Les Lumières à l'Hôtel de Ville

For me, the Hôtel de Ville is stunning,  jour et nuit, hiver ou d'été.

Paris Rouge LXXV - Quelle heure est-il ?

While photographing this gentleman in the Marais one afternoon, I turned and noticed the clock behind me.  I'd love to know the story behind it.

Où sont les frites??

Moules, one of my favorites.  

Un escalier - le musée du Louvre

Le Louvre meshes old and new seamlessly.

100 Layers of Paint on the Door...

I have to wonder how long it's taken to get to the bare wood.  Perhaps he's been working nuit et jour!

(In clean white pants and shirt!)

Paris Rouge LXXIV - L'echarpe rouge

Last January you will remember that Mary, Peter and I visited Shauna von Giesbrecht's beautiful jewelry and textile shop in Montmartre.  In addition to her original jewelry that she handcrafts, she also offers some gorgeous handwoven textile designs. This red scarf in the window was almost more than I could resist.  I'm hoping that one day I'll have this, or a similar one wrapped around my neck in Paris!

Musique Improvisée

Le Pied a Terre on rue Mouffetard is a favorite of mine.  The street dining is limited to two tiny tables perched precariously on the uneven sidewalk.   While enjoying a nice café, this gentleman serenaded his companion and the delighted passersby.

Paris, Je t'aime!

My two Paris loving amies, Mary and Genie are both in Paris today, so I decided to drag out a photograph that brings back some wonderful memories.

Frank Sinatra says it all right here.

Paris Rose I - What Are The Chances...???

Sometimes, if you just sit, wait, and watch, a shot likes this just falls in your lap!
( It helps if you're in Paris of course)

Le Cigare

Pétanque at the Jardin du Luxembourg is serious business.  Here Monsieur concentrates before the throw.

Well Coiffed

Since most of my trips to Paris have been in the late fall and winter, I have been able to observe the trees in the gardens and along the Champs Elysées sans feuilles.   I've always been fascinated by the time consuming trimming that it must take to keep them all in shape.  Here in Tuileries late on a January afternoon, you can see the effects of pollarding.  One day I hope to catch the tree trimming crew in action and see exactly how the do it.  Merci to my blog friend Karin Bugge, who also happens to be a docent at the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena. She knew the term off the top of her head.  Trés impressed.

Paris Rouge LXXIII- Bonjour Mouseketeers!

Jef Aerosol is one creative guy. Who would expect to find one of the Mouseketeers immortalized on a building in Paris?  How many of you remember this original cast member's name???

Matin au marché

Unlike many of Paris' street markets,  this one on rue Mouffetard, is open almost every day. We stayed close by in 2009 and crossed this street at least twice a day going to and from the Censier-Daubenton métro.  We loved shopping here and often stopped after for a glass of wine at a café to watch the shoppers and gain our strength to climb rue Claude Bernard to our flat.  Eva and Davis usually got a euro each to spend at the candy vendor's.  The highlight of their day!

Un poème sur le mur

No matter how often I walk familiar streets in Paris, I always seem to find new delights such as this poem with artwork on the side of this building as we neared the Panthéon.

UPDATE: Merci to Clever Pup who provided the street...rue Décartes.  She also posted this wall on her great blog Smartypants Goes to France !

Un petit trésor à Paris

Rarissime, fondee en 1658,  translates to "extremely rare".  Across the street from our flat last January, it is tucked under the Église Saint-Roch.  Not much bigger than my walk-in closet, it buys and sells antiques, old linens, and all manner of interesting collectibles.  Un trésor.

Paris Rouge LXXII - Chez Marianne

Chez Marianne in the Marais is a place I've photographed more than once. I've never dined here. I checked the ratings and found it serves Kosher and Middle Eastern cuisine.  Mixed reviews on the service. That said, it's a great photo op in any season.

2 rue Hospitalières St. Gervais

75004 Paris

Métro  Saint-Paul

Le dame en or

The series of statues here overlooking la Tour Eiffel is lovely but this time, the golden light in the window caught my eye. The reflection was the bonus.

