The Paris Christmas Markets

Although the weather in Belgium has drastically changed, and I am nothing short of freezing - all of the time, - I have to say that the twinkle of the holiday season makes the chilling weather a tad bit more bearable. With the onslaught of winter come the enchanting Christmas markets that seem to suddenly spring up all over Europe. This time last year, Chris and I visited Bruges for the first time; the city sparkled and mystified me. In that instant, I told Chris that I wanted to live in Belgium, and I absolutely had to explore Bruges in every season. He smiled at the twinkle in me eyes and assured me that if ever the opportunity came up he would move me to Belgium. Little did we know that in less than a year, Chris and I would call Belgium home. 

What a year 2012 has been! 

Before heading home for the holidays, we decided to check out as many of the neighboring Christmas markets as possible, and the first festive stop on our agenda - Paris. We spent Thanksgiving weekend in "The City of Light," and below are a few pictures and details of the two markets that were open in late November.

Looking from the Louvre towards the Christmas market on Avenue des Champs-Elysees

From the Louvre, take a lovely stroll towards the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, and there you'll find the largest Christmas market within Paris's city limits. The entire street is illuminated with red and purple lights, and even in the rain, Christmas is in the air. Grab yourself a glass of vin chaud (hot wine/gluhwein) and a hand full of fried churros and perhaps do a little bit of your Christmas shopping. In my opinion, most of the stalls sell similar items: furry hats and expensive gloves, trinkets from Russia, candies and pastries, decorative Christmas ornaments, vin chaud, fried, unhealthy food, and every so often you'll get lucky and find someone selling creative, handmade items.

     - Open: November 16th, 2012 - January 6th, 2013
     - Location: Avenue des Champs-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde
     - Closest Metro Stop: Champs Elysees-Clemenceau or Concorde.

Winter in Paris

Falling in Love with Paris!

What an immense impression Paris made upon me. 

It is the most extraordinary place in the world! 

-Charles Dickens

- Thanks Mr. Dickens, you explain my sentiments exactly! - 

I knew that winter in Paris would have a completely different vibe than late summer in the same city, but we live so close, so why not experience every season in "The City of Light?!" My hard working husband had Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday off of work, so it was the perfect excuse for his first Parisian adventure. We downloaded a few French podcasts and brushed up on our language skills during the two and a half hour drive. We found a great rate at a four-star hotel right off the freeway called Oceania Hotel, and the location was close to a metro stop with easy 15-minute access into the heart of Paris. (Trip planning note: this hotel is great if you're driving a car because the parking rate is reasonable at 20 Euro a night, and you won't have to deal with the headache of driving your car into the heart of the city.)

- Sneak Peek Paris -

For months, I've been dreaming of a return trip to Paris! My September girl's trip was just picture perfect! The romantic city graced me and Kayla with pleasant weather, tasty wine, balmy evenings in front of the Eiffel Tower, friendly (and super helpful) people and an insatiable itch to return as soon as possible. Chris' office closed over the Thanksgiving holiday, so we went to Paris! My best friend and I jumped into our car and made the two and a half hour drive to "La Ville-Lumiere" ("The City of Light"). 

I'm currently sorting through all of the pictures that we took, but here's a little sneak peek at how we kept ourselves warm in late November. 

There were already so many love locks - so we each took a jumping picture instead of adding to the clutter. 

Chris was trying to look like the Eiffel Tower here. Did he succeed?

"Paris is always a good idea." - Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina Fairchild in Sabrina

Pictures of Paris

The Eiffel Tower at night is a sight worth hanging around for!

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley

I seem to have used that quote in so many conversations; and I've seen it prove true time and time again. It makes me glow inside when stereotypes are shattered. After all, aren't we all just people trying to make our place in this big, scary world? The only differences may be the color of our skin, our religious choices, the language we grew up speaking, and the color of our passport. 

Now that Chris and I live in Belgium, an obvious weekend jaunt would take us to Paris, France in under three hours. This is absolutely terrible, but I have to admit that I was less than thrilled to spend time in France, and not because of my own experiences, but because of tales I had heard from others. "Ohhhh, France this, and France that. The French can understand English, but they won't speak with you unless you speak French. Lana, Make sure you have a map because you may not find anyone who will help you navigate the city. . . " One stereotype after another. You would think that I would have learned to ignore such negative talk after spending a wonderful year in Serbia.

My magical weekend in Paris made me anxious to return to France and explore every single corner of the country! In fact, I am already researching the Bordeaux region. There are a lot of Bordeaux wines for sale in Belgium, and I am starting to get "acquainted" with as many of them as possible. 

My dear friend (and bridesmaid), Kayla, flew into Charles De Gaulle to spend ten fun-filled days with me and Chris in Europe. The cheapest flight took her into Paris, so naturally, we decided to spend two days exploring the city. Chris had to stay in Belgium, so Kayla and I booked a room a little out of the center at the Mercure Paris La Defense 5 Hotel. Reasonable lodging is really pricey in Paris, so we chose to stay close to the La Defense metro line and made sure that the hotel offered free shuttle service to and from the metro. One night we got in too late and had to walk from La Defense to the hotel and it took under 15 minutes. 

I cannot say enough about Paris! It is absolutely dreamy! You must go see it for yourself and leave all pre-conceived notions behind. If you are loving life, then life will love you back! 

Great staff (and great prices) at Le Bourbon in the St-Michel area.  That's my friend, Kayla!

The beautiful Notre Dame!

Love that I captured the leaning guy in this picture!

Paris -  the city known for the Love Lock bridges. 

Our first view of the Eiffel Tower at dusk. 

Dancing with a Tower view! Makes me want to get my Hubby here for a dance or two! 

Breakfast at Hemingway's hangout  - Les Deux Margots. 

We met up with one of my college buddies! It was wonderful to see you, Grant! Let's meet again!

The cafe was crowded but cozy and well worth the trip!

This taxidermie store, Deyrolle, is in the movie "Midnight in Paris." 

The mini Arc de Triomphe right before you enter the Louvre.  

The Winged Victory (Nike) of Samothrace has always been my favorite statue.  She's in the Louvre!

Checking out the Mona Lisa . . . with about 500 other tourists!

Amazing art structure as you leave the Louvre. 

The Arc de Triomphe. 

Exploring Paris!

Window shopping at Christian Louboutin. One pair for me, and one for Kayla.  Dreaming!

We said farewell to Paris with a bottle of Bordeaux, and the Eiffel Tower sparkled her approval! 

"Toute chose appartient a qui sait en jouir." - Andre' Gide

("Everything belongs to those who can appreciate it.")