Holiday Festivities

View from Pantheon

Latkes for Hanukah

Joyeux Noel!

Christmas Visitors, part I

Braving the crowds at the Christmas market on the Champs Elysées

Moi et ma mere

Christmas market at Saint Sulpice

Beverage of choice: Vin Chaud

Picasso Museum

My mom and sister are visiting for the holidays, so we are in high speed tourist mode. We see approximately three important sites per day, which have included museums, cemeteries, restaurants, important monuments, etc. Lot of pictures. Get ready.

My two favorite Tongans come to Paris.

Tonga and I.

Avenue de l'Opéra

What Keli's face looks like when you take him to a jazz club jam session

Eating falafel, Parisian style.

I don't even know what to do with this crepe. Wait, yes I do.

Keli and I being blown away by the wind on Pont des Arts

On the coldest night, at a little hole-in-the-wall somewhere in Oberkampf...

Shrine where cutlery is stashed.

Moi et Melissa.

Keli, delighted by the desert choice...

All I know is that it had "big mac" in the name and involved chocolate.

Chicken, tropical salad etc. 

I think it classifies as Brazilian/African/Afgani.

Strolling in Oberkampf

 The Experience.

Salon Saveurs des Plaisirs Gourmands.

Someone was kind enough to give me free tickets to this three day annual food event in Paris. There was an overwhelming amount of food products from the different regions of France, which included a million different varieties of olive oil, honey, cheeses, spices, and meat in disturbing shapes. Oh, and did I mention samples? My personal favorites were something that seemed like foie gras but made from apples (is this even possible), and a lime flavored aperitif.

C'est delicieux.

Cirque d'Hiver.

You know what's super cool? The circus. 

Even though we were sitting in the third balcony, I had a serious connection with le tigre blanc. Also, our seats put me at eye level with the trapezists, which, little did I know, meant that I got a full view of their thong baring asses. That's right, it's French style, which means there is an abundance of thongs, erotic dancers, and even a cheesy singer/songwriter performance. They serve champagne at intermission, and have white cats that jump through hoops of fire. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night.

Sainte-Chapelle.

Sainte-Chapelle is a 13th century architectural masterpiece. Built by Louis IX, it is a fabulous example of Gothic architecture (and conveniently located right around the corner from Notre Dame). But it's all about the glass, really. There are hardly any walls, just expanses of the most amazing stained glass windows you'll ever see. Poor Louis built the built to house the Crown of Thorns and other fake relics that he paid more for than even the Chapel cost.

Jeff Koons @ Versailles.

Oh that pesky Jeff Koons. He's everywhere, including at the Chateau de Versailles until December 14th. My friend Alicia and I journeyed to the castle on Sunday for a little mini-break from Paris. Fortunately, I am content to resume my art tour of Paris, now that I have my student card in hand (i.e. free everything!). 

The chateau is massive, so perhaps it was a good thing that the weather was miserable and we weren't tempted to venture into the gardens. We kept ourselves busy wandering through the Grands Appartements, Hall of Mirrors, Chapel, Galleries....the decor, furniture, and paintings completely blew me away. Did you know that if you lined up all the canvases, they would stretch for miles. True story. Equally as fascinating is that all of the court crowded into the bedchambers to watch the queen in labor. Gross.