Champs-Elysées - modified illuminations

Last year many people expressed a disappointment about the new “ecological” Christmas illuminations on the Champs-Elysées. Obviously, it was taken into consideration, as there have been some modifications this year; on the trees, garlands have been added to the “hula-hoops”.  

Well, I think most of us appreciate this modification. Here you can compare what the illuminations looked like in 2010, before the “hula-hoops” and here what they looked like last year.

In the middle of the avenue – at the “Rond-Point”, the illuminations are quite spectacular…

… and here are some examples of facades along the avenue.

With these photos, I wish especially to thank you all for your support during this 6^th year of blogging and as this – probably - will be the last post this year, to wish you all

Skating at Grand Palais

The 1900 Grand Palais is one of my favourite buildings. I often posted about different events taking place under the vast glass vault, e.g. here, here, here and here. For a short period (December 13 – January 6), it’s now open for skating. So I went. (Did I skate?)

Especially during the dark hours, the lights make it look different, spectacular.  There are not only changing lights, also music.

When you pick up your skating shoes, there is a warning about alcoholic tests, but champagne is available. J

Santa Lucia

I already posted about the Swedish Santa Lucia tradition in a post three years ago, so if you wish to know something more about it you can go here. I went again, yesterday evening, to listen to the Paris Swedish Church choir. They performed this time at the “Cité International Unviersitaire”, some kind of a Paris University Campus, on which I also already posted.

You should normally be greeted in the early morning December 13 by some nice, singing, young ladies, but to see them and listen to them the night before was quite OK.

I was impressed by the very good singing of a number of traditional songs, including of course the Santa Lucia song (you can listen to it here by some other performers). A Swedish Lucia and her colleagues should obviously still be blond.  

There was a nice crowd of students from all countries listening to them (and also some ex-students). The traditional “glögg” (vin chaud, Glühwein, mulled wine) was served to the audience.

Some odd shots (5)

More "odd shots" awaiting to be back with "real blogging". This time from my neighbourhood in the 17th arrondissement.

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Some odd shots (4)

Still a pre-programmed post. This time two night pictures, one taken from Pont Alexandre III, one from the flat of a friend.

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Some odd shots (3)

My "macular hole" eye operation seems to give some postive results, but time is needed to know the final outcome. In the meantime I prefer to take it easy with blogging and continue thus to publish some odd shots. The first one today is from Place de Trocadéro - the wall behind which you will find the Passy Cemetery. There is a "Monument aux Morts" by Paul Landowski (also known for "Christ the Redeemer" in Rio de Janeiro).

Two photos from the Père Lachaise Cemetery (which I believe have already been in a collage). The first one is the tomb of a 13 years old girl (1907-20).

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