Mocha Monday

 Warming cups of coffee at a café near the river.

 

Sweet Sunday

 Chocolate-laced rugelach take center stage on the counter of a bakery in the Marais district.

 

Place Vendôme

 

Christmas lights light up Place Vendôme.

 

Peace on Earth

 

May this Christmas be blessed with great happiness, health, prosperity and peace on earth.

 Above: magnificent crèche de Noël inside the church of Saint Paul

Below: the Christmas tree 

 

 

***

Some of the best Nativity-scene hopping in Paris right now:

Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre

Église de la Madeleine

Église Saint-Pierre du Gros Caillou

Église Saint-Eustache

Èglise Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois

Èglise Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre

Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle

Église Saint-Leon

Église Saint-Francis-Xavier

Église Notre-Dame de Nazareth

Église Saint-Joseph Artisan

Paroisse Sainte-Marie des Batignolles

Paroisse Saint-Paul Saint-Louis

A small reward

 

 

A classic dating from the 1600s Profiteroles derives its name from "profit," a type of small gratifying reward that arrives at the end a large gratifying meal. - BPJ

 

Below: hot melted chocolate is poured over choux pastry filled with vanilla bean ice cream create a chaud-froid sensation

 

 

 

Twinkly

A touch of twinkle brightens a café near the beautiful old Pont Marie.

 

Wine Wednesday

 

A wine tasting set up at a back street market lures passersby.

Tower Tuesday

Glimpse of the towers of the Church of Saint Sulpice.

 

Mocha Monday

 

An espresso and café crème from a back street coffee shop behind Place Clichy.

Sit-down Saturday

 

 

Chairs nicely arranged in the middle of a street with the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in the distance.

 

Find-a-gift Friday

 

 

With no lack of shopping options and the holidays swiftly upon us shoppers head for off-radar small boutiques to find that unique something.

Above:

Galerie Vivienne

4 rue des Petits-Champs 75002

 

In the red

Surrounded by red at a Left Bank café-bistro.

 

Window Wednesday

 

Holiday window displays are taking over Paris department stores, many with moving parts.

 

Above:

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

 

More:

Galeries Lafayette

 40 Boulevard Haussmann 75009

 

Printemps Haussmann

64 Boulevard Haussmann 75009

Le BHV Marais

52 rue de Rivoli

 

Samaritaine

9 rue de la Monnaie 75001

 

🎄

 

 

Tower Tuesday

 

 

This year's Christmas decorations at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche are all about the Eiffel Tower.

 ***

 Below: breathtaking dance performances

 

Ends December 31, 2024

 

CIRQUE LE ROUX:

Entre Chiens et Louves

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

 

 

 

Magic Monday

 

 

Understated holiday elegance meets fine dining at L'Hôtel Meurice, rue de Rivoli.

 

Celebration Saturday

 

Paris and all the world rejoices today as the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris celebrates its re-opening, with many heads of state and dignitaries in attendance. But not the Pope.

Above: photograph of the cathedral taken from Square René-Viviani before the fire of April 15, 2019

***

On the face of this ancient queen of our cathedrals, beside each wrinkle one invariably finds a scar. - Victor Hugo - Notre Dame de Paris / The Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

Floral Friday

 

A full head of flowers reflected in a mirror at a Marais hat shop.

 

Columns

 

An irresistible passageway leads into the gardens of the Palais-Royal.

 

Wine window Wednesday

 

Historic Passage Vivienne from inside sparkly wine shop Legrand Filles et Fils. 

 

Tower Tuesday

Unobstructed views over Paris rooftops and the Eiffel Tower beyond.

Mocha Monday

 

Deux cafés, with a splash of village church please.

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Sunset Sunday

Bracing cold and a glorious sunset on the French Atlantic coast.

3 hours (or less) from Paris

 

Floral Friday

Once more trendy Maison Sauvage in Saint-Germain-des-Prés has changed its flowers. And lampshades.

 

Thankful

 

Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., with much to be thankful for.

 

Above: tree-lined path in the Jardin du Palais-Royal leads to the Louvre

 

***

 

A Very Happy Thanksgiving from Paris

🦃

 

Window Wednesday

 

As evening falls the light inside an antiques shop reveals colorful comics cutouts. 

 

Table Tuesday

 Café culture on the Rue Montorgueil.

 

 

Museum Monday

 

 

 

JACKSON POLLOCK The Early Years (1934-1947)

 

 Picasso Museum

Ends January 19, 2025

 

 

Sipping Sunday

Hot spiced wine, hot chocolate, mint tea, coffees and fresh orange juice stand in the courtyard of Église Saint-Pierre de Montmartre.

 

Snow

It's snowing in Paris.

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday

 

 

The Olympics took over Paris last summer.

 

Above: cyclists make their way up rue Lepic, where Vincent Van Gogh lived with his brother Theo

 

 

Window Wednesday

A window decorated with stuffed animals and a photograph of New York buildings.

 

Tuesday Tea

 

Warm colors, hot tea, a chilly November day.

 ***

What's in the bag?

When ordering tea at most traditional Paris cafés, as opposed to tea rooms, a selection of tea bags to choose from will be brought to the table. The teas will usually range from classical blends to herbal infusions a.k.a. tisanes which usually include tilleul and chamomile. Popular brands: Mariage Frères, Dammann Frères, Thé du Hammam, Kusmi Tea, TWG Tea (Ritz Hotel boutique) - BPJ

 

Mona Monday

 

 

***

Pie-in-the-face Mona

A fun exhibition on a narrow Marais side street. 

 Ended November 16

***

FINAL DAY: all weekend and thru Monday November 18:

Montmartre's unique annual Portes Ouvertes des ateliers d'artistes: from Anvers to Abbesses, when artists open their private ateliers to the public and Parisians and visitors alike roam the streets, stairways and hills, maps in hand, searching hidden addresses and local art.

101 Artistes - 63 Ateliers

 Thank you organizers and Mairie du 18ème

 

(click to enlarge)

 

Impromptu

An unexpected rehearsal inside the church of Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux in the Marais district.

Table Tuesday

View over tables at Café Hugo on Place des Vosges.

 

Mona Monday

 

Trompe your oeil at this eye-catching exhibition.

 Musée Marmatton Monet

 

TROMPE L'OEIL - From 1520 to the Present

 

Ends March 2, 2025

Furry Friday

 

Fake fur throws to entice outdoor seating in cold weather. 

 

 

Throwback Thursday

 A café in the Marais district ready for Halloween.

 

Walking Wednesday

Extras filming in Montmartre make their way to a nearby café for lunch.

 

 

Tarte Tuesday

Red, white, and blue.

Tempting tartes loaded with seasonal fruits.

 

 Cédric Grolet l'Opéra

35 Avenue de l'Opéra 75002

 

 

Museum Monday

 

A bride stands before the largest painting in the Louvre, Les Noces de Cana, The Wedding at Cana, by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588).