Eyes without a face

Almost everything inside this must-be-seen-to-be-believed shop is designed to trompe your œil.

A queen's final stop

A medieval fortress on the river, the Conciergerie rises like a spectre over bouquiniste stalls, as imposing today as it was when Marie Antoinette was imprisoned there.

Kiosque

To every neighborhood its kiosques à journaux.

Chérubins

These chérubins, four total, seem to be protecting the city's main town hall.

Let's sit here

Café chairs face outward so patrons can enjoy the ongoing street show of Everyday Life.

Blue white and red

Another self portrait by Gregos, who seems to be partial to the Montmartre district.

Chocolate-studded bliss

Fresh from the oven these brioches will fly off the countertops before they've had a chance to cool down.

Cobbled byway

One of my favorite passageways in an energetic area near l'Odéon.

Classic CHANEL

This year's spring collections, while fresh, don't stray from the classics.

Last days Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei's knockout exhibition "Shanhai jing" at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche ends this Saturday.

Night graffiti

A sad face brightens up a derelict wall in the 20th district.

Year of the monkey

 

Paris is home to three Chinatowns, and this year's Chinese New Year parade in the 13th arrondissement went off without a hitch despite on/off rain.

Double-decker staircase

This romantic Montmartre stairway looks as if it were transported from a Tuscan villa.

 

Heart felt

Plants topped by hearts made with red felt for sale outside a florist shop.

Be Mine

As Significant Others join lines in Paris chocolate shops today there will be no shortage of choices.

Party animals

This Parisian-apartment-turned-taxidermist shop was used as a set for one of the party scenes in "Midnight In Paris," a Woody Allen film nostalgique.

Coffee central

A café crème takes center stage on a wooden table. 

 

 

Super Tuesdays

 

The Musée du Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, a great time for taking photos without the hordes.

The eyes have it

A children's eyeglasses shop window in the Montmartre district.

Café rouge

Almost everything about this late night neighborhood corner café-bistro is red.

Le Grand Véfour

 

Guy Martin oversees this starred gem in the Galerie de Beaujolais of the Palais-Royal.

Above: ameuses-gueules; giant cheese cart

Le Grand Véfour
17 rue de Beaujolais 75001
 

Ai Weiwei in Paris

Stunning works in bamboo and silk by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei are on exhibit for the first time in France at luxury department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche til February 20.

Off the path

The often overlooked 11th arrondissement has quiet corners worth exploring.

Happiness

A large placard in a small shop window, in English.

Inside out: Jaurès

The last of Line 2's above-ground stations is named after the founder of the French Socialist Party.

Inside out: La Chapelle 2

Large windows and atrium-like overhangs flood these stations with natural light.