Friday, January 02, 2015

New Years Day Eve 2015

Last year on New Year's Day Eve I got maybe my best picture ever.

This year not so lucky but I did get a good idea how the beanie vs. the bauble hat battle is going...

Here the new beanie wins the day.

A combination beanie/bauble plus last year's bauble nestle together on the Metro. If they can get along I can adjust. Luckily I brought over my NYC subway No.7 beanie so I'm IN either way.
Swedish Solli sent me illustrator Elsa Beskow (1874-1953) wonderful beanie hats which tops them all.

I was meeting Solli last night to go hear Vivaldi's The Four Seasons at the Madeleine - special concert New Years Day Eve.

Spectacular lights

WOW!
My first time inside too

Solli's picture does much better justice to the Madeleine interior.

Looking up at the painted ceiling I started to imagine the coronation of Napoleon was here.

Not so.

He crowned himself at Notre Dame in fact.

Exquisite preparatory sketch by Jacques Louis David

Of Josephine for the official commissioned coronation painting now in the Louvre.

A sweet winged angel near the exit of the Madeleine. If you've heard Vivaldi's Four Seasons 3-4 Xs (best heard in a smaller church in Venice, his home town) you really don't need to hear it again, unless it's a full orchestra blasting you to kingdom come and who wants that anyway?

Outside the Madeleine, a full  moon.

Rue Royal was looking pretty spectacular.
But nothing like coming home to my own light show on Pont Sully.
A Happy New Year Everyone!!

17 comments:

  1. Maureen7:44 AM

    I attended a Christmas music recital at the Madeleine in 2004. No lights illuminating the exterior then . The concert was lovely but not Vivaldi . Coming out of this temple design, most unusual for a church , and looking down the Rue Royal was a pretty sight. My most vivid memory is the Champs Elysees with those beautiful lights , the Tour Eiffel flashing lights up and down every 20 minutes, chestnuts being sold hot at street corners, the fabulous windows of Fauchon, the tiny artificial lake with snow covered trees on the Champs , a man hauling a live tree home on Le Metro with his young child...magic time in Paris at Christmas.

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  2. I once enjoyed Vivaldi's Four Seasons at St. Chappelle, quite beautiful there.

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  3. Maureen8:16 AM

    Marilyn , we tried to get tickets to a candlelight concert at Sainte Chappelle that same night but were unable. That must have been really beautiful with the incredible stained glass after dark! Oh well, next trip.

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  4. I don't think I have heard live..but do enjoy it here on various CDs..
    I love that first pic too.
    I am so not a winter hat person..:) Earmuffs if I must and they don't stay on well..
    C'est beau Carol!

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  5. Carol, please do give us a glimpse of the numero 7 hat. Day or evening lighting will be fine!

    Meanwhile, continued best wishes to you for a fabulous 2015. xo

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    Replies
    1. ???
      Ny Subway has a shop in Grand Central Station.
      The hat is a classic. Do you take the 7?

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    2. Been known to. I know that Grand Central shop...it's the photo of you in your hat that I don't know.

      xo

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  6. Thank you so much for making it possible to begin each day in my favorite city!
    Cheers!

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  7. Anonymous11:36 AM

    Happy New Year to you too Carol. Bonne Année Nouvelle. I look forward to your exceptional visual accounts of your life in Paris in 2015. Gwendoline in Australia.

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  8. Yr night shots outdoors look terrific here!!
    Whose complaining?

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  9. Your own light show definitely takes the cake. Ah, I recall being mesmerized for what seemed like hours in front of the Napoleon painting in the Louvre. Sigh... Happy New Year, my friend!

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  10. Anonymous6:41 PM

    Happy New Year Carol and Bear --!
    So love and appreciate seeing Paris through your wonderful and creative posts.
    Super treat to see the Eglise de Madeleine...!
    All best wishes to you and Bear in 2015,
    Patricia and Eric Nauman, Minneapolis

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  11. Happy New Year, Carol!
    The opening shot is one for the ages - it could have been taken by Cartier-Bresson!
    The Madeleine shots are beautiful, too - I like the interior shots the most.
    And....your home on the river.........you are very lucky!
    Have a great 2015 & say hello to Bear!

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  12. Carolyn8:43 PM

    I too love that first photo! I am thinking that is you, standing looking up at the statue with your hands behind your back, wearing the tres chic hat. Oui? (on second thought, can't imagine you with empty hands) I tried to go to Vivaldi at St Chapelle when I was there and missed it by one night. Next year.

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  13. you done good work i like this place, yu shared good information,
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  14. Absolutely love the color lighted columns....makes me wonder what those old greek buildings looked like in color!

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  15. I love your beanie discussions and musings. The Swedish illustrations remind me of one of our Australian classic children's illustrators -May Gibbs- do a google image search for gum nut babies Carol- you'll love them.

    It's always so special to attend a concert in Paris. We went to two last visit. Both in churches, both magnificent. The Madeleine looks special lit up at night. I remember we went to a concert there on our first visit to France in 1998. It was commemorating VE Day I think, one of the major military days, it was wonderful. How lucky you are to have that view every day!

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