On Line 11, at the metro stop Arts et Metiers, you will find one of the most unusually decorated stops in Paris, at least in my opinion. It is all lined in copper with giant gears up overhead which represents some of what you find in the Musee Arts et Metiers, which is a really interesting place to explore, especially if you like Science.

It’s a very dark metro stop so it’s hard to show it well but here is a giant industrial looking wheel over the train track.

A view across the track

The first time I saw this I thought the station was supposed to be like the interior of a submarine.

A view of the very expensive wooden seats.

Lately I am on this line a lot doing some work and I love getting off the train at this stop. Last week it was very crowded and there was one seat left next to me. As usual, it was not a tiny, petite woman who wanted to sit next to me, but a huge lady. I was just getting ready to move over some so she could get her ample bottom into the seat more comfortably when she poked me in the ribs with her elbow. Right then I decided to sit firm. I didn’t budge. She moved to another seat at the next stop giving me a dirty look, rather like the lady who ran over my foot with her food cart and was upset that I was in her way. Can’t please everyone.

What did I do for love? Was it trying raw oysters, a Christmas tradition in France? Maybe a taste of Tete de Veau, veal head? Bought a special Christmas present for Maurice in the overwhelming crowds at Galerie Lafayette? Nope, although I will have an oyster or two occasionally.

What I did for Maurice, just because I love him and because he was so excited about it, was go to a concert of old Rock and Roll performers, but it was all in French. I didn’t know one name or one song, except for “Personality” by an actual American woman who could speak perfect French. I did hear many songs that I knew the melody of, including “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To”, but I have no idea what the words were-plus, it was sung by a man.

We were thirty minutes into the concert when a group of old people started entering the concert hall. There must have been 400 of them. I guess their bus was late so they were trying to get them seated. Many looked well into their 70’s, and I saw quite a few canes. They came to the steps and couldn’t see well in the dark. I was sitting on the aisle and several people used my shoulder as a hand rail for the first step. The floor was wooden and you could hear people clunking down the stairs and they were all talking, much to the distress of the lady in front of us who kept trying to shush them. I’m not sure what they were saying but I’m sure it included, “Lordy, it’s dark in here. I can’t see a thing.” or, “I hope I don’t break my other hip”. I think it took about 20 minutes to get all of them seated. Maurice said the performer on the stage even asked them to shut the door, I guess so they would stop stomping in.

So, I sat in an excrushiatingly uncomfortable chair for over four hours listening to this concert. The crowd loved it. I’m sure there were many memories occuring as each performer sang his or her hit. Some of the men on stage had the face, now, of a 70 year old but the hair do of David Cassidy of the Partridge Family, full bangs and puffy bob, but gray.

Except for the pain of sitting so long, I did enjoy this look into the French music of the 50’s and 60’s. It was interesting to think of all of this going on across the seas in France while I was listening to the Beatles in the States. Of course, the French did too. Maurice loved Ricky Nelson and Simon and Garfunkle growing up.

A few Christmas photos to share:

From the Baccarat window

In case you were wondering what to get your dog for Christmas

From Baccarat also

A lovely creche in the window of a florist

Macarons again from Lauderee. These have edible silver decorations. I have actually eaten almonds coated with edible silver before. They didn’t have a flavor-just looked really pretty.

This was from the windows of Printemps. The sidewalks were totally packed and I couldn’t even get near the windows for children to take a photo. I was given dirty looks by parents trying to get their children up on the little platforms for close looks at some Christmas magic. I saw parts of dancing dishes and something looking like pigs in space but couldn’t get a decent photo. This window wasn’t being viewed by families. I loved the table-so elegant- and wished I could have something like it but I never entertain on such a lavish level.

Sometimes simplicity is all that is needed

I love red and silver together. That’s a reflection of me in the ball taking a photo of the Christmas decoration in the Intercontinental Hotel.

All around the Place Vendome area you can find these chandelier like decorations

Here are a few hanging over the street leading into Place Vendome

I haven’t had much time lately to wander around Paris looking at the Christmas decorations. I haven’t seen as many great windows as I did last year for some reason but, then, I haven’t been to the Left Bank yet. I saw the best decorations there last year. In any case, here are a few I’ve seen so far, with more to come.

A rather modern one in the Marais.

In the window of Lollipops-some exciting news coming about them

A Christmas looking detail on a wedding dress

In the window of a store selling things from Russia. Look at all of those dolls for the nesting doll. I’d love it even though I have no place it could go.

All of the stores selling chocolate always decorate their windows and make fantastic looking chocolate items too pretty to eat.

I tend to get a little depressed by the time December rolls around due to the short days. I’ve been doing some work in a shop and at some point in the day I look out the window and it is totally dark. I think it must be 6 PM but am shocked when my watch shows 4:30. It’s hard to get up when it is still dark outside as well and the sky doesn’t start lightening up until 8:30. I am always happy to see Winter Soltice come when the days start gets longer again.

One thing I do like about short days is that I am able to see more sunsets as I am out and about. In the summer here, where it doesn’t turn dark until after 10 PM, I am usually at home, if not asleep. I do get to see the sky much more in Provence because we have sliding glass doors which give a lovely view of the sky and I often step outside to take a photo of spectacular sunsets. Here in Paris, I have small windows and I have to open them and look up to see the sky, to see if it looks like rain. I have to lean out, too, to see people on the street and what they are wearing-do I need a coat? I look at the trees to see if the wind is blowing.

So, what this is all leading to, is that I am now out on the streets many times as the sun is setting and get to see blue skies with pink clouds or stunning light, silver as it lights up the edges of gray clouds.

The sky by Place des Vosges (I needed a polarizing lens to show the silver edges, which I don’t have.)

Above a building in the Marais

Still in the Marais

I was hoping to get more reflection on the pyramid