Paris IXème: les grands magasins *** the departement stores

Les façades des immeubles haussmaniens se mirent dans les vitrines parées des Grands Magasins

Le boulevard Haussman, les Galeries Lafayette, le Printemps, la foule, la pluie, le soir qui tombe, les illuminations

Les petites estrades ne sont pas encore encombrées

Message pour Ella... et sa maman. Oui, oui !
In France the month before Christmas, everywhere, towns are beautifully illuminated and shops decorated
There is no exception in Paris, and that is particularly valuable for the department stores
They do gorgeous windows and kids love to look at them, there are small platforms, so they can watch quietly
Here the stores are "le printemps" and "les Galeries Lafayette" which are boulevard Haussman in Paris
In the past, there were plenty of terrible fires (remember, it was the same in San Francisco) and also the streets were so narrow, dark and dirty. Haussman (1809-1891) was a public administrator of Paris and he ordered important works in the purpose to do the streets wider, safer and avoid fires