Hands on

A gallery wall in the Marais district.

 

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- Bonne Année / Happy New Year 2016 -

Paris at dusk

The magic of a Paris street just before night falls and when lights start to come on.

Marché Raspail

Open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays when it's a marché biologique (organic), this Left Bank market goes on for blocks.

Sign of the times

This year's holiday window display theme at Galeries Lafayette department store is all about the new Star Wars movie.

Silent night

South side view of Notre Dame Cathedral as seen from across the river.

Yule log

In France, no Christmas table is complete without its Bûche de Noël, the traditional Yule Log dessert, and every bakery and pâtisserie gets well stocked.

Deck the windows

All over the city toy stores, like this one, stayed open late Christmas Eve anticipating last minute Père Noëls.

Bagel on the block

New York style bagel shops have sprung up around Paris. Today's bagel at this one in Montmartre (seccond from the right) is, "Christmas spices."

Three kings

Life-sized figurines made of silk, satin and brocade decorate the courtyard of a luxury hotel.

Christmas lights

 

Just as it gets dark festive lights appear in corners and overhead.

 

Aftermath

It's a strange sensation to walk down familiar streets and see photos of the dead; neighbors, familiar faces posted in doorways where they lived.

Get Rihl

Whimsical tote bags by Barbara Rihl flirt from a shop window on a side street in the fashion district.

Bakery on the Butte

A photograph of the Basilica of Sacré Coeur covers a wall of this Montmartre bakery.

Gentleman barber

A coiffeur-barbier poses in front of his newly-opened shop.

Candy man

This corner stall has been a permanent fixture year round, rain or shine, on Boulevard Saint Germain near Odéon.

Doorway

Details such as the tiny oval window on one side, make this door unique.

Clopes

Big Tobacco is thriving as evidenced by the many brands on offer at any corner tabac, the most popular by far being Marlboro and not, as expected, Gauloises.

Choux in

 

At La Maison du Chou flavored cream fillings are pumped into airy choux before your eyes using a pastry syringe.

Pick your bike

A lineup of Velibs', Paris' popular rent-a-bikes.

Métro exit

 

Buildings behind this métro sign create a sharp angle at the exit.

Enfants Rouges

The Marché des Enfants Rouges covered market dates to the 1600's and is named for orphans dressed in red.

Above: florist at entryway

Smarter

The latest "smart car" is an efficient way to buzz through narrow city streets.

Place de Furstenburg

 

The tranquil beauty of this Left Bank square never fails to stop me in my tracks.

 

 

Saint Sulpice organ

 

The massive Cavaillé-Coll organ dominates the interior of the Church of Saint-Sulpice.

Un café noisette

This is the French version of Spain's café cortado, an espresso to which a drop of milk the size of a hazelnut (noisette) has been added, just enough to turn the coffee the color of hazelnut.

 

Designer vintage

In Paris, experimenting with and discovering one's own personal style is de rigueur.

Autumn in Montmartre #7

Montmartre can astonish with quiet passageways, artists' studios and single family houses.

Autumn in Montmartre #6

Fall foliage illuminates this street on an overcast day.