{"id":9806,"date":"2025-01-12T17:58:59","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T15:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?p=9806"},"modified":"2025-08-13T21:09:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T19:09:25","slug":"revelion-la-paris-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2025\/01\/revelion-la-paris-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year\u2019s Eve in Paris \u2013 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It has been exactly 5 years since I first experienced New Year\u2019s Eve in Paris. It was December 31, 2019; we were packed like sardines, tens of thousands of people crammed together, only to find out shortly after that something global had hit us: the coronavirus pandemic. You can read about that experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2020\/01\/noaptea-de-revelion-2020-la-paris\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I chose Paris again for New Year\u2019s Eve because I wanted a big, lively city during the holidays. I didn\u2019t want to get bored&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>NEW YEAR\u2019S EVE<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/madeleine-paris_dana-mladin.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>9:10 PM. After big efforts to put on some mascara and eyeliner, at least for New Year\u2019s, I leave the hotel and stroll toward Place de la Concorde. From there, it\u2019s easy to reach the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, the hot spot of New Year\u2019s Eve night. I tell myself I have all the time in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The streets are packed. The restaurants I pass by are full! Relaxed, cheerful, and noisy people everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traffic is already stopped, so most of us are walking on the road, enjoying the space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Believe it or not, no one is setting off firecrackers \u2013 you can walk peacefully without your heart jumping out of your chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/place-de-la-concorde_cameraman.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/place-de-la-concorde_cameraman-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/place-de-la-concorde_cameraman-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/place-de-la-concorde_cameraman-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/place-de-la-concorde_cameraman.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At Place de la Concorde, hundreds of people are gathered in the area where, I assume, you can enter the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es. I observe how that man up high is filming. He\u2019s probably the furthest cameraman from the Arc de Triomphe, where some artistic performances are taking place \u2013 I don\u2019t know what yet, as I can neither hear nor see anything. After all, I\u2019m still 2.5 kilometers away from the Arc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I try to get into the crowd, which is tightly packed against some barriers. No chance! And nothing seems to be moving either. I move a bit further and try again to get through. Nothing. In the distance, I see 2-3 people having their bags checked, a sign that there is indeed an access point there. It looks like the whole city has crowded into that spot! I think to myself that midnight might find us stuck here\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I come across a van with gendarmes. I start a conversation with them, asking if there are other ways to get in. &#8220;There are, but they&#8217;re just as crowded&#8221;. I decide to try my luck elsewhere. There\u2019s no way I\u2019ll make it if I stay put.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I head along the Seine. Others are doing the same, so we become a wave of people briskly moving toward another entrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wait a second! I see a big line. Kind of like the morning line for pretzels back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>False alarm: it\u2019s not an entrance, just a queue for the toilets. What can you do? Nature calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And we keep going, and going\u2026 Past the police and gendarmes, we even pass ambulances on the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On my left, I admire the Eiffel Tower in the distance; I pass the Grand Palais, surrounded by fences and guarded by gendarmes to prevent anyone from getting through here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It smells like fried food. On the side of the road, in two minivans, some immigrants are cooking sausages, hot dogs, and other strongly scented stuff. No one is buying. We\u2019re all in a hurry to get\u2026 somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_queue.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, we see a crowd of people. Yes! This must definitely be an access point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s nothing like the one at Place de la Concorde, so I join in. I\u2019m lucky to find a lane where the line is moving faster. The gendarmes are checking every bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In front of me, there\u2019s a couple of men \u2013 both dressed elegantly for New Year\u2019s Eve. Their disappointment is clear when they find out their large bottle of champagne, glasses included, has to stay behind. No alcohol is allowed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I remember that, five years ago, alcohol was allowed, but only if poured into a cardboard or plastic cup. Now, nothing at all! \u201cAlcohol-free zone\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_police-control.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, I\u2019m in!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, it\u2019s still a long way to go because, from where I am, I know there\u2019s still some distance to Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I barely walk 50 steps before I come across a loooong line, so long I can\u2019t even see the end of it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_queue.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I bypass the loooong line by taking the sidewalk, along with other hurried people who seem to know the better way. We all end up in a small crowd, squeezed against each other, waiting for our turn at yet another checkpoint!