to Stuart, the friend of mine who lives by the Eiffel Tower and actually took this photo. Enjoy! Maybe I should have more guests from time to time ;-)

Only in France...

About 2 weeks ago Quick - a French (ex Belgian) hamburger company - announced they were going to sell a foie gras hamburger between Dec 16th and Dec 19th. I happen to have a Quick restaurant in the street where I live, so I could not resist! Of course you don't need to eat it with a fork and a knife in a real plate ;-) BTW, if you're wondering where the foie gras is, enlarge the photo a little bit, you'll see bits of melted foie gras. Is it good? I thing so. But of course I'm biased: I'm French and I love foie gras!

Metro for sale...

It is so cold in Paris at the moment that I gave up using my scooter and... take the metro whenever I have to go somewhere far. That's what I did last night. When the train arrived I saw it was all covered in Christmas decorations. I  had never seen that before. Of course, it's not the RATP (the Paris Public Transport Authorities) that wish to celebrate Christmas with its customers, but a brand willing to attract our attention ;-) What brand? Well I'm sure you know it all. But to find out, click here, you'll have a broader view of the train and you'll see the name of the brand.

Train spotting?

Yesterday evening I had plans to go to the Raymond Depardon Exhibit at the Grande Bibliothèque (a famous French photographer among other things) for he was going to be there and it would have been interesting to see him. However, due to the low temperature we currently have in Paris,  I must confess I had - should I say it - cold feet! So instead of a very cultural/informative photo, here is the lovely grid I passed by every other day when I go to the gym ;-) Sorry, but I am no hero LOL!

A new snow disaster?

Funny how when something "bad" happens, people (I mean the French in particular!) like to blame it on someone. IE last week when the massive snowfalls disorganized the whole city, the people blamed it on the government, the government blamed it on the meteorologists and well, the meteorologists blamed it on someone else! So today, as there is a slight chance of snow, there has been warnings everywhere, inviting the people not to take their car, nor to even think of going out of their home! I'm ready to bet that nothing will happen though... I'm glad I got to use this photo that I took last week though, for I really like it!

Hermès Ad

Don't go thinking this poster is a small image that I photographed closely. In fact it's a huge Hermès ad on a canvas made to hide a facade while they're doing work in the building behind it. When I saw it at rue du Général de Gaulle in Neuilly (a suburb just outside Paris) I could not help but stop and pull my trigger. Frankly, isn't this photo amazing?

Hide and Seek

 I played a little hide and seek game with Miss Eiffel Tower yesterday ;-) As you can see the sun has returned, and we're not expecting snow before Thursday now. I took this photo from the right bank, at the Musée d'art moderne de Paris level. Enjoy the beginning of the week everyone. Remember: there are only a few days left before Christmas... Don't wait till the last minute to buy your presents!

Christmas Tree

Time to set up the Christmas tree! They are everywhere in Paris at the moment: in front of supermarkets, of florists and you can even order one on line, of course! The price varies according to the size of the tree, from 40 € for a 1 meter (30 inches) high tree to 150 € for a 3 meter (118 inches) high tree (which does not really fit an average Paris apartment!). Mine is... 0 meter high as I don't want to go through the hassle of undoing it after Christmas ;-) Not that it's messy, but simply sad... I took this photo at rue Cadet, a litlle street by my home, where there is a daily market.

It's back!

I know this photo probably reminds you of one you saw last year and the year before and probably the year before! For yes, like every December the big Ferris wheel has returned to the Place de la Concorde. I must say I've found it hard to look for a new angle, so I chose to keep the Obelisk in the picture. Not extraordinary I agree, but good enough to feel the Christmas spirit ;-) As you can see, the snow is already gone (until next week it seems...).

Nativity Scene

The Christians believe that Jesus was born in a stable surrounded by a his parents (Joseph and Mary), a donkey, an ox and a few shepherds. It is generally called a Nativity scene and you find many everywhere in Christian countries like France . Here is one of them, that I found on the door of the Notre Dame de Lorette church. Really beautiful.

