Christmas Lights on Champs-Élysées 2011

A brief look at the Christmas lights decorating the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris, France, for Christmas of 2011. These inexpensive lights replaced the beautiful lights of the preceding years. The new lights are hard to spot, but they are the colored rings seen near the bases of the trees on either side of the avenue. The aesthetics of this new scheme are debatable, but I thought someone might still want to see what they look like.

Opinions of the new lights have been overwhelmingly negative, among both visitors and locals, especially in comparison to the lighting scheme that preceded it.

There are two views, one from the Rond-Point of about a minute, and a shorter shot from the place de la Concorde. The night was a trifle misty. The autofocus on the camera was hunting a bit—sorry about that.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• paris
• france
• champs
• elysées
• avenue
• christmas
• xmas
• decoration
• lights
• 2011
• Champs-Élysées
• Holiday

[joebstewart]

Thank you very much for this. I remember how beautiful those lights are. When walked the whole Avenue during Christmas 2001. Could you do a video of the windows at Galerie Lafayette?

Also the inside of that store. Your videos of those would be most welcome. Thanks for all you have done.

[Mxsmanic]

@joebstewart I uploaded a video of the exterior Christmas decorations at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette a few days ago. No interior shots, though—store employees are often paranoid about picture-taking indoors.

I also uploaded a video on the rue Mouffetard even more recently. I'm not sure whether new videos are announced to subscribers or not, and I don't like to pester them with a bulletin about every video I upload.

[NANSAZ]

Thanks for posting this. I just went to the Champs Elysees to check out this year's lights and was appalled by this cheezy display. Reminded me of Denny's Restaurant or the Jetsons TV show. The last few years lights were gorgeous and now this atrocity. Looks to me like some sort of alien communication system. Very strange indeed. I was glad to hear you didn't like them either.

[TonySrfSch]

Seems awfully fuzzy for high definition.

[joebstewart]

@Mxsmanic Thanks very much. I just watched those two new videos you mention. Excellent as always. Like many others I like that you do not add vocal comments and or music. Those would just get in the way of your excellent videos. I like the ambient sounds.