Promenade in Paris on a cold windy day...

The last time I was in Paris in Februry 2014 it was still winter. However, it was supposedly less chilly than previewed. No snow. No icy rain. Good for people who came from the tropics. That having said, I am still weary of the pickpockets that are ever so present in the Parisian Metro, especially after a bad experience last summer. With just a day to do my things, I went on a simple walk around, aimlessly as usual...

Photos of the almost deserted street in the wee hours of the morning - at the Gare de Lyon.

Outside the Peugeot concept store at Champs Elysees.

Wouldn't mind being a Fireman just to drive this one...

A newstand (or kiosk) just outside...

Arc de Triomphe, under some kind of construction again...

The interactive staircase in Louis Vuitton's shop...

Lancel's display just a few shops away...

Inside the Metro...

And the station at Bir-Hakim

A little birdy doing its round with the tourists...

Interesting door knobs

Vertical gardening outside a block of apartments at Quai Branly...

Cleopatra's needle, a gift from Egypt during colonial times...

The temple of Madaleine...

Longchamp nearby...

Bukit Telaga on a hot day...

The current dry spell casts an unbearable heat wave all over the country and to escape the heat, I went to my usual sanctuary in the hills, for just half a day on a weekend...

 Thundering water cascading down the slopes brings much relief from the heat wave...

 A riverine and moist environment tree, the Saracca displays bursts of blooms that lit up the usually dark forest understorey by the stream...

 A lone Baron butterfly resting by the shades of a riverine undergrowth...

The gracefully delicate wings of the Four-bar Swordtail glistened under the sun when it came down for a drink by the moist sandbank...

Parisians' taste for seafood...

One of the most iconic gastronomique activity of Parisians is eating seafood, oysters to be exact and this dates back to history. The quartier of Gare de Lyon has many seafood bars and restaurants, and so one of the things I always do is to go for a dégustation...try out different restaurants that offer oysters in their menu (and there are way too many choices in Paris...).

Eating is getting very expensive in Paris and this is no exception. I chose this restaurant because it was directly opposite my hotel at the Gare de Lyon and also, I have tried the others nearby. The workers preparing the seafood platters looked pretty Ok to me and that too, helped...

 Clean, crisp table. Don't expect prompt service though. Nowhere in France is known for this. It is a very French thing to talk and discuss the menu before ordering so the waiter will not come until he sees that you are ready/make a signal...

 The restaurant has a turn-of-the-century art deco (belle epoque) allure and was quite busy...

 Little things to bite on before anything will come in awhile: bread, rillet, butter...

The plates were stacked to anticipate the change of plates with seafood shells...

 Ordered a dozen of mix - included were 2 ballon, extremely round and flat oysters but the best ever. The twelve oysters costs EUR33 plus. Not exactly cheap by any standard...

 Nice real brass bar.

 Platters ready to go...

Le Train Bleu: a gastronomique restaurant right at the doorsteps of Gare de Lyon but VERY expensive...next time...

Beaubourg IV: The Blues and others from the Miró Collection

Part of the permanent collection at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris consists of paintings by the modernists including Miró. Presented was the "Bleus", works of Miró strongly impregnated with the use of blue from the 1920s up till the 1960s.

Bleu 1: 1961

La sieste: 1925

Le catalan:1925

Baigneuse, automne: 1924 (Bathers, autumn)

Peinture: 04/05 1927