Paris dans les quatre saisons:
A stroll through the City of Lights in all its enchanting seasons 

Being fortunate enough to be an étrangère living in a city as animated, colourful, enchanting and inviting as Paris, I am often asked, "When is the best time of year to visit the City of Lights?"  Having mused at length over this question, after it has been posed by friends and family from all over the world, I have reached the dilemma of a conclusion that all the clichéd, wonderful images of this rich and magical city are, in fact reality.  I conclude this as a "dilemma" because you could surely find reason to visit at anytime of year. Whether you decide, to quote numerous songs and film titles, to visit "Paris in the springtime", or spend "Autumn in Paris", you will not be disappointed but rather realise that this vibrant capital has something uniquely alluring to offer year-round.

To give you a glimpse, here is a spattering of my observations throughout the seasons, all are spiced with the natural charms of the city and the culinary treats that will help any visitor endure each delightful time of year, if that were necessary...

Autumnal Paris is the sprinkling of fallen chestnut leaves, in a mélange of calm yellows, russets, and scarlet, that scuttle and tumble along the tree-lined boulevards, crunching under foot. This is the bewitching season of automne.  It is perhaps no wonder that, in the midst of the Paris Fall, the eternal Parisian sparrow, Edith Piaf, was inspired to write the evocative words that could almost be an ode to this city, "I miss you most of all my darling, when Autumn leaves start to fall".  During these months a rich cloak of fall shades drapes itself over the trees that edge the banks of the Seine, complementing perfectly the brilliant red of the geraniums that tumble out of the chic window boxes adorning the elegant Haussmannian apartment buildings overlooking the lifeblood of the city.  If tempted to linger as an autumn evening draws in around the Place George Pompidou in the Beaubourg Quartier, absorbing the vibrant atmosphere of the street entertainers and caricature painters who add to the already colourful environment created by the imposing Pompidou Centre itself, with the striking features of its gargantuan external red and blue piping, one might be warmed by the sight of a chestnut stall.  The sweet smell of these plump brown fruit being carefully roasted on a makeshift stove by an innovative local is warming in itself and, as the woody fumes waft under the noses of passers-by, many are lured by the scent of these offerings of the autumnal harvest, inextricably linked to this season of the year.

As the trees shake off the last of their autumn coats they bare themselves in preparation for the next season's mode.  The blue skies of October and early November above are gently blown back to reveal the whiter skies that bring the crisp air of the city's winter.  (Needless to say, I am not in agreement with Mark Twain, who believed that, "France has neither winter, nor summer, nor morals"!) Wrapped in layers to guard against the colder climes during hiver, tourists and residents alike are warmed by the rich and sumptuous sights that fill the heart of the city.  If the winter air breathes too harshly and is a little too biting, refuge can always be sought in the many boutiques whose windows draw in pedestrians with their elegant displays on the stylish rues of the St Germain Quartier.  If sustenance is needed to ward off le Bonhomme d'hiver, Jack Frost, the welcoming doorways of the many individual boulangeries and patisseries that line both the intricate networks of cobbled streets in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements and the wider avenues and boulevards around the Champs Elysees, Avenue de l'Opéra and those on the Rive Gauche will be a temptation too far.  The wonderfully rich aroma of butter pastry brioche and thick chocolate chaud hangs in the air, inviting all to enter a haven of solace and treats. The warm, inviting windows of the kosher bakeries in the Marais district, brimming with glistening golden, platted Chollah loaves, mounds of sugar-coated choquettes and luscious glazed fruit-topped gateaux will surely be too much to resist.

Visually, late November and December are spectacular in Paris, as department stores such as Le Bonne Marché (St Germain), Printemps, Samaritaine (both on the rue du Rivoli) and Galleries La Fayette (Opéra) all compete for the most decadent Christmas decorations.  As the evenings draw in ever earlier during the winter, the extravagant illumination displays on the facades of these grands magasins resemble the sumptuous chocolate box scenes and endless, sparkling rows of tree decorations to be found inside the stores.  The Christmas spirit that radiates both from these elegant outlets and the many street stalls to be found throughout the city, enjoying a bustling trade during the festive season is enough to spread a glow across the city, warming and cheering the hoards of shoppers who dash from groceries to toys to perfumery, trying to find the perfect stocking-filler.

