Au Revoir, Paris

Enjoying a bit of December sunshine at a Paris cafe. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Paris In December…

I still have to finish packing and run one more errand before I leave for the airport, so this post is going to be short and sweet. I spent my last day here just trying to absorb as much Paris as I could. After making the rounds of chocolatiers to pick up goodies for Le Monsieur, I grabbed my good camera and went wandering.

Here are a few of the images I snapped, enjoy!

Person in yellow pants reading a book on the banks of the Seine, Ile St. Louis, Paris. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Electric scooters and pigeons near Saint Michel in Paris, with Notre Dame in background. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Photographer as subject: a Parisian mirror selfie. More from Paris at une femme d'un certain age.

Paris police on horseback on Ile St. Louis. More at une femme d'un certain age.

Paris in December: looking across the Seine at Musee d'Orsay. More at une femme d'un certain age.

A charming side street in Paris with Christmas decorations and a quiet cafe. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Carousel in front of Hotel de Ville in Paris. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Paris street art hyena. More scenes from Paris in December at une femme d'un certain age.

Paris: tour boat on the Seine named "Catherine Deneuve" with Eiffel tower in background. More at une femme d'un certain age.

Paris: looking toward Ile de la Cité from Pont des Arts, with barges along riverbank. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

This has been a wonderful trip, but as always, I didn’t get to half the things on my list. So much Paris, so little time! But don’t worry, I have plenty more to share with you including style, shopping, accommodations and some new restaurant finds.

More images of Paris in December here.

I’ve shared quite a bit of my trip on Instagram too..and have saved my Stories under the Travel highlights.

I’ll leave you with a bit of video as I enjoyed a last glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe…

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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36 Comments

  1. I envy you on your trip, and living as ‘ une Parisienne ‘. For a short time. Paris looks very peaceful and quiet when the photos were taken. Lucky you and safe trip home to the crazy US. What do they say about us ther? My daughter has a French Father in law, Alain, who will be coming for Christmas with my granddaughter who is going to high school this year in Nice. He has not visited for maybe 10 years. We hav met him several times in France. It is always interesting hearing what they think of us. I am so looking forward to his visit. See them Sunday! Love the photos of Paris. Ever consider going for a month in a little appointment? Now that sounds really good. Bond Voyage.

  2. LOVE your photos and can’t wait to read more on the blog when you get back! How do you decide on a hotel? Have you ever considered Airbnb? I’ve had good luck with them here in the States and am considering using them for a trip to Croatia. Again, thank you for letting us travel vicariously and looking forward to hearing and seeing more about your trip to Paris!

    1. I’ve used Airbnb in Serbia, Germany, Ukraine and here in the U.S. with great success. Scrutinize the photos and descriptions, ask questions of the owner and look for reviews online besides the ones on Airbnb. Also, you can view the actual exterior of the place and neighborhoods on Google Maps Streetview.

    2. We have had wonderful experiences renting through Perfectly Paris, which rents we’ll appointed flats in residential neighborhoods and has been doing so since before Airbnb. Easy to google.

  3. As always I enjoy your travel pictures. I’ll be going to Paris in January soI was happy to see how peaceful it looked. Safe travels home.

  4. I love seeing Paris through your pictures! Thank you for sharing them with us.

    My family of 3 stayed in an Air B&B apartment Paris about 2 years ago. It’s one of favorite travel experiences ever. I’d go back in a heartbeat but my guys feel like we need to explore other places too.

    Safe travels home!

  5. Your pictures make me want to pack my bags and go! The lure of Paris any time of year is simply being there.

    I’m looking forward to your wardrobe recap — what worked and what didn’t. There are always some surprises.

  6. Thank you for sharing your photos. Many years ago I lived in Saint Germain for a year, which included Christmas. Working as a nanny. Your photos reminded me of the light, the smells, the eclairs, the carousels and the feel of living there. Time has passed very quickly. Thank you for the opportunity to recall. Wishing you a happy Christmas with your family and friends. And a peacefull and joyfull new year. Regards.

