Sneak Preview

Noël, New Years 2OO4

Paris:– Saturday, 6. November 2004:– Right after Halloween readers want to know if Paris is 'open' at Christmas and New Years. The answer is emphatically 'yes!' There are all sorts of people here who hate cooking turkeys, but adore having them to eat. Folks get what they want in Paris.

As of a few days ago the city did not have a full program available, and the info about restaurants offering holiday meals won't be available until December. Not much changes from year to year in Paris, so taking a glance at past years in Metropole will give you an idea of what you can expect. There are links to past years' features at the bottom of this page.

The number one questions are always, 'are there parades, is there a big fireworks display at the Tour Eiffel?' The answer to both is 'no.' There will be thousands of twinkling lights, great food, evening galas, you and Paris. Fireworks are scheduled for 14. July if you can wait for them.

• The Big Expos
• Christmas Windows
• Christmas Lights
• Marchés de Noël
• Some Kid Stuff
• Ghosts of New Years Past

108 Dragon Portraits – to close 'L'Année du Chine' see this exhibition of photos by Yann Layma fixed on the grille of the Luxembourg Gardens until Monday, 31. January. Outside, from the Place Edmond Rostand to the Rue de Médicis. Paris 5. Métro: RER Luxembourg. No InfoTel necessary.

Véronèse Profane – an exhibition of 50 works by the Venetian master and some of his closest associates. Continuing until 30. January 2005. Open daily from 10:00 to 19:00, and until 22:30 on Monday and Friday. At the Musée du Luxembourg, 19. Rue Vaugirard, Paris 6. Métro: Saint–Sulpice. InfoTel.: 01 01 45 44 12 90.

Trésors de la Fondation Napoléon – classic art from Napoleon's private collection at the Imperial court. Continuing until 3. April 2005. From 10:00 to 18:00 daily. At the Musée Jacquemart – Andre, 158. Boulevard Haussmann, Paris 8. Métro: Miromesnil. InfoTel.: 01 45 62 11 59.

Capa, Connu et Inconnu – to be a definitive retrospective of this photographer for his anniversary, works have been gathered from public and private collections. Continues until Friday, 31. December. Except Monday, from 10:00 to 19:00, and from 12:00 to 19:00 on Sunday. In the Galerie Mansart at the Richelieu branch of the Bibliothèque Nationale, 58. Rue de Richelieu, Paris 2. Métro: Bourse. InfoTel.: 01 53 79 59 59.

A Fauve at Marmottan – is Jean Puy, who was a friend of Derain, Marquet and Matisse, who showed off his stuff at the Autumn Salon in 1905, and somehow caused the word 'fauve' to be coined. This exhibition continues until Sunday, 30. January. From 10:00 to 18:00 until Sunday, 2. February, except on Mondays. At the Musée Marmottan–Monet, 2. Rue Louis–Boilly, Paris 16. Métro: La Muette. InfoTel.: 01 44 96 50 33.

Turner, Whistler, Monet – other than the names, no details about this exhibition are known. Continuing until Monday, 17. January. Open 10:00 to 20:00 and until 22:00 on Wednesdays. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations – often – required for morning visits before 13:00. At the Grand Palais, 3. Avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8. Métro: Champs–Elysées–Clemenceau. InfoTel.: 01 44 13 17 17.

Paris On the Air – is about radio and television broadcasting, from the beginning to now. To be a very audio–visual show. Starting this week and continuing until 12, February. Except on Sundays, from 10:00 to 19:00. In the Salon d'Acceuil of the Hôtel de Ville, 29. Rue de Rivoli, Paris 4. Métro: Hôtel de Ville. InfoTel.: 01 42 76 49 61. Free entry.

Stieglitz et Son Cercle – this big exhibition is meant to cover all of Alfred Stieglitz' many activities and include many of the artists that were involved, including 16 photos from the Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation. This continues until Sunday, 16. January. From 10:00 to 18:00, until 21:45 on Thursdays and from 9:00 to 18:00 on Sunday. Closed on Mondays. At the Musée d'Orsay, 1. Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, Paris 7. Métro: Solférino or RER Musée d'Orsay. InfoTel.: 01 40 49 48 14.

Images of a Floating World – is an exhibition that attempts to define a 'floating world,' from the preface by Asai Ryoi to the thoughts of Ukiyo Monogatari. This continues until Monday, 3. January. Open 10:00 to 20:00 and until 22:00 on Wednesdays. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations – often – required for morning visits before 13:00. At the Grand Palais, 3. Avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8. Métro: Champs–Elysées–Clemenceau. InfoTel.: 01 44 13 17 17.

