Cars, Moet, and winding down. . .

The final event of Habits d’Lumiere was an antique car show and parade. When we went to bed last night Don said, “I’m not even worried about that parade tomorrow. Do you know what the temperature is going to be??!! TWENTY THREE DEGREES.”

Warmth and lack thereof has been a constant challenge. Here is my true confession: except for undies, I have been wearing the same layers for at least 3 days, maybe longer.

There you have it. I packed light for this trip: wear one, brought 1 other pants (worn only once—not warm enough), brought 2 other tops (one worn once, one never worn), three base layers (two worn constantly), one pair of tights (worn daily, washed nightly).

I could have left all those extras at home.

I have worn the same heavy black pants, black tights, two base top layers, a black turtleneck tunic, a shawl, and coat with hat, gloves, scarf EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is cold and damp. I swear its going to snow—you know that biting cold and blank, grey sky. It’s here.

Our house is cool. When here we bundle into bed under two comforters. We consider how long we must be outside because it is SO STINKING COLD!!

Quit whining!!

The car parade. We woke up at 10:15, and the parade was scheduled for 11. But we live about 1 minute from the parade route, so we grabbed a hot drink, and off we went. And not a moment too soon. .

.

I’m going to stop right here because I am not lying when I say that I thought my right hand, which was wearing no glove to take photos, might get frostbite because there were nearly 200 cars in this parade! This was a really big deal in the area. It was endless.

I told our friend Dave Hutchison that I took a photo of every single car and I’d a make him watch it like the guy in Clockwork Orange where they held his eyelids open!

We were so cold we grabbed some food at a bakery, came home and made pots of tea just to put our hands around to stay warm!

Our final Epernay event was a tour at Moet (pronounced moe-et)-Chandon.

Oh, elegant beauty.

This was the most informative lesson in champagne and exactly what we came for. We came away understanding the blending, the process from harvest to tank to bottle with metal top to corked bottle, vintage/ non-vintage, how to store champagne, the various sugar contents, how and when to drink champagne (in terms of storage).

Rule of thumb: buy it. Drink it. Repeat.

As Don noted, it might be easier to understand champagne than wine. But we are rank beginners, and like tango or other undertakings, we wil practice!

Champagne hates light. If you buy champagne, keep it in the box if you’re putting it in the fridge.

The cute sommelier who helped me mop up the glass of rose champagne I spilled. Ugh. . .holy embarrassment. . .

A “vintage” from just one vineyard, ” chosen by the winemakers, aged 9 years, —the finest bottles by Moet-Chandon.

And so our champagne education has started here in Epernay. We look forward to experimenting and learning more as the years unfold.

Tomorrow we head back to Paris, then on to Citizen M overnight, and home on Tuesday.

Watch for the usual final edition of Where’s Weinbrger! Perhaps when we get home or perhaps before, but it will definitely happen!

Epernay Days. . .or is it DAZE!!??

How many towns in the world have an avenue of champagne houses? Well, I don’t know for sure, but there might be only one and we’re here.

The houses included those we had heard of, like Moet-Chandon, and most we had never heard of, like Mercier, Perrier-Jouet, Boizel, Michel Gonet, and more. But we came to learn about champagne and are happy to say “We came, we saw, we tasted, we learned.” And we are happy.

The Avenue du Champagne is about 1 mile long, and Mercier is the farthest from our place. That’s where we had our first tour.

After an informative video and chat with our guide, including an initial tasting, we set off to explore the chalk caves beneath Epernay in the amusement-car-type ride. I’m always grateful for sitting down time.

Along the way we passed artwork and sculptures, designed to keep workers happy hole digging miles and miles of caves.

Mercier has a long history including his display at the Paris World Fair in 1889, the same year the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated.. The mammoth barrel above was pulled by 18 oxen followed by teams of horses, was half full of water for the animals and people, and arrived to introduce Mercier and his champagne. The following year he returned to the fair and had people drink champagne while in a hot air balloon. A new era of elegance and exclusivity was born.

(This was Don back in Paris, his own version of elegance and exclusivity!)

But back to Epernay. Our intention here was to learn about champagne and to know what were drinking and buying at home. We’ll have a ew bits of collective wisdom to share . Stay tuned.

But tonight was the start of Habits d’Lumiere. Now we learned at Mercier that the Lumiere brothers were hired by Mercier to produce one of the first moving pictures of the time featuring the Mercier business. Epernay started this festival of light, projection, champagne bars, and outright fun in 2000 to welcome the millennium and has continued.

