Paris...Diamonds in the Sky

Look what Pierre's been up to.

Here's been braving the elements, dressed in his 100% merino wool thermals!! to take these gorgeous shots of Paris...Christmas 2012.

The Paris Christmas lights are like diamonds in the sky....streets and shops are decorated en masse with twinkling, sparkling lights glimmering as beautifully as diamonds.  

We hope to have a ride on la Grande Roue (the Big Wheel) on Place de la Concorde on Christmas day....in the evening....but will our thermals be warm enough??  I guess we'll just have to snuggle up together on la Grande Roue!

All photos by Pierre.

Merci beaucoup Pierre.....j'adore Pierre!

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.fr/2012/11/let-madness-begin.html

A Day Trip from Paris...Chartres

Way back in August, Pierre and I took the train to Chartres about an hour or so from Paris.

We had long wanted to visit  Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres....a magnificent structure built in high Gothic style dating from the 12th century.....widely considered to be the finest Gothic cathedral in France....and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It's a wondrous cathedral....with heavy flying buttresses, original stained-glass windows still intact, and beautifully sculpted figures on the facade.  Pilgrims continue to flock to this cathedral today....it's very special.

No matter how many times I visit these cathedrals I can never get my mind around just how they did it....the architectural design, skill, and sheer perseverance is breathtaking even for the 21st century....but they did it way back in medieval times.  Truly amazing!

Notice the two different spires...one was built in the 12th century and the other, more flamboyant
spire built in the 16th century.

Who was the medieval stonemason who carved this
I wonder?

Look at the drapes and pleating....aren't they superb?

There was a peacefulness about Chartres....perfect for contemplation and reflection.

The labrinth on the floor of the nave in the cathedral (it has the above design),
 is intricately constructed in black marble...
and pilgrims, to this day, come to pray and walk the labrinth.  

Chartres is a quaint little city too.
It's a lovely place for lunch and to have a stroll before
heading back to the density and fast pace of Paris.
Things are just a bit slower in Chartres...which is nice.

A bientot Chartres......it was such a pleasure to visit.

You may also like my post on:

http://parisallons-y.blogspot.fr/2012/09/a-day-trip-from-parisreims.html

Let the Madness Begin

Yes, it's that time of year already.....the Christmas season has begun in Paris.

Christmas markets are springing up all over the city.....we visited our first on the Champs-Elysée last week.  Loved it....mulled wine, tartiflette (a mixture of warming potato/cheese/cream/bacon), ice skating, German sausages, gingerbread etc etc etc.

We thought we'd head over to the market early afternoon.....but first catch Karl Lagerfeld's new photographic exhibition, "The Little Black Jacket" at the Grand Palais http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com/en_US/exhibition/paris.  What a lovely little Christmas present this was....merci beaucoup Karl.

He's photographed all his beautiful friends (and they are beautiful!) wearing that iconic little black jacket...Ines de la Fressange, Carine Roitfeld, Tilda Swinton, Uma Thurman, Kirsten Dunst, Jane Birkin, Georgia Jagger etc etc.  Yoko was there too.....telling the story of her long life with creative movement.  What a woman!

Take a look.

And the Christmas market....it was all there....even Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas"!

Cute n'est-ce pas?

All I want for Christmas!

It was a fun afternoon.....but cold on the Champs-Elysée.  My lungs felt frozen until I sipped that mulled wine!!!!!  Snow showers are forecast for next week.  Yikes!!


You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.fr/2012/11/paris-photo.html