Merry Christmas!

It's officially Christmas and even though I do not have access to a computer where I am at the moment, I wanted to wish you a good one with this very inviting Santa I found in the window of a café not far from my home. "My" Santa brought me... a new lens for my camera, so you know what that means... more photos for the year to come. When I think I used to hate taking pictures!

Hell!

I know what hells look like now, believe me! It all started at Virgin Megastore where I wanted to buy 2 DVDs and where the place was so packed that I had to leave after 5 minutes. I then tried La Fnac (a "cultural" goods chain store) where I had a living picture of what the expression "mass consumption" means... There, even though I wanted to buy something I gave up when I saw the endless lines in the check out lanes! The bottom line is that I have to go back tomorrow early in the morning ;(( Next year I buy everything - I'm talking everything! - on line.

Christmas trees

Christmas without a Christmas tree would not really be Christmas! Parisians homes - especially those with children - are very fond of them and that is why you literally have forests of trees in front of each florist at the moment. Depending on their size and type (Epicea or Nordmann) - they cost on average between 50 and 100 €. Pretty expensive for a tree that will only last until early January, but it is such a nice tradition. Another tradition is the one of Christmas gifts, and believe me, this year, I have never been this late!!

Place Vendôme ready for Christmas

Several of you have asked me for some Paris Christmas decoration photos, so let me start with this one, that I just shot a couple of hours ago on Place Vendôme (which I already shot from further away here). They scattered several candlesticks throughout the place and installed special projectors to enlighten the column in the middle. Really nice.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

It's only early November, but some stores (department stores mostly for now) have started displaying their Christmas windows. I took this one at Le Printemps where the theme is "Nordic fairytale, a world of ice and magical Christmas lights"! Beautiful I must say, and a big hit with the tourists - and locals! Christmas weather is here too, beleive me. Cold and wet. I hate it!