From Avenue Montaigne to the Place de la Concorde to Le Marais, the “City of Lights” takes on a new meaning at Christmas! Trees sparkle all over Paris (much more so than I’ve seen in London and New York).

The Champs Elysees, in the rain and fog, its entire length of trees strung with lights in a sophisticated “goblet” design. Only in Paris!

And the Place Vendome, pairs and groupings of star-studded Christmas trees bedecking this elegant square…as well as lights accentuating the garlands encircling each arch of the surrounding buildings.

Other regal facades throughout the City housing the luxury emporiums (ie. Dior, Louis Vuitton) can always be counted upon to work their magic with awe-inspiring visions of exceptional design.

Whimsical scenes were a welcome addition to our shopping adventures…the two following are so very French in their chic way…

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What’s a day of shopping without some hot chocolate (a bit tongue-in-cheek juxtaposed with Van Cleef & Arpels).

While the storied department stores…Printemps, Galeries Lafayette, Le Bon Marche’ (I’ve always loved that they make an asset out of an eyesore, the escalators crisscrossing the atrium, hung with large scale decorations, the Eiffel Towers among the clouds)…lend another perspective on “shop ’til you drop” holiday joy.

And then there are the hotels…my fave? The always-ready-for-Christmas red awnings at the Plaza Athenee that are joined by tiny golden twinkling lights that even set off the gold-tipped fence and dark green shrubs (don’t miss that certain Tower peeking in from the left).

Le Meurice, one of the oldest hotel names in Paris, has undergone many refurbishments in its lifetime; the Restaurant Le Dali is an exceptional example! I enjoyed tea here the afternoon before returning to Newport, stealing glances with every sip of the 1,560 square feet canvas ceiling painted by Ara Starck, the daughter of designer Philippe Starck.

I cannot finish this post without mention of the treasured Notre Dame. By a lovely coincidence, (and unbeknownst to us when we booked) we dined at the scrumptious Hebe restaurant which is just down a side street from the Cathedral. It brings tears to my eyes to look at this image…

Hope you’ve enjoyed my “snippets of this and that” which can never disappoint when one is in Paris in December. And while the weather was mostly gray and drizzly, we did have 2 days like the image below. Are you in the holiday mood, too…