The Beautiful Ceilings Of Paris

 When visiting Paris, it is always a good idea to always look up.

It doesn't matter if you are walking along a Paris street ... by

looking up you will see some incredible architectural detailing

and sculptures that you might have missed if you stroll the streets

like we do in North America.  

And when you are in a wonderful Paris building, looking up may

just give you a thrill of a lifetime.   It did for me when I visited the 

Opera Garnier in Paris.  All the times I have traveled to Paris, I

had never visited this beautiful landmark.

The ceilings were breathtaking and the most famous of the

ceilings in the Opera is the hand painted ceiling by

Marc Chagall in the main theatre.  It was painted in

1964 and depicts scenes from the operas of 

14 different composers.

 The Opera building is called the Palais  Garnier 

and is the home of the Paris opera and ballet.

The Grand Staircase is another impressive 

space in this beautiful building.

 As is the Grand Foyer.

There is so much gold on the walls and ceilings

that even Donald Trump would be envious.

 We visited the opera on a rainy day

but I would have loved to see the beautiful windows

and gold interior sparkle on a sunny day.  

Or even better, at a performance at night.

The Phantom of the Opera has

the Opera Garnier as it's setting.

 Just across the street from the Opera is the famous

department store Galeries Lafayette.  I usually drop in once

during every trip to Paris.  I am not a big shopper but

I love the grandeur of these most lovely buildings.

The colors are difficult to capture with a photograph

because the details of the stained glass, gold accents, 

wrought iron railings and elaborate wallpapers are

so intricate.  It must be seen in person.

 I love the juxtaposition of the new and glitzy 

with the old and even more glitzy.

And Christmas time?

Breathtaking.

 My favorite of all the major department stores in Paris 

is Le Bon Marché in the 7th arrondissement.

I love the ornate but understated art deco design.

This room is their stationery and book department.

I could spend hours here reading on

their lovely couches and just soaking in

the beautiful surroundings.

Don't you love the simplicity of the stain glass ceiling

in this department of the Bon Marché?

Visit this older post where I show more photos

of this excellent Paris department store.

Next time in Paris,

look up.

You will not be disappointed.

And please stop by and visit Solange,
a true Parisian woman who loves to 
shop at Le Bon Marché so that she has 
the right gown to wear to the Opera.
My Etsy Shop.