Paris NYE

Great excitement this morning as apart from being New Years Eve, someone was having a birthday. It was out early to stock up on breakfast goodies and get the table prepared. Someone looked happy!!

After breakfast we headed out for Musee D'Orsay, with a stop for a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower crossing the Seine.

It was about 9 deg and a 15 minute queue for tickets so once we got in we headed straight up for coffees...

..and views.

We had two objectives during the visit, the impressionist galleries, where all the old favourites were on display...

...and a special exhibition entitled Splendeurs et misères - Images of Prostitution 1850 to 1910.

This covered the full gamut of discreet paintings of courtesans and street prostitutes bearing their ankles, to early 1900s porn films shown through peep holes for over 18s only. The artworks were variously risqué, and included many works by Toulouse Lautrec, plus others. For example..

..plus "catalogues" and furniture from the brothels, including this love chair - which certainly conjures up interesting images.

We the walked to the Luxembourg gardens passing some souvenir shops...

...street sculpture..

..and Saint Sulphice church.

Despite the cold and the metal chairs, we lunched outside. We had sun, but still shivered a little, it being Julie's birthday request.

We had a special New Years Eve dinner booked at a local restaurant, but, feeling the need for a birthday cake, celebrated for afternoon tea, with a modified "Happy Holidays" cake.

After all that excitement we killed time with some cards and champagne.

Then it was time to rug up and head out for our New Years dinner at a nearby restaurant.

We had a 6 course meal which included fois gras in verjus..

..lobster ravioli...

...and Calvados - apple brandy - with dried and stewed apple and sorbet

We also struggled through filet steak and black pudding dessert.

We wandered into to the Arc de Triumph, only to find it well cordoned off by the police. Because of the prior terrorist incidents the whole NY experience was scaled back. Access to the Champs Elysses was restricted and no fireworks. Just a lighting show on the Arc.

We walked up shut off streets to the Arc...

..to see a pretty poor heralding of the NY, not even a countdown or indicator of midnight.

With that, we, along with hundreds of others including coach loads of tourists, moved off home in the 7 deg temperature, just the occasional car horn to mark the celebration.