The projections, lights, and fantasy never end.

Our photo is somewhere in the champagne bubbles projected onto the Hotel d’Ville, now the city hall and also the site of an amazing historical projected retrospectives of light, sound, and story lasting at least 10 minutes.

The houses were lit, open, and featured bands, food, pours, and fun.

Nightly fireworks, interactive games, a silent disco, fresh oysters, perfect champagne, souvenir flutes. . .well, it was a great party extending over two nights. . .

The second night was even more festive as France beat England in the World Cup!

We happened to be in a tent with a TV.

So I’ve combined two nights of festivities into one story.

It was Musikfest on champagne.

It was as cold as Musikfest is hot.

It was a champagne event like we’ve never experienced.

That’s why we travel!

A Day in Reims

We told our friend Sylvia that we were going to Reims and she looked at us with a blank look. “Where?” “Reims,” we repeated slowly, then spelled it. “‘Oh, h. ..” It was an unrecognizable syllable she emitted, and Sylvia explained we do not have that sound in English. At any rate and however you say it, we were going.

We said farewell to our Paris flat, left the keys on the table, and prayed the elevator would work, which it did. Uber took us to Paris de l’est, which Sylvia warned us to watch our wallets while there. We were safe.

I love French train efficiency. I had booked our tickets at home and they included our coach and seat numbers. Sure enough, we boarded, found the seats, and at the very exact moment specified, the train departed.

Now this particular leg of the journey came with some juggling. The final destination was Epernay, just 30 minutes by train from Reims. We wanted to see the Reims cathedral and the Christmas market around the cathedral, so do we go to Epernay first, spend a night getting situated, then go, or do we go enroute, which is what we did.

But what about our bags? We don’t want to haul them to the cathedral and all around the market.

Enter NANNYBAG! A new service I discovered. Certain retailers will store your bags for a nominal amount (6 euros), and our retailer was a very nice and respectable camera shop. Bags safe, and off we went to the market and cathedral.

So. . .the cathedral. . .here it is. . .

(FromGoogle )

What an edifice! What stained glass! What COLD!

We were immediately reminded of the cathedral at Chartres and indeed, this one is modeled after Chartres.

Complete with our look around we ventured outside to the. . .

Christmas market?? Where?? On the other side of the cathedral, like it was in Milan? Where?

NOT HERE!!!!

So enroute from the train station I caught a glimpse of a Christmas market and thought, “Oh, how nice. What a great city to have TWO markets.” Wrong. That WAS the one and only market.

Cold and hungry, we did the only sensible thing:, went to the first likely looking cafe for a substantial lunch and a glass of champagne.

Then we did the next most sensible thing: went to a tea room for tea and dessert.

We faced the fact that we would now need to retrieve our bags and haul them through the Christmas market, enroute back to the train, the exact scenario we tried to avoid!

“This will be my last trip. . .”

A nice entrance. . .blocked off.

The actual entrance.

Finally inside after a search of our bags, including opening up our suitcases, it was actually quite nice.

Complete, we trundled to the train, boarded, and settled in for the 30 minute ride. I thought it was a non-stop train. It was not.

Neither of us speak French. So when we heard what we thought was “Epernay” announced about 20 minutes in, we gathered our things, headed to the exit.

Luckily I peered out of the open door to discover we were NOT in Epernay but in AvenAY.

Stayed on the train.

Then we heard it at the next stop. “Epernay.” Gathered our stuff, headed to the door. Peered out. AY, not EpernAy!

By now the French/English speakers were chuckling and helping us and would make sure we got off at the correct stop, which was next. Phew!

It was dark and COLD. Whose idea was it to come to France in December??!! So we decided to get an UBER.

Guess which town in France has NO UBER! yep.

So a nice guy helped and called a taxi for us. A nice young woman pulled up, spoke English, took us to our place, gave us her card, and here we finally were at our AirBnb.

This place was a former home decorating shop and looked enchanting when I booked it. Yes, absolutely enchanting. . .and huge. . .and COLD!! Whose idea was it to come to France in December??!!

A stark and welcome contrast from our serviceable Paris apartment, this place has luxurious linens, beautiful appointments, chandeliers, tea services, cutlery that matches, and all the comforts you’d expect. And it is COLD.

“She should have turned the heat on before we arrived,” we grumbled. And then we bit our tongues as the ugly Americans who expect life on their terms, not the world’s terms. There’s a war going on, there’s an energy shortage, our friends in UKR are cold every night, they have no HOPE of heat, and we know that the heaters here will eventually work.