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gendarmes keep shouting in French for us to make way for the elderly and families with small children. We shuffle forward a few centimeters at a time, careful not to lose our precious spot near the barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And again, they ask us to make way, and again, we move slightly. I encourage a family with a child to move ahead, realizing they didn\u2019t understand the French instructions. They\u2019re happy to skip the wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere&#8217;s no point standing here!\u201d \u2013 a gendarme hits us with the news. \u201cThis entrance is ONLY for the elderly and those with small children!\u201d Oh no, and here I was thinking we were just giving them priority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I try to get out, packed like a sardine in the can I got myself into, to figure out where on earth I\u2019m supposed to go. If it\u2019s that loooong line, I\u2019d have to walk half a kilometer back! And 2025 will definitely find me here. On top of that, I see a balloon hovering above the line:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9813\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_reserved-access.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I relax, thinking this isn\u2019t the line I need to join. But still\u2026 seriously, how many reservations could there possibly be for the restaurants on Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es?!? How many residents could be in this massive line just to get home? Hm, something doesn\u2019t add up. Before I can figure it out, I find myself being pushed by a group of Arabs toward some gendarmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWomen to the women\u2019s line!\u201d one of them stops me and points me in the right direction, a sign that I\u2019ve accidentally ended up at the front, at the checkpoint!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I head over to the female officers, go through a body check, then my backpack is checked again and\u2026 YUHUUUU, I MADE IT!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_dana-mladin.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_dana-mladin.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m right on <strong>Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es<\/strong>! Far from the Arc de Triomphe, but who cares!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s 10:05 PM. Wow, I got here so quickly, I\u2019m awesome!!! Actually, it was more out of ignorance and a bit of luck that I got here. Because I still think that long loooong line wasn\u2019t for residents or reservations but for people like me, here to just take it all in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_screen.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On a large screen, I can see what\u2019s happening on the stage in front of the Arc. Great joy, some of their own artists sing (I didn\u2019t recognize any of them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I move forward easily because it\u2019s not too crowded here yet; you can still breathe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9816\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_paul.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9817\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_boulangerie-louise.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9818\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_pierre-herme.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the cafes and bakeries, there are massive lines! Wow, these people must make a fortune in just a few hours!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Me, I\u2019m happy with the good (and expensive) chocolate I have in my backpack, purchased during my first hours in Paris. I couldn\u2019t have spent money on a museum \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others seem satisfied with some\u2026 weed, judging by the smell in certain areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few Asians are wandering around selling flowers, hoping to find gentlemen eager to impress their ladies with a small romantic gesture on New Year\u2019s Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Whoever has caught the free piece of curb, don&#8217;t let it go. It&#8217;s a precious spot, because otherwise, your back starts to hurt. Or your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slowly but surely, the road fills up with people. You can no longer stay on the edge, because you risk not being able to join the crowd and see anything. So, I join in, even though the New Year hasn&#8217;t arrived in Romania yet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9820\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_2025_dana-mladin.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m a few hundred meters away from the Arc, and whether I look ahead or behind, I see people as far as the eye can see!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9824\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9824\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9823\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9823\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9822\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9822\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_3.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since I\u2019m positioned on a section between two screens, I can hardly hear anything. Basically, they only covered the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es with 4 screens and their corresponding speakers. So, if you\u2019re between the areas where the monitors are placed, that\u2019s it, you can vaguely see something on the screen, stare at what \u201cclothes\u201d the Arc de Triomphe is wearing, or simply ignore everything and enjoy the moment with the group you came with. Whoever came\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5-1180x665.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_5.