It probably seems seems kinda goofy to be posting a blog about Holiday Decorations in Paris and Burgundy right now.  After all,  the sparkles and baubles and trees have been put away, disposed of while we move on into the new year. 

But I was in Paris and Burgundy at the end of December 2023 and absolutely loved the decorations in the City of Light and Rural France and would like to share.  

Humor me if you will.  Do keep in mind that there are studies that show that holiday lighting lifts the spirits. It does something to the endorphins I have read.  I hope this lifts yours. 

Christmas Markets 

First of all, I got a real kick out of some of the scenes at the Christmas Markets.  Paris didn’t seem to have very many, not like cities in Germany, but the few we meandered into were fun.  They seemed to combine wild amusement park rides, confusion about Santa Claus and some goofy reindeer.  These weren’t uncommon.

If you want to review what we saw in Germany and France a year ago, click on this link.  Traditional Markets.    

Seen on the Streets 

I typically don’t go to the Champs Elysées when I go to Paris.  It’s too touristy and doesn’t feel very French to me, but this trip I made an exception to see the lights.  Yep. Stood in the middle and tried to recreate what I saw looking down towards the Arch de Triumph. The result is fuzzy, but I hope it conveys the spirit of the rows of lighted trees.. 

Take a look at the famous Ladurëe shop was a blaze with color and the huge Louis Vuitton store.  What can I say?  It made me stop and stare.  

High Fashion Shops 

It isn’t surprising that the high fashion designer stores went all out.  What a great time to advertise their wares. 

High End Fancy Hotel 

We popped into the high end, historic George V hotel, now a Four Seasons and were wow’d with the decorations in this posh place.  No one seemed to mind me snapping a few images to share.  As you can imagine I loved the reflections.  It was all very grand and sparkly.  

Galleries LaFayette 

One can’t miss the huge blue dome of Galleries Lafayette—the historic Department Store on the Right Bank.  The Dome itself is pretty amazing, but at Christmas the owners installed a huge spiral tree with this cute character on it.  

Every hour there was a light show with the whole store blinking and blazing color.  I frankly don’t know how they did any business. When we were there late afternoon one day, wall-to wall crowds elbowed each other snapping selfies and jostled to get in the long lines just to get on the escalators.  I’m wondering if you really want to see this without the crush, you might want to go first thing in the morning. 

Rural France 

We went out to Sainte Seine in Burgundy to attend a Food and Photography Retreat where I couldn’t resist capturing some of the images in the small villages.  While some were sweet, others made me laugh.  You?  

I’ll end on a  bizarre note.   I spotted this in the window of a tattoo parlor.   I wonder what the message is here?  

For more about the Food and Photography Retreat, here’s the link. It was terrific.