Christmas in Paris
Christmas really feels like Christmas in France despite the 50 degree weather. The hustle and bustle of the city, the beautiful lights along the Champs-Elysees, and the giant Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame make for the most festive atmosphere.
I was the tour guide for my friend Emilie and her mother. They had only been to Paris one time each, as her mother's uncle takes everyone in the family to Paris for their eleventh birthday. So it had really been a long time for her mother! There's just no excuse for that! If you're French, it's just not that expensive to go to Paris every once in awhile, and it only takes two hours by car or train from Normandy. Ah well, at least I mostly knew how to get around (well, I made a couple of wrong turns, one which landed us at the Moulin Rouge instead of our hotel, but what are ya gonna do?).
We walked from the Arc de Trimphe to Notre Dame and back again. That's a long walk, my friends, but it was worth it! We even caught a little bit of mass at Notre Dame, and that was spectacular. They had a little display inside that told the Christmas store through this light-up scene that I'm not sure how to describe. We walked back to the Arc via Rue de Rivoli, where we stopped for an excellent cup of hot chocolate and passed Jonathan Rhys-Meyers on the street (didn't get to meet him, unfortunately!). Emilie, who became a big fan of The Tudors when she lived in Wales, spotted him first because he just brushed right by her, and I made her turn around and jog down the street a bit to confirm that it was, indeed, him. It was. I love Paris!
Traveling was hard and I want to cry thinking about it. I'm still in so much pain from navigating the not-luggage-friendly metro. Robert and I were on the same flight and made it to our gate with only twenty minutes to spare before boarding! The flight was positively miserable, but at least they showed Wall-E! Everything after that was smooth-sailing. I am just so glad to be in my own home, with my family, sleeping in my bed with my dog at my feet.
Pictures of Paris here.
I was the tour guide for my friend Emilie and her mother. They had only been to Paris one time each, as her mother's uncle takes everyone in the family to Paris for their eleventh birthday. So it had really been a long time for her mother! There's just no excuse for that! If you're French, it's just not that expensive to go to Paris every once in awhile, and it only takes two hours by car or train from Normandy. Ah well, at least I mostly knew how to get around (well, I made a couple of wrong turns, one which landed us at the Moulin Rouge instead of our hotel, but what are ya gonna do?).
We walked from the Arc de Trimphe to Notre Dame and back again. That's a long walk, my friends, but it was worth it! We even caught a little bit of mass at Notre Dame, and that was spectacular. They had a little display inside that told the Christmas store through this light-up scene that I'm not sure how to describe. We walked back to the Arc via Rue de Rivoli, where we stopped for an excellent cup of hot chocolate and passed Jonathan Rhys-Meyers on the street (didn't get to meet him, unfortunately!). Emilie, who became a big fan of The Tudors when she lived in Wales, spotted him first because he just brushed right by her, and I made her turn around and jog down the street a bit to confirm that it was, indeed, him. It was. I love Paris!
Traveling was hard and I want to cry thinking about it. I'm still in so much pain from navigating the not-luggage-friendly metro. Robert and I were on the same flight and made it to our gate with only twenty minutes to spare before boarding! The flight was positively miserable, but at least they showed Wall-E! Everything after that was smooth-sailing. I am just so glad to be in my own home, with my family, sleeping in my bed with my dog at my feet.
Pictures of Paris here.