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Fashion Show/Défilé

The program for the Fall/Winter 2014 Collection One of the unique experiences I had in Paris recently was attending the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann fashion show. Paris is, of course, at the forefront of haute couture so I was thrilled to have the chance to be at the défilé. The show beautifully presented the trends of the season. I was mesmerized by the variety of fun, chic and elegant outfits. The clothes and accessories worn by the models on the catwalk were available at various GL department stores.  By the way, no photos are allowed at the fashion show but I inquired from the usher who seated me about the no photo policy and he informed me that I could take pictures without a flash. It's always good to ask first. The ensemble shown above is categorized as PopTimisme. PopTimisme is defined by rhythm, color, and energy. It evokes New York City's street style. Young fashionistas will be both comfortable and hip in this plaid shirt with cool bl

Rue Thermopyles

 Rue Thermopyles Rue Thermopyles takes its name from Thermopylae, that narrow pass in Greece where a great battle was fought in 480 BC between a handful of Greek warriors under the command of Leonidas and the 150,000 strong Persian army under Xerxes. But that's the end of the similarity - a narrow street. Rue Thermopyles is a tranquil neighborhood with trees climbing up the walls of its houses and covering some of them in rich foliage. The cobblestone street is lined with potted plants. If you continue walking to the end of the street and make a right, you will find these two charming homes one of which is nearly hidden from view by trees and shrubs. In front of these homes is the Alberto Giacometti Park, a small square which is a nice extension to Rue Thermopyles. Paris is a big city with staggering urban growth that comes accompanied by the cacophony of modern day living. It's refreshing to find a haven such as Rue Thermopyles, a little piece of "co

La Coulée Verte

Viaduc des Arts La Coulée Verte or the Promenade Plantée is a 4.5 kilometer trail on what was once an elevated railway track that was decommissioned in 1969. The trail begins at Bastille and continues on to Bois de Vincennes. The Promenade has been planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. Every section has a landscaping theme such as the bamboo grove or the fountains. There are vine covered trellises and enough benches for those who wish to read their newspapers or chat with friends or just hang out.   Of the flowers on the trail, I saw white roses and dark pink double impatiens. There were many shrubs with tiny flowers - one which I noticed looks similar to jasmine but minus the scent. And I was delighted to see holly, so perfect for this season. It's amazing to find many blooming plants this late in the fall.   Bamboo grove I met several joggers along the trail which promises to be a good, long run all the way to Vincennes and back. But walking has its rewards

Love, Love Locks and Paris

L'amour is alive and well but it's beginning to take a toll on the Pont des Arts in Paris. The growing tradition of hanging love locks on bridges around the world has destroyed sections of this footbridge. The city of Paris has previously removed and replaced certain sections of the railing as the locks weighed them down and caused the grates to separate from the railing. The Pont des Arts is checked regularly as damaged railings pose safety issues as well. Some of the locks are fancy and well thought out, some are engraved with the couple's names but most locks are plain and heavy and the names hastily scribbled with a marker. Many locks are now rusty and the names have faded into oblivion. If you arrive in Paris and want to hang your love lock at the Pont des Arts but you didn't bring a lock, worry not. There are lock sellers around the bridge who will gladly sell you one along with postcards and other souvenir items. These resourceful street peddlers

Unexpected Pleasures

Tour Eiffel While eating lunch at Le Lafayette Café on the 6th Floor in the Galeries Lafayette, I happened to look up from my plate of lousy fish du jour with overcooked green beans and saw the Eiffel Tower from my perch. That was my lunch treat. As I was walking away from St. Etienne du Mont toward Boulevard Saint Michel, I passed by this plaque which says that Erasmus, the Dutch philosopher, was a boarder here for a year at the College of Montaigu in the University of Paris. From Rue Galande it's a short walk to the quays of the Seine where the bouquinistes have plied their used books within plain view of the towers of Notre Dame since the 16th century. A novel way to sightsee in Paris is by tricycle. I saw a couple of Yellow PediCabs around Notre Dame. No need to rush in a double decker bus. Slow and easy does it. One of my favorite parks in Paris is the Jardin du Palais Royal. It's surrounded by arcaded buildings constructed around 1874. This garden was origina

Midnight in Paris Movie Locations

It's not often I watch a movie but on a long flight home late last year, I had the chance to watch Midnight in Paris and was totally captivated by its plot. Can you imagine time traveling to the era of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, Picasso and Dali, Gauguin and Toulouse Lautrec? It was therefore such a treat to be in Paris and be able to see a couple of the locations from the movie. Had so much fun figuring out where the Peugeot came from to pick up Gil (Owen Wilson) and take him back to the Jazz Age. Rue Galande Rue Galande is a narrow street lined with boutiques with engaging window displays. Notice the giant flea sculpture above one of the shops. This location was shown at the beginning of the film. Interestingly enough, Rue Galande is a stone's throw from the bouquinistes along the Seine and across from the Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris. The Steps of St. Etienne du Mont This is where Gil was sitting, a little disoriented, when the Peugeot drove up and one of its passen

