Paris is beautiful this time of year. Everything is decorated for Christmas, and everyone seems to be in a good mood. We breakfasted this morning at one of those little patisseries that makes you feel like you are inside a chocolate box.
Next we visited strolled down the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where a giant Christmas Market was set up. There were booths selling everything, including several devoted to cheese.
We went to Mariage Freres, my favorite tea supplier, and bought some delicious blends to take home.
Then we hopped on the Metro and rode to Notre Dame, where we bought some books from the stalls by the river, and at Shakespeare and Company, the bookstore founded by Sylvia Beach.
We walked around Notre Dame Cathedral, and admired the giant Christmas tree in front.
On our way back to our hotel we stopped at another large Christmas market, this one right by the Eiffel Tower. Then as we were walking under the tower on our way out, they turned the sparking lights on, and the tower looked like it was covered in shooting stars. Beautiful!
Next we went to a giant outdoor flea market which was interesting but not very picturesque (hence no pictures of it). But then we went to Pere Lachaise cemetery, which is possibly the most picturesque place in the world, and consequently my very favorite place. It is beautiful this time of year, with all the bare branches leaning over the tombs. One had a giant bunch of mistletoe hanging over it (but not Oscar Wilde's unfortunately, as that is the one everybody kisses). I could wander around Pere Lachaise for days, but eventually we left and went to have tea at Mariage Freres in a beautiful tearoom which huge potted palms and bouquets of birds of paradise. It looked like somewhere that Hercule Poirot would go for tea. After that, we went to another outdoor market, where they didn't have any jackets or shoes in our sizes, which is probably a good thing because we would have had a hard time fitting them in our luggage!
