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Dec 16

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No. 82: More Christmas Window Licking

I licked a few more windows this week, but this time exclusively at Printemps. Their windows are sponsored by Prada, oh la la!

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They tell less of at story than the windows at Galeries Layafette, instead they combine adorably Prada-dressed or adventure-bound Teddy Bears with luxury products.

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More fun than looking at the windows was watching the little children react and see the wonder and excitement in their faces.

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Vocabulaire

lèche-vitrine: window shopping (literally, licking the windows)

Printemps: one of the largest department stores in Paris (literally, spring)

Dec 16

No. 81: THE Sapin de Noël

In America we have our National Christmas Tree in Washington D.C., on the Ellipse near the White House.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

I am wondering if the sapin de Noël at the Galeries Lafayette is the French equivalent of our nation’s tree?

It certainly is enormous (20 meters high), stunning, stylish, and as Paolo de Cesare, Printemps CEO said, “makes a statement for Paris, for France and for the world.”

Perched under the famous cupola in the center of Galeries Lafayette, the tree features a toy village at the base that springs to life on the hour, every hour, and compliments the Christmas window theme: Il était une fois Noël …avant les douze coups de minuit.

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The cheerful tree continues the adventures of Lily the doll and Martin the Teddy Bear. As she wakes up their sleepy Christmas village, Monsieur and Madame Wolf, a gang of mischievous mice, a clowder of cats, and a family of snow white owls spring into action to beat the clock and get ready for Noël.

If you can brave the tourists and Christmas shoppers, it’s definitely magical and worth seeing…go early, and get out quickly.

Vocabulaire

Il était une fois Noël …avant les douze coups de minuit: Once upon a time at Christmas…before the clock strikes twelve.

Printemps: one of the largest and fanciest department stores in Paris (literally, spring)

Sapin de Noël: Christmas tree

 

 

 

Dec 16

3 Comments

No. 80: Humour à la française

The French have a very unique brand of humor. Sometimes it annoys the heck out of me, sometimes it makes me stop and say, “What the f**k?!”, but most of the time it makes me smile and be glad to be able to experience absurdity from a different cultural perspective.

Yesterday at the Corrida de Noël was no exception. Humour à la française was out in force.

Absolutely the most hilarious déguisement of the day...

The bûche de Noël, absolutely the most hilarious déguisement of the day.

French smiley face?

French smiley face?

Christmas elf
Christmas jailbird?
Yikes! I got flashed by Mrs. Clause.

Yikes! I got flashed by Mrs. Clause.

Fish head Santas? WTF!
Òu est Charlie?

Òu est Charlie?

Dominique Strauss-Kahn??

Dominique Strauss-Kahn??

WTF? Still not quite sure what this was all about.

WTF? Still not quite sure what this was all about.

Vocabulaire

Humour à la française: French humor

 

Dec 16

No. 79: Santa en mass

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We ran across some great holiday cheer outside of Paris yesterday. Or I should say Superman and his best buddy Nigel ran across it, or more accurately, in it.

The Corrida de Noël, is an annual 10k race where the reason to run is the tacky Santa suit that comes with the race registration fee. This is one race where your finish time doesn’t matter, but your tribute to Père Noël makes all the difference in the world.

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This year there were over 5,000 runners who ticked the racing box for the course déguisée and ran the race dressed as Old Saint Nick.

And why not? Where else but in France would you get to smoke and drink mulled wine before the race even starts.

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 What a great way to sprint to Christmas…only 8 more days until Kris Kringle makes his way down your chimney.

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Vocabulaire

course déguisée: the disguised/costumed race

 

Dec 14

No. 78: Licking the Christmas Windows

This Christmas with the help of celebrated designers, les grands magasins in Paris have succeeded again in creating magical Christmas windows.

Every December I have been in France, I have spent hours gazing at these fairytale windows, and this year is no exception. At least one day a week I’m out and about licking the gorgeous Christmas windows (lèche-vitrines). The French really know how to dress a window, and I just can’t get enough.

This year’s theme is, “Once upon a Christmas…Before the Clock Strikes Twelve”.

The windows chronicle the journey of rag doll Lilly and a cuddly Teddy Bear as they try to get to Christmas before the stroke of midnight. Their adventure involves meeting and playing with hundreds of furry friends, most notably spirited mice and ritzy monkeys dressed and ready for any escapade, especially ones involving pocket watches and clocks. The windows are whimsical and dreamlike and tempt even the most curmudgeony of the French to crack a smile, find a glimmer of hope and remember the joyful anticipation of being a child at Christmastime.

Vocabulaire

lèche-vitrines: window shopping (literally, licking the windows)

les grands magasins: department stores

 

Dec 13

4 Comments

No. 77: Lingering Autumn

It looks like nature forgot to tell the trees around the Eiffel Tower that it is Christmastime…mais pour moi, c’est merveilleux.

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This gorgeous tree just won’t give up.

Vocabulaire

mais pour moi, c’est merveilleux: but for me, it’s marvelous

Dec 13

1 Comment

No. 76: la petite bûchette

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Imagine my delight when right after my Bûche de Noël afternoon with Marie-Françoise, I wandered into my corner pâtisserie to pick up some bread for dinner, et voilá, there behind the glass were these adorable bûchettes. As you know, j’adore anything mini in France, so I couldn’t pass them up. Four didn’t seem too lucky, so I bought five.

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