  7. Shorter trip than usual? And you’re alone this time? Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos and fun trip! Safe journey home.

  8. Wonderful photos – you have captured a beautiful light. I love Paris – my husband & I honeymooned there 38 years ago & return whenever we can. It’s been nearly 3 years now so a visit is overdue. Safe travels home. PS the gentleman in your first photo looks very much like the wonderful Ian McKellen.

  9. Ah! These photos are much better!
    My interest and work in Paris and the Cote D’ Azur center around the photography of sculpture, water features such as fountains, and public installations of art. My personal interest is really good, well executed graffiti. I get assignments in all seasons , and find traveling alone, as a woman is fine, using common sense. My average one-city assignment averages ten days, the longest being about six weeks. I will say that I feel most comfortable in a hotel. I have stayed in apartments, but if alone, one can feel a bit isolated at interesting times. Fortunately, most of my jobs provide hotel and I like to book in the 3rd and 4th because, well, street art and graffiti ! Different seasons provide a different feeling. Winter is most insular to me, with a more local feeling in cafes and bistro in the evening . If a trip is to be very long I try to drag my husband along…..he prefers Spain and Portugal.

    I NEVER photograph police, military, security, etc. Even if the horses are charming. They highly discourage it, and will try to stop you if they can before you snap the picture by blocking the shot .

    Ugh…just more annoying tourist stuff. Be a TRAVELER…..not a TOURIST!

      1. Oh for Petes sake !!! what sensitive info can you get from admiring a horse- especially delighting in the fact they are used this way and not in some stuffy show barn. If they are walking around in the street they are already being looked at/analyzed , duh! I AM in the horse industry, and having a well trained police horse ( or dog) is a matter of extreme pride!! What a job! The fact that there are horses in the police force is a deterrent- not a vulnerability. Would you like to be pushed along by a 1400 lb bully>?? Its like having a superhero on guard! way Better a horse than a wall of machine gunned guards in a very bad mood…. (go visit Tehran…. Beirut….)
        I certainly would ask permission first for a picture, but I bet they would have been proud. Just sayin..,,.,.,.,.

  10. Much enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to post. Looking forward to our upcoming two week stay in a VRBO. Having never understood the aversion to being a tourist, I shall tour all around with enthusiasm. Traveling was a grind back in my business life and I’m quite enjoying being the white haired tourist 🙂
    Thanks for the fun Susan! Happy Holidays!!!

  11. Thank you so very much for sharing these wonderful pictures! I am enchanted by the cafe in the photo with the purple ad green Christmas tree decorations…. do you remember the name, perchance?

    1. Thanks! I went on my own this trip. LM does love France too, though next year our travel plans have us heading to Austria and the UK.

  12. Just to clarify regarding the mounted gendarmes, I would not have taken a photo had there been any tension or had they been involved in any action. The situation at that moment was calm and relaxed, there were other people in the vicinity taking photos, and the gendarmes seemed aware and did not mind or indicate there was any issue. (I was also further away than the image might indicate, as I was shooting with my zoom lens.)

    An earlier experience: two years ago we were in Paris for quatorze juillet. We were staying in the vicinity of the parade, where security was VERY tight. I asked a group of (handsome 😉 ) gendarmes on a quiet side street if I could take their photo and they happily obliged and posed. Then they invited for me to pose with them while le Monsieur took a photo.

    So my experiences may have been different than others’. I try to be aware and use my best judgement in any situation. I consider myself an amateur photographer as I am not selling the images. I am simply trying to capture what catches my eye in public spaces and share with you. So as with other recent discussions regarding street photography, let’s respectfully agree to disagree and let it go.

  13. Love your photos and your trip. Thanks for sharing with us.
    Wishing you and LM the best of Holiday and a very happy and health New Year.