Hotel Plaza Athenée on Avenue Montaigne......

~ lavish lush and luxurious ~

this elegant establishment is where the worlds rich and famous

come to be pampered.

........................

A state of timeless elegance pervades,

from the white gloved attendant who spins the revolving door,

to the stylish concierge forever at your service,

 to the "Louis xv"  decor of the Alain Ducasse 5 star restaurant.

I particularly love the unique art-nouveau canopy shading the main entrance door

which opens onto Avenue Montaigne - home to  the ~crѐme de la crѐme~ of Parisian haute-couture

Christian Dior - Chanel - Gucci - Nina Ricci

and if you're into shoes - Jimmy Choo

selling everything from black leather sequined pumps to beige studded suede boots.

I love to walk this street- and I adore window shopping

but the most I have bought are perfumes from Christian Dior

That made my heart sing!

It's lovely to snatch these glimpses into the windows of the world's elite

but at the end of the day I'm more than happy to climb the narrow rickety stairs

 to the left bank studio - crumbled quiche and citron tarte in hand.

Je suis  trés contente!

It was a pleasant cafe.....

Paris seems to abound with little cosy cafe's - comfortable sorts of places
places to while away an afternoon .

Rue Des Petits Carreaux

They remind me of Ernest Hemmingway's lovely coffee quote

“It was a pleasant cafe, warm and clean and friendly, and I hung up my old water-proof on the coat rack to dry and put my worn and weathered felt hat on the rack above the bench and ordered a cafe au lait. The waiter brought it and I took out a notebook from the pocket of the coat and a pencil and started to write.”

Rue Lepic in the 18th.....

Rambling around the backstreet of MontMartre

............................................

 Rue Lepic passes by this French restaurant
~ Le Temps des Cerises ~
literally meaning the time of the cherries
what a lovely name for a parisian eatery

Then  further down Le Moulin de Galette
where Pierre Renoir painted his famous oil on canvas
~ Au Bal du Moulin Galette ~
A steep walk both ways -  but well worth the effort
lots of art galleries - wrought iron balconies
 and beautiful honey coloured timber doorways.

Pierre August Renoir   1876

Croissants & Clocks on Rue Cler......

"Changement de Directions" is a bustling Boulangerie, situated on that quaint
foodie street Rue Cler right round the corner from where I was staying.

On the walls are clocks showing the time from around the world which is a
nice touch especially when you are far from home.
...........................................

They make the best croissants and baguettes on the street
believe me I tried them all and you must not leave Paris
until you have eaten one of their delicious pain- au- chocolat.
It is the single pastry that is the embodiment of all that is French Vienoiserie
and must be purchased freshly baked (that means rising early in the morning)
and dipped ever so lightly in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Place du Casino.......

Much hustle and bustle on Place-du-Casino in Monte Carlo
with it's well heeled clientele.

This beautiful Belle-Epoque building adjacent to the Casino
 is the luxurious Salle-Garnier
or as it's more commonly known "L'Opera de Monte Carlo"
Designed by none other than the famed Charles Garnier
who designed the Palais- Garnier in Paris

To the right of the Casino is the ~Hotel-de-Paris~
housing the opulent Alain Ducasse restaraunt  ~ Le Louis XV ~
the hands on the clocks are all set at 12
to remind patrons that inside this palace of pleasure
time is of no consequence.

Maybe the bill would be!!

 

Reflections on Reflections.......

This photo encaptures all that I love about Maison Stohrer
on the Rue Montorgueil - macarons, etched glass
elegant deep creme gladiola stems
chandelier light reflecting off ribbon- tied cellaphane parcels
brioche ronde and bottles of sweet rose.
...................
I never cease to be amazed when stepping inside this
wonderfully Parisian patisserie
so... much to see I find I have to quiet my heart and mind
take a breath and savour the experience
from the chunky ~terrine du lapin~
to the decadent  ~puits d'amour~
I love it all!

Le Batobus.....

When in Paris I love to ride the unique water transport,
commonly known as le-batobus
( these boats are smaller than the touristy and more commonly used, bateaux mouches)
.....................

Our nearest hop on /hop off point was at Tour Eiffel
from where we were able to transverse the circular route twice,
once in the late afternoon, then another just as the sun was setting and those pretty
antique street lamps lit up La Seine and it's surrounds
with a soft shimmery glow
.
.


It's a magical time to be on the river ~ soaking up the ambiance
and viewing the many bridges from a different perspective

By the time we returned,  La Tour Eiffel was all lit up
  ~ pretty as a picture~
.................

Bonsoir La Tour

Leaves that cling to facades....

~ "La Louche" ~   Caromb

As you step outside ~ the beauty of Provence envelopes you
buttery sunflower yellow shutters
aged terracotta
weathered blues
cobbled courtyards
leaves that cling to facades
old street lamps that twinkle and glisten
the waft of freshly baked baguettes on the early morning air

A spitz of perfume then a good coffee....

The perfume department in Galleries-Les-Fayette
is an experience not to be missed.
I wandered for hours
a spitz of~ Fleurs d'Orange by Serge Lutens
Amor~ Amor by Cacharel
24 Faubourg by Hermes
a dab of that soft and ever so pretty
Osez-Moi ~ by Chantal Thomass



then mozzied on over to the to the
Cafe Malongo Coffee Bar in La Fayette Gourmet,
for an utterly delectable tarte-aux-citron
  with the best fair-trade coffee in town.

Beautiful Place des Vosges...

I love to hear French people pronounce this lovely name
Place Des Vosges



~Paris's oldest and most eloquent square~

I sat on the grass eating a baguette with a ripe brie-de-meaux
looked around at the elegant buildings
and thought - This is Paris!!
Just so... special!