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From time to time, an occasional firework pops up above the Arc, and we all raise our phones to film, thinking that the New Year has arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>False alarm. I know best, since I\u2019ve been keeping an eye on the clock, silently living through the transition to 2025 according to Romania&#8217;s time&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I notice that no one is drunk; we\u2019re all damn wide awake. Well, if you\u2019re not allowed alcohol, you experience New Year\u2019s sober. Even so, people are having fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some women speaking a Slavic language start singing songs from their national folklore, and they even do a hora dance, much to the despair of a few French girls who threaten to start singing the Marseillaise themselves \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s clear that we\u2019ve all kind of lost our patience, so each person entertains themselves as best as they can. Or gets angry, because a few cheeky people are trying to elbow their way to the front at the last moment, even though there\u2019s no room to throw a pin!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_4.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At another false alarm, when we all raise our phones to film, two girls, desperate because they can\u2019t see anything and can\u2019t convince anyone to lower their hands, throw out a joke that amuses our entire area: \u201cPickpockets, now is the time to act!\u201d \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>12 MIDNIGHT<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9827\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_2025.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight-1180x665.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_midnight.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here it is, <strong>midnight<\/strong>!!! I barely saw the numbers projected on the Arc, heard numbers shouted in different languages and\u2026 hooray, <strong>Happy New Year, 2025!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_arc-de-triomphe_2025.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We all kept our eyes on the fireworks. Or, more precisely, on the phone filming the fireworks, most of us. (I tried to combine both\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beautiful, I won\u2019t say otherwise, but they didn\u2019t blow me away. I mean, for such a huge city like Paris, I had higher expectations, I admit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9830\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks-1180x665.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_fireworks.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At 00:10, the fireworks were over! Boom boom. Smoke and commotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People still stay on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, but in total chaos: some are heading closer to the Arc to take pictures, others go down toward Concorde, some meet their lost friends, a team from an Arab TV station tries to catch their people to ask for their impressions; many couples are taking selfies while kissing, a group leader opens a bottle of champagne \u2013 how on earth did God let it pass through the filters?!?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9831\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9831\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9832\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris-new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_dana-mladin.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-id=\"9833\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-fireworks.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I take pictures with the &#8216;2025&#8217; and &#8216;Paris&#8217; projections on the Arc, so I have proof that I was here, in case I get drunk later and forget\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9834\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve-2025_champs-elysees_after-midnight.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At 00:20, a kind voice announces through all available speakers, repeatedly, that we need to leave, there\u2019s no reason to stay here. Traffic is about to reopen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, yes, it\u2019s true, I lived through this five years ago as well: with great speed, they gathered everything that was on the road after we, the curious bystanders, cleared it, and soon after, traffic resumed as if it were daytime!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019ll do the same now, for sure. They just need to rush us out of the area faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I head downhill. I come across empty cans, trash, food containers, tissues packets, lost gloves. Couldn\u2019t I find a million euros instead, damn it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_metro-station.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing the subway would be open tonight, after walking endless kilometers all day, I decide to take it for 2 stops. But\u2026 what do you know: it\u2019s not open. People, however, are coming and sitting here, waiting for the gates to open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I ask some French people if they know how long it will take. They don\u2019t know. Online it says it will open at 2:15 AM. What??? It\u2019s only 00:40, so I give up and decide to walk. Still, I\u2019m lucky compared to others: in about 2 kilometers, I\u2019m at the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/paris_new-years-eve_champs-elysees_crowd.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I walk like a robot&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Near Place de la Concorde, I stop and take another look at the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es. The huge crowd of people is impressive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although I\u2019m not at all a fan of these\u2026 gatherings with complications (long walks, controls, crowds, lack of visibility, etc. etc.), I have to admit that there\u2019s a unique energy in something like this. And I tried to soak it in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But, to be honest, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d repeat this experience for a third time here.<em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ok, I\u2019m going to my room to finish a 0.33 bottle of champagne (because yes, they even invented such a thing for people like me). I\u2019ll drown my sorrow because, guess what, I forgot to wear red underwear on New Year\u2019s Eve. Ugh, how am I supposed to have good luck now?