Christmas in Paris 2012!

In order to get us out of the January post-holiday funk, let's rewind to Christmas in Paris 2012!

This year was the first time I'd been away from family for Christmas, so when my best friend was going to be in Europe over the holidays, I was excited to have someone from home to celebrate with! I joined her in Paris and we spent a few days doing what people wish they could do in Paris but just don't have the time to.

We walked and got lost. We explored the Jewish quarter, walking the windy cobblestoned alleys, while I imagined that I had somehow been magically transported to the 1900's- because Paris just seemed so cool back then. We didn't eat here, but the food smelled delicious and was obviously popular because it was littered with people grabbing a quick bite. My favourite street here was definitely rue de Rosiers. That night we checked out the Louvre as it was getting dark. I'd only ever seen it during the day and had missed out on the illumination of the pyramids. It was so pretty! Sometimes, I think Paris is a lovelier city at night.


Then 'twas the day of Christmas and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. No, but really. The day was quite relaxed, culminating in an extravaganza of a Christmas dinner that took hours and hours. I ate the Christmas specialties of snails and frogs legs (which were both delicious and tasted something between chicken and fish), succulent duck and a delicious creme brûlée to finish!

The next day we decided to explore the Latin quarter, starting with the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore which is truly a book lover's sanctuary. Walls lined from floor to ceiling with books of every genre imaginable. The best thing about this place is that you don't feel any rush to leave. There are bean bags under staircases and upstairs there's a reading room filled with books. You can choose a book off the shelf and just sit and read for as long as you want. I stayed an hour, reading "The Diary of a Young Girl." It was then, when a little piece of paper came floating out with the words "we are so lucky". It was the perfect quote because there was nothing else I felt at that moment. Being there and reading what I was reading. I was more than lucky.