Winter Wonderland in Paris
Forget Paris in the summer. Paris in the winter is absolutely delightful. The beautiful old buildings are lit up with millions of twinkling fairy lights. The buttery smell of warm flaky croissants and the rich aroma of a piping hot cappuccino are no better than when your nose is cold. Departmetn stores are open later. Parisiens sip champagne and stand in line for Laudre’s famous macaroons just like tourists. Elaborately adorned Christmas trees fill every open space. This one is inside the Galleries Lafayette.
If you live in London, head over for a day trip. It’s cheaper because you’re not traveling out on a Friday night with commuters and weekenders. You don’t have to spend money on a hotel and Eurostar drops you off in the middle of the city. It’s easy.
The first trains out of St. Pancras to Gare du Nord in Paris leave a little after 6am. That’s fine if you take a taxi to the station, but if you are taking the tube, remember it doesn’t start running until a little after 5am at the start of the line. Check at your local station for timetables and routes. I left at quarter to 6 and was at St. Pancras in half an hour. I’d booked a train for 7:30, so I had plenty of time. You never know with the London underground, so it’s always best to give yourself extra time.
Take a packed breakfast for your journey and sleep all the way to Paris if you can. Try to book a seat on the first train carriage because the moment the train halts, the locals jump off and rush off to the taxi queue which gets very long very quickly.
Beat the rush and save money by taking the Metro. Extremely Crafty Tip – There are always long lines at the Metro ticket offices if you want to speak to a live person. There’s no need. There are a few computerized machines on the wall to the right. The lines are always relatively short and the machines are easy to use. You can even select English. There’s usually a bunch of other Brits in line with you, so I’ve had fun figuring out how it works with my fellow travelers. I find the best buy is 11 tickets for the price of 10. If you have any over, save them for the next trip.
For shopping, head over to the Galleries Lafayette. They try to outdo themselves each year with over the top decorations. These humongous Christmas baubles hung from the iron and glass ceiling. I’d hate to pack up these decorations, wouldn’t you?
Every department of the store is decorated. Mechanical Christmas Chanel fairies wearing plastic suits perform stunts while hanging from umbrella. In the children’s department, a manger full of stuffed reindeer await Pere Noel (Father Christmas). A little mannequin hides in her blue silk dress underneath a donkey’s fur. Giant velvety purple roses act as a table centerpiece amidst the crystal and silver place settings. And babushkas, there’s Russian doll fever all over Europe. This one was advertising children’s clothing.
There’s an abundance of places in which to eat. Galleries Lafayette has its own restaurants and wonderful cafes line the surrounding streets. My favorite is a Parisian chain named La Brioche Dore and it’s right around the corner. Sort of like fast food French cuisine style – a filled croissant or baguette. Go for the meal deal which is the most value for money. A hot sandwich, hot beverage, cold beverage, and an enormous desert. Choose from lush strawberry tarts, yummy chocolate croissants, or fabulous flan amongst others.
What I always find interesting is going in the children’s section of bookshops in various countries. The illustrations are often so different to what we see in the US or England. For an Extremely Crafty Christmas present, we suggest buying a favorite children’s book in another language, cutting out a few of the pages and framing them. It’s much cheaper than a print and completely unique.
After eating and shopping and eating some more, drop with exhaustion back into your Eurostar seat and snooze all the way home.
Bonne Annee!
Please Note...
All work; including photographs, descriptions, stories, books, artwork, patterns, and crafts, represented on this site and elsewhere is protected by copyright. Please feel free to use my pdf books, e-zines, and patterns for your personal use, but not for commercial use.
Thank you!
Contents
Letters from London
History of Russian Dolls
Babushka Christmas Stocking
Christmas Bloom Stocking
A Rebel Christmas Stocking