A Paris Re-Set
Bonjour,
Thankfully, we slept yesterday morning until 9am which reset our body clocks! Travel is a challenge with new bed, new pillow, new shower, new heat, new food, new light switches, and on and on it goes. It can be quite comical learning when to push, when to pull as we enter or leave all the doors and gates, etc. (Our first day, we couldn’t exit our building because we were pushing instead of pulling!!) We are troopers and make it our business to quickly adapt. It was much easier years ago so travel when you’re young!! Bernie is like the Ever Ready bunny…me, not so much.
It’s great to be back one more time. Our little apartment is warm and comfortable and most efficient. We’re quickly getting used to the narrow sidewalks of the Marais, the bicycles, the dog poop and or course the December grayness. We walked 4 and 1/2 miles yesterday which is so good for us.
I’ve been trying to figure out the app for reservations to Notre Dame and not surprisingly, c’est complique…it’s complicated. We walked all around it yesterday and the exterior is messy and inaccessible. They are still cleaning.
There were a couple of very cold swans on the river and not many folks on the boats. So different from the summer. Christmas trees line the streets and one of our favorite cafes, Le Flore en L’Ile was deserted. Their Christmas decorations were beautiful and lunch was tasty as always.
Since we were so close, we crossed the street to the Shakespeare bookstore so I could purchase one of their 5 euro used books. Always a line to enter. 
After a bowl of tomato soup for dinner, we took a stroll to the BHV, the large department store in our area and to Eataly. We were looking for Christmas decorations which we found everywhere. Most of these are the storefront animated Christmas windows from the BHV (Bazaar of l’Hotel de Ville)
The photo of the night was this beautiful dog standing patiently inside one of the shops.
All in all, not bad for a second day. The theme for this year will obviously be Christmas and we’ll do our best to find the prettiest sites for your pleasure.
A Bientôt
L & B
December 4, 2024 @ 7:14 am
Linda and Bernie, so glad you arrived safely. Good luck figuring out the app to obtain tickets to get inside Notre Dame. The outside cleaning process interesting and amazing!! Enjoy yourselves!! ❤️
December 4, 2024 @ 7:45 am
When I lived in Paris I so enjoyed the Christmas season. Gorgeous lights and popup Christmas markets. The first few years when I was a student I couldnt afford the markets, couldnt afford anything! A coffee in a cafe once in a while. I ate in student dining rooms, the French take good care of their students.!! A splurge or to celebrate something was a couscous restaurant, very affordable! But then my parents would come and take me to Angelinas for ridiculously expensive hot chocolate ( yummy, the best), and we’d have our annual dinner at La tour d’Argent by the window… and life was tasty! they wouldnt eat in my Arab cheap couscous places after I took my mom to my fave restaurant there. ( She wanted a plate for her bread and I told her it cost 50 centimes more, and then she wanted a napkin, so I handed her some tissues, napkins being more… She informed me she had just taken a plane to Paris and could afford the extra few cents ),, that was the end of eating where I ate. but I adapted to their life style well! you know of course that the BIG sales start in January.. Everything seems to go on sale. It was the time of the year I bought my Hermes scarf. Enjoy! Enjoy Paris in the old. Probably cold to you since you live in a warm climate, but I live in NYC and so found Paris less cold!
December 4, 2024 @ 10:54 am
Ellyn, it’s always nice to reconnect with you. I love your stories!!
December 4, 2024 @ 12:46 pm
Happy to hear you are adjusting to your surroundings, time change and figuring out the push, pull dilemma. Already enjoying living vicariously through you and your photos.
December 4, 2024 @ 1:05 pm
Great, as usual, Linda! Thanks very much!
Love the elf with the Christmas list!
December 4, 2024 @ 1:31 pm
How lovely! What a difference from
Summertime. Sweet little dog. Thank you! You two are amazing!
December 4, 2024 @ 1:36 pm
If you put up a tree in the wee apt, be sure to share a pic.
December 4, 2024 @ 3:55 pm
Probably will not do that. Just no room but a lovely thought.
December 4, 2024 @ 1:47 pm
Paris at Christmas….it looks absolutely magical! Thank you for taking us along and sharing this special time!
December 4, 2024 @ 3:54 pm
We spent Thanksgiving with Natalie and got to be with Emily and her new beau. How is Nicole doing? Two days later, we flew to Paris and my overwhelming thought is that I’m getting too old to do this…ha!
December 4, 2024 @ 2:55 pm
I’m delighted you all are back in Paris and kindly taking me along!! Travel is difficult for me now…so many thanks🤩😘
December 4, 2024 @ 7:51 pm
Thanks so much for the photos and commentary – this is something I have always wanted to do – spend Christmas in another culture but I cannot talk my husband into doing such a thing!
THANKS so much.
December 4, 2024 @ 10:38 pm
Wonderful pictures!
December 5, 2024 @ 9:54 am
Thanks, glad you’re getting the blog. I’m exhausted but hanging in there! All kinds of friends to see and company on the way next week. Pierre and Laurie ARE coming! It’s an overlap with Jamie but that’s okay.
December 4, 2024 @ 10:38 pm
I’m so pleased that you both are once again in the City of Light! As cold as it may be, it will also be all decked out for Christmas and absolutely beautiful I’m sure. I know you will figure out the reservation system and can’t wait to hear about your visit. Enjoy!!!
December 5, 2024 @ 12:50 am
♥️♥️♥️
December 5, 2024 @ 4:56 am
I always love the Christmas decorations in NYC and would love to spend one Christmas is Paris! Loving. Your pictures.
December 5, 2024 @ 8:35 am
Well, arent you sweet! I adore your pictures and stories of my favorite city. You do know that Paris est le nombril du monde!
In reading over my post above, I realized that it sounds as if I had money for Hermes scarves. No, that was a yearly Christmas present from my parents! During the sale, of course. I did have a credit card to pay for emergencies, but clothes or trips were not classified as an emergency. I had it for one good meal a week, when the student restaurants were closed on Sunday nights. But since none of my friends ate in any good restaurants, I ate with them in our cheap couscous ones where of course I didnt use a credit card. No one knew I had that, I was careful to hide it. One never knew when we pulled out the spoon from the stew what would be in it. One time a waiter there told me the rubber band I found was a vitamin band and added to the meal. The paper clips were for strength! I used the card once at the American hospital to pay for a doctor, and then there was the overland trip to India my parents didnt know about. I paid for that myself not on the card of course, , but it was a dangerous time to be in Afghanistan,, and as we were camped out one night we heard of the trip just before us being set upon and shot at. Lucky me, I had that credit card and could return to Paris. Afghanistan was so interesting, the little time I spent there, but camping out in the hills was not the safest, and I really have always planned on going back. Sadly probably never to happen! Enjoy your stay.. Remember Berthillon is closed in August but not in the winter.. Vas-y!
December 7, 2024 @ 6:26 am
I see the book boxes are back along the Seine!
December 11, 2024 @ 3:48 pm
Sweet puppy. Re: Notre Dam, nothing like last min- eeek!!