Vacances de Noël

After my Parisian adventure, I was sick and felt horrible for two weeks, hence my lapse in blog posts. Then, vacation came. Everyone at school was in good spirits, sharing a Café de Noël with all kinds of goodies brought from home. I was thankful not to teach any more classes for a while, too! I felt worn out, and my body was certainly ready for a rest.

I rode into Paris Saturday and I saw the biggest snowflakes I've ever seen while walking the Champs-Élysées! The next morning, I met Lizzy at the airport. It was very nice to have my sister here with me, speaking English and bringing news (and gifts!) from home. And, Paris is Paris--lovely. Upon Lizzy's arrival the fields and forests were topped with white snow, so Christmas-y and pretty.

But then on the city sidewalks, the snow turned into disgusting greenish icy slush. It seeped into my boots and through my socks. I remained sick, and began to feel like I was hearing everything through a fog...a wall of sinus congestion keeping me from hearing & understanding both English and French! I noted a few select phrases I wish I'd never had to learn in French, like "toujours enrhumé" (still congested/suffering from a cold), and "solde" (apparently this means the "balance" of my bank account, not a deposit...how disappointing). My stress about planning the vacation continued for a few days, and I wondered if I would ever stop worrying about the next few weeks of finding things to do (and paying for them) with my visitors; and for good measure, whether I would ever get over my cold!

Lizzy took my grouchiness and grinch-like spirits well (she's probably used to me by now, poor thing). Of course we still managed some fun in Paris and we had some very special experiences.

A big Christmas tree in front of Notre-Dame of Paris!

After mass at Notre-Dame, I brought jet-lagged Lizzy along for tea with one of my French professors. She was a wonderful hostess and tour guide--she showed us the area of La Défense, where her apartment is located. It's a very unique modern suburb of Paris and an area I'd never seen. It's name comes from the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, this is where the French stopped the Prussians from invading Paris. Interestingly, there is no traffic...because it's underground! Huge pipe structures (or rather, sculptures) let the exhaust escape up and away from the people walking the sidewalks. The grand Arche de la Défense shadows the Arc de Triomphe. This cubic arch is large enough to fit Notre-Dame of Paris, bell-towers and all, underneath it.

We found a nice-looking restaurant on the way to our hotel and had dinner there, remembering to celebrate Lizzy's half-birthday and Mitch's birthday. Lizzy seemed surprised that she could order a glass of wine without anyone carding her! It was good to catch up and share a tasty dinner and dessert.

We'd been told not to miss the department store window-displays for Christmas, so we checked out all three major Parisian department stores: Galeries Lafayettes, Printemps, and Bon Marché. We went to Trocadero for Lizzy's first view of the Eiffel Tower, and for the Christmas market with ice-skating! We went to the Jardin de Luxembourg to see the frozen gardens, the palace where the French Senate now meets, and...a puppet show with traditional French marionettes, starring the famous main character called "Guignol." It was fun, if loud--the children are encouraged to shout answers and advice to the puppets!

One of the Christmas markets in Paris, with a prime location

The place to see the marionette show :)

We toured the Catacombs and went to Montmartre to see the Sacré-Coeur Basilica and the view of Paris from the hilltop. We visited the Christmas market on the Champs-Élysées. Knowing we would return to Paris after Christmas to meet Emma, we saved the museums to do then with her!