Window Wednesday

 View from a Montmartre apartment on a beautiful day. 

Tower Tuesday

The Eiffel Tower from the Pont Alexandre III.

 

Tower Tuesday

The Iron Lady through winter branches.

 

Feel good Friday

 A perfect place to stop and linger on a sunny February afternoon.

Saint Valentine Saturday

 

Happy Saint Valentine's Day / Joyeuse Saint-Valentin 

 

Thoughtful Thursday

 

"Summer evenings" (re-post) recalls warmer days of carefree picnics, tango classes, live music, late sunsets... and the Eiffel Tower.

 

Above: L'Homme / "The Man" (sculptor Pierre Traverse) seems to be gazing, deep in thought, at the Eiffel Tower 

 

***

 

 With over 50 million tourists clamoring for Eiffel Tower photos each year, the vast majority flock to two or three vantage points resulting in countless near-identical images, and this is one of them. Writer Guy de Maupassant used to publicly declare that he despised the Tower, yet would lunch there daily so he "didn't have to look at it"... (a clever excuse to provide him with both panoramic views and the perfect alibi?). Personally, like the statue, I prefer to enjoy the Tower from somewhere outside because once inside, you simply cannot see it, and will (literally) be missing the point. - BPJ

 

 

Into a New Year

 

 As the sun sets on the Old Year, the Tower points to heights yet to be reached, the ancient obelisk to forgotten histories, best forgotten.

 

 - Bonne Année / Happy New Year - 

 

May 2026 bring you endless golden sunsets, new beginnings, and poetic days ahead. 

 

🎉  

 

Where to Brunch New Year's Day 2026 Paris 

 

Cemetery Sunday

 

 

Autumn leaves of bright reds and yellows overlook a section of the Montmartre Cemetery.

 

***

 

On the heels of Halloween:

 

Carved from a former gypsum quarry, the sprawling Cimetière de Montmartre is widely considered to be haunted - not just by ghost-hunter TikTokers and superstitious tourists, but in Parisian folklore, documented sightings, and even official police logs.

 

Local tales of shadowy entities scaling the craggy walls after dark and slipping under doorways in surrounding streets - especially those near the bridge nicknamed le pont des âmes, the Bridge of Souls where tragic energy lingers - abound. The entrance gate on Rue Rachel is believed to be the official “spirit doorway,” and 2 a.m. is branded l’heure des malédictions et des âmes agitées, the hour of curses and restless souls. 

 

Beliefs about living near the dead are as varied as a Left Bank cheese planche. Some cultures burn sage, others hang garlic in windows for protection. Others are convinced their tap water will be contaminated. Whatever the belief, the common thread to avoid bad luck and illnesses is, “Don't live too close.”

 

Like Ichabod Crane, nearby residents can be seen scurrying home before nightfall. Some are so busy watching their backs as the sun goes down they've been known to develop whiplash. 

 

The good news? Aside from occasional weeping, giggling, and whispering (in French), you have very quiet neighbors. - BPJ

 

***

 

Some illustrious residents:

 Writers Alexandre Dumas fils, Stendhal, Zola (just his grave; his remains were moved to the Pantheon)

Dancer Vaslav Nijinsky

Composers Jacques Offenbach, Hector Berlioz

New Wave filmmaker François Truffaut

Family Sanson, notorious executioners during the French Revolution

 

Sunset Sunday

 

 

This kissing spot in Paris is pure gold. 

 

***

 

Years ago while updating USA Today's Paris city guide, I added a new subcategory, "Most romantic kissing spot in Paris." Today this Montmartre hideaway still checks all the boxes for a stratospheric smooch: an Eiffel Tower view complete with Paris rooftops from atop a plunging stairway, loads of privacy and, if timed just right, the setting sun. 

 

Getting there: At #23 Avenue Junot enter the black gate behind the lamppost and follow the cobblestone path to the troglodyte "Witches Rock" just in front of the entrance of Hôtel Particulier - where you've reserved a table? - and kiss away to your heart's desire. - BPJ

Throwback Thursday

 Stretching the limits.

Above: pink limo, pink champagne, a gourmet pique-nique basket, a celebration

Below: a special gift from a special friend

 

  à mon mari

💖

(A comment: "For Barbie I think!")

Thursday thrill

Imagine stepping out onto this small balcony and seeing this.

 

Table Tuesday

 

 

Today's table is at fashionista mecca Loulou, where glimpses of the Eiffel Tower with views over the Tuileries Gardens enhanced a perfect long lunch.

 

LOULOU

107 rue de Rivoli 75001

Sunrise Sunday

It's the dawn of a new day.

Above: the Eiffel Tower at 5:20 AM

 

Easter Sunset

 

 

 Joyeuses Pâques 2025

 

🐣

 

Tower Tuesday

 

 

Several architectural styles in a row.

 

Window Wednesday

 

Holiday window displays are taking over Paris department stores, many with moving parts.

 

Above:

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

 

More:

Galeries Lafayette

 40 Boulevard Haussmann 75009

 

Printemps Haussmann

64 Boulevard Haussmann 75009

Le BHV Marais

52 rue de Rivoli

 

Samaritaine

9 rue de la Monnaie 75001

 

🎄

 

 

Tower Tuesday

 

 

This year's Christmas decorations at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche are all about the Eiffel Tower.

 ***

 Below: breathtaking dance performances

 

Ends December 31, 2024

 

CIRQUE LE ROUX:

Entre Chiens et Louves

Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche

24 rue de Sèvres 75007

 

 

 

Tower Tuesday

Unobstructed views over Paris rooftops and the Eiffel Tower beyond.

Tower Tuesday

 

 

Playful display of Eiffel Towers decorate the windows of Le Bon Marché (Rive Gauche) department store.

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday

 The spectacular hot air balloon cauldron with its historical ties to Paris became a symbol of the 2024 Olympics and was a tribute to the brothers Montgolfier who invented this style of hot air balloon in the late 18th century.

Above: the balloon in the Tuileries Gardens all during the Games