Palais de Chaillot

Trocadéro

Métro: Trocadéro

La brouette de jardin

This beautifully handpainted (inside and out) cart is used to carry watering cans and other tools to the graves at Cimetière de Passy.  The French always seem to find a way to turn function into art!

La vie imite l'art

Les Américains fou

Our first trip to Paris, we entered Tuileries and immediately these enthusiastic tourists caught my eye and my Eva's as well.  She seemed a bit puzzled as to why grown men would pose with a statue such as this.  I decided to pass on that explanation!  A while later she picked her own statue and asked me to take her picture with it.  Peter has done extensive posting of all the statues in the gardens here and if you look closely you will find our Eva on his blog as well !

"L'addition s'il vous plaît"

These days Paris waiters don't leave a small handwritten tab on your table, although I'd love to find some that still do.  Sadly, now it's a computerized ticket they've printed out.  Here at Le Petit Marcel, it seems our handsome waiter, with the red suspenders, was actually logging it all in on a computer!  Quel dommage.

Le Petit Marcel

65 rue Rambuteau

75004 Paris

Réflexion au plafond

Last January Mary, Peter and I met Laurent for dinner in a nice little resto near the Pompidou.  While waiting I noticed the mirrored ceiling and the nice reflection.

La pharmacie

If you've traveled to Paris, you've probably had to locate la pharmacie a time or two.  Oh I've had to stop in for band-aids for my toes many times, but the most fun is strolling the aisles pouring over the cosmetics, cremes and soaps.....  Paris pharmacies are well known for this and Pharmacie Place Monge  is said to be the largest and busiest one in Paris.  Mary and I stopped in for a few things and the line to see the pharmacists was quite long, but there were friendly salespeople there to help us with over the counter items.  Just look for the neon green cross!

Keeping Watch

Madame lives on a busy street in the Marais. Perhaps the noise is not so pleasant or maybe she's just having a look at what is going on below?

Paris Rouge LXXI - Hôtel du Louvre

Question:   Is the Hôtel du Louvre always bathed in red or just this evening especially pour moi?

Place André Malraux

75001 Paris

Mètro: Palais Royal Musée du Louvre

Leaving Stones

Cimetière du Montparnasse

In keeping with the Jewish tradition of leaving a stone on the gravestone as a way to honor that person with their visit.

La voiture pour moi!

And if I could land a job with le  Centre Monuments aux Nationale,  I could drive one!

Centre des Monuments Nationaux

Hôtel de Sully

rue Saint-Antoine

Le couturier II

You have met Alexis several times here on this blog, as I've photographed  his studio at Place des Vosges as often as I can find it open.  Today another view of one of his gowns with the designer himself in the background.  Alexis was gracious enough to allow me to stop in and photograph his creations on several occasions but remained a bit in the background.  I think this photos illustrates that.

La boutique des petits gâteaux

I don't know that I've ever found a patisserie that offered only cookies.  Too bad they were closed.  I spotted several I would have liked to taste.

Merci to my faithful reader Harriet and  blogger Richard Moisan for the tricky translation!

Trop Mignon!

For the little Emperor in your family.  We all have at least one!

I'm leaving today for Los Angeles and a wonderful blog gathering.  I won't be able to leave as many comments while I'm gone.  I look forward to your comments and visiting your blogs when I return.

100 French Strangers - Monsieur Feldman

French Stranger #77

M. Marc Feldman, propriétaire 

Au Passe Partout

rue Saint- Paul

As I wandered near my apartment in the Marais one afternoon, I spotted this man hard at work at his desk just inside the doorway.  I stepped in and asked if I could take some photos.  After all, the place was dripping with old keys and tire bouchons!  He spoke a little English so I asked if I could take his photograph as well.  He consented but asked to share the book he had written, Des Clefs et des Hommes.
Of course I agreed.  I have a few more photos of his interesting shop for you later.I'm one lucky photographer.

Timeless

Thanks to the well dressed patrons, this photograph could have been snapped decades ago.