It's getting down to the wire with my upcoming 2-week trip to New Jersey to see my family, and so much to do! Georges will also be traveling for work part of this coming week, and when he gets back he'll be doing the "temporary single dad" thing with the Garçon. Whenever I'm going to be away for such a long time, I try to make things easier for him by having the freezer and cupboards well stocked, and getting caught up on laundry and his work shirts (I take those to the cleaners because I just HATE to iron shirts!) Suffice to say, I haven't been able to get out to capture as much of the Christmas season in Paris as I would have liked.
BUT... all is not lost. I did get to the big Christmas market on the Champs Elysées, and I keep my iPhone on me whenever I'm out doing other things in case a good photo opp appears. So, here are some of the images I've captured recently that I really liked. Enjoy!
The big wheel is back for Christmas! (Did you notice the little bird perched on the top of the obelisk?)
The Avenue Montaigne and Dior are decked out for the holidays.
This church on Place des Abbesses is famous for being the first of its kind for certain architectural details. I think it was the first time brick was used in a church and also it's covered in some beautiful mosaic tilework that makes it truly unique in a city where "gothic" rules.
There's a small Christmas market on Place des Abbesses, but sadly -- NO DONUTS THIS YEAR! (Which is probably all for the best, but still...)
This jewelry seller at the Abbesses market had the most unique display "case" I've ever seen.
I've never eaten at Le Basilic on Rue Lepic but it always looks so charming, and even more so with the pretty Christmas garland at the entrance.
I'll be in NJ from December 3-18th, celebrating my mother's 80th birthday (yowza!) and my nephew's homecoming from Afghanistan (he got mid-October but it will be my first chance to see him and give him the biggest hug EVER). And yes, I plan to cry when I see him, et alors? I will also be reconnecting with the best colleagues and boss I've ever had -- my old work team from my last corporate job. It's been, on average, 15 years since I've seen most of them, so this ought to be a BLAST. But mainly I'll be spending a lot of quality time with my mom, my sister and her family, and my best friend. Then I'll be back in France in time to head to the south with Georges and the Garçon for the holidays with my sister-in-law.
Posting may be light over the next few days while I'm getting ready and traveling, but I'll be back. Keep good thoughts that I have no flight delays heading over; I've got a connecting flight through Montreal and last year when I did the same thing, we got to Montreal on time but the second flight was delayed... and my poor brother-in-law had to wait around for me after a long day at work. The fact that he agreed to pick me up again THIS year is a testament to what a great guy my sister married. :)
