Christmas in Paris equals a magical time in a magical place. We began Christmas Eve Day with a stroll through the 7th and 6th arrs. We had slept in that morning and enjoyed our first meal of the day at a bakery and restaurant aptly named Bread & Roses. We took an available table at this small, clean bakery and had a very enjoyable lunch. The restaurant is very conveniently located near an entry gate to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which was perfect because that’s where we were headed.

Kevin wanted to see an exhibit at a building called L’Orangerie. And he thought that the building was in the Jardin du Luxembourg. So we toured the gardens, which even during wintertime was gorgeous. Of course, we did wonder what the space would look like during the spring when everything is in full bloom. Then I started to wonder where in the heck was this L’Orangerie? We found it, but it was the wrong one! We later determined that the one we were looking for is actually located in the Tulieries, and resolved to visit later during our stay.

After taking in enough of the park, we decided to get back into the hustle and bustle and experience the Christmas Eve shopping rush. We walked to the grand palace of high-end shopping that is unmistakably Le Bon Marche. It is my most favorite department store because of their editing, overall selection, and inventory depth. Apparently, Parisians agree because the place was absolutely jam packed with people. Especially crazy on Christmas Eve was le Bon’s food emporium. It was fun to sample chocolates, Champagnes and wine, as it was also to watch people shop for their special Christmas dinners.

We then walked up to St. Germain for a spot more of window-shopping, took in a Christmas bazaar at the church, and then sunk into Café le Flore for a pick-me-up. The Art Deco institution was yet another madhouse, which just made it that much more fun. It was pleasant just sitting down and enjoying our drinks and les glaces. I just love the area of St. Germain. You can worship to whatever you desire: Catholocism, Louis Vuitton, or Christian Dior! However, it seemed that the line was longer to go into Lauderee than it was to get into the church. And it has been that way every single time we have passed a Lauderee shop during the entire trip. I refuse to wait in one of those lines; so that will be a definite stop on a future trip.

Christmas Eve was really fun. We left our hotel to find a restaurant Kevin found in one of our trusty guides. Well, the guides are trusty, but not fool-proof. We arrived at the restaurant he had chosen and it was all shuttered closed for the holiday. So we managed to navigate ourselves to a different restaurant around the corner, which turned out to be pretty excellent. We were in the 1st arr near the Palace du Louvre, and we happened upon a very small local restaurant. They took us in with no reservations, and then walked us up to the first floor where we had our own private but very dimly lit dining room. Eventually, an Italian couple was taken up to the room and it wasn’t so private anymore. But we really enjoyed our food and the experience.

The Christmas experience continued with a visit to the eglise St. Eustache, where we enjoyed a 10:00pm service comprised of full grand organ, full orchestra and choir, red glass candles lit everywhere your eyes could see, and incense infused air. It was over the top. Kevin said it was bar none, the best Christmas mass he had ever attended. And I could not keep my eyes still the whole time; it was a theatrical feast for all the senses. Don’t worry everyone, I’m hardly thinking about converting.

Christmas Day was quiet yet very enjoyable. Businesses are closed; so we walked around the Champs Elysees and around the Golden Triangle of King George V and Avenue Montaigne. We eventually found a spot for a drink called The Globe and realized that it’s the first place we went to for a drink in Paris this past February. We lingered there for quite some time, enjoying our boissons and the people watching. Then we crossed the Seine, walked town toward the Eiffel Tower, walked through the Champs de Mars, and then headed back over the Seine down the Champs Elysees, past Place de la Condcorde, down Rue de Rivoli and plopped down in our hotel room, just zonked from the big walk. For dinner, we walked back to Le Marais, just because we somehow didn’t think we’d walked enough. Also we felt that if there’d be anything open it’d be in Le Marais. So we popped into a Moroccan restaurant and had a great meal. We were definitely having a fabulous week…