Although today (Monday) was overcast and cold, looking every bit like snow, it didn't snow. And it didn't keep us in either. Early in the evening we headed for the Opera Garnier in the 9th arr. to check out the lights along Rue Haussmann, especially where Galeries Lafayette are located. Incredible.
And of course we had to go inside and check out their enormous center atrium display:
We then strolled down to Place Madeleine, and from there down to Place de la Concorde to catch a glimpse of the lights up the Champs Elysees and were greeted by a huge ferris wheel at the near end of the Tuileries.
We also walked by the US embassy where I tried to take a photo of the American flag fluttering in the evening breeze with christmas lights surrounding the entrance ot the building. A French policeman walked over and kindly asked me not to. (He had the gun and I had the camera so it was pretty much moot from my standpoint.) Anyway, the gendarme informed me that the US ambassador requested that no photos be allowed.
We couldn't help but wonder afterwards has there been a rash of terrorists taking photos and then using them for probably terrible things (like dartboards?). Why this fear about someone taking pictures of a building? I couldn't help but think that it was just across the street, smack in the middle of what is now the Place de la Concorde, that fear once resulted in many heads being lopped off and the bodies carted up to where Place Madeleine is now and dumped into a mass grave. Fear breeds absurdity and worse. Some things never change.
But hey the good news is that it's Christmas in Paris! Stay tuned!
Wish you were here,
Steve
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