Into a New Year

 

 A spiral staircase in an old building on the Left Bank winds its way up to a ceiling that opens to the sky

 

- Bonne Année / Happy New Year 2017 - 

 

🎉 

Café on the Champs

Wedged among chain stores on the Champs-Élysées the Nespresso Boutique surprises with excellent coffee in an upscale setting.

119 Avenue des Champs-Élysées 75008

 

Red teddies

A tree decorated using small plush red bears of varying sizes as ornaments, with larger bears at its base for effect.

Black storefront

Bare trees lining the quai are reflected in windows of an antique shop facing the Louis-Philippe bridge.

En famille

 

A Christmas Day Lunch

All over France, Christmas Day lunch is a quiet family affair. I love it all, from helping create the menu and set the table to the long conversations that extend into the evening.

On the menu: apéritifs w/gourmet nibbles in front of the fire. At table: foie gras fresh figs and sweet Sauternes wine starter; roasted confit de canard and wild mushrooms; mixed salad with toasted pumpkin seeds and orange; farm cheeses. Green apple sorbet verrines with vodka and fresh mint made a light prelude to the traditional yule log cake. And to finish up properly, espresso and tea followed by an assortment of digestifs. - BPJ

Above: a different wine for each course; a brother-in-law takes over in the farm-style kitchen; table set for 10

Festive mood

Feeling festive and in a holiday mood Parisians hit the streets.

Sapin de Noël

A sparsely decorated Christmas tree inside the entry of a church.