Paris at Christmas.

By Karen

I was the delighted beneficiary of a Christmas miracle–a trip to Paris with my husband and both of my amazing grown-up children. And a wonderful trip it was, jet lag and the very cold weather notwithstanding.

To start with something exciting–we were entranced by the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, at 2 Place du Palais-Royal. The Fondation is not new, nor is its interest in contemporary architecture. But the new space, open since October, surely is.

Since its creation in 1984, the Fondation Cartier has placed architecture at the heart of its programming positing it as an enabler of interdisciplinary dialogue. Its historic building designed by Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in 1994 on Boulevard Raspail, Paris, broke all conventions of exhibition making by its apparent immateriality as a glass and steel structure.

Thirty years later, the Fondation Cartier commissioned to Jean Nouvel the transformation of a mid-19th century Haussmannian building, set to open late 2025 at 2 Place du Palais-Royal, Paris, next to the Louvre. Pushing the boundaries of architectural design, it embodies the Fondation’s mission to engage all forms of contemporary creation.

This space is simply brilliant, and the inaugural show is a delight. Well-known and lesser known contemporary artists, whimsical and captivating works, all emanating color and humor and joy. Don’t miss it!

Also new, for us, was the Pinault Collection at the Bourse. Tadao Ando has built a brutalist building within the Bourse, brilliantly showcasing both, and the collection.

The Bourse de Commerce bears witness to five centuries of architectural and technical prowess. It combines Paris’ first freestanding column, built in the fifteenth century for Catherine de Medici’s hôtel with the vestiges of an eighteenth-century wheat market building whose impressive circular floor plan was covered in 1812 with a spectacular metal and glass dome. It was restructured in 1889 to become the “Bourse de Commerce”.

Now revitalized through Tadao Ando’s contemporary architectural intervention, this monument sets the stage for a dialogue between historical heritage and contemporary creation, between past and present, and between the collection and its visitors. The Bourse de Commerce — Pinault Collection is the most significant project carried out by Tadao Ando in France to date.

And a final new joy, not really Parisian but a lovely part of the trip, was a version of Swan Lake I had not seen before. The original is my favorite classical ballet. The remake by Matthew Bourne–an all-male version that debuted at Sadlers Wells in 1995–is a fabulous reinterpretation. In Paris, we saw an equally fabulous reinterpretation, by Angelin Preljocaj, that debuted in 2020. The dancing was brilliant, the set was brilliant, it was thrilling.

While staying true to the spirit of the original, [Preljocaj] transposes the story of the swan princess into contemporary society, and introduces issues relevant to our times. Rothbart wants to mine a fossil fuel deposit on the edge of a lake. A young woman named Odette looks as if she is going to thwart his plans and so he changes her into a swan. In a different location, at a party, Siegfried objects to his father’s plan to join forces with Rothbart and build a factory on the edge of the swan lake.

Otherwise, Paris was the same. Enchanting. We rented a lovely apartment in a characteristically beautiful courtyard on a lively little street in the Marais, where we were steps away from really good bakers, fruit mongers, butchers, fishmongers–and many many tiny, excellent, lively cafes. Everything was exceptional, as were the stands at nearby Marché Des Enfants Rouges, full of merveilleux treats. Why are the berries in Paris so tasty? And the bread so toothsome? And, for better or worse, chocolate shops are everywhere. The wares at Debauve & Gallais were exceptional, perhaps because D&G are chocolatiers to the kings of France.

Sparkling lights were everywhere too, given the season. My daughter and I walked through the Tuileries Garden Christmas Market, sipping hot mulled wine–it was SO cold!–on Christmas Eve. It was dazzling–all gyrating colors and excited children. The Eiffel Tower was sparkling. After dinner at Chez Pippo, a cosy little boite, we walked two blocks to the Tower, twinkling and flashing after dark. What a Christmas treat!

The Louvre hosted a wonderful David show, and the Fondation Louis Vuitton a massive Gerhard Richter show. (I don’t really get all of Richter, but I love Gehry.) To see Notre Dame, now with a shining white interior, was heartwarming–though the crowds were huge. Each of the many churches we wandered into, each with its crèche, was gorgeous, especially French baroque Église St-Louis en l’Île, where we attended a lovely Christmas concert.

Of course we dined well. Our fanciest restaurant meal was in Le Tout Paris, at the Hotel Cheval Blanc Paris. Chicken with truffles. But mostly we ate in bistros. Robert et Louise, classic French, excellent steak and French fries. Liza, a warm and friendly Lebanese, was delicious. Bofinger, Alsatian and traditional French, boasts the best sauerkraut in Paris. Its French fries and roast duck are also splendid. Chez Pippo, mentioned above, is a very pleasant Italian. Its main claim to fame is location.

And we shopped well. I love the lively department stores in Paris. Le Bon Marche was the family fave for shopping, but my pick is Samaritaine, for its captivating interior. We had an excellent and stylish lunch in the restaurant on the seventh floor. My daughter and I were also excited by the number of impressive consignment and thrift stores everywhere. We struck gold at Bobby.

I could go on–but enough! Go see for yourself! And if you want to read a very evocative book before you go, Simon Kuper’s Impossible City: Paris in the Twenty-First Century is acute and amusing.

Bon Voyage!