Funny Face.

Oh those funny faces you see on the streets of Paris. This one was seen out and about up in the 18th at the Clignancourt Markets.

What a pooch!

19:59.

Tonight from 19:55 until 20:00 everyone was encouraged to turn off lights and appliances globally to support The Alliance for the Planet group in creating 5 minutes of electrical rest.

I hear that 1% of energy was saved.

Sharks in Paris.

Paris has it's very own Aquarium, Ciné-Aqua, right underneath Trocadero.

Certainly lots of sharks and other fish to be seen but at the entrance price of €19.50 it's no wonder it is empty.

Personally my vote is for the Sydney Aquarium. Simply fabulous!

Collignon.

If you've seen 'Amelie Poulain', you might recognise the fruit shop from the film. It is nestled in on the slopes of Montmatre.

And in honour of the film that put Montmatre on the map, they have kept the Maison Collignon signage above the door!

Sparkles.

Even after 3 years of living in Paris, I still get a buzz out of seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night. After dusk, every hour on the hour for 10 minutes the tower sparkles.

We passed it on the way home from dinner the other night. Just beautiful!

Hotel du Nord.

Parisians are crazy for doing lunch and it's usually the biggest meal of the day. It is not uncommon to take a break from the daily grind and enjoy lunch over a couple of hours.

Personally one of my favourite lunching spots is Hotel du Nord on Canal St Martin. Great atmosphere, great food and home of the fabulous french film, Hotel du Nord!

Pelouse au repos!

Everyone needs to rest and during winter it's the grass's turn, so no more walking on the grass please!

Most grassy areas in Paris are set to re-open again on March 16th. Not soon enough I say!

Australia Day!

Today, the 26th January, is Australia Day. That's right, Australia has its very own public holiday & everybody enjoys the day outdoors in the summer sun.

So what better reason to have a photo of Bondi Beach. Look how clear that water is. Inviting huh?

Wallpaper.

There are many fabulous Chateaux in France and some of them still have their original wallpapers. Like this one at Chambord.

I love the colours. Simply delicious!

Mossy Wood.

Here's a little mossy sign that I stumbled across in a German forest. It certainly looks like it has been there for a long time.

But what a lovely effect the moss has on the wood.

Two-wheelers.

Slowly but surely, more and more bikes are arriving on the streets of Paris - like this one that resides in the 18th.

Okay we're not quite up to Amsterdam standards just yet, but with more and more bike paths going through the french capital you never know what the future may bring.

Rodin.

Auguste Rodin, my favourite. And what better place to discover Rodin than the Musée Rodin in the 7th near Invalide. The museum is housed in a beautiful 18th century private palace and has stunning grounds.

It's a great place to go for a wander, to completely spoil your eyes with the Thinker, Hell's Gates and The Burghers of Calais.

Piper.

Piper-Heidsieck is one of my favourite champagnes. It has always been associated with fame and fortune throughout its existence.

During the 19th century fourteen royal courts made Piper their official supplier and today, it is the official champagne of the Cannes film festival and the Oscars.

Paris at Sunset.

Only Paris could carry off traffic at sunset looking this beautiful. If you are familiar with Paris, I am sure you recognise Place Concord, the Egyptian Obelisk (presented to King Louis-Philippe in 1829) oh and that tower, what's its name again?

Forests.

Nothing like escaping Paris and visiting a German forest (not far from the beautiful Heidelberg) as we did in September .

It's upseting that today half of the forests that originally covered 48 percent of the Earth's land surface are gone. Only one-fifth of the Earth's original forests remain pristine and undisturbed.

Night out in Epernay.

Epernay is about 100kms east of Paris in the heart of the Champagne region. With a population of about 27,000 it gets pretty quiet at night time ... and believe it or not this was only about 9.30 at night!

Paris by Seine.

The Seine river has always been the heart and soul of Paris, dating back to the days when the Parisii tribe first established a fishing village on the island now known as Ile de la Cité - between 250 and 200 BC.

