My partner and I live in DC but will be in Paris Inauguration Week (for many years we planned to celebrate his 50th birthday in Paris and it just happens to be the same week). As excited as we are about the historic event, we don't have mixed feelings because -- in my opinion -- any time you have the chance to be in Paris, you should be in Paris.

Anyway, it would be cool to find some sort of gathering of ex-pats or locals to watch the swearing-in. I think it will be about 5:50 pm Paris time. Any of you have any ideas how to go about finding such a gathering? So far googling hasn't turned up much, and the US embassy doesn't seem to be interested.

French president already in post. What you on about?

They want to watch the American inauguration, not a French one.

Maybe contact the American Church. Happy Travels!

You might check Cafe Metropole Club . They might have something planned. We were in Amsterdam on Election Day and the Democrats Abroad had a great party

http://www.metropoleparis.com/aclub.html

Here is the site for the democrats abroad in Paris :

http://www.democratsabroad.org/group/france-paris

It would have to be some place with a cable connection and big screen, so there aren't a lot. Lots of American expats are in the 7th arrondisement, seems to be their headquarters. There is the American Woman's Group you could try asking. The AUP probably has something like that. They are inaugurating their own President on 1/16th at the American Church, so guess you don't want to confuse that. Their student lounge is at 31 ave Bosquet. Might just hang around the Am Embassy and see who is around and what they know.

There are some sports bars around Paris with big screens, you never know. The Havane Cafe, for example, in the 13th near place d'Italie is one with big screens http://www.havanecafe.fr

They have WIFI, also, so I suppose you could watch it on the internet somewhere if you really wanted, but I gather that isn't exactly the goal, but to be in some group.

oh, you are probably not going to find a lot of American expats at the Havane Cafe.

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate the response!

I too am excited to be out of the country on Presidential Inauguration day. Its enough to make one sick...

I live in Hong Kong, and there are a number of events going on here and so I imagine that you will find many going on in other cities as well, esp in Europe as it will be much earlier in the day. I cross-referenced some places here and have some suggestions. The first place you might go is the American University of Paris (mentioned above) see http://www.aup.fr/ . The America Women’s Group does not yet have anything on their website see http://www.awgparis.org/2008/, but I belong to the AWA here, and I know plans are afoot and nothing is on our website either, so I would keep checking. If you can get yourself an invite to the American Club (see http://www.americanclubparis.org/home.html) that would be a very good place to go, if you belong to a club at home perhaps you can have a temporary reciprocal membership. The club here is having events all evening. The Harvard alumni club and some other clubs meet every month at Carr's Pub, 1 rue Mont Thabor (1er arr.; Metro Tuileries) so that may be a likely place to go as well. (You might try your university/college alumni association as well.) I would also try bars and lounges in US-chain hotels like Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton and Four Seasons (the last is partly-Canadian but worth a try).

I agree on checking with Democrats Abroad. Also ask your hotel.

I'm going to be in Paris on Inauguration Day as well, so am topping this in case anyone in Paris has any updated info for us.

Thanks.

Maybe this is what you are looking for...

http://american.meetup.com/16/boards/thread/6065790/

Thanks, Betty1.

Hi..

My partner and I will be in Paris too and we are looking for a place to watch the inaguration as well. Have you found anything or any place? I heard that there was going to be something happening at Hotel de Ville, but I have not found anything more about this.

Happy birthday to you too. We celebrated my 50th in Paris as well and it was wonderful.

Let us know if you find anything and maybe we would even join you. We are from Philadelphia.

I am a writer here researching a book. I have done a lot of political writing and have been trying to find something fun for the inauguration. If I can't get into the Hotel de Ville I think I will go at 4:30 to Restaurant Joe Allen, 30 Rue Pierre Lescot, then at 5:30 to the American Library in Paris, 10 Rue General Camon. The other place I was thinking about was Harry's New York bar. Let me know if you find anything.

The International Herald Tribune blog lists some additional information to that posted above:

http://blogs.iht.com/tribtalk/travel...potters/?p=667

One of the Breakfast-in-America restaurant locations will be broadcasting the inauguration.

http://www.breakfast-in-america.com/main/

Click on "It's Obama time" for details.

This gallery exhibit might still be on and it looks interesting.

http://www.iht.com/multimedia/audios...ive/index.html

Obama was big in France when we were there in Nov, signs everywhere

Have you looked on the American Embassy website for Paris yet? There might be info there. The consulate in Frankfurt always has info like that on its website.