Pumpkin on the menu

Pumpkins are in season and showing up on menus either roasted or as velvety soups rather than as pumpkin pies.

l'Écluse

A boat makes its way up the Canal Saint Martin lock by lock, as seen from one of the bridges.

Rose arbors

 

Trellises in a square behind the church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre.

Lone bench

Soon these leaves will be turning brown and blanket this square.

Autumn sun

 

With the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in the background this sidewalk tea salon made an unrivalled setting.

Charlot

The unmistakable silhouette of Charlie Chaplin stenciled onto a corner of a house in Montmartre.

Loaves, cheeses, sausages

Farmers from the countryside shout out to passersby at a Left Bank street market.

More sumptuousness

Brasserie Printemps, under a lavish stained-glass cupola on the top floor of the Haussmann store, is a perfect after-shopping stop for a Ladies' or Mother-Daughter Lunch.

 

***

 

Update 8/2020:

selected as one of ten "amazing ambience" restaurants in Paris by The Travel Channel

Patch of green

Vibrant flowers and thick green grass flourish outside a medieval church.

Sumptuous

Lobby at glamorous Hotel Hilton Paris Opera, built in 1889 and recently refurbished.

Wildflowers

A small thicket of wildflowers smack in the city center.

Through branches

Partial view of the Pont Neuf.

Clown time

A couple of street performers take some down time on a bench behind Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Hidden passage #3

Close-up of a doorway within one of the private courtyards of the Cour de Rohan passageway.

Hidden passage #2

An ethereal light diffuses through an open gate into one of the small courtyards hidden behind an historic passage.

Karl who?

Last night was the invitation-only private preview of CHANEL maestro Karl Lagerfeld's photography.

"Karl Lagerfeld: A Visual Journey" starts today.

12/19/2015 This post continues to get a high # of visitors and behind-the-scenes comments. ((Thank you readers))

 

***

 

Update: see post My Tribute to Karl

Hidden passage

This small courtyard, behind gates and one of three, was part of an ancient passageway once blocked by remnants of the Philippe Augustus wall. The modern glass structure is an artist's studio.

Patience

This dog sat upright the entire time awaiting scraps from our planche de charcuterie.

Silver shoes

Entering this space is like stepping into another dimension.

 

(click to enlarge)

Covered moto

 Motorcycles with roofs like this one are now a common sight all over the city.

Two ladies

Decorative architectural touches like these make many of Paris' buildings a visual delight.

Headliner

A gigantic mural of Ali, whose funny, fake attention-grabbing headlines as he makes his rounds selling newspapers in Latin Quarter cafés has turned him into a local legend.

Arty dog

An impressive sculpture of a French bulldog guards an entrance to luxury hotel Plaza Athénée, a favorite venue for end-of-fashion-week parties.

Roses skirts

Skirts made completely out of roses decorate the window of a shoe shop on fashion hub rue Saint-Honoré.

French art of tea

One of my favorite stops, especially on rainy days, is Mariage Frères. With over 600 varieties of teas, everything on their elegant menu, even the bread used for the finger sandwiches, has tea as an ingredient.

Brocante

Sunday morning is a good time to rummage through antique shops, this one of many on a hidden street behind the Village Saint Paul.

Small faces

 

A cluster of faces by Gregos, a local artist whose self-portraits reflect his many moods on walls all over the city.

Michel-Ange

The Fountain of Saint Michel is known as, "the gateway to the Latin Quarter."

A shady street

 

 

Verdant trees line streets in non-touristy neighborhoods of Montmartre.