"I love You" Wall

I didn't see the elevator at the Abbesses metro stop so I unwittingly went up the stairs which winds up 118 feet (or 200 steps according to Wikipedia). Abbesses is one of the deep stations in the Paris metropolitan system. I had to stop twice on the way up to catch my breath and rest my leg muscles. It was quite a climb! I heard the people behind me panting and moaning. We were definitely in Montmartre, high above the rest of Paris. And I came for a specific reason - to see the "I love you" wall or Le Mur de Je t'aime at Place des Abbesses. I had read an article about it on Valentine's day and I was intrigued. How serendipitous that I had this chance to be in Paris! The wall is just behind the entrance to the metro station. Le mur is made of blue tile and scrawled across it are over 300 greetings of love in 250 languages. I recognized a few like Iniibig Kita and Te quiero . I did a search to find out about Ljubim te and learned that this is a Slovenian/Serbi

Only in Paris

Only in Paris can one descend to the metro in style, under a jeweled canopy. One feels royally crowned. Only in Paris can one pick up coffee or boissons -to-go in a fuel efficient mini truck. Only in Paris can one step into a concept car that smells oh la la elegant. Even Louis XIV would find the gold doors befitting his Sun King image. Only in Paris can one find a beautiful reclining nude in a public park and it is by Aristide Maillol, no less. Share with me your "Only in Paris" discovery. Click the comments box below. * * * Photos by Charie

Bibimbap in Paris?

bibimbap The Rue des Petits Champs is off the Avenue de l'Opera in Paris. This street is lined with Japanese restaurants and an Oriental grocery store. The side streets reveal more Asian restaurants and on a rainy afternoon I discovered this Korean restaurant that serves bibimbap. What I like about this dish is that it is a healthy mix of rice and vegetables, similar to the one I was served. It may also be prepared with beef or chicken. For starters the waitress brought little bowls with kimchi, daikon, julienned carrots, and seasoned lotus roots. My bibimbap was served in a hot iron cast pot. The ingredients were layered with steamed rice at the bottom of the pot. The rice was slightly roasted from the hot pot which I am partial to because it is crunchy. Vegetables like zucchini, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy were added on top of the rice and an egg cooked sunny side up capped the dish. Strips of seaweed were sprinkled over the egg. I didn't add the goch

Photographing the Arc de Triomphe

This first photo was taken from the bottom of the Champs Elysées. I stood on the center divide while waiting for the light to turn green to cross to the other side. The Arc is just a dot in the distance. Halfway up the Champs Elysées, I got a closer and better view of the Arc than the first take. At this juncture, the features of the Arc are visible to the eye. And the headlights from passing cars add an ethereal beauty to the scene. This last image was taken right in front of the Arc de Triomphe. It's a hairy experience with cars whizzing past in both directions. There's a narrow 3 feet margin of safety for the photographer to take a souvenir shot without stepping into no man's land. * * * Photos by Charie

Friday night at Starbucks, Paris

On my way back to my hotel in Montparnasse, I passed by this Starbucks where coffee was in the sidelines while this band entertained to the delight of café goers as well as passersby. I had to stop and listen to the music. I live in a neighborhood full of Starbucks in California and none of them have ever had a band, let alone piped music. It was a surprise treat, free at that. * * * Photos by Charie

La Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris

The Notre Dame Cathedral has stood on Ile de la Cité since the 13th century. The Ile de la Cité was once the center of Roman occupation. It was then called, Lutetia. At sunset, the rose window comes alive in a myriad of colors. The long nave is flanked by graceful columns and pointed arches. The light emanating from the stained glass windows behind the main altar directs your gaze upward to the high cross vaulted ceiling. At night the cathedral takes on an aura when bathed in light. * * * Photos by Charie

A Kaleidoscope of Colors

Joseph being sold by his brothers These well preserved stained glass windows are from the Ste-Chappelle. It is now in the collection of the Musée National du Moyen Age. Ste. Chappelle is famous for its stained glass windows which practically make up its walls. It suffered great damage during the French revolution when part of the windows were taken down and destroyed or lost. These stained glass windows date from the 12th-13th century. The subjects are derived from the Bible. The ruby red and Chartres blue colors define the Ste. Chappelle stained glass. They are as vibrant today as they were in the Middle Ages. * * * Photos by Charie