Winter courtyard

A secret courtyard, in winter.

Louvre to myself

Anyone who's ever visited (or tried to visit) the Musée du Louvre, the most famous if not biggest museum in the world - formerly a royal palace - knows about the endless crowds, the lines, the mayhem, the coveted skip-the-line tickets.

But last week, thanks to an unexpected invitation, I found myself in the surreal position of being practically alone roaming its vast halls, galleries and sumptuous rooms and, as in the epilogue to The Da Vinci Code, "adorned in masters' loving art."

Photos: the Louvre Museum as few will ever see it
 

(click to enlarge)

 

Palais du Louvre

More photos in February newsletter

Tiny trees

A tiny Christmas tree is attached to each of these rainbow parasols in the Marais district.

Below: a street view

Viennois

Hot chocolate, coffee, and tarte tatin warm up a late winter afternoon.

Above: add crème chantilly and suddenly it's viennois

Café de Flore
172 Boulevard Saint-Germain 75006

Bagels and locks

Bicycles locked up outside a busy bagel shop.

- Tomorrow: my favorite bagel -

Quiet as winter

Deserted benches and bare trees. It's winter in Paris and I'm in heaven.

Poet's door

A former residence of poet Théodore De Banville.

 

***

Nous n’irons plus au bois, les lauriers sont coupés.

 

We will no longer go to the woods, the laurels have been cut off.