Snow

Paris is not Montreal, so when an exceptional amount of snow falls, the whole city is paralyzed. That is exactly what happened yesterday (Wednesday) after 5 hours of constant snowfalls that lead to a semi record: 11 cm (4,33 inches) and... almost 400 kilometers of traffic jams (250 miles)! I even had to leave my scooter at Le Web and take the metro back home. It was fun, but a lot of people are still stuck in their car as I am writing this caption. They say that now the snow could turn into ice during the night... This photo was taken on the Pont Alexandre III, as you may have recognized it.

Morning Snow

I don't know what's happening in Northern Europe at the moment, but we keep having cold waves and snowfalls! I took this photo in the morning near the Opera (at Boulevard des Capucines, more precisely), the ceiling was really low and the light could not really go through the clouds. At first I thought the garbage cans would not really look nice in the picture, but on a second thought I think they match the leave pretty well LOL! Today is the first day of Le Web, so I'll be pretty busy.

Splendid!

Like every week I took a little trip to La Défense, the main business district of Paris, and when I went out it was already dark and my eyes got attracted to the Agam Fountain (named after Yaacov Agam) again. With a little bit of the Grande Arche in the background the scene was really stunning. I recommend you enlarge the photo to feel the same I did (without the cold!)

Inside the Hotel Athénée

I don’t always get invited to big hotels like Le Royal Monceau... sometimes I also have the chance to see charming little hotels that are definitely worth the visit. Hence the Hotel Athénée, a 20 cosy room hotel in the Opera area, facing the backstage entrance of the Olympia Hall. The whole place was entirely redecorated by Jacques Garcia (who’s apparently a famous designer) and each room has an Opera theme (see more in this little Animoto). Really beautiful. My advice, if you want to have the best value for money... Book one of the rooms on the top floor: they are a little smaller but as nice as the other ones and less expensive.

Snow White?

There was more snow this morning (Saturday). It did not last very long but it was pretty strong. I found this little lady pretty cute so I could not help taking a photo of her. That's all, have nice Sunday everyone, I'll try to stay warm - and so should you! (of course the ones who live in the Southern hemisphere won't find it too hard ;-)

Meet Denise!

Yesterday I had lunch at rue Lepic, with Grazia, an Italian friend of mine who lives in Paris and knows it like the back of her hand. When she asked "what's going to be you PDP photo today?" I replied. "Er... I don't know yet". She said "follow me I have the perfect idea for you..." Then she dragged me into Denise's A l'étoile d'or boutique, the chocolate lovers' den,  at rue Fontaine (a few feet away from the Moulin Rouge). Oh my! What a gas. Not only is Denise an extraordinary character, but on top of that she really knows what she's talking about when it comes to chocolate. You HAVE  to visit this place if you come to Paris. No wonder David Lebovitz (the Paris chocolate master, among other things) spotted her a long time ago already...

A must visit building

I may have found a more beautiful ceiling than the one of the Sistine Chapel in Rome! OK, I'm kidding, but it's really worth the look (besides I don't think it's in many Paris guidebooks...). It's located in the Paris Bourse du commerce (commodities market) that is located near Les Halles. It is built on the former wheat market and from what I read this glass ceiling is the only remain of this early building. The painted part is also stunning: it was made for the world exhibit of 1889 and it shows the history of commerce on the 4 continent. You HAVE to see this if you come to Paris.

The first snow (for real!)

It's very rare to have snow in Paris, but it' seven more rare to have snow in early December. And though I swear, I did take this photo today near the Gare de l'est at the rue de l'Acqueduc where there is this magnificent metal bridge that runs over the train tracks. I had to wait for the traffic to stop which was pretty painful, because of the cold LOL! The snow should stop tomorrow and the cold weather on Saturday. But I'm sure there will be plenty of other occasions to take snowy photos (I love Paris in the snow)...

It's time!

1st of the month = theme day! The one of today is: Time. When I saw this, I immediately thought of a photo I took at the crossing of rue Lafayette and rue du Faubourg Montmartre where there is public clock. I looked on the web and found out that there are 101 public clocks like this one - or the same kind - in Paris, that is on average 5 per arrondissement (and that doe not include the ones in shop windows of course!). No excuse to be late... See the rest of the community to see if everyone thought of a clock when the heard about our community theme day...