...Off to La Belle France: Visiting Paris at Christmas....

And why not hop the train to Paris to take a quick look (Wednesday through Monday) at how the City of Light celebrates the Christmas season? It would certainly look different from any of my other previous visits! Timwww.timothyjaysmith.com had posted on Facebook and told me how wonderful the Frieda Kahlo/Diego Rivera "Art infusion" show at the Orangerie was. http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/events/exhibitions/extramural/exhibitions/article/frida-kahlo-diego-rivera-28821.html Mike http://www.michaelhoneggerphotos.com/had recommended the Sebastian Salgado show at the European Photography Museum. www.mep-fr.org

Frederique's Courtyard-some flowering chrysanthemums

Yes, I was leaving Nice on a bright sunny day to go to a city known among other things for rainy and cold weather! And then I was walking through the (HUGE) Gare de Lyon trying to find the bus to Les Gobelins where I would be staying. This station has three "halls", so if you get off in the main hall, it isn't so confusing to one who does not know her way around! But my train arrived in one of the other "halls" or voies. With the kindness of one bus driver, I got to bus 92, and soon was at Frederique's, a couch-surfing, semi-retired writer. I had first met her several years ago, and we had had lunch in August. She was actually heading to St.Rochelle for her holidays the next day, so we had but a short visit, as she was off to the theatre shortly after I arrived. Cafe d'Asie, a Vietnamese restaurant is in front of her building, so I had a chicken dinner there. It tasted fine but the chicken did not look like any chicken I had had before, as the pieces were stringy chunks of white meat. ???

Thursday December 19^th

After a short visit with Frederique before she left, I headed around the corner to see Galerie des Gobelins which I had never visited. It amazes me to think that this museum which has been making tapestries since the 1600’s is still operating!http://useless-paris.blogspot.fr/2008/02/afternoon-at-les-gobelins.html In addition to the traditional tapestries on display, Eva Jospin had made a display called Carte Blanche, which really looked like a forest.

Eve Jospin's work

http://www.museums-of-paris.com/musee_en.php?code=349

My ticket included a tour to see how they make the tapestries as well, so I returned at one for that.

There was a wonderful hanging which was made in 2005 or so. Regrettably no pictures were allowed, so I will try to describe this amazing work of art. Imagine you have thrown a mixture of throws and afghans and sweaters and what have you in a pile. Then imagine all the different fabrics and their unique designs-striped, cable, etc. Then imagine taking this image you have to a wonderfully true rendition of same onto a loom with a myriad of colors and shadows. Truly a delight! It took two weavers four years to make this one hanging.(NOW I am wishing I had sneaked a picture which certainly others had done!)

Then I went over to the L’Orangerie to see the Kahlo-Riviera show. Unfortunately the sign when I arrived said it would take one hour to enter, so I left with plans to arrive earlier another day! But this gave me a chance to look around to see the lights and decorations at Printemps and Galeries Lafayettes.

Small Christmas market near Notre Dame

Printemps (Department Store)

Galeries Lafayette

Marie had invited me for a Lebanese dinner and to meet her now three month old Agathe and her husband Laurents. (I had met Marie on the train to Metz in 2005. She was a student at that time. We’ve stayed in touch via Facebook and the internet! We had met for lunch and a tour of the Opera last August.) We started with a huge range of appetizers of hummus and cheeses and vegetables. She later told me, “We always say dinner is coming!” Of course, I had eaten lots of these treats. Her wonderful dinner was chicken and a green (which she said was a Chinese vegetable, although it reminded me of kale) and rice. Dessert was Meghli, a special Lebanese treat which they serve as a good luck for special occasions. It is rice flour and cinnamon with grated coconut, pistachio, almonds, and raisins. DELICIOUS!! She walked me to the bus stop, and I was back at Frederique’s within the hour.

Managed to mess up the camera settings....

Friday December 20^th

I had spotted the ferris wheel, and so I rode it for great views!

I walked through the Jardin des Tuileries, which is a pleasure year-round!

Then I was on to Montmartre, to have dinner with Pascale, Anne, and Olivier. I was there first to arrive at Olivier’s so we had a few minutes to visit before Anne and then Pascale came. It was such fun to reconnect after my great week with them all in the Pyrenees! Everything again was DELICIOUS!! Salmon and veggies and rice with delicious chocolate pear cake for dessert.

Purple and green again....

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This was the start of a two week holiday for all of them, and soon they would be off to spend time with their families.

Saturday December 21^st

^{Well, I had learned the hard way, so I got to L’Orangerie
with little waiting time. They check your bags through a machine like the airports
do, so the entry is slowed somewhat. I had not seen so much of Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera's work in
the same place, so it was most interesting. It was a bit crowded as it will close
on January 13^th. I visited some of the other rooms in the museum, but not for too long....}

I went to the European Museum of Photography www.mep-fr.org, which Mike had recommended.

Sebastio Selgado’s spectacular show was called “Genesis”, described as a quest for the origins of the world” and a “tribute to the fragility of a planet we all have a duty to protect.” There were some truly awesome photos....

Sunday December 22nd

This was my last day to wander about and see what I could see! I definitely had to be along the Champs Elysses when it was dark to see the lights there. But I stopped at the Musee Cluny, which I had seen before, but the Unicorn tapestries would be worth revisiting after my Goblens visit.

One of the Unicorn tapestries

And then I got to see the busy-ness and the Christmas-ness which is Paris, especially along the Champs Elysses.

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Slide on the Champs Elyssee

Selfie along the way....

Walking along the Champs Elysee to Arc de Triumph

Monday December 23rd

Time to go back to Nice after getting the fun and experience of enjoying Paris at Christmas! It was a great day with some fun pictures from the train...especially of the dogs traveling....