Overnight, Paris underwent a most magnificent transformation.

I got up really early this morning, put on layers of clothes and headed out when it was still dark outside. The plan was to get to a couple of spots within the city where snow would not be cleared away too quickly, and while they were tourist-free. I should have a good couple of hours to try to grab some photos of a Parisian winter wonderland.

Continue reading »

There has been much excitement towards the end of last week, when snow was forecasted to make its first appearance for the year. Everyone (I know) was waiting in gleeful anticipation on Monday when Météo-France issued the relevant alerts. Still, most part of the day was uneventful while the temperature remained chilly.

We spotted them upon our exit from the Grand Palais that evening, having fast-tracked our way in for the final evening of the exhibition of Bohèmes thanks to the card of Sésame+. We really should have gone a long time ago instead of squeezing it in last minute like this because the exhibition was completely packed!

It was fun and magical to have fat and fluffy flakes surrounding us while we ran for our bus and then on our short walk home from the bus stop. My inner child was just begging for more time outside. Unfortunately, food and beckoning warmth were too difficult to resist and after grabbing another couple of shots, we made our way indoors.

I was hoping for the snow to stick but no, shortly after we got home, it started to rain. Morning came and it was back to yet another morning of grey sky. We had a couple more short bursts of snowfall but that was it. The forecast of 5cm of snow never made it to Paris.

A new waiting game then began. The cold front will once again bring along snow – even more than earlier in the week – for the weekend and oh how everyone’s wishing it will stick this time. The collective praying seems to work – this evening, as you can see, rooftops and roads are turning into blankets of white. The lucky people who have garden/internal courtyard (sadly, not us) get to enjoy a real winter wonderland.

I am warmly wrapped up at home, looking out the window, debating whether to go out and play, or not. Alas, I will leave it for now. I’ll leave the continuous sprinkles of snow to weave its magic and be prepared to be up and out early tomorrow morning instead. Fingers crossed that this patience will be rewarded in the form of pristine winter scenes.

This has been a tough week to be motivated to go out and play photographer. For the most part of the week, I was battling a horrible cold and cough (which includes a couple of “home arrest” days to try to get better) while staring out the window at what looked like the most dull weather for the longest time.

At the rate things are going, I may have to do something drastic, like buying new dresses and scarves in multiple bright colours? Anyway, without further ado, here are the photos of this week.

* * *

7 Jan: Truth be told – I completely forgot about Project 365 today, but by mere coincidence, I have one photo in my camera and two in my smartphone – all of the same thing: galette des rois. I’m sure you don’t need me to go into details as to why would I possibly want to take so many photos of galette des rois… Even then, my mind was not on task, thus capturing mere out of focus images. I was eager to put down the cameras and eat!

Continue reading »

In 2012, I took a break from Project 365 after running it for a couple of years – that of 2010 as a personal project known to a handful few friends, and that of 2011 hosted on this very blog itself. During the break, I found myself spending significantly less time exploring parts of Paris which I don’t yet know well, which is a shame really.

It’s time to be more pro-active again, and hopefully with Project 365, I’ll get that extra dose of motivation to be out and about, particularly when it is dark/wet/dull outside and certain neighbourhoods lie just a little far/inconvenient to reach from where I am. Instead of updating photo daily, I will do so as a weekly photo blog post. Enjoy!

* * *

30 Dec: Nico was visiting us and we took the opportunity to hit Dalí retrospective at the Centre Pompidou. We took advantage of late night opening hours to avoid long queues, and while waiting to enter, we were treated to the beautiful view of Paris by night. Eiffel Tower quite easily dominated the skyline.

Continue reading »

Museums are teeming with all thing curious, interesting, beautiful, ugly, etc that I could spend an entire day in a large one or hop from a small one to another, and would most likely happily repeat the same the next day. (I even own a couple of museum cards so I have unlimited access all year round to these museums without having to queue for ticket each time). Monuments, on the other hand, showcase history through architecture and events that occur on these sites. No less fascinating on their own.

Cue: free museums and monuments Sunday

In Paris-talk, this Sunday refers to the first Sunday of the month. Free entry to check out something different and informative each month – sweet deal!

Continue reading »

One of the things I aim to focus on in 2013 is to work on improving my French. To that end, not only will I try to revise my knowledge of grammatical aspect of the language, I need to correct the way I speak (sounding “cute” just doesn’t cut it) and to also read more in French. In particular, I should be reading more newspaper/news article online.

For good reasons too, since I’ve somehow along the way missed the memo on changes to the use of public transport system in the last few weeks.

You may recall I wrote last year on dézonage of Navigo at weekends and on public holidays, and based on information available then, New Year’s Day should see a new implementation where there is a fixed-price for Navigo for all zones. The price for Navigo zones 1-2 should see a small increase but otherwise it should be beneficial for all.

Well, that’s not happening anymore.

Not for now anyway.

Continue reading »

The relatively early arrival of wintry weather means I’ve been out on a hunt for hot chocolate. Following a number of recommendations plus some random taste-testing, I came to the conclusion that great hot chocolate at a bargain is an urban legend. A great cuppa doesn’t come at €3-5. Instead, be prepared to dole out somewhere along €6-8.

The price is steep? Yes. Is it worth it? Definitely!

Remember, we’re paying for the quality of the ingredients in every mug of chocolat chaud. I personally love hot chocolates that are thick and creamy – just the perfect remedy on a cold, cold day. However, a few visitors whom I brought around town recently found them too strong for what they are normally used to. Fret not, there are some less viscous but equally rich in taste hot chocolate available.

Continue reading »

Oh they were bold alright. Very bold. Had I not witness it myself, I would have a harder time believing it.

Paris, for many, is an idyllic and nostalgic city. And romantic. And classic. And [fill in appropriate adjectives as you wish]. On a recent drizzly afternoon, Frédéric and I were out on a walking tour of Île de la Cité after which I decided we should extend our time out with a stroll towards the general direction of Place de la concorde. Despite the weather, he humoured me and went along my whimsical request.

From Pont Neuf, we took a scenic walk via Jardin de Tuileries and had just detoured onto Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor when we saw an old gypsy woman trying to persuade a couple that they have dropped a massive gold ring. As if watching an episode of a telenovela, we sat down at a bench nearby and I whispered to F that the couple had just been had when they accepted the ring. He was confused.

Continue reading »

I was recently catching up on Episode 2 of The France Project (it’s all about stereotypes) and right near the start, an Indian guy interviewed by Katia talked about helpfulness of people in giving directions. Instead of feeling all nice and fuzzy that Paris came across so positively , I actually started to feel guilty.

No, no, I have not been rude and ignoring requests for help.

My guilt lies in that I felt I haven’t always given them the best advices.

Continue reading »

It is no longer a mere curiosity.

Love-lock bridges have cropped up in various locations worldwide, and Paris is no exception. On a number of occasions, I have even had the honour of giving direction to the “Pont des Clés”, as one tourist put it. It has been talked about in plenty of columns and blog articles, some of the recent ones include:

Continue reading »