Just shut up and keep your coat on. Which we did and then left to find dinner at the Indian restaurant two doors away.

We slept under a pile of covers and this morning felt a bit warmer. What I would do for an Icelandic sweater about now!

We are here to learn about champagne, and this weekend is the big festival. We will bundle up, walk 5 minutes to the Avenue du Champagne, and get to tasting.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Out and About in Paris—Wednesday—Part 2

Well, after my near incarceration at Chanel (!!) we wandered and window-shopped only!! We were headed toward the metro when we came across a bevy of beautiful high-end cars which of course, caught Don’s eye.

What is this place, we wondered.
Was it part of the French Automobile Club on the street?

No, because we actually peered in the door and were met by a nice young Brit who informed us this was an office building.

Oh. . .so these cars must belong to people staying at this hotel. . .

Feeling emboldened knowing that we had escaped Chanel incarceration, we ventured inside, realized we were famished, and had to “scratch the itch” of a drink and snack at a high end hotel in Paris.

This one fit the bill. (And oh, what a bill we eventually got!!)

Seated in the Winter Garden with a French 75 and a special order gin, we knew we had arrived. Yes, this was the one experience on my Paris list which I did NOT want to leave without. And then there was food. . .

We were very happy, warm, seated, and did I mention. . .happy!!

And there were flowers. . .disappointingly fakes,, but still flowers.

And take a guess how much it costs to stay here for a night?! A LOT of Euros!!

We knew we were coming to our final few hours in Paris, so we had to pull ourselves out of this stupor of splendor. We had one more large department store to explore, we were near the Metro, and we set off to find Le Bon Marche.

Along the way. . . Hermes. . With indoor cages like the expandable one I used to have for Ben and Marty!

And the scarves for 500 Euros which I will someday find at a thrift store for a few bucks.

But in this store I was welcome to browse and look and not feel like a criminal when I tried to leave.

Finally, le Bon Marche. . .no lights outside—-Whaat!! This turned out to be a down-to-earth icon for real people! I nearly bought something then realized that the brands there were often in English and I could buy the same things at home! But just look at this beauty of a main store decor:

The trek here was worth it just to capture this sight!

The day was darkening, my head cold or whatever it is was catching up with me, and we were leaving Paris in the morning.

For the first time in a week, we went the wrong direction on the Metro. UGH and double UGH. I was too tired to really care until it became evident that this mistake would cause us to go through the long, long, long Montparnasse station on movealators.

It’s during these moments that I’ve been heard to say, “This will be my last trip.” Honestly, the adventures and stamina of our previous decades juxtaposed with arthritic feet, hip/back pain makes me wonder, “Who do you think you are tramping all over Paris on your own? Do we see any other 70-something’s doing this?!”

Being a tourist is hard work, especially when you’re the tour director and tourist. But neither of us have ever shied away from hard work, and with hard work comes great satisfaction. So maybe this won’t be our/my last trip!!

Our feet were made for walking. Well, maybe not in these shoes, but onward. Tomorrow we set out for a few hours in Reims, then on to Epernay to learn about champagne!

Out and About in Paris—Wednesday—Part 1

Our unplugged day worked its magic. We were both awake at 6:30 am today. Who’s awake in Paris at 6:30??!! No one!!

By 8:30 we were at our favorite cafe spot Le Valentin in the Jouffroy Passage, ready for breakfast, although the passage itself was basically empty except for a few exuberant toddlers riding scooters with moms keeping up.

I learned that Pain d’Epices, right across the passageway, is the oldest toy store in Paris. This is the one that has thousands of doll house miniatures and greeting cards I LOVED and planned to buy and they are CLOSED until after we leave. UGH. Lesson learned which I should know by now: Buy it when you see it.

I had read the book “The Queen of Paris” which really details Coco Chanel’s life. I recently read a FB post which featured these decorations and one person tore into the fact that she was a Nazi sympathizer. Yes. . .and there was so much more to the story. What a mother will do for a son. . .

Now today is our final day in Paris (tomorrow Reims, then on to Epernay) so with a day off yesterday, I had a list—7 long. I had to do some tweaking and soul-searching, yet in the end, we felt very complete!

We shared an immense ham and cheese omelette, two almond croissants, a pot of Christmas tea for me, and a juice for Don. Ready for the day!!

First up . . .Musee d’Orsay.

I said to Don that even though we had been there only once, 5 or 6 years ago, something about this place just magnetizes me back, just like the Met Museum in NYC. When I’m in Paris, the “MO” is a MUst!!

