Christmas Eve in Paris.

I received an early christmas present today in the form of my sister on the aeroplane a little early for my liking but we were both running on little to no sleep. Had to finish up the last minute christmas food shopping, including a traditional french christmas cake a "buche de Noel." One of these yummy looking things.

lots of buche de Noel's in the shop window

Then Sian and I went to the christmas markets at Saint Sulpice, wandered down to the seine and Notre Dame followed by some browsing of the windows of Gallery Lafayette.

Christmas markets St Sulpice

Christmas markets St Sulpice

Country village scene in a shop window

Notre Dame

Gallery Lafayette window

Gallery Lafayette window

Following our window browsing we made our way to the Champs Elysee and the christmas markets, where we browsed at the stalls and walked up to the Arc the Triomphe. We then made our way down the Champs Elysee again, where it was time for some vin chaud before heading home to make a christmas eve dinner then curl up snuggly in bed.

Arc de Triomphe

Champs Elysee and the Arc

Champs Elysee and the Ferris Wheel

Ferris wheel at night

Paris at night

Christmas at Notre Dame

The other night after class three of us went out to dinner. On the way to the restaurant we passed Notre Dame and the big christmas tree they have up, here are some photos I took.

"oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree!"

Ok so here are the long promised photos of my christmas tree.

Parisian Party!

Today I had my first Parisian dinner party. Ok so it was a luncheon and there was only one French person but you know what I mean. I have been taking French lessons at Alliance and on our breaks and things four of us usually get coffee together. One of the girls is leaving tomorrow so one of the others invited us to lunch at her house. So we had a luncheon with her and her husband us girls and two Belgian guys who were friends of theirs. In true French style we had lots of yummy wine and a lot of courses. Prawns for starters, then pork with apricot and figs and salad then cheeses then pineapple with cointreau on top all very yummy.

It’s coming on Christmas they’re cutting down trees

Ok, so I know that I haven’t blogged for awhile and lots of people are waiting for the next entry but it’s been cold, grey and rainy and my mood has been reflecting the weather. In short I just haven’t felt like blogging. It’s almost Christmas and it is a sad time to be away from home especially as it is the first Christmas away so my usual unfailing Christmas joy has been hard to find this year. It has always been my favourite time of year putting up the tree, decorating making presents or decorations or cards, listening to cheesy Christmas songs, I love it all. Today I got a Christmas miracle to re find my Christmas spirit. I had decided today that I was going to finally get a Christmas tree I’ve been looking at them for a couple of weeks now but they never seemed to have prices on them and my French is still pretty basic, so I hadn’t conquered the buying of the “Sapin Noel” yet. I nearly didn’t today either as it was raining and miserable again. However, eventually I decided to brave the weather and head out to Monoprix, about a fifteen minute walk away, to buy a tree. I went into buy some decorations and was going to then come back and buy the tree because they sell them outside the store. By the time I had bought my decorations and come outside to buy my tree the rain had turned to snow, albeit wet non landing snow but still snow nonetheless thus, restoring my Christmas spirit. Although carting home a big tree in the snow is in reality less enchanting than it sounds with the needles poking you getting caught in my jumper and the snow making everything wet, still nothing could destroy my new found Christmas spirit. Now as I write this I am listening to Christmas songs Joni Mitchell’s “River” for one, hence the blogtitle. Also am starting to decorate the tree. Pictures to come.