Our last blast in Paris

Literally around the corner from our apartment was the Cirque d'Hiver (Winter Circus). Having being in existence since 1850's it is a Parisian icon of performance art and entertainment. Even our friend Henri Toulouse Latrec used the rehearsal time for inspiration for his creations. It looks like a round building but it is in fact a 20 sided polygon. A permanent performance space for all this time. I'd like to know where they house the elephants!!!

And, as luck would have it, the Boglione Family were performing. So tickets were bought and we lined up in the interminable queue to get in. Wow! What a spectacular event, save the animals!!

A panorama that makes the ring look smaller than it is but elephants walk through the door you can see at the far end

Since it was our last night in Paris we thought we'd better make the most of it. A quite Metro ride to Place d'Concorde and the giant Ferris wheel and Christmas Market down the Champs Elysee.

If you know the Champs Elysee and how long it is you will get a perspective of the scale of this market and lighting. 

Yep. That Santa on his sleigh flying above the trees. 

From the Ferris wheel the half view of the Eiffel Tower the rest if it list in the clouds or smog. I'm suggesting smog as due to the intensity of the smog public transport was free for two days. Good in one way but what were we breathing  in?

This is a time-lapse recording of our Ferris wheel trip. Sorry about the focus but you get the idea. I think.


That Paris for this time. We love Paris and all it has to offer. We know we will be sad to leave but we also know that we will be back soon. Tomorrow Edward, Betsy and I travel to Strasbourg, Melinda to Basel and Ollie will stay in Paris for a few days with his mate, James. We all meet up in Seefeld in Tirol, Austria after a night in Munich.

Markets and markets!!

The other type of market that is so special in France is the brocante, or bric-a-brac. Usually quite busy and usually full of interesting stuff. The one thing that doesn't change from country to country or city to city is the 2nd hand dealer. Always trying to make the best deal; for them, while trying to at least appear semi interested before turning completely disinterested in your transaction. Usually smokers and often a bit unclean or disheveled, looking like they'd rather be anywhere but here and always looking cold and a bit miserable. Clearly there are always exceptions and we were lucky enough to find the odd one of two. In any case we visited the Vanves Marche aux puces (Flea Market in Vanves). Vanves is a suburb in the southern part of Paris just inside the peripherique, the circular road that surrounds Paris. A reasonable Metro ride but worth it.

Tables of the stuff often specialising in one line of offerings but sometimes it's hard to tell what that line is with others. 

Often difficult to tell what era is being sold. 

Some of it you'd wonder where the market for it comes from. Then again, one man's treasure ...

Linen. Lots of linen. 

Some quite exquisite. 

Some just colourful. 

Tiny figurines no more than 2.5 centimetres high and hand painted. 

Monet, Monet, Monet ...

We went to The Orangery to see the Monet exhibition that has eluded me the last two times I was in Paris as I always seemed to be there on a Monday when it would be closed. I don't think it needs a lot of explanation. We also got to see an American exhibition there too and there is a snap or two here from before I was told there was no photography. Woops!!

These snaps do absolutely no justice to the mammoth paintings so apologies up front

I was so surprised at being told off I didn't get the names of these artists. But easy enough to find out if you're interested.

After the Orangery we made our way to Pigalle. The suburb better known for its Bohemian history, at the foot of Sacre Coeur. The Moulin Rouge is just down the street and the streets were once frequented by the likes of Henri de Toulouse Lautrec. The little French impressionist painter whose stunted growth was because his Count father and his mother were 1st cousins; his grandmothers were sisters. Anyway, I digress, he was famous for living amongst this red light district and painted the girls of the night and moulin Rouge until his untimely death at the age of 36.

Today it's become a fashionable, if not still slightly Bohemian, centre of artistic pursuits and the home of my favourite bakery; Rose Bakery. A few years ago I indulged myself and bought myself a cook book called Rose Bakery: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea. I have used it numerous times and the recipes are all fail safe and superb. When I came back to Paris in 2011 with Edward I searched out the bakery and we had a couple of goes at trying the freshly baked items. In 2014 again, with Ollie, I made a number of trips to work my way through the selections. This time I dragged Melinda to my sacred place for afternoon tea and we had the Linzertorte and the famous carrot cake with a hot chocolate. I was a bit miffed as the bakery had changed and had been refurbushed. When I enquired they've expanded to another two outlets in Rue de Martyrs and adjoining streets. Phew. I thought it was no longer producing the same delightful array of salads, cakes, slices and preserves.

We finished the day with dinner around the corner at a Parisian burger joint. Nothing like Macca's.

Paris. Close enough ...

We arrived in Paris in good spirits around 5:00pm Wednesday 14th December. Another pleasant train trip from Cahors and a pleasant relief to not have to drive any more. Ollie had organised an Uber to pick us up outside Gare d'Austerlitz to whisk us away in the privacy of our own people mover. How nice to not have the hassle of the five of us with bags negotiating the Metro!!!

Ronald was there to meet us at the apartment, we settled and then went out to have dinner just on the Place de la Republique. This is the large communal area we all saw after the Bataclan attack where the masses congregated to show solidarity against the vile tragedy. The Bataclan is also just around the corner from where we are staying and it is purely unimaginable what that night would have been like now that we are in the area seeing all the people who live here and then going about their business. All I can think of is utter mayhem, confusion and complete bewilderment.

Somehow it seemed fitting that our first night in Paris, in The Marais, we were treated to an epic display of a super moon during our dinner. 

The next day we didn't stray too far from The Marais.  Oggling at the magnificent fashion outlets and design studios, shops and architecture. All magnificent; it's such a vibrant part of Paris. Where only in Paris would get away with naming your kids clothing shop as "Finger in the Nose" or teens clothing outlet "I Love You, Please tell me you Name".

We made our way to Place des Vosges. The oldest planned square in Paris and what a delightful green space.

The street is ended with this gateway that opens to the square below. 

All four sides are lined with this palace like architecture

All overlooking quite a large square with a massive statue of Louis 13th

Friday we, Melinda and I, set off to meet an Instagram friend of Melinda's from Melbourne who is also visiting Paris. We met at the Shakespeare Book Shop cafe. Excellent coffee made by a young Australian. He was from Melbourne we decided.

Melinda sitting OUTSIDE having lunch

The view of Notre Dame from the Shakespeare Book Shop

We walked through the market at Mouffetard to see another array of magnificence and breadth of food selections. It was a feast for the eyes and a colour palette worthy of an impressionist.

Purple kale. 

Two colours of cauliflower

The beautiful Romanesco

Who knew carrots came in so many colours 

Like little rubies in the sun. 

Can't be bothered cooking. Ready made deliciousness. Cassoulet. 

Or Chou croute. Saurkraut with many ways with pig

Across from Musee D'Orsay with a bag of the most expensive chestnuts in the world. We viewed it as a charity!!!

Notre Dame

Le Louvre

At least we could see it. By this evening the smog was so bad you could only see half

From Place d' Concorde

We decided we'd come back and do this tonight.