&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For anyone who hasn\u2019t read it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2020\/01\/noaptea-de-revelion-2020-la-paris\/\">here<\/a> I wrote about how it was in Paris for New Year\u2019s Eve 2020, before the pandemic hit us.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It has been exactly 5 years since I first experienced New Year\u2019s Eve in Paris. It was December 31, 2019; we were packed like sardines, tens of thousands of people crammed together, only to find out shortly after that something global had hit us: the coronavirus pandemic. You can read about that experience here. I chose Paris again for New Year\u2019s Eve because I wanted a big, lively city during the holidays. I didn\u2019t want to get bored&#8230; NEW YEAR\u2019S EVE 9:10 PM. After big efforts to put on some mascara and eyeliner, at least for New Year\u2019s, I leave the hotel and stroll toward Place de la Concorde. From there, it\u2019s easy to reach the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, the hot spot of New Year\u2019s Eve night. I tell myself I have all the time in the world. The streets are packed. The restaurants I pass by are full! Relaxed, cheerful, and noisy people everywhere. Traffic is already stopped, so most of us are walking on the road, enjoying the space. Believe it or not, no one is setting off firecrackers \u2013 you can walk peacefully without your heart jumping out of your chest. At Place de la Concorde, hundreds of people are gathered in the area where, I assume, you can enter the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es. I observe how that man up high is filming. He\u2019s probably the furthest cameraman from the Arc de Triomphe, where some artistic performances are taking place \u2013 I don\u2019t know what yet, as I can neither hear nor see anything. After all, I\u2019m still 2.5 kilometers away from the Arc. I try to get into the crowd, which is tightly packed against some barriers. No chance! And nothing seems to be moving either. I move a bit further and try again to get through. Nothing. In the distance, I see 2-3 people having their bags checked, a sign that there is indeed an access point there. It looks like the whole city has crowded into that spot! I think to myself that midnight might find us stuck here\u2026 I come across a van with gendarmes. I start a conversation with them, asking if there are other ways to get in. &#8220;There are, but they&#8217;re just as crowded&#8221;. I decide to try my luck elsewhere. There\u2019s no way I\u2019ll make it if I stay put. So I head along the Seine. Others are doing the same, so we become a wave of people briskly moving toward another entrance. Wait a second! I see a big line. Kind of like the morning line for pretzels back home. False alarm: it\u2019s not an entrance, just a queue for the toilets. What can you do? Nature calls. And we keep going, and going\u2026 Past the police and gendarmes, we even pass ambulances on the way. On my left, I admire the Eiffel Tower in the distance; I pass the Grand Palais, surrounded by fences and guarded by gendarmes to prevent anyone from getting through here. It smells like fried food. On the side of the road, in two minivans, some immigrants are cooking sausages, hot dogs, and other strongly scented stuff. No one is buying. We\u2019re all in a hurry to get\u2026 somewhere. Finally, we see a crowd of people. Yes! This must definitely be an access point. It\u2019s nothing like the one at Place de la Concorde, so I join in. I\u2019m lucky to find a lane where the line is moving faster. The gendarmes are checking every bag. In front of me, there\u2019s a couple of men \u2013 both dressed elegantly for New Year\u2019s Eve. Their disappointment is clear when they find out their large bottle of champagne, glasses included, has to stay behind. No alcohol is allowed! I remember that, five years ago, alcohol was allowed, but only if poured into a cardboard or plastic cup. Now, nothing at all! \u201cAlcohol-free zone\u201d\u2026 Finally, I\u2019m in!!! Well, it\u2019s still a long way to go because, from where I am, I know there\u2019s still some distance to Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es. I barely walk 50 steps before I come across a loooong line, so long I can\u2019t even see the end of it! I bypass the loooong line by taking the sidewalk, along with other hurried people who seem to know the better way. We all end up in a small crowd, squeezed against each other, waiting for our turn at yet another checkpoint! The gendarmes keep shouting in French for us to make way for the elderly and families with small children. We shuffle forward a few centimeters at a time, careful not to lose our precious spot near the barrier. And again, they ask us to make way, and again, we move slightly. I encourage a family with a child to move ahead, realizing they didn\u2019t understand the French instructions. They\u2019re happy to skip the wait. \u201cThere&#8217;s no point standing here!\u201d \u2013 a gendarme hits us with the news. \u201cThis entrance is ONLY for the elderly and those with small children!\u201d Oh no, and here I was thinking we were just giving them priority. I try to get out, packed like a sardine in the can I got myself into, to figure out where on earth I\u2019m supposed to go. If it\u2019s that loooong line, I\u2019d have to walk half a kilometer back! And 2025 will definitely find me here. On top of that, I see a balloon hovering above the line: I relax, thinking this isn\u2019t the line I need to join. But still\u2026 seriously, how many reservations could there possibly be for the restaurants on Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es?!? How many residents could be in this massive line just to get home? Hm, something doesn\u2019t add up. Before I can figure it out, I find myself being pushed by a group of Arabs toward some gendarmes. \u201cWomen to the women\u2019s line!