Rue Cler is a street that has be made very popular by travel writer, Rick Steves. I have other streets I like better but I will always check it out if I’m in the area.

I liked the way rose petals were put in the water of the roses.

Right off Rue Cler is Catin, a well known cheese shop. They are very expensive and I noticed that most of the cheese is now tied in with the EU which might mean the cheese doesn’t taste as good as it did when it was just French cheese. I think the EU wants to make all of the cheese to be made be of pasturized milk.

I really liked the look of this little place, all funky and worn, but once inside learned that the front area was for smokers. It was all enclosed so it was like being in the smoking section. Maybe it’s better in the summer when the windows are open.

I liked their tea cups. It was called l’Eclaire by the way-a play on Rue Cler.

Some Christmas decorations on the ceiling of a traiter.

Some tasty looking lasagne for sale there. I’m not sure if that’s mozzarella cheese or bechamel sauce in the two stripes on top.

I’m not a fan of blood sausage but this tempted me with the fried apples along side.

I met a friend, Lisa, late one afternoon to see the Champs Elysees. It was bitterly cold and we had to stop for hot wine at one point and then hot chocolate later on just to keep warm. The Christmas market was set up along the avenue with mostly food for sale but there were other things to see.

These sausages with onions looked good. There was soup for sale too.

They had the red candy apples for sale but I thought these with the chocolate looked better.

There was a long trail for ice skaters to explore that zig zagged back and forth instead of having to go in circles. It was so cold that they didn’t have to worry about it melting although I read the temperatures are going to get up into the 50’s in a couple of days so I imagine it will be slushy.

There were a couple of Santas available for photos with a child. This one in a giant globe.

We stayed until the sun set to see some lights. This was near the restaurant where we had hot chocolate.

These were at the Rond Point, the round about at the lower level of the Champs Elysees. Note the reflection of the lights not off water, but ice.

And, of course, all of the trees going up the avenue were covered in lights. I’m not sure if I like these round circles on the trees, but they didn’t ask me.

Galeries Lafayette, the famous Paris department store, is known for its Christmas windows. I had a look the other day to check them out along with the famous Christmas tree under the dome inside.

Two flamingos in the middle sort of dancing together. All sorts of puppets around them.

A giant dog that looked real (I assume it isn’t a stuffed one) with headphones.

Dancing lemurs.

And here is the tree-very dramatic.

Since I was outside looking at the windows of Le Bon Marché I went inside to the gourmet food store there to see what was new.

It’s their 160th anniversary. They’ve been around a long time.

I’ve never had Christmas pudding myself, not being English. I suspect it’s like fruit cake but I could be wrong.

Various Christmas sweets for sale

along with this festively decorated bottle of champagne.

I finally got myself out of the apartment into a cold winter rain but was glad I did when I saw the windows at Le Bon Marché, a chic department store on the Left Bank. I love wandering through their gourmet grocery store if I’m in the neighborhood. I wasn’t that impressed with the windows when I first saw them but once the music started there were some cute scenes. The watching children enjoyed them.

A short video I took so you can see it in action.

The windows are full of cuts outs of the skyline of Paris, dusted with snow.

This was the Orsay with the famous clock.

When the music started, the clock face moved aside for a little light show.

I am still in the midst of jet lag and, except for some trips to the grocery store, haven’t been outside. I found this old post that I wrote in September which I am sharing. I am hoping to get myself moving today. My comments are still messed up. One of these days I hope to have them fixed.

While in Annecy, now weeks (months) ago, we made a quick trip to the village where we were married. It’s changed a bit-the mairie where we were married has moved and the auberge where we stayed is now a private residence.

The village church where we weren’t married, me not being Catholic, and both of us being divorced.

There’s a wonderful castle-like bridge nearby.

One on either end.

Flowers in a window of another village. Beautiful area.