Ready to party?!

Yes, it's D Day... Unless you live in Saudi Arabia where the "Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice" will make sure you don't celebrate New Year's Eve! it's very likely that you will stuff yourself with more food and Champagne/Wine tonight ;-) I know it's silly, but I will do the same... I wish you a happy celebration wherever you are in the world, hoping that you'll be surrounded by people you love.  I took this photo at Mademoiselle M, a food place/lab where you can learn extraordinary things...

Season decor

Here is another view of the Winter Ferris Wheel that they install in the Concorde gardens every year. I took it from the Hotel Meurice on rue de Rivoli, where they covered all the pillars in front of the hotel with pine branches. The owner of  this wheel has been in the news lately; he's accused of hiding the income he gets from the wheel from the government...  

Boat trip

There is nothing more romantic than crossing Paris on a boat on the Seine. Like these Japonese tourists that waved at me just after I took this photo!

An evening in Paris

I had a drink not far from Place Vendôme yesterday evening and on the way back home I came across the Westin hotel, which is currently beautifully decorated. On each side of the entrance there are two stunning chandeliers that I could not help but take a photo of! Paris is surprisingly busy at the moment, but everyone is in a very festive mood, which is very pleasant!

Winter sun

I'm just back from Nice where it rained a lot! (a big storm crossed Europe during Christmas), so surprisingly there was today more sun In Paris than when I left the French Riviera! I took a photo of a very typical café : le Café de l'Île Saint-Louis, which is perfectly located - just across the Île de la Cité and where they have a very nice - and quiet!- terrace. Now is the time to prepare the new year!

No more food please!

I'm glad the Christmas celebrations are over for, as much as I love family reunions, I hate to have to stuff myself in such a small timeframe! Food plays a large role in the French culture as you know it and it plays an even larger one on big occasions like Christmas... Most of the time you get to eat foie gras, turkey and buche (a typical Christmas dessert with the shape of a log). But more and more people tend to break away from tradition and serve "lighter" food like fish. I won't tell you what I had on Christmas eve AND on Christmas day, but one thing is sure, I can go without eating for the next month LOL. Hope you all have a wonderful time if you celebrated it. Time to go home now!

Even the walls say it!

"Walls have ears" was a common message during WWII, now they have messages for you! Hence this merry christmas wishes that I found on a big scrap chalkboard that they recently installed on the left bank they turned into a pedestrian area. How appropriate for today's post ;-) I wish you a Joyeux Noël everyone, even if you don't celebrate it!

Christmas eve...

Yes, it's a ferris wheel, yes it was installed there especially for Christmas, and no, I did not take this photo in Paris, but in Nice, where I'll be spending Christmas with my family... It's so beautiful that I don't resist posting this photo on PDP, even though it's 930 kilometers (578 miles) from Paris! I wish you a very good Christmas eve, if you celebrate it

Giant Metro Map

I came across this building in the 13th arrondissement by sheer coincidence, after a business meeting. I was intrigued by the metro signs (the big M, the Maison Blanche board...) and the various white lines on the facade. Then I understood... This is no less than giant local metro map! What a clever idea. 

Grand Palais, the really great palace!

Le Grand Palais, a magnificent building located off the Champs Elysées that was built for the Universal Exposition of 1900 (and renovated between 1993 and 2007) is currently sheltering a huge amusement park for the Christmas period (until January 5th). I love this building, especially its inside staircases that I photographed here from above. Have a great pre Christmas Sunday last minute shopping if you celebrate it! 

Straight line

Another view of Le Pont de Bercy that I showed here several times. But I still think it's a cool bridge! It was widened in 1904 so that they could build a second bridge on it, the one above the metal ceiling that you can see in this photo and that allows the line  6 metro to run... 

The ice rink opens today!