These days it's great to get a taste of Paris by water every now and then - especially for us Sydney folk.

Too good.

Pastries are an essential part of the good life in Paris. And most patisseries have displays that simply make you gain weight by looking through the windows.

And yet most of the français seem to be able to balance the good with the bad. Avoid looking I say!

Sacred Hearts.

Sacre Coeur in the 18th, is nestled up on the Butte Montmatre right in the heart of Amelie Poulain territory.

The roman catholic church was a gift dedicated to the Sacred Heart after the Franco-Prussian war in 1870.

Republican Guard.

The horse cavalary regiment of the French Republican Guard where out and about on Sunday afternoon taking in some unusually warm Paris sunshine. They are usually spotted around Paris supporting other law enforcement officers.

Tate Modern slides.

Visitors to the Tate Modern in London can try out five giant slides (with thanks to Carsten Höller) and they are open to all for a test-slide.

The largest of the spiralling slides is more than 55m long and descends from the 5th floor. It will definitely get the adrenalin going.

Paris to London.

It only takes 2 hours & 35 minutes to get from Paris to the centre of London by Eurostar. The inaugural Eurostar journey under the Channel from Kent to France was in 1994.

And since then nearly a million bottles of french champagne have been consumed on board. Not bad hey?

Views of Abbesses.

There's a great little church in Abbesses called the Saint-Jean de Montmartre (or Saint-Jean des Briques).

The church is said to be a remarkable edifice because of the use of reinforced concrete - an architectural revolution in 1894.

It also so happens to have a pretty amazing view over Paris.

Pyramids.

The inverted pyramid of architect Pei, was created from laminated glass to bring light down to the Louvre's underground complex and mark the intersection of two main walkways, orienting visitors towards the museum entrance. Perhaps also a home to the Hold Grail for Da Vinci Code fans!

The Coathanger.

Given there are 21,320km between Sydney and Paris, why not showcase my beautiful home town.

The Sydney Harbour Bride or 'The Coathanger'(as the locals call it) was finished in 1932. It took eight years and 1,400 men to build it. It certainly is a stunning landmark these days.

Parisian Laneways.

Paris is filled with lovely little cobblestone laneways which can pop up in the most unexpected places. They can easily transport you back to far away times. More often than not during winter they are filled with little puddles.

Eiffel by dusk.

About 70 million tourists come to France each year, and a large proportion would see the Eiffel Tower. The best time for this is at dusk - so you see it by day and by night. There could be worse things to do at the end of a day!

Dance 1932.

The great Henri Matisse completed 'The Dance' in 1932 on commission for the Barnes Foundation. On completion he discovered it was about five feet too short. Matisse started over with the correct measurements and completed an entirely new mural. The original now hangs in the Musee d’Art Moderne in the 16éme.

Red, White & Blue.

The French flag was first used in 1789, after the French Revolution. It was officially adopted as the French national flag on February 15th 1794. The three vertical tri-color bands - red, white and blue, can be seen all over the country.

Manége.

Carousels, or Manéges, are part of the landscape in Paris and are found at most parks or playgrounds around the city.

Between Christmas and New Year, The Mairie of Paris offers a week of free rides as a holiday gift to 'les citoyens'. What a treat for the youngest of parisians.

Magical Montsouris.

Parc Montsouris, in the 14th, was designed by the famous city planner Haussmann in 1868 following a wish of Napolean III.

The tranquility of the english style park attracted numerous artists at the turn of the 20th century. Do you blame them?

Parisian rooftops.

Grey seems to be the 'couleur du jour' in Paris. Especially in winter with a nice grey haze settling in.

Just can't get enough of those Parisian slate rooftops (even after 3 and a 1/2 years).

TwentyOne320

There are 21,320 kilometres between Sydney and Paris. And I am an ex Sydney-ite living in Paris.

Twenty One 320* will share some impressions from my life - most likely photos with a french flavour.