Christmas lights on the Champs Elysées

I could not miss it, could I? By "it", I mean the Christmas lights on the Champs Elysées, a traditional seasonal shot which is very similar years after years... And though, if you've been in Paris recently you will notice that there is something missing in this photo... The Christmas market! For yes, the Christmas market along the Champs Elysées only started 6 years ago and I took this photo in 2007, when it did not exist yet!

I recently passed by the Cartier building on the Champs Elysées and it made me think of last year's post. Only this year, the beautiful building is hidden behind a huge screen. I don't know when the work is meant to stop, but I like it that they picked a very nice photo to print on the screen.

Champs Elysées terrace

Yesterday evening I had a dinner on one of the last floors of a champs Elysées building (the offices of the monechelle.fr website)  and it was really fantastic. I took several photos including this one of a beautiful café terrace. When I was younger (in the 80's) there was a large lane that would allow parking on both sides exactly where this café terrace is! Hard to believe that now...

Zest!

Yeah! It's a theme day today and the theme is... Zest!  In French, we use the word zest, but mainly to designate the skin of a lemon: "un zest de citron". Apparently in English it means many things including: energy, exhilaration, vitality, enthusiasm... so I thought a photo of these very energetic street dancers would be perfectly suitable for today's theme. Huge success on the Champs Elysées yesterday, as you can see! As for me, I'm off to an island somewhere in the Mediterranean sea... Check what zest means for other CDP bloggers throughout the world.

And the top 100 most expensive Paris streets are...

Tempted to move in Paris to start a new life or to retire? Well, you'd better play the lottery first, because a magazine just released the top 100 most expensive Paris streets list and, well, the least you can say is that some of them are out of reach of most people (especially Parisians LOL!). This year (for yes, it changes every year) the most expensive arrondissement is the 7th (near the Invalides), and especially the Quai d'Orsay where each square meter costs 17 000 € on average... If you're poor and can't afford it, you might try finding a deal in the cheapest street of this list, the rue de La Sourdière in the 1st arrondissement, where a square meter only costs 10 961 € (I told you: a real bargain!). More (in French only) on the magazine's site.

Going up the Champs Elysées

Two days ago, I was driving on the Champs Elysées and I came across a group of people walking up the upper part of the avenue towards the Arch of Triumph, probably to revive the flame of the unknown soldier. I don't know exactly who participated in this march (there were military men first, then civilians), but I like the photo ;-)

Paris New Year's Parade

I was not supposed to be in Paris yesterday, but for many reasons I decided to stay. I could witness all the New Year's festivities including, Wednesday morning the New Year's Parade on the Champs Elysées. Great moment! Not only was the parade good (mostly circus people), but also also I got to enjoy walking on the Champs Elysées without any cars! Check this little Animoto to have a better feel of the atmosphere.

Worse than the metro at 6 o'clock!

In French, when we want to say that a place is really crowded, we say "c'est pire que le métro à 6 heures du soir"! (Worse than the metro at 6 pm!) and that is exactly what I felt like yesterday when trying to buy presents on one of the many Christmas markets that we have in Paris at the moment. Totally incredible... I stayed no longer than 10 minutes;-) And today I'm off to Nice for a little break at Le Douzy, hoping it will be more quiet and that I can continue my Christmas shopping more peacefully;-)

Cartier building

I don't know if you remember my post from last year (Cartier without Bresson), well they did it again this year! Only this time you get to see a broader view (but do visit the previous post to as you might want to see the little film they made for their 165th anniversary again). BTW there seems to be a special 50% off promotion on Zazzle today with code 50OFFPRODUCT, if you're interested in purchasing a ParisDailyPhoto calendar (either this one, or this one or even the brand new black and white one), it may be the day!

Christmas on the Champs Elysées

It's a classic, but it's a nice classic! Not much to add! 

Roasted Chestnuts

There something I love about the coming back of winter every year, it's the so called "winter food". In other words dishes that are considered too heavy (like sauerkraut for instance!) or too hot to be eaten in summer. One of them is Marrons Chauds (roasted Chestnuts) that are sold everywhere in Paris during winter, especially outside the large department stores or on the Christmas markets, where I took this photo. I love them!