Stagecoaches and Robbers – from the times of the Louis,' the old days of the Poste in France, as told in stamps and other objects. Beginning on Monday, 22. November, until 16. April. From 10:00 to 18:00, except Sundays and holidays. At the Musée de la Poste, 34. Boulevard de Vaugirard, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse. InfoTel.: 01 42 79 24 24.

Bartholdi, and the Builders of Liberty – for the centennial of Bartholdi's death, an exhibition about the building of the Statue of Liberty, placed in New York's harbor in October of 1886. To begin on Tuesday, 7. December and continue until 6. March. Open daily except Mondays and holidays, from 10:00 to 18:00, on Thursdays until 21:30. At the Musée des Arts et Métiers, 60. Rue Réaumur, Paris 3. Métro: Arts et Métiers. InfoTel.: 01 53 01 82 00.

Seasonal window decorations have evolved from displays of tons of 'Lego' and hundreds of 'Barbies' to elaborate themes this year, with Printemps being the first to be shown on TV–news, last Thursday. Result – there's more to look at for a longer delight. A good viewing time may be before noon on Sunday mornings. Otherwise, let the kids and moms stand in front.

• Printemps, Haussmann – Christian Lacroix does opera to five windows, until the beginning of January. At 64. Boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9.
• Aux Galeries Lafayette – to have eight windows featuring Lili and friends in the enchanted forest, plus the whole building is illuminated. From Tuesday, 9. November until Friday, 31. December. At 40. Boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9.
• La Samaritaine – imagine shopping in an enchanted forest where the windows were full of toys and stuffed animals. Until the beginning of January. At 19. Rue de la Monnaie, Paris 1. At the Pont-Neuf.
• Also see Au Bon Marché, at 24. Rue de Sèvres, Paris 7 and the BHV at 52. Rue de Rivoli, Paris 4.

Neighborhoods – 'quartiers' – also put up their own light shows, usually on shopping streets, around markets, or even on the city halls of arrondissements – so you may run into lights of cheer wherever you go in the city. This applies to decorated windows too – with lots of shops having their own seasonal displays.

The following list only contains Paris' BIG LIGHTS and does not take into account all of the local quarters that put up their own lights too, to take the climatic gloom off the season and basically make the food look better and more irresistible. The same thing goes for shop windows – many merchants dress them up for you and the fête.

• Avenue des Champs–Elysées, a vast lightshow from Thursday, 25.November until Tuesday, 4. January. From the Etoile to Concorde, with 135,000 colored lights strung along 2.5 kilometres of France's Main Street.
• Rue Royal, Rue Saint–Honoré, from Wednesday, 24. November until Sunday, 9. January
• Place Vendôme and Rue de la Paix – with 24 giant Swiss balls of snow and four big chalets. From Thursday, 25. November until Wednesday, 5. January
• Rue du Faubourg Saint–Honoré, from Rue Royal to Avenue Montaigne, until Monday, 6. January
• Avenue Montaigne, from Thursday, 25. November until Tuesday, 4. January
• Montmartre Quarter, on the Butte and in the Rue Lepic–Abbesses areas, from Wednesday, 1. December until Saturday, 15. January

• Maison de l'Alsace, at 39. Avenue des Champs–Elysées, Paris 8 – from Monday, 22. November until Tuesday, 22. December
• Village de Noël Montparnasse, near the Place du 18. Juin 1940, Paris 15 – from Friday, 3. December until Friday, 31. December. The skating rink is in front of the Gare Montparnasse
• Marche de Noël, Place de la Nation, Paris 11 – from Friday, 3. December until Friday, 24. December
• Marché de Noël, at Cour de Rome, in front of the Gare Saint–Lazare, Paris 9 – from Tuesday, 30 November until Friday, 24. December
• Marché de Noël de l'UNAPEI, at Saint–Sulpice, Paris 6 – from Thursday, 16. December to Sunday, 19. December
• Marché de Noël, at la Gare de l'Est, Paris 10 – from Friday, 3. December to Saturday, 18. December
• Marché de Noël, at Disney Village – from Friday, 3. December to Sunday, 2. January. Take RER 'A' to Marne–la–Vallée–Chessy
• L'Arche de Noël, at La Défense – Métro or RER: La Défense – from Tuesday, 30. November until Friday, 24. December

