Swept away in Paris...

Well Canada, you wouldn't be very proud if you understood how quickly I have lost that typical Canadian resilience to the cold that we are so proud of. After only one summer away from 'the North', my blood has essentially turned into water, and I am now a wimp. It's rather embarrassing how cold I found the weather to be in Paris, as I'm now so accustomed to the relatively warm Spanish 'winter' temperatures.

However, neither the cold nor the rain could cast a shadow over the pure elegance and class of this remarkable city. It is simply impossible not to fall in love with Paris, even if you aren't really a city person. Last Friday I parted ways with my nurses, as I flew North to the captial of France, and they flew South to Granada. I arrived at Paris' southern airport, Orly, and caught a bus into the city where I met up with Michel Magnan, a son of the family I'll be spending this upcoming Christmas with. He lives in Meudon (just SW of the city), and was a fantastic host and tourguide for 3 full days; he made this weekend completely stress free, as I never had to worry about where to go, what to do, and what I was seeing or hearing. Without his constant translation I would have been very lost.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to see the Chateau de Versailles. This palace is like nothing I've ever seen. As a symbol of 'absolute monarchy', the incredibly ornate decoration covering the entire inside of this building will take anyones breath away (I suppose even the king's). Below are pictures of the outside of the complex, before the crowds descended, and the lineups appeared (shots like these, with so few tourists, are apparently quite rare).

Below are the Royal Chapel (left) and the Hall of Mirrors (right).

After the audioguide had finished it's stories of the chateau, we took in the view of the famous gardens and decided to head into the city for lunch. On the way we stopped off at L'Observatoire de Paris, where Michel works. The location of the observatory is apparently the highest elevation in Paris, and therefore offers a great view as well as a beautiful park.

We dined on greek cuisine in the Latin Quarter, and then strolled along the river Seine, to Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.

We walked through some Christmas markets, and through the downtown until we reached the Musee du Louvre. Here are some classic shots of the museums famous pyramid.

These days the sun sets quite early, and by the time we passed through the Jardins de Tuileries to see the Place de la Concorde (Paris' oldest monument) on the otherside, it was almost dark. From there we walked up Champs-Elysees to finally reach the Arc de Triomphe. This street was magical as the trees lining either side were all dressed up with lights for the Christmas season.

Sunday we started the day a bit later, and met up with a friend of Michel's in the early afternoon. The three of us went to a small theatre to see the opera Carmen. Sitting in the second row of a small audience, it felt as if the power of the singers voices could have knocked me over if I'd tried to stand up. Quite the performance!

Afterwards, Michel and I walked ALL over the city,... we went to so many places I know that I can't remember them all, so it's a good thing that I was constantly taking pictures. :) The below shots are of Le Republique, the metro, Hotel de Ville on the other side of Le Seine, Centre Georges-Pompidou, Notre-