A piece that has stayed in my memory since our last visit is now not on view. I asked because I wanted to visit it. So here it is from Google . .Toulouse Lautrec and Tiffany. . .

You’ve already met Penelope, my new friend whose loyalty to her husband and her father-in-law kept her stitching, unraveling, and sleeping. I love everything about the story and the statue.

I felt a swell of gratitude to be back here in this magnificent building!

We were on a mission. . .up to the 5th floor to visit the Impressionists.

And then we were there, immersed in stories, captions, and beauty. I had read “Claude and Camille” in preparation for our trip here, so I remembered many of the stories described on the captions—the interactions amongst painters, the intrigue of Camille, her early death. What a time it must have been in Paris.

“City dancers. . .”

“Country dancers”

I thought a lot about style and the almost immediate recognition of the styles of Monet, Manet, Sisley, Degas. How many years does it take to establish that signature style? A lifetime, I guess.

Van Gogh, of course.

And another.

I will return to the MO each time I’m in Paris. I’ll revisit these impressionists, post-impressionists, and special exhibits (this time Edvard Munch who I could miss; Telma did we see some of his in Bergen?? I know I bought kitchen spatulas with The Scream!!)

Today the sun was shining. Doesn’t it always on your last day anywhere?! So outside the MO we said farewell to the rhino, one of my favorite characters in the Rudyard Kipling stories “How the Rhinocerous got Its Skin.”

BTW, the rhino is the work of Alfred Jacquemart, whose museum and tea room I’ve had on my radar since a Covid-cancelled trip to Paris and now this one (we just can’t get there. . .dang) so it’s on the list for next time.

A sunny walk and selfie across the Seine. . .

And then on to another “must do” and much anticipated event in Paris.

We tried to get in here on Sunday and the line was immense. Today we got in in 20 minutes.

The menu, but all we were really interested in was the hot chocolate.

Is it as rich as advertised?

Decadent, deadly, delicious. .all of those. With whipped cream. . .a meal!

Angelina’s is iconic, on the rue de Rivoli, (there are other locations), and we’re glad we did it once.

And now it was time to start a stroll into one of the pricey, exclusive parts of town.

Chanel, of course, and I had decided I wanted to go into the store and “shop.”

So you must wait in line to be admitted to the store, at which time a very nice person with a laptop asks how she can help you.

I was ready. I told her we wanted to look at jewelry, fragrances, and browse. She told me there was an hour wait for someone to show me jewelry, but she could lead me to fragrances now. I filled out a “request” for a shopper to help me with jewelry and was told I would receive a text or email in about an hour.

So off we went to fragrances, through shoes and boots which cost 1700 Euros, young girls trying on and stacking up pair upon pair to purchase, and women from all parts of the world buying to get tax rebates.

I sprayed a bit of fragrance on a card, hoping to look like a shopper.

And then blithely just walked back to the entrance, looking at watches, shoes, and people along the way, planning to make an unobtrusive exit.

Then. . .trouble in Chanel. Every time I went past the security beacon it beeped and they would not let me out! Now there are probably worse things than being stuck in Chanel, but not like this. Was it the fragrance card?? Was it my iPad?? I opened my purse—nothing in there but embarrassing snotty Kleenexes and a phone.

The guy would not let me out. He called other employees. They conferred, and apparently agreed that I did not steal anything, and this grey-haired lady was not a threat.

HOWEVER, I am still waiting for that text or email inviting me back to work with a personal shopper!

End of Part 1.

Part 2 soon.

Unplugged

The head cold I brought with me from the US finally did me in. Yesterday (Tuesday) I never got out of my pajamas. We unplugged from Paris. Don ate take-out. I slept. Don read.

Today when we walked into the d’Orsay Museum I found my new best friend, Penelope.

https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/artworks/penelope-175048

Dior and More!

Our mornings start slow. The usual cuppa tea, made by Don, delivered to me in bed. The easy start, which seems in keeping with the streets of Paris. They are more quiet in the AM than the PM.

Although I had hoped for an 11 am rez at the Dior Gallery, even 10 days out, that time was booked, so 12:30 was our time. No problem. Makes for an even more leisurely start for us.

Later in the day we would see the same emblem on the Dior store itself.

The gallery was a wonderland of confections, and what I appreciated as much as the dresses was the story behind them, the inspiration of nature that Christian Dior adored.

Perhaps because I just completed a design course on “line” this piece captured me, and I especially liked that it rotated to see the back of the dress also.