• Glaciation Plastic – Noël Decorations – Frigo artist Antoine Rossi has created decorations composed entirely of plastic for Bercy Village. To begin Monday, 15. November. At 1. Cour Saint–Emilion, Paris 12. Métro: Cour Saint–Emilion
• Les Sapins de Noël des Createurs – top Paris fashion designers turn their hands to 100 Christmas trees – to aid the Orphans Foundation of the Apprentis d'Auteuil, by auctioning off printed designs of the trees and their decor. The creations can be seen at the Carrousel du Louvre, at 99. Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1. Métro: Palais–Royal. From Wednesday, 1. December until Monday, 3. January. Open from 9:00 to 23:00.
• L'Allée Gourmande – features 10 stands with tasty holiday eats. All you can afford from Friday, 17. December until Friday, 24. December, from 11:00 to 19:00. Level –2, at the Forum des Halles, Porte Lescot, Paris 1. Métro: Châtelet –Les Halles.

Arcimboldo et les Cinq Sens – kids will be able to distinguish their five senses after seeing some of this Italian painter's now–you–see–it, now–you–don't works. Also visit Il Etait une Fois Léonard. Both on show until the last day of the year. The park is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, but on Saturdays from 14:00 to 18:00. At the Musée en Herbe, in the Jardin d'Acclimatation just inside the Bois de Boulogne. Paris 16. Métro: Sablons. InfoTel.: 01 40 67 97 66.

Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione – see the new show 'Bravo,' which celebrates the 70th anniversary of this traditional but modern, real circus. Has everything except Barnum. Shows are at 14:00 and 17:00 on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and at 20:30 on Tuesday and Friday and at 14:00 on all school holidays. At the Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione, 110. Rue Amelot, Paris 11. Métro: Filles du Calvaire. InfoTel.: 01 47 00 28 81.

Ca C'est du Cirque – is the name for the Cirque Diana Moreno Bormann, which performs all year long on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 15:00 with a second Saturday show at 20:30 twice a month. Other performances on all holidays. Most likely like real circus. Find it at Rue de la Haie – Coq, Paris 19. Métro: Porte de la Chapelle or bus 65. InfoTel.: 01 64 05 36 25.

Histoire des Catacombs – is an exhibition continuing until Sunday, 14. November. Note that the standard 'tour' is 1.7 km long, and there are quite a number of entry and exit stairs. Closed on Mondays and some holidays, but open on Tuesday from 11:00 to 16:00 and from Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 16:00. At the Catacombs, 1. Place Denfert – Rochereau, Paris 14. Métro: Denfert–Rochereau. InfoTel.: 01 43 22 47 63.

Ice Skating – Indoors – is open to the public at the POPB, or 'Bercy' for short. The actual name is the Sonja–Henie Patinoire. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 15:00 to 18:00. On Saturday evening also open from 21:30 to 00:30, with a DJ for skaters who like music. Entry on north, garden side, at 8. Boulevard de Bercy, Paris 12. Métro: Bercy. InfoTel.: 01 40 02 60 60.

Roue Libre – this RATP partner has bike rentals, costing not much per hour or day. Both complete accessories and insurance are available. The year–round HQ is open from 9:00 to 19:00 daily, at 1. Passage Mondétour in Les Halles. Métro: Les Halles or Etienne–Marcel. InfoTel.: 08 00 44 15 34.

'Paris Respire' – is the Sunday and holidays' program allowing slower folks unpowered by motors to stroll and roll around without worrying about the automobilistas on the Seine–side speedways and other areas around Paris, which are closed to motor traffic until 18:00 on Sundays. This is now a year–round occasion.

Ghosts of New Years Past

Metropole Issue 8.50 – 6. December

• Noël in Paris – More Twinkles in the City of Light
• Christmas and New Years 2003

Metropole Issue 7.50 – 10. December

• Noël 2OO2 in Paris

Metropole Issue 6.51 – 23. December

• Xmas 2001 and Not Much New Years
• 

Metropole Issues 5.51and 5.52 – 20 and 23. December

• Midnight Supper In Paris
• New Years 2001

Metropole Issue 3.52 – 28. December 1998

• New Year's Eve '98 Items

Metropole Issue 2.52 – 29. December 1997

• Program IV

Metropole Issue 1.45 – 30. December 1996

• See feature: New Year's in Paris