As the chilly air thaws and the New Year matures, brave new budding leaves slowly breathe life into Paris' beautifully ordered parks and gardens, layering a fresh green gauze over the city's many trees and plant life.  A new lease of life is unleashed on the city's ambience with the arrival of printemps - springtime.  It is now that the Parisian parcs et jardins bloom with vibrant colour and new life.  The Jardins des Tuileries are brimming with the rainbow of spring colours that bud into life as rows of neatly ordered daffodils and crocus bob gently in the breeze.  Brilliant reds, yellows and purples fill ever immaculately groomed bed as admirers stroll through the walkways interlacing these treasured areas of greenery.  Café culture spills out onto the pavements and stylish locals and relaxed visitors alike sit back to observe life as it passes them by in the mild spring sunshine while they sip their noisettes, thés, and apéritifs al fresco.  By mid spring people are enjoying city life, having revived the joie de vivre they may have mislaid in the dark evenings of the winter.  As perfectly summarised by Billie Holliday's haunting classic April in Paris: "I never knew the charm of Spring...Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom, Holiday tables under the trees, April in Paris, this is a feeling that no one can ever reprise."  For those who enjoy a moderate climate in which to explore a city by foot in the full blooming glory of arguably the most colourful season of the year, Paris in the spring is hard to beat.

Having been charmed by the beauty of the spring months, spirits and temperatures are gradually warmed by the time the late spring blossoms have cast their last shower of sprinkled petals, leaving a swathe of resplendent green leaves adorning trees across the city.  We have reached été, summer.  And this is when, according to Cole Porter, ...it sizzles".  Heat in the summer months can be oppressive in the French capital, as in any other city, and can leave those unlucky enough to be left working in August (when, traditionally, commercial and academic France takes a month off) looking gruff and hard-done by in the stuffy air that fills the métro.  However, the high ceilings of the Haussmanian blocks allow the relief of a comforting breeze to drift in through the long, wooden-framed windows and tourists in modern hotels can usually enjoy the luxury of an air-conditioned climate.  

Reprieve can also be found on the quirky Paris Plage that temporarily lines a 3km stretch of the Right Bank of the Seine (1st arrodissement) from the end of July to the end of August each year.  Feel the 2,000 tons of imported sand between your toes, glimpse the potted palm trees and smart blue and white striped sun loungers that characterise this unique offering and hear the splash of water as families refresh themselves in the plunge pool.  With a blue sky above you and the shimmer of the sun on the Seine, you could almost escape the hum of the city and be transported to the Riviera.

During the summer months savvy Parisians arrive early at weekends and public holidays to claim their prized chairs in the Jardin du Luxembourg, where the garden's many ponds and fountains give one a cooling sensation.  The refreshing presence of water in the heart of the city can also be enjoyed as a cooling breeze skims off the surface of the Seine when traversing from the Right to the Left Bank across the Pont Marie to the Île St Louis.  This small, enchanting island dropped into the middle of the Seine and connected to the Île de la Cité (location of the Catédrale Notre-Dame), will entice you around its corners and into its many charming little individual shops behind their elegant façades.  With its sheltered cobbled streets and stone courtyards, and plenty of glace and sorbets on offer, any visitor will truly feel a break from the city and the heat of the summer.

Summertime offers a splendid panorama across the city from high vantage points such as the roof of Samaritaine or Galleries Lafayette or at the top of Montmartre.  In the busy hub of the Place de l'Opéra the golden winged figures standing guard over the ornate Palais Garnier Opera House can be seen to glimmer so stunningly that one might think the rays of the sun had set them to flight.  Similarly, the gleaming golden dome of the Panthéon in the 5th arrondissement of the Left Bank is a thing of splendour as it shimmers in the sunlight against the brilliant azure of the summer sky.

As immortalised by Frank Sinatra, "I love Paris in the spring time, I love Paris in the fall, I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles, I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles".  I tend to agree.