Christmas in Paris

Champs De Elysee

So I fired myself from the blog because I couldn't come up with a valid excuse for the lack of posts. Bad blogger. So much has happened since my last post . We finally broke down and purchased a new computer and a expensive real camera. My real camera had a life span of fifteen days. Yes, you read that correctly. I had the camera fifteen whole days before it decided to jump out of a backpack and onto the cobblestone streets of Paris. I mourned. For real. The cost of repairing the camera is pretty much the same as purchasing a new one. Someone please explain that one to me. 


Other updates...I now have a j-o-b, which I absolutely love. More later. I also experienced my first real winter. You know where you have to wear a coat, gloves, and boots. Wait, what am I saying, of course you Southern Californians don't know! What am I thinking?  


Rory and I spent Christmas in Paris. It was beyond magical. Our days were filled with pastries, wine, bread, butter, cheese, wine, and pastries.  In that order. As you would expect, Christmas is a grand affair in Paris. Wonderful outdoor Christmas markets are peppered throughout the city, with the largest one located on the Champs De Elysee. We are fortunate to have been to Paris before so we didn't feel the need to rush around like crazy tourists. Instead, we tried to experience Christmas in Paris as the Parisians would, casually wandering the outdoor markets with a cup of hot mulled wine, sampling the Christmas delicacies and buying presents. 

Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart)

Santa Claus paid a visit to Sacre Coeur

This outdoor Christmas market was situated just below Sacre Coeur on the hill overlooking Paris.

This Christmas shop was selling homemade soap. 

We picked up some meat, a type of Salami, from this vendor. He let us sample a variety of the products. 

We sampled some sparkling Chardonnay. 

I restrained the urge to just shove my face into the piles of candy. 

Mulled wine. 

The light display on the Champs De Elysee. I am totally blocking the shot. Doesn't this photo look fake? 

See, I was really there!

This is literally chestnuts roasting on an open fire. 

Luxor Obelisk (a gift from Egypt) at Place de la Concorde

Fresh churros with nutella. Yeah, couldn't pass that up. 

Worth every calorie. 

Inside Galeries Lafayette 

Fresh seafood available at many outdoor markets 

We waited in line for 45 minutes to order our Christmas ham from this store. After Rory placed our order in french, the elderly woman behind us patted him on the shoulder and congratulated his effort.  

Notre Dame

Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. She is cased in bullet proof glass. Now you can say you've seen it. 

Our last night in Paris was spent at O'Chateau Wine Bar. 

I dream about these pastries. 

It wouldn't be a Paris blog without at least one picture of Le Tour Eiffel



If you could spend Christmas anywhere in the world, where would it be?