Va Va Voom!

I was on the Champs Elysées yesterday evening and I saw that there was smoke coming up from the sidewalk. I though to myself : "wow, this is smokin' hot" (yeah... I know...) so I stopped and well, discovered there was also a nice red car not far from there ;-) So here you go. I know it's not really Paris centric, but I kinda like this photo ;-)

Not ready for winter!

It was supposed to be hot and sunny yesterday and it turned out to be... not so sunny! Worse, I'm that close to turning the heating on! As much as I love the principal of seasons (especially the ones we have in Europe) and spring in particular (when everything comes back to life), I really hate fall/autumn, when it starts raining a lot, when the temperature drops and when it starts getting dark before you stop working! I took this shot on the Champs Elysées, BTW.

Definitely the tourist season!

If you needed another proof that tourists are in Paris at the moment, here is one: I took this shot on the Champs Elysées, near the Arc de Triomphe and these are all the tuk-tuk (cyclo-pousses in French) that were waiting for customers! Exactly like at a taxi stand... Talking about taxis in Paris, let me invite you to read this article by David Lebovitz (who normally writes about food!) where you can learn how the authorities try their best to make the life of Parisians (and tourists!) miserable when it comes to finding a taxi in Paris (all this because taxis are a powerful lobby that can block the streets of Paris and paralyse the city!). 

The tourist season!

The photo is not really good and I surely don't have the intention to make fun of this charming lady, but when I saw her on top of the Champs Elysées, I could not help but smile... I don't know where she's from exactly - probably central Asia or Thibet - but she certainly beats all these fancy Parisiennes with her style! Maybe not the easiest piece of garment to wander on the Champs Elysées, though, but who cares! Welcome in Paris, Madame...

The "Pompiers"

In Paris, the Pompiers (firemen) are part of the army so they often march on the Champs Elysées on July 14. But today, it'll be the Bretons firemen (from Brittany, a region located in the West of France) who will march! No so easy as the must learn how to walk exactly 110 steps a minute (the "normal" speed pace on that day, don't ask me why!) and that they're not used to do so. Fortunately, on the eve, these ones will not have taken part in any of the famous Bal des pompiers, that I told you about so many times... 

Triumph!

I love it when they hang the huge French flag between the "legs" of the Arch of Triumph on top of the Champs Elysées. They only do it on special occasions, like, at the moment, the celebration of V-E day. I like the street lamp style too, that's why I did everything I could to include it in the frame! Don't get fooled by the cars there, Paris is really slow at the moment; if it weren't for the tourists it would be totally empty! 

V-E day celebrations

It's been very hard for me to fight the jet lag this time, but I think I managed to be almost back on track now. Proof is that today yesterday I managed to go out and take photos! Hence this one that I took on the Champs Elysées today where they had several marches to commemorate the end  of WWII. Tourists loved it! This band belongs to the Garde Républicaine which is the a part of the French Gendarmerie in charge of the security of Paris. Nice, but expensive... We just heard that it costs 280 million euros per year for only 3 000 men...

Cool reflection

Look at the cool partition I found on the Champs Elysées today! They are obviously building something behind it, but the interesting part (for a photo purpose) is that it reflects the other side of the avenue, the one "in the sun" (which is worth much more than the one in the shade actually!). Of course passers by thought I was crazy to photograph a wall (you can see how intrigued these girls look!) but I don't care. I got the photo I wanted LOL!

Tough demonstration

There was a pretty big demonstration in Paris this weekend. Protesters were only allowed to go from La Défense to the top of Avenue de la Grande Armée (a straight line), but not until Place de l'Etoile and even less on the Champs Elysées (in France anybody has the right to demonstrate, but you must first ask for a "permit" and tell the Police which way you intend to go, prior to marching). Of course, demonstraters did not stick to the permit and... invaded the Champs Elysées. The situation got really tense and for the first time in my life I experimented tear gas! But it allowed me to take this photo which I'm proud of ;-)