mercredi 23 décembre 2009

My Christmas present to you




Take on your walking shoes and follow me through the covered passages in Paris, hidden secrets for those who go to Paris for a very short stay, but a must when the wheather is very warm or very cold, like yesterday.
We'll start at Passage Verdeau, rue du Faubourg Montmartre.
Little shops on both sides, many bookshops, both antiquarian and recent editions, sometimes specialised in art, stamps, or traveling.


This shop had dressed a Chrismas table and yes the ghost with te camera is me......;



Another shop, with nothing but embroidery , kits, books and all sorts of needs for embroiderers.
It's called LE BONHEUR DES DAMES.

















Then simply cross the street to enter the next Passage, JOUFFROY
Same atmosphere, i stayed quite a while to look at the books outside, beatiful art and travel books.

Then a few decorator shops, the cosy stuff with Toile de Jouy.













Hotel Chopin is very much saught after by an American clientèle, Paris lovers who want to avoid the big hotels that look all the same whereever you are in the world.




















Pain d'Epice is nec plus ultra for doll house lovers.
Everything neccesary to construct your very own, it's a goldmine, wish i had the space to have one.


































The cookie store, i resisted! yes!


















Now we cross the Boulevard, just in front.




More interresting shops, a framing artisan decorated with teddy bears,
a nice and cosy bistro-tearoom.










































A very special shop front with a wood carved deco over the front door































But the end is less lovely, and ends up frankly gloomy.































This is Place des petits Pères, close to the entry of GALERIE VIVIENNE.




















Always when i passed by, the passage was crowded, now the shops were empty and silent, hardly a human being around, and allthough the archtecture is beautifull, i just passed by and did not want to stay.
Strange, really strange...........
























































































































































I ADORE the little toyshop on the right, they sell all the sizes of a french doll brand, PETITCOLLIN.




























The Palais Royal garden looked frozen and empty too on the shortest day of the year.
































Let's end our walk with a glimps of the ceiling from the restaurant LE GRAND VéFOUR,
and i wish you all the best for the holidays, a happy new year, with a very good health, love, friendship, and peace in your mind and lots of energy to make stunning quilts.
LOVE, Will V in Paris



























































18 commentaires:

Lori a dit…

What a beautiful tour! It is so pretty all dressed up for the holidays. Merry Chritmas to you and your family.

WhiteStone a dit…

Lovely! Thanks for the tour!

Sunshine a dit…

That was a great tour, thanks so much! Merry Christmas in Paris :)

Cheers,
Christine

sewprimitive karen a dit…

Wonderful! Thank you for posting.

Miriam a dit…

Thank you for the tour of Paris! Absolutely beautiful!

Merry Christmas Will!!

Clare a dit…

Will - thanks for sharing such secrets! I now where the Palais Royal is, but are the others near you?

Joyeuses Fêtes.

not so zen -quilts in Paris a dit…

Hi Clare, not to far away from my home, a 20 min.walk. merry Christmas in the Perigord, foie gras huh? LOL

AdyQuilts a dit…

Thank you for a lovely virtual tour - may the coming year be filled with joy, happiness, health and quilts.
Ady

MARIE CLAUDE a dit…

Bonnes fêtes Will !
J'adore ces passages à l'atmosphère feutrée...Un petit retour dans un 19° siècle nostalgique...Que c'est agréable l'enfance rêvée, retrouvée à Noël !

Brenda a dit…

Thanks for sharing these glimpses of Paris. Wish I was there.

Fabric Fanatic a dit…

Will, thank you so much for taking the time to show us the beauty you have found in your city. I may never get to travel to Paris, though I long to, but seeing it through your eyes has been a gift.

Kay a dit…

Thanks so much! I spent three summers in Paris a few years ago, and remember this place very well. It's wonderful to see it with the Christmas look.

Deb a dit…

Thank you so much for that tour of the arcades. I was in Paris at this time last year and it was freezing but very very beautiful. Your photos have brought back some wonderful memories.

Randy D. a dit…

Will, Merci pour le petit tour. C'est pas assez bien que d'etre a Paris, mais c'est pas mal. Bonne annee a toute la famille.

Barb a dit…

Lovely - thank you for such beautiful photos. Feels like I've had a mini vacation.
Now off to quilt.
barb

Deborah a dit…

Thank you for the lovely tour!

Andie Johnson a dit…

Merci for the great tour of Paris! What a treat to see all of those lovely and yummy displays that the French just get so, so right!

Heather a dit…

Hi Will,
I just discovered your blog, it's beautiful ! Thanks for the lovely tour, it has made me feel quite nostalgic ;-) Happy New Year to you
Heather in Florida