January 21, 2009 — Greetings from Paris, where the mood is celebratory.

Here are the front pages of yesterday’s left-leaning Liberation and right-leaning Le Figaro (which published a 20 page special on the “Obama Attitude,” also pictured).

And these are just a selection of yesterday’s papers. I’ve been here now since Saturday morning, and Obama has been a top story in almost all the papers every day.

The magazines have caught “The Hope of Obama” as well:

As for how this Cheapo celebrated the inauguration in Paris, I was lucky enough to score a free ticket to a viewing party at the Hotel de Ville, Paris’ historic city hall. My friend Rachel received two tickets from Democrats Abroad and invited me to join her (and 1,000 others) to celebrate the event in a pretty swanky setting. The crowd seemed overwhelmingly American, although many French attended, as well.

After waiting in a long line, tickets in hand, we passed through security and then headed into the Hotel de Ville. We followed these signs:

“Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Viewing of the Inauguration Ceremony of the 44th President of the United States, His Excellence, Mr. Barack Obama. Salle des Fetes, Second Floor.”

The “Salle des Fetes” is a sumptuous and golden grand hall, two stories high, vaulted, and lit by sparkling chandeliers. Where there isn’t gold, there are paintings depicting virtues or arts, and classical figurines seem to hold the ceiling in place. The room holds hundreds, and with one side mirrored, the reflected crowd seems even more impressive.

Just before the ceremony in Washington, the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe spoke:

To the right of the photo, you can also see United States Ambassador to France, Craig Roberts Stapleton, who addressed the crowd after the mayor. The audience, however, was restlessly awaiting the inauguration. Here’s the room right before the swearing in took place:

Obama’s ceremony was shown live on a giant screen, to much applause and some tears. Then, the crowd moved into other reception rooms for drinks, happy schmoozing, and to stare out at Notre Dame glowing across the Seine.

Can you tell that Rachel and I are happy?

Some danced, most drank, and many, like me, simply felt lucky to be there.

The post Report from Paris: “Obama Day” celebrated at the Hotel de Ville appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Yes, we did!

On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama will be sworn is as the 44th U.S. President and the world will be watching!

We’ve put together a list of places – that we currently know of – hosting inaugural day events in Europe. Fortunately, for all Europeans, the inauguration should be available in high-def at many locations.

We’ll keep adding to the list as Tuesday approaches. And, let us know – Do you still need to find a place to watch the event? Do you have another idea for a city we haven’t covered or an additional location in an existing city listed here?

Signed, sealed, delivered!

In Paris: The American Church in Paris hosts a prayer service at 7:30 PM followed by a viewing of the inauguration (one hour behind the live events) and a wine and cheese reception. Stop by and you might just see our Ed-in-Chief Tom Meyers! More info is here. You can also email Arlene Gross, the coordinator of the event, at arlbru2004@yahoo.com

For more ideas on where to hang your hat on inauguration day, check out this great forum on the Fodor’s Paris site. Other ideas include the Havane Cafe, at 70 Bis, Boulevard Auguste Blanqui (near Place d’Italie).

According to the Paris Expat Meetup group, the American Library has inauguration events planned. More info here.

In Berlin: Our friends over at BootsnAll first broke the news that Berlin would be partying down on inauguration eve. As they so aptly reminded us, it was Mr. Obama himself who said, “People of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment. This is our time.” Rock on! Head to Goya Nightclub for an evening of celebration or head to the Amerika Haus, where they’ve been celebrating Black History month for weeks already. Check out what they have planned here.

In London: A host of events are planned in Her Majesty’s great city. For a list of a bunch of them, visit Time Out London’s web site. Might we recommend the “Bye George” comedy celebration at the Southbank Centre on the evening before Obama takes office? By George, now that’s a pleasant thought!

For a real down-home feel, check out what the Chicago Rib Shack has planned. Just for the record, this is exactly where the other resident Cheapos would be if on the other side of the pond next week! They’re in Knightsbridge, near Harrods. For more info, email info@thechicagoribshack.co.uk

In Amsterdam: One of our favorite places to catch great entertainment and share laughs, Boom Chicago, has lots of fun stuff on the docket Tuesday night. Get in the mood earlier with a comedy show called, “Bye Bye Bush!”. For more information on the inaugural fest, go here.

In St. Petersburg: Fellow Cheapo “Liz” suggests trying the folks at the Grand Hotel Europe, where events are planned. Contact: desk.concierge@grandhoteleurope.com

Other suggestions: Check out sites like Democratic Underground, your city’s local Expat Meetup site, or Democrats Abroad for ideas.

Where will you be?

Tell us where you plan to watch the inauguration and – Help! Do you know of places in Rome, Madrid, Barcelona and other major European cities where inauguration events are planned? Please leave us a message in the comment section below. We’ll be updating our results as next Tuesday approaches.

The post Where to Watch Barack Obama’s Inauguration in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Americans abroad: Will you be watching the festivities? Whether you live abroad or will simply be traveling, we’d like to know whether or not you’ll tune in on Tuesday to the historic event happening in Washington.

If yes, please tell us where you plan to watch the ceremony. Which city? In a bar, community center, church, or other location?  Will you get there early? At home alone? In your hotel room?

If no, please tell us why not. Not interested? You can see highlights on YouTube? The line will be finally be short at the Eiffel Tower?

Tomorrow we’ll be posting a list of spots where you can watch the inauguration in Europe’s major cities. So please, leave your comments below! Thanks!

The post Americans abroad: Will you be watching the US Presidential Inauguration? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.