Thinking of you, Renee Tucci. The plethora of miniatures in all colors of the rainbow along the wide, sleek spiral staircase was captivating.

Is it only my fantasy, or do other women picture themselves in a sleek, slim body, with funds galore, ready to wear Dior clothes. I read in the gallery that in the heyday of Dior’s designing you had to pay to come to the runway shows and agree to buy a certain amount of dresses in advance. Mrs. ‘arris must not have known that when she went to Paris!!

I think this was my dream dress. . Without the front bow.

A short stroll after leaving the Dior gallery brought us to Le Fouquet’s, another landmark Paris brasserie, recommended by high school friend, Ann Natyzak. I ate the most delicious croque monsieur of my life and Don discovered what he said was the best Christmas tree he’s seen so far. . .

Now I had everything nicely planned and timed so that we would be walking up the Champs Elysees, going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, just in time for the lights to come on at 5 p.m.

Alas. . .on THIS DAY ONLY the tower closed at 3:30 for some unknown reason. Bummer.

Strolling down the CE we enjoyed store windows, displays, and finally, the lights.

Christmas in Paris!!

Best.Day.Ever

In August 2019 we arrived at the Bari, Italy airport looking for the “tango taxi” to take us to the tango festival we were to attend. We found the taxi and we found Sylvia Lefort, another traveler who shared the taxi with us, spoke beautiful Italian and English and French.

In August 2022 we attended the same tango event and who should we see again but. . .Sylvia! And when we told her we were coming to Paris, her city, we all agreed that we would meet up.

Sunday was our meetup day!!

She picked us up and whisked us around Paris, and what an experience it was seeing Paris from a car! Streets are often closed for a variety of reasons, so there was some backing up and turning around! Our first stop was the Montparnasse Tower, which I had on my radar to visit but didn’t really think we‘d get there.

360 degree views of Paris with its beautiful wide boulevards, triangular house sections on a misty December day.

We talked, caught up with tango news, talked of families, holiday plans, her work (an expert witness), walked in Luxembourg Gardens, warmed up with pots of tea in a sweet place in St. Germain des Pres., an area in which I’d like to stay next time.

I really wanted to just take a photo of the very cool old bobsled and got the extra bonus of an exuberant waiter who photo bombed! Sylvia mentioned how since Covid many waitstaff are now far more friendly to tourists!

And then. . . Dinner., , ,at a spot i had dreamed about and wanted to go but didn’’’t make a plan so I figured we’d never get there. But Sylvia, with her French and her phone, found a reservation at Le Train Bleu!! This restaurant is in the Gare de Lyon—train station that serves the south of France.

There’s something about an iconic, old world spot that is comforting and grounding. Sylvia said this place has not changed since its beginnings as a spot for train travelers to eat before or after a journey.

I was very happy with my chambord spritz to start. . .

And then the meal, oh my goodness. . .

The tastes were sublime, the service exquisite, the conversation lively, and the wine divine.

Sylvia and I shook on a “deal” we proposed to meet in Argentina in February 2024 for tango with Magdalena and Germán. Of course, they don’t know about this yet, so I guess I should fill them in!

Travel, touring, and seeing new things is great. . .but not as great as meeting up with a friend whom we met by chance in Italy and now are here in her city and spending an afternoon and evening together. It’s the BEST ever and as they say, “A good time was had by all!”

No Carnivals, but a Cruise and Champagne, part two

I considered one of the many dinner cruises available, but knowing we generally prefer a hearty lunch to a hearty dinner, opted for this “romantic champagne cruise” on the Seine. And it was 2 hours, whereas the dinner cruises were 1.5 hours. And it was way cheaper!!

Whisked to a nearby metro spot, we easily found our boat and grabbed a window seat and table.

I had ordered us a light bite snack of cheese, meats, bread. Just right for us with a glass of champagne. We were settled in, and ready

And then we saw her. . .a young bride-to-be with a gaggle of girlfriends, boarding the boat, and we said, “We hope it won’t be like the other bachelorette party we saw.” (In Italy, with a large inflatable penis on their table which they knocked around.)

The screaming commenced as they boarded and found more girls aboard, apparently as a surprise for this little bride. Well, good to see youthful exuberance, and we tried to ignore them.

We exited our canal and headed out onto the Seine. As the drinking and shenanigans commenced with the girls, we moved outside which really was a better view anyhow. And it was COLD.

SELFIES ALL AROUND THE SEINE. . .

Past d’Orsay

Getting ready to toast the Eiffel Tower.

And here it is. . .

And here it is sparkling. . .exactly at 9 pm for 5 minutes which really seemed more like 1 minute.

We were getting cold and despite hearing the party going on, we had to return to the warmth of our “romantic champagne cruise on the Seine.”

By now there was dancing, twerking, singing. They were happy to pose for us….

It’s true.. . .girls just wanna have fun. . .but their fun impacted a boat full of people. The boat folks did what they could to keep them under control, but to not much avail. By the end of the night the bride-to-be was sufficiently sloshed, lying across her friends, and I was just hoping she wasn’t going to puke.

But back to the cruise. .. we passed by Notre Dame, which gave us a good view of the reconstruction work. Done in time for the Olympics?? I think it will take a year just to take down all the scaffolding!

The evening ended quietly as we left the little bride sprawled on a chair, chaos of bread and food on the floor beneath the table, and the boat hostess quipping, “maybe we should find her fiancé and warn him that it’s not too late. . .”

Walking up the quay, a lone leaf caught my eye. . .

Bon soir to the day of the unexpected carnival, a memorable cruise, and champagne to celebrate friendship and one of the world’s greatest cities.

Carnivals, Cruises, and Champagne—part one

Saturday morning, and it’s a bit more busy here. Shoppers are out, yet when we decided to visit the sweet neighborhood spot “Le Valentina” for coffee and a chocolate croissant, there was a table just waiting for us!

Not sure why the neutral/plain/tired face. SMILE!! WE ARE IN PARIS DRINKING COFFEE AND EATING CROISSANTS!! Although I must admit that I like my pain au chocolat better because I put THREE sticks of chocolate in mine and these only had two. Thanks, Carol Berner, for teaching me that!!

But look at the array of goodies in this shop. We watched tray after tray of fresh items arrive. Tomorrow is another day. . .

Fortified, we moved toward our THIRD of five major department stores:

The Samaritaine—on the historical register of monuments.

The most convenient of all to find, this mammoth luxury goods store is right at the entrance to the Pont-Neuf Metro station. It drips with first-class and good taste. Whereas our first two appealed to families with animated windows, the ”theme” here was dance, and throughout the store there were elements related to the theme.

Although it’s a bit difficult to see this black dress, I will be wearing it at the next tango milonga.
. .welcome once again to my fantasy world. . .

The main entrance is simply drop-your-jaw beautiful. Wikipedia gives a good quick history of this location, and I had read that it recently reopened. Recently as in 2021. But Samartaine has been a store since 1869.

This store simply dripped elegance and refinement. It is much more open and easy to navigate. The displays were exquisite.

Catherine Rose. . .thinking of you!!

Another tango-worthy confection.

Something about this champagne display called to me. A day of champagne, perhaps??!!

At the top level, home to very nice restaurants, we began to really marvel at the architecture.

Even the girders were beautiful!

So were these art of the original design or art of the renovation?

From the top down we wanted to just gaze. After browsing and deciding we really could not bring ourselves to spend $34,000 on a necklace, we pulled ourselves away and strolled along the Seine.

So typical, but I really do love the copies of these art pieces. So what really is the difference between Art Noveau and Art Deco? I need a course in styles.

In a ”nod” to another event later in our day, we walked right beside the river, mainly deserted except for us and the ducks.

Our HOPE was to have lunch and hot chocolate at Angelina’s but knowing that 1) there are no reservations, and 2) it was Saturday, we knew we might have to adjust. And when we saw a line at least 2 hours long, that made an easy decision to duck into another cafe nearby.

Now today is our friend Germán Ballejo’s birthday, and here we are in Paris, and here on our lunch menu is champagne, so ”Why not!” We toasted him, smiled, sent a photo with birthday greetings, and drank the bubbly—with French Onion soup, of course!

Bon Anniversaire, Germán!!

We were right across from the Tuileries Garden where the Christmas Market was set up. Thinking we’d find charming handmade French goods, we entered. . .

. . . And left in about 5 minutes. It was a total carnival of rides, carnival food, hot chocolate, hot wine, strollers, and a little boy kicking this cute snowman. . .

There were Christmas bumper cars, Noel haunted houses, screaming adults and children on rides that turn you upside down on Santa’s sleigh, alpine slides, and on and on. We were SO out of there SO fast!!

The metro station steps were so crowded there was a line to get down, and there was NO WAY we were getting in that crowd. So a short walk down the rue de Rivoli brought us to an alternate Metro station which whisked us right to our neighborhood stop.

It was time for some “feet up” respite, to prepare for our evening adventure.”