Click here to view all of today's photos (12/13/08)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Musée du Louvre
I decided to walk to the Louvre since it's only about 10 minutes away and I wanted the exercise. By the time I got there, my toes were literally numb and my face was frozen. It's really getting cold here!
After leaving the Louvre, I walked down the Rue de Rivoli for a bit where there are a ton of touristy souvenir stores. But it was so cold, I finally had to just dart into a Metro entrance and head home. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. Congratulations to Sherri & Chris who got married today in Atlanta!
Click here to view all of today's photos from the Louvre (12/12/08)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Marché de Noël at St-Sulspice
I thought this photo of two little girls waiting for their marrons was really cute! You can see on the sign that the other holiday favorite is listed as well... vin chaud (hot wine) - for the parents!
Click here to view all of today's photos (12/11/08)
Le Police... on Rollerblades?!?
This photo of the rollerblading crime fighters was taken at the Christmas Market at St-Sulspice. But I've also seen them on the street! I saw two rollerblading police flag down and pull over a car today on a very busy street for a traffic infraction. And much to my amazement, the car actually pulled over!
I'm not sure if the rollerblades are an attempt to save on fuel or emissions or if there is something else behind it. I need to research this - inquiring minds want to know!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Forum des Halles
Most Parisians consider the Forum des Halles an eyesore - I tend to agree. It's basically a huge hole in the ground with a glass roof. It sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the beauty of the 1st Arrondisement (home of the Louvre and many quaint streets and markets).
Like the big shopping mall out by La Defense (Quarte Temps), walking around the Forum des Halles reminded me a lot of being in a South Florida mall - lots of rowdy teenagers hanging out, big crowds, and way too much commercialism.
Having been to both malls now, while the Forum des Halles is much closer to central Paris, the Quart Temps mall out by La Defense is much nicer. If you feel you "have" to go to a mall in Paris, I'd recommend going to Quart Temps.
p.s. Sadly, there has been no more snow since yesterday afternoon's freezing rain/snow flurry showers :-(
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
It Finally Snowed Today ...for a few minutes anyhow!
So while I was sitting in class today, I looked out the window at about 12:15pm and....... it was snowing!
Everyone - even the teacher - was excited :-) We all gawked for a few minute then when back to work. Of course, I was VERY distracted. I guess I was kind of like a kid up north who can't concentrate in school the first day it snows because she's anxious to get outside and play it in!
Of course by the time class let out at 1pm it had stopped. Well, it didn't stop exactly. Stuff was still falling from the sky, but instead of pretty snowflakes it was now freezing rain :-( That continued for the next hour or so as I darted in and out of shops over by the Catacombs (Metro: Denfert Rochereau). Every now and then the snowflakes would resume but by the time I'd grab my camera... freezing rain again - grrrr! I figured the temperature must be hovering just at freezing for it to keep going back and forth between rain and snow - sure enough, weather.com says the temp is 34 degrees, so that explains it.
I finally decided to head home. My hair was soaking wet from the freezing rain, I still had my school books with me and I was cold and hungry. Plus, the last couple of days I've felt like I was coming down with a cold. I'm trying really hard to fight it off (I'm so glad I remembered to bring vitamins and cold medicine with me) so I figured walking around in freezing rain any longer than I already had probably wasn't the best course of action. I really need to find a hat I look decent in! Or carry a snow/freezing rain umbrella with me at all times :-)
So now I'm back in my warm apartment (yes, the heat is on) and I just had a nice hot lunch (left over pot roast I made on Sunday). I think I may stay in and rest this afternoon, even though it's only 3:45pm. I sort of feel bad wasting the afternoon inside, but I really don't want to get sick. Plus, I have homework to do - ha!
Of course I reserve the right to go out later if it starts snowing again - to play in it and take video :-) I have my curtains open and I'm sitting right in front of the window to keep watch!
Everyone - even the teacher - was excited :-) We all gawked for a few minute then when back to work. Of course, I was VERY distracted. I guess I was kind of like a kid up north who can't concentrate in school the first day it snows because she's anxious to get outside and play it in!
Of course by the time class let out at 1pm it had stopped. Well, it didn't stop exactly. Stuff was still falling from the sky, but instead of pretty snowflakes it was now freezing rain :-( That continued for the next hour or so as I darted in and out of shops over by the Catacombs (Metro: Denfert Rochereau). Every now and then the snowflakes would resume but by the time I'd grab my camera... freezing rain again - grrrr! I figured the temperature must be hovering just at freezing for it to keep going back and forth between rain and snow - sure enough, weather.com says the temp is 34 degrees, so that explains it.
I finally decided to head home. My hair was soaking wet from the freezing rain, I still had my school books with me and I was cold and hungry. Plus, the last couple of days I've felt like I was coming down with a cold. I'm trying really hard to fight it off (I'm so glad I remembered to bring vitamins and cold medicine with me) so I figured walking around in freezing rain any longer than I already had probably wasn't the best course of action. I really need to find a hat I look decent in! Or carry a snow/freezing rain umbrella with me at all times :-)
So now I'm back in my warm apartment (yes, the heat is on) and I just had a nice hot lunch (left over pot roast I made on Sunday). I think I may stay in and rest this afternoon, even though it's only 3:45pm. I sort of feel bad wasting the afternoon inside, but I really don't want to get sick. Plus, I have homework to do - ha!
Of course I reserve the right to go out later if it starts snowing again - to play in it and take video :-) I have my curtains open and I'm sitting right in front of the window to keep watch!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday Stroll Down the Boulevard St-Germain
A really cool thing in Paris is that on the first Sunday of every month, most of the museums are free - for everyone! They are always free to people under 25 (which is also a fantastic thing), but on the first Sunday of the month they open up for the masses. This is such a great way to get kids involved in art and culture from an early age and to give families something to do together that doesn't cost anything. I love France!
Of course as with anything that is "free" there are the corresponding long lines to go along with it. And so, just like last month on the first Sunday of the month - I tried to go to a museum (the Musee Orsay) - but when I got there, I just couldn't deal with the idea of waiting in line for an hour to get in. The temperature was in the mid-30s today and I was fine as long as I kept moving, so I decided instead to take a long walk from the Musee Orsay all the way down the Boulevard St-Germain through the Latin Quarter and over to Notre Dame Cathedral.
It's a Sunday afternoon ritual for Parisians to stroll down the Boulevard St-Germain. You could see that it was mostly locals walking around. There are lots of stores to window shop in - antiques, furniture, clothes - and of course lots of cafes.
I passed by two cafes - almost next door to one another - that have a history of being the hangouts of intellectuals and artists, the Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots. Back in the 1920-30s, Earnest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and Picasso used to hang out at Les Deux Magots! Today apparently, the Cafe de Flore is the more "fashionable" of the two cafes to people watch from :-)
Speaking of Hemingway... I recently discovered a great quote by him and then coincidentally when I was in the Shakespeare and Company bookstore today, saw it again up on the wall...
"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [wo]man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." - Earnest Hemingway
Click here to view all of today's photos (12/07/08)
Of course as with anything that is "free" there are the corresponding long lines to go along with it. And so, just like last month on the first Sunday of the month - I tried to go to a museum (the Musee Orsay) - but when I got there, I just couldn't deal with the idea of waiting in line for an hour to get in. The temperature was in the mid-30s today and I was fine as long as I kept moving, so I decided instead to take a long walk from the Musee Orsay all the way down the Boulevard St-Germain through the Latin Quarter and over to Notre Dame Cathedral.
I passed by two cafes - almost next door to one another - that have a history of being the hangouts of intellectuals and artists, the Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots. Back in the 1920-30s, Earnest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and Picasso used to hang out at Les Deux Magots! Today apparently, the Cafe de Flore is the more "fashionable" of the two cafes to people watch from :-)
"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young [wo]man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." - Earnest Hemingway
Click here to view all of today's photos (12/07/08)
Marché de Noël at St-Germain des-Pres
Many of the marchés sell similar things. But some are different. I went to one at the Gare de l'Est last night that only had candy and wine - TONS of wine. And free taste testing! (David & Christine, I thought about how much you two would have loved that!)
It's so festive running across Marchés de Noël all around the city!
Click here to view all of today's photos (12/07/08)
Organ Recital at Notre Dame Cathedral
The church was packed and when the sound of that huge pipe organ began reverberating off the walls and ceiling of Notre Dame, it was incredible. I took some video so you could listen too!
Click here to view all of today's photos (12/07/08)
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