Happy Feast of Steven!

...and a Merry Second Day of Christmas!


Photo source: St. Etienne du Mont by Jebulon, from Wikimedia Commons

Le Consulat

Had to put up a Montmartre photo on Edith Piaf's birthday.

Snow in Paris

Photo credit: the PARIS facebook page.

Reindeer on the rue François Miron

Peace Memorial in front of Eiffel Tower

Fontaine St.-Michel

Happy Birthday, Monet!

Giverny - an easy day trip from Paris.

Life Just Feels Like This Sometimes :)

Tales from the Crypt

Happy Halloween!

There's spookiness at the top of Paris (Montmartre, on the way to the Place du Tertre)...

...and at the bottom. Beneath the cathedral...

...lies the crypt! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha...

Which thousands of years ago is imagined to have looked more like this:

On This Day, 1260: Chartres Cathedral Dedication

Chartres is an easy 50-minute drive or train-ride from Paris and well worth the day trip.

Just Off the Place du Tertre, Montmartre

Galignani Book Shop

Little Ponies in the Jardin du Luxembourg

A little nod to St. Francis near his feast day.

Tucked Away on the Impasse Berthaud

Montmarte Steps

Looking Down the rue de Braque

St.-Joseph-des-Carmes

This church on the rue du Vaugirard, built between 1613 and 1625, was the site of a massacre of between 110 and 120 priests on September 2, 1792 (part of the September Massacres) after fifteen days of captivity. The clerics had refused to take the oath of allegiance to the republican Constitution.

Jardin des Tuileries

It's not always easy to get free Wi-Fi in Europe. David Lebovitz has some tips for where to find it in Paris. Parks and municipal spaces are apparently our best bet.

Illuminated Eiffel Tower in the Distance at Nightfall

Chess Players in the Jardin du Luxembourg

Place des Vosges

A Doorway in the Marais

Centre Georges Pompidou

Place Vendôme

LOVED Le Petit Nicolas!

I FINALLY got to see Le Petit Nicolas at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts this evening! It was featured as part of a French film festival. I remember enjoying the books - or at least excerpts from the books - while I was studying French in high school, and the film really captures their warmth and humor with its portrayal of the inner (and outer) life of school kids. I laughed out loud practically the entire time. Delightful!

Arc de Triomphe

We finally made it to the top this year (and the view was totally worth the 284 steps it took to get there).

Early Morning Sight That Took My Breath Away

The Musée d'Orsay is the most beautiful museum in the world...

Greetings from an Hour Outside of Paris

Can you believe it's this rural this close to the city? Bliss...

Will be taking more pictures of Paris in the coming week as we venture out of our (sadly, temporary) Normandy country life.

Not a Bad Place to Lounge Around in the Evening

Fishers or Sinners?

I'm pretty sure that says Fishermen's Crêperie ("pêcheurs") but if you squint at that accent over the "e" it could be Sinners' Crêperie ("pécheurs"). Tee-hee.

Don't miss David Lebovitz's weekend post, "Should I Move To France? (28 Questions To Ask Yourself)." It's laugh-out-loud funny - a real gem.

Louvre Fountain

Seine Barges

Palais Garnier at Dusk

Even A Glimpse Can Inspire

À la Mère de Famille

Oldest candy store in Paris!

35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre
Metro: Le Peletier, Grands-Boulevards, or Cadet
Tel. +33 (0)1 47 70 83 69

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

See here for other locations.

View of the Seine from the Eiffel Tower

Pont Alexandre III

Stuck in Paris? Here Are Some Tips

From David Lebovitz: 10 Things To Do If You're Stuck in Paris.

And from French Essence: realizing how grateful we should be for the privilege of air travel.