I’m continuing my post from yesterday.
The decision to build the world’s biggest Arch of Triumph was – of course - taken by Napoleon I, but it took some 30 years before it was at last completed in 1836, with delays and modifications due to different changes of regime in France.
The construction is extremely heavy (about 50 000 tons), something like five times as heavy as the Eiffel Tower. It’s 50 meters high.
The Arch was finally dedicated to the army victories during the French revolution and the following Napoleon wars. It has today become a more general symbolic place for all kinds of national events, e.g. the celebrations of the end of the two World Wars. The 14th July parade has the Arch as a starting point (direction Place de la Concorde). Most state visits include posing of flowers on the grave of the Unknown Soldier, who is buried here since 1923.
When it was getting darker (and even colder) I took some photos of what you can see around (see also the top picture).
When again down I could not resist and took a further shot of the Christmas illuminated Champs Elysées…
… and of course some pictures of the Arch itself. 
I then went for a warming coffee… and discovered again the Arch.
The decision to build the world’s biggest Arch of Triumph was – of course - taken by Napoleon I, but it took some 30 years before it was at last completed in 1836, with delays and modifications due to different changes of regime in France.
The construction is extremely heavy (about 50 000 tons), something like five times as heavy as the Eiffel Tower. It’s 50 meters high.
The Arch was finally dedicated to the army victories during the French revolution and the following Napoleon wars. It has today become a more general symbolic place for all kinds of national events, e.g. the celebrations of the end of the two World Wars. The 14th July parade has the Arch as a starting point (direction Place de la Concorde). Most state visits include posing of flowers on the grave of the Unknown Soldier, who is buried here since 1923.
When it was getting darker (and even colder) I took some photos of what you can see around (see also the top picture).When again down I could not resist and took a further shot of the Christmas illuminated Champs Elysées…
… and of course some pictures of the Arch itself. 
I then went for a warming coffee… and discovered again the Arch.Some of these photos can also be seen on my photo blog.
I have some repeated connectivity problems. If I'm not visiting your respective blogs in the usual way, please excuse me. The service provider should (again) visit me Friday.
Magnifiques tes photos! la plus belle avenue du monde!, c'est bien vrai et de là haut, qu'elle vue magnifique, tu as bien mérité ton café chaud.Bonne nuit.
ReplyDeleteMore great photos from your camera, Peter! I would love to visit Paris at Christmastime. The lights along the Champs Elysees are gorgeous! As Lyliane has said, tu as bien mérité ton café chaud after being out in the cold with your camera.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, sounds like you are having an amazing time!! Hope it snows for you in Paris and you get a white xmas.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to your next blog update!! Till then, take care & have fun.
btw, great shots as usual!
ReplyDeleteJ'espère que tu as pris ton café à l'intérieur. L'année prochaine tu le prendras dehors même par -15°! Profites-en jusqu'à la fin de l'année, ou arrêtes de fumer!
ReplyDeletela première photo est magnifique et très patriotique. En effet tu as bien merite ton cafe chaud (ou ton vin chaud ;o) )
ReplyDeletehier soir j'étais au vin chaud. Aujourd'hui ce sera du vin normal à l'apéro de 16h30 mais on sera au chaud. C'est admirable tous ces bloggeurs qui bravent le froid pour prendre des photos, moi avec mes gros moufles je n'arrive pas à appuyer sur le clic. J'ai donc abandonné.
ReplyDeleteAh oui hier soir, j'ai vu le Père Noël, avec un âne. Et l'âne m'a dit bonjour. Mais pas le père Noël, tout fout le camp, moi je vous le dis. :-)
Tes photos de l'avenue prestigieuse lui rendent grâce, mais j'ai vu la même avenue photographiée de nuit par deux de mes amis qui y sont allés le même soir et pas ensemble, sous une pluie diluvienne c'est encore plus magique
ReplyDeleteLà, ça a l'air de s'être mis au froid et beau...
peter..thank u for being a friend...im back home for my christmas break...will be returning to Dubai next week...wishing u a wonderful blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year 2008!
ReplyDeleteHi Peter,
ReplyDeleteHow's your x-mas preparation? Wish you and family will have a wonderful and happy white x-mas.
Kisses to your cute grandson!:)
That first photo is great. I love the two colors of the lights on the cars. The picture itself seems to be moving. I'm sure the motorists, who are stuck in traffic, feel differently.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the internet repair people. That's never fun.
lyliane:
ReplyDeleteMerci!!
ex-shammickite:
Few tourists during Christmas of course, but the department stores seem to be rather full of them now, before Christmas! (Today's experience.)
drama div@:
The idea of a White Christmas sounds fine, but preferably not in a bigger city. I becomes very quickly a Grey Christmas!
hpy:
ReplyDeleteCertains bistrots vont se transformer un clubs privés pour fumeuers, plein de cafés aménagent des terasses...!
olivier:
Oui, ça fait très tricolor!
delphinium:
Heueresuement que tu arrives encore à écrire - chez toi, dans le chaud!
cergie:
ReplyDeleteIl va donc falloir que je retourne un jour de pluie! Déjà que j'ai souffert du froid!
april:
Thanks!
black feline:
My very bist wishes also to you!
noushy:
ReplyDeleteWell, rather busy preparing, a bit "last minute" despite planning..
All my best wishes also to you!
jessica:
... perhaps moving due to my trembling hands and fingers? Yes, I hope the connectivity will at last work fine - and all the time!
hhehehe..Peter,planning and implementation should be balanced,remember that planning doesn't have to be a long process!!Unless for a mega project,otherwise the plan might be a ten minute conversation or so..:)
ReplyDeleteTake care yea.
noushy:
ReplyDeleteI will try to remember! (Noushy here refers also to some exhange on her blog.)
Paris looks spectacular...and cold! Nevertheless, I would gladly swap my warm paradise for your cold ville, this time of year ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter!
ReplyDeleteYou and your blog about Paris, make me really happy, that a town like PARIS even exsist's , such a beauty!!! GREAT CITY and your photo's makes it even better!!! My compliments..
I made some wonderfull shots last week of Christmas decorations but also a sunset and a moonrise in HOLLAND.
J'adore la photo de la terrasse de café. Elle résume pour moi toutes les autres...
ReplyDeleteAh, c'est magnifique! I wish we could have gone up in the Arch when I was in Paris some years ago, but they were doing some reconstruction/cleaning so it was not allowed. Perhaps another time...
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos!!
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas decorations are amazing.
isabella:
ReplyDeleteBut only for a short while I guess...? :-))
joann:
I have admired the photos on your blog!
maxime:
Merci pour ce compliment d'un pfrofessionnel de photos!
heather:
ReplyDeleteI know, it was closed for a while. Better luck next time!
ming:
... like in NYC!
excellent photos they are very colourful.
ReplyDelete