\u201d one of them stops me and points me in the right direction, a sign that I\u2019ve accidentally ended up at the front, at the checkpoint! I head over to the female officers, go through a body check, then my backpack is checked again and\u2026 YUHUUUU, I MADE IT!!! I\u2019m right on Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es! Far from the Arc de Triomphe, but who cares! It\u2019s 10:05 PM. Wow, I got here so quickly, I\u2019m awesome!!! Actually, it was more out of ignorance and a bit of luck that I got here. Because I still think that long loooong line wasn\u2019t for residents or reservations but for people like me, here to just take it all in. On a large screen, I can see what\u2019s happening on the stage in front of the Arc. Great joy, some of their own artists sing (I didn\u2019t recognize any of them). I move forward easily because it\u2019s not too crowded here yet; you can still breathe. At the cafes and bakeries, there are massive lines! Wow, these people must make a fortune in just a few hours!!! Me, I\u2019m happy with the good (and expensive) chocolate I have in my backpack, purchased during my first hours in Paris. I couldn\u2019t have spent money on a museum \ud83d\ude42 Others seem satisfied with some\u2026 weed, judging by the smell in certain areas. A few Asians are wandering around selling flowers, hoping to find gentlemen eager to impress their ladies with a small romantic gesture on New Year\u2019s Eve. Whoever has caught the free piece of curb, don&#8217;t let it go. It&#8217;s a precious spot, because otherwise, your back starts to hurt. Or your legs. Slowly but surely, the road fills up with people. You can no longer stay on the edge, because you risk not being able to join the crowd and see anything. So, I join in, even though the New Year hasn&#8217;t arrived in Romania yet! I&#8217;m a few hundred meters away from the Arc, and whether I look ahead or behind, I see people as far as the eye can see! Since I\u2019m positioned on a section between two screens, I can hardly hear anything. Basically, they only covered the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es with 4 screens and their corresponding speakers. So, if you\u2019re between the areas where the monitors are placed, that\u2019s it, you can vaguely see something on the screen, stare at what \u201cclothes\u201d the Arc de Triomphe is wearing, or simply ignore everything and enjoy the moment with the group you came with. Whoever came\u2026 From time to time, an occasional firework pops up above the Arc, and we all raise our phones to film, thinking that the New Year has arrived. False alarm. I know best, since I\u2019ve been keeping an eye on the clock, silently living through the transition to 2025 according to Romania&#8217;s time&#8230; I notice that no one is drunk; we\u2019re all damn wide awake. Well, if you\u2019re not allowed alcohol, you experience New Year\u2019s sober. Even so, people are having fun. Some women speaking a Slavic language start singing songs from their national folklore, and they even do a hora dance, much to the despair of a few French girls who threaten to start singing the Marseillaise themselves \ud83d\ude42 It\u2019s clear that we\u2019ve all kind of lost our patience, so each person entertains themselves as best as they can. Or gets angry, because a few cheeky people are trying to elbow their way to the front at the last moment, even though there\u2019s no room to throw a pin! At another false alarm, when we all raise our phones to film, two girls, desperate because they can\u2019t see anything and can\u2019t convince anyone to lower their hands, throw out a joke that amuses our entire area: \u201cPickpockets, now is the time to act!\u201d \ud83d\ude42 12 MIDNIGHT And here it is, midnight!!! I barely saw the numbers projected on the Arc, heard numbers shouted in different languages and\u2026 hooray, Happy New Year, 2025!!! We all kept our eyes on the fireworks. Or, more precisely, on the phone filming the fireworks, most of us. (I tried to combine both\u2026) Beautiful, I won\u2019t say otherwise, but they didn\u2019t blow me away. I mean, for such a huge city like Paris, I had higher expectations, I admit. At 00:10, the fireworks were over! Boom boom. Smoke and commotion. People still stay on the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, but in total chaos: some are heading closer to the Arc to take pictures, others go down toward Concorde, some meet their lost friends, a team from an Arab TV station tries to catch their people to ask for their impressions; many couples are taking selfies while kissing, a group leader opens a bottle of champagne \u2013 how on earth did God let it pass through the filters?!? I take pictures with the &#8216;2025&#8217; and &#8216;Paris&#8217; projections on the Arc, so I have proof that I was here, in case I get drunk later and forget\u2026 At 00:20, a kind voice announces through all available speakers, repeatedly, that we need to leave, there\u2019s no reason to stay here. Traffic is about to reopen. Yes, yes, it\u2019s true, I lived through this five years ago as well: with great speed, they gathered everything that was on the road after we, the curious bystanders, cleared it, and soon after, traffic resumed as if it were daytime! They\u2019ll do the same now, for sure. They just need to rush us out of the area faster. I head downhill. I come across empty cans, trash, food containers, tissues packets, lost gloves. Couldn\u2019t I find a million euros instead, damn it\u2026 Knowing the subway would be open tonight, after walking endless kilometers all day, I decide to take it for 2 stops. But\u2026 what do you know: it\u2019s not open. People, however, are coming and sitting here, waiting for the gates to open. I ask some French people if they know how long it will take. They don\u2019t know. Online it says it will open at 2:15 AM. What??? It\u2019s only 00:40, so I give up and decide to walk. Still, I\u2019m lucky compared to others: in about 2 kilometers, I\u2019m at the hotel. I walk like&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[27,26,450,495,496,1875,1876,456,1873,448,23,20,1274,664,1089],"class_list":["post-9806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-calatorii","tag-calator-singur","tag-calatorii","tag-champs-elysees","tag-new-year-in-paris","tag-new-years-eve-in-paris","tag-noaptea-de-revelion","tag-noaptea-de-revelion-la-paris","tag-paris","tag-paris-2025","tag-revelion-la-paris","tag-solotravel","tag-travel","tag-travel-blog","tag-travel-guide","tag-travelling","main-post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.12.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ro","en"],"languages":{"ro":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9806"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9806"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9841,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9806\/revisions\/9841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}