Ringing in the New Year in Paris

It wasn’t the first time I’d orchestrated this plan, so I knew what to hope for (not “expect”). For a handful of single women my age, this was the perfect way to spend New Year’s Eve and I had confidence they would agree with me.

The Cirque d’Hiver is literally across the street from my current apartment. So, that means effortless entertainment a stone’s throw away. (No Métro or taxi to worry with!) Tickets to their New Year’s Eve performance were easy to get and not very expensive. I chose seats that had front row, but mid-height and dead center to the main entrance into the circus ring for the ideal view. I thought they would be best.

The Cirque d’Hiver (Winter Circus) is a historic venue renowned for its architectural beauty and its rich cultural history as a performance space. And there it sits where I see it every day. Designed by architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff, he is also known for designing the Gare du Nord and parts of Place de la Concorde. The circus opened its doors on December 11, 1852, during the reign of Napoleon III.

A polygonal building with 20 sides, it has a circular appearance. Initially it was built to seat about 4,000 spectators, although some renovations may have altered this number. (You will learn further down, how they added seats where they shouldn’t have!) The exterior is adorned with ornate bas-reliefs depicting themes of circus performances, animal acts, and acrobats. The structure is topped with a large dome, creating excellent acoustics. And on top of it all, it’s one of the oldest permanent circus buildings still in use today.

Initially the circus was called the Cirque Napoléon in honor of Napoleon III but was renamed after the fall of the empire. Over the years, it has hosted a variety of performances including circus acts, musical concerts, ballets, and even boxing matches. It has appeared in several films, including the iconic 1956 film Trapeze starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis.

Today, the Cirque d’Hiver is operated by the Bouglione family, a name synonymous with French circus arts. They have run the venue since 1934, maintaining its tradition of showcasing spectacular circus acts. The venue also stages private events, fashion shows, and gala dinners, blending its historical ambiance with contemporary usage. One of my friends who celebrated with us had been to the building many times, but always for fashion shows—Jean-Paul Gaultier is known to have his shows held there.

Each time I’ve attended over the years, the show was very different. They have moved up with the times, as the lion taming is a thing of the past, as are most of the animal performances. This particular show, known as “Spectaculaire,” presented only one—a “horse and pony show,” literally a big beautiful black stallion with a tiny Shetland pony who performed together doing their own tricks. Otherwise, all the acts were amazing acrobatic feats staged incredibly professionally.

That’s the 25-word-or-less description, but the bottom line is that the entire experience was a blast! One performance was more incredible than the next. We marveled at the athletes’ abilities to juggle, walk the tightrope, or do triple somersaults on the high trapeze.

Those great seats I ordered up turned out to be twin-edged blades, however. On one hand, the view was close to perfect, dead center and mid-height, but there were spot lights directed to the ring just in front of us that partly blocked our view of the full circle. The worst part, however, is that of all the seats in the house, only these six (our three and another three on the other side of the aisle from us) butted up against the platform for the spot lights, and that platform jutted into the feet area in front of the seats, making them near to impossible to sit in without your feet being in your nose!

To add insult to injury, I had especially worn my new “clown” shoes which have unusually long toes, just to be in the spirit of the show, and there was no way to fit them in anyway that made sitting pleasant or even possible. These are the seats that should never have been! All three of us were like sardines shoved into the can, but at least we had a fabulous view! Ha!

At intermission, one of us moved to sit on the stair steps in the aisle, giving us one seat between us to angle our bodies and…feet. That made the rest of the performance more manageable, but in spite of the uncomfortable seating, nothing detracted from the show itself! We really didn’t care and were able to laugh about it.

The audience was filled with families and other seniors such as ourselves, as the show is not at all a “kiddie” affair…but really is total eye candy for all ages. Every inch is as professional as it gets and the talent is mind-blowing, even if some of it is a bit “cheesy.”

My favorite acts were the clowns—three guys who were masters at their craft. These weren’t the American style scary-looking clown with the big red nose and funky hair, but the more intellectual European-style humor with good slap-stick and sophisticated themes. Just before intermission, they did an act using big cotton balls (that’s what they looked like, but I can’t swear by that!) that were tossed into the audience, who then tossed them back, creating audience participation that ended in a lot of laughs and fun for everyone. In appropriate French behavior, all the balls were returned to their rightful clown owners, even though a souvenir might have been what they truly wanted.

The acrobatic performances were almost unimaginable. A juggler juggled about a dozen rings in the air at one time. A hula-hooper hooped about 30 hoops at one time creating a spiral pipe around her that glowed with multi-color patterns. A woman balanced on a tight rope on her toes in ballet shoes. A woman climbed up a pole and performed various positions on top, while the pole was propped on the head of a man without holding it in place…depending on balance. The usual trapeze artists did three flips before being caught in the hands of the man hanging by his knees. Two women hoisted high in the air held only by a ring on a wire spun together in a frenzy with little to support them. It was all simply incredulous.

The applause at the very end (two hours total) lasted a long time, morphing into a standing ovation for all of the performers…well deserved. (The ringmaster was clever enough to hold any announcements on his part allowing for the tension to rise and therefore the audience to rise from their chairs.) Then it was over and we filed out, fully satisfied with the evening so far. Two minutes later, we were home and pulling out the rest of the dinner from the fridge.

We had “apéro” before the circus, with foie gras and smoked salmon to tie us over till having a bigger dinner after. When trying to choose a foie gras, about which I know less than nothing, it was the packaging that wooed me. Foregoing the Monoprix brand for something that looked more authentic, I chose one that seemed dependable: the company had been making foie gras since 1890, with the founder’s photo big and bold on the packaging, basically saying “Trust me, I stand behind my product.” And so I did and bought it. It turned out to be delicious, so make note: Maison Delpeyrat. You can count on it.

A friend from the Champagne region brought a bottle from a local producer. Cuvée Renoir. “A nose where the hazelnut will flirt with the acacia flower then the nuances of lily which will mingle with the red fruits to give way to a palate so nicely lemony and suave. A surprising lightness and an invigorating delicacy. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay.”

Dinner was after the circus, with boiled shrimp, “charcuterie” and salad. For dessert, we had fruit, chocolate and ice cream. It was all perfect. Then, we settled in front of the TV to watch the fireworks at the Arc de Triomphe live—the very best place from which to watch them! The Arc de Triomphe was on fire! While I’m sure those thousands of people standing on the Champs Elysées were having lots of fun in spite of the cold and crowds, no one there could have had the spectacular views we had, taken by drones from all angles…all while sitting in the comfort of our warm apartment and munching and drinking New Year’s specialties.

The new year got even better on the 1st. We were lucky enough to get into Notre-Dame on New Year’s Day to see “Our New and Improved Lady.”

I’d heard from friends that the trick to gain entry is to go just before mass and stand in that line, not the general line. We arrived about 11:45, got in a long line, but it quickly moved into the cathedral as there is no security (although a security guard did stop the man in front of me to check him out—I suppose they are profiling to find possible threats).

The reaction I had to the church was not what I expected. Churches have never been my thing, but I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the new Lady to the point of tears. It literally took my breath away. It’s not the same church. Nothing looked even vaguely familiar with the exception of the rosary windows. It’s immaculate. It’s magnificent in every respect, at every turn, looking down, or up or just straight ahead. It was WOW!

The artisans who worked feverishly to rebuild Notre-Dame must be terribly proud of themselves. They did an amazing job. Following the devastating fire in April 2019, it has been a monumental effort involving significant resources and meticulous craftsmanship. President Emmanuel Macron promised to have it rebuilt in five years, and even though he didn’t have a clue at the time if it was possible, that’s exactly what happened. Initially estimated to take 20 to 40 years instead, the restoration was completed in under six years.

The restoration has cost approximately €700 million (around $767 million). Over 2,000 workers, including artisans, craftsmen, and specialists, have contributed to the restoration efforts. Approximately 45,900 cubic feet of limestone have been used to restore the damaged walls and vaults. The original limestone quarries beneath Paris are no longer in use; therefore, stone was sourced from the Oise region in northern France and cut in Gennevilliers. The reconstruction of the nave and choir required 1,200 oak trees from across France, replicating the original wooden framework. Advanced digital technologies played a crucial role in the restoration, digitally recreating the cathedral from various scans took two months and involved six high-performance computers to process the data.

These statistics underscore the extensive efforts and resources dedicated to restoring Notre-Dame Cathedral, aiming to preserve its historical and cultural significance for future generations. I was impressed, to say the least.

Put Notre-Dame de Paris on your bucket list. Next time you’re in Paris, make it your first stop! You may be brought to tears as I was.

A la prochaine…