jeudi de paris on friday evening

Yes, I'm a bit late (so what else is new?) since I guess you all know by now that Jeudi in French is Thursday... We've all been down with the flu.  I'm the last man, well woman, down.  

Christmas seems like such a long time ago, although we only just took down the tree over the weekend.  It was our first Christmas in France, and although it wasn't a white Christmas, it was still magical.  Our good friends visiting made it even more so! The city hall organises free merry go rounds all over the city during the festive season.  Everyone, and I mean everyone (see bottom right photo) gets a chance to ride the merry go rounds.  Ice skating rinks, shop windows (especially in the grand magasins) and decorated streets add to the mood.  

Here are the girls with their soul sister, Akhila.  We made some soh ee for the winter solstice.  The girls used to do that with their grandma and I never knew how to make the dough.  I got the recipe from my mum over FaceTime, and the girls rolled away. 

They've have had years of practice with their grandma!

We went up the Eiffel Tower (a thing you only do with visiting friends, a bit like Batu Caves) and here is the view at 6 in the evening.  You can see the Sacre Coeur Basillica at Montmarte in the distance.

Letters to Santa were sent in time, he delivered, devoured the cookies under the tree, and left us to enjoy the looks on the children's faces on Christmas morning.  Notice shoes under the presents?  Its a French tradition - you leave your shoes under the tree and Santa places your presents over them so you know which presents are yours.  I guess Santa's not big on labelling, he just knows which presents are for whom (who/whom?).

Christmas day lunch was hosted by my sister-in-law Clotilde in her charming four-storey house.  The subject of much discussion at the meal was the wine and the cheese.  Which is a typically French thing to do at the table.

It always take visitors to make you explore your city.  And we sure packed in a busy programme with our visitors.  On the ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde, we took in amazing views of the city.  Shopping stints at the Marais and then for some culture, guided visits to the Opera Garnier and a night out at a flamenco ballet for the adults.

Blending in with the locals.  Not.

Of course, no visit to France is complete without a visit to Chateau Versailles.  Every other tourist must have thought the same that day because they were all there. Note to future visitors to France:  if you have a friend with a fancy house a la Chateau Versailles in the suburbs of KL (which are plenty), arrange a photo shoot there and we can be forgiven to believe its the real thing.  Essentials: crystal candelabras, lush carpets and tapestries, lots of gold and marble and there you have it - voila!