After almost 9 years of daily posting in Paris, I realize how the same events come back every year and how we take for granted things that once were very innovative... Take the ice rink in front of the Paris town hall that I showed you many times. When they installed it for the first time in 1997 it was a real big deal, but now we're so used to it, it's part of the winter scenery! Anyway it opens today (Friday) and it's still very nice to skate (for free!) in front of the Hotel de ville with Notre Dame in the background (yes you can see it in this photo!)   

Crèpes by the Seine

Here is a very Parisian winter scene... I've taken it two days ago by the Quai along the Musée d'Orsay. I stopped because of the Crèpes bike that I thought was cool (I did not buy one though!). That's all! 

Worse than the metro at 6 o'clock!

In French, when we want to say that a place is really crowded, we say "c'est pire que le métro à 6 heures du soir"! (Worse than the metro at 6 pm!) and that is exactly what I felt like yesterday when trying to buy presents on one of the many Christmas markets that we have in Paris at the moment. Totally incredible... I stayed no longer than 10 minutes;-) And today I'm off to Nice for a little break at Le Douzy, hoping it will be more quiet and that I can continue my Christmas shopping more peacefully;-)

Playing around Christmas...

I know it's a bit childish, but since there are Christmas tress all over Paris at this time of the year, I felt like playing a little bit! I don't know if you managed to recognize the large building in the background on the left, but you could "easily". It's simple Le Louvre (well one side of the Louvre), that I took by reflection from the Saint Germain de l'Auxerois church side. Look at the sun too, we've had this weather for so many days now, it's fantastic!

Playing with Metro station names...

You may have already seen Metropolisson if you're interested in what's going on in Paris, but if not you may have a look at some of the content (I'm fortunate enough to have been given it ;-)) Anyway the purpose of this book is to show scenes photographed in the Paris metro that are related visually to the name of the stations. For example, at Rome you can see an Emperor, at Invalides a one legged person, at Champs de Mars (Mars field), an astronaut, etc. Some are easier to figure out than others... I think the idea is great and here is my modest contribution to this fantastic project ;-) "Muette" means "mute", so I guess, this is pretty self explanatory!

Cartier building

I don't know if you remember my post from last year (Cartier without Bresson), well they did it again this year! Only this time you get to see a broader view (but do visit the previous post to as you might want to see the little film they made for their 165th anniversary again). BTW there seems to be a special 50% off promotion on Zazzle today with code 50OFFPRODUCT, if you're interested in purchasing a ParisDailyPhoto calendar (either this one, or this one or even the brand new black and white one), it may be the day!

Christmas on the Champs Elysées

It's a classic, but it's a nice classic! Not much to add! 

From the Roof top of Le Printemps

Do you remember the photo I took two days ago, when I told you I would let you know later where I was when I took it? Well, I was on the roof top of le Printemps, the large department store located on boulevard Haussmann. It's a wonderful location where everybody can go - it's free - and even have a drink while looking at the stunning view - they also have a little café up there. It only takes 5 minutes to go up the 8th floors (with the elevator) and it's worth it day and night (providing there is no fog of course!!).

Roasted Chestnuts

There something I love about the coming back of winter every year, it's the so called "winter food". In other words dishes that are considered too heavy (like sauerkraut for instance!) or too hot to be eaten in summer. One of them is Marrons Chauds (roasted Chestnuts) that are sold everywhere in Paris during winter, especially outside the large department stores or on the Christmas markets, where I took this photo. I love them!

Winter sunset

All sunsets are different, at least in Paris. More than that, they vary a lot from one season to another. For instance, I don't know exactly why, but this one is typical of winter (probably because of the colors). I took it from a high point in Paris  (I'll tell you where exactly later...) two days ago and the view was really spectacular. 

Turning old into new...

Yesterday, I passed by a former HQ of a bank (Le Crédit Lyonnais) which is currently being totally renovated and turned into a brand new and connected building. To do so, they kept the beautiful facade and emptied the inside of the building totally so that you have the best of the two worlds: the look of the old outside, the comfort of modernity inside. Isn't that clever? I did not know what photo to take and I finally chose to shoot behind the grids. To have a better and broader view, check they website (you'll see drawings of  course since the building is not completed yet).

Christmas windows

You know I try to avoid showing faces on PDP and especially the ones of children. But in this photo I don't think any of the kids are recognizable, and the one leaning on the windows looks so fascinated that I don't resist posting it! I took it at Le Printemps, where, like every year, they have beautiful Christmas windows that children love (I remember how much I used to love this when I was a kid!) . I thought this was a cool way of starting the week.

2014 PDP calendars

Time to reconnect with an old - and lost... - tradition: the PDP calendars! Well, thanks to the hard work of Michael two PDP calendars are just hot off the press as of yesterday evening. You can have a preview directly on the Zazzle site of course: One is dedicated to the Eiffel Tower only and the other one features a wider range of Paris photos. Up to you to choose if you wish to. Enough self promotion  for now ;-)

Releasing balloons by the Eiffel Tower...

More Eiffel tower today! But this time it's for a purpose... Yesterday (Friday), there was a gathering on the Trocadéro esplanade to raise awareness on two French journalists (Didier François et Edouard Elias) who have been abducted in Syria 6 months ago. I heard on the radio that they planned to release balloons in front of the Eiffel Tower on this occasion, so of course I was tempted to go. And I did... And did not regret it, for what I saw was really beautiful. Have a great weekend and enjoy your freedom. 

Chiaroscuro

One of the many photos that I took from the Pont de la Concorde! I'm just never tired of this view, even if I've seen it a zillion times... And we're having such a nice weather in Paris at the moment... (It won't last, I'm sure!). It made me think of a Claire-obscure (Chiaroscuro).

Starbucks made it to Montmartre

Do you remember this post about the future  installation of Starbucks near the Place du Tertre at Montmartre ? Well, I went back recently and... that's it, they're open. Despite what some people said, the area has not been defaced and obviously accordion players can still perform! I'm not a big Starbucks fan because I think they're expensive and that most of their drinks have far too many calories, but I see no reasons why they should be banned from Montmartre.     

The wonderful world of Dorothée's

I'm sooooooooo glad I discovered the photo work of Dorothée Shoes (who, despite her name is French!), for it's really fantastic. Her shots are currently exhibited on the grids of the Parc de Choisy in the 13th arrondissement and they are all stunning. Fortunately you don't have to come to Paris to see them, you can have a sneak preview here. I'm sure you'll agree with me.

Thesis viva!

Let me invite you to one of the oldest schools of Paris, Le Collège Sainte Barbe. Located on the Montagne Sainte Geneviève, near the Panthéon, it was built in... 1460 and is now closed. Well, not totally... The whole building was renovated between 1999 and 2009 and has been turned into an administrative building, a library and a place where students can defend their thesis. That is precisely what I witnessed yesterday, when one of my nieces (in this photo) - who's also my God daughter - had her thesis viva. A great and moving moment. Needless to say she did extremely well ;-))

Taxi police

You probably don't know it, but in Paris, there is a special Police department dedicated to taxis ! It's called Les Boers (a slang word which origin is not really known) and they make sure taxis don't cheat (for example choose the night rate instead of the day one) nor even pretend to be taxis whereas they're not (more common than you would think...). Most of them are honest, but it's comforting to know that the police is watching! I took this photo of an old taxi at an exhibition that the Préfecture de Police de Paris (The Paris police) curated to celebrate the 75 anniversary of the Boers.

Looking out!

First of December, it's a theme day!! And the theme day is... Looking out! Which can mean many things. I saw that some people were demonstrating today in front of the Eiffel Tower (on the Trocadero esplanade more accurately) and well I suppose they qualify as "looking out for our future". A bit far fetch?! Yes you're right, but I lack inspiration these days LOL! Have a great Sunday everyone (especially Americans who have to rest after having had too much food AND too much shopping!). As usual, visit the other CDP bloggers around the world...