A grey week in Paris

B&W weekend

It might be that the locals are all still escaping town while the weather is nice, it might be the travel restrictions banning oversees tourist from visiting the city, it might be the partial Saturday lockdown in preparation of the gilets jaunes, it might be that people are still weary of wondering around outside... whatever the reason the city is spectacular to flaneuse around this month. Even in black and white Paris is still stunning!

La grande Dame de Fer

Paris' Russian Orthodox church

Abandoned river banks

When in Paris do as the locals...

Open or closed for business?!?

The heart of Paris is empty

Not a soul in sight

Place de la Concorde, France largest square and completely deserted 

A glimpse up the empty Champs Elysées

A reconnaissance mission

What to do when your hubby's snoring wakes you at six am on a Sunday morning and you cannot get back to sleep? You sneak into Expat Girl's room to pinch her Vélib card and head out into the deserted streets of Paris to soak in the sun rays.

After living in Paris for nine years I have finally rented a Vélib from the city's public bicycle sharing system which has defiantly risen to the challenge over the past months by providing citizens a way to get around during general transport strikes and confinement rules. Apparently during peak hours more than four Vélibs are picked up from a station every second?!

On a reconnaissance mission before the new normal sets in, I decided to enjoy Paris to myself one last time before all the governments restrictions are revoked...

A heartwarming "Welcome back" greeting from the Mayor of Paris

Palais de Chaillot bathing in the sun at 7am on a Sunday morning 

The Eiffel Tower all to myself

Majestic view onto a very calm River Seine

It's just my Vélib and I

Place de la Concorde, Paris' largest square is abandoned 

Paris' Town Hall

World-famous Café Les Deux Magots should be back in business next week

No tourists on Place St. Germain

Paris as it was in the olden days....

All of Paris' parks and gardens are opening today after three months

One of my favourite Parisian icons: 

public drinking fountains designed by Sir Richard Wallace and sculpted by Charles-Auguste Lebourg 

Not a soul in sight

Place de Fürstenberg, labeled as being one of the most picturesque squares in Paris

Rue de Rivoli has just been declared off limits for cars this month.

Biking through Paris has never felt better!

Iconic Champs Elysées deserted by tourists, cars and public transport.

It's a beauty!

Merci Paris pour cette sublime ballade un dimanche matin.

We will miss you... Parisian spring is cancelled!

The weather was too beautiful for the Parisians to resist! Every year like clockwork, as soon as the first spring weekend hits, the residents are out in hordes. This Sunday was a little more contained than usual, but nevertheless by the afternoon hours people were picnicking along the Seine, strolling through the parcs and walking down the avenues past closed shops and bistros snapping pictures of the beauty around them....

...because Paris is beautiful in the springtime.

Yesterday, Parisians did not stay at home despite government recommendations announcing the closure of "places not essential to the life of the country" calling the French to "limit their travel" while the country officially passed the stadium 3 of the coronavirus epidemic.

Stay tuned for more directions from the government for they are not happy with their nations "insouciance".

So sadly, it looks like we will be missing our Parisian spring completely this year!?!

A splendid Bir Hakeim bridge 

First time EVER I have not spotted a newly-wed couple taking pictures on this bridge! 

Spring is in the air...

...and the water levels being a bit high

Avoiding the metro

A touch of pink always lifts my spirits

Sadly, no sipping coffee on the terrace while soaking in those sun rays today!

Back to where it all began...

A long weekend and we are heading out of Paris... of course! This time to catch up with friends and family in Geneva and Lausanne.

Geneva was home for nearly a decade, it is the place where I lost my heart and married my handsome Italian in the little Anglican church in the city center before we set off to travel the world.

Lausanne is where Expat Boy is now studying hard, having found his passion and following it with great dedication and determination.

It was also an opportunity to visit yet another University with Expat Daughter even though EPFL was not necessarily on her "wish list". The architecture of the Rolex Learning Center was definitely worth the visit.

Last but not least, we enjoyed a home-cooked Neapolitan family lunch at my sister-in-law's new flat with a view... and what a view!

Ah, it's good to be back!

Domaine du Château du Crest... and the scenery is magnificent.

Ready for a glass of local wine.

A typical Geneva autumn day... nevertheless I am happy to be back!

Lunch with an old friend at La Belotte, one of my favourite spots in Geneva.

The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a research institute and university in Lausanne, specializing in the natural sciences and engineering.

Its roots can be traced back to the foundation of a private school in 1853, 

which to start with only had 11 students. Those days are long gone though with student numbers in Lausanne now totaling over 10,000. 

The Rolex Learning Centre is the campus hub and library for the ÉPFL. Designed by the winners of 2010 Pritzker Prize, Japanese-duo SANAA, it opened on 22 February 2010

Archival Constellations of the Montreux Jazz festival. This installation called "Jazz Luminairies" is based on the UNESCO Memory of the World collection, digitized at EPFL cuts, remixes and replays 5'400 jazz greats and over 13'000 videos. The mind boggles!

A morning jog along the lake.

When a photo says more than a thousand words!

... and finally a quick visit to the new Platform 10 “arts district” in Lausanne brings together the Cantonal Fine Arts Museum, the Elysée Museum and the Museum of Design and Contemporary Arts.

An autumn walk along the Seine

The iconic Eiffel Tower

Pont d'Alma

View from Champs de Mars

The flame of liberty

Le Grand Palais

Pont Alexandre III

View from Pont Neuf

Spot the Russian Orthodox Church?

Pont Bir Hakeim

Jardins du Trocadero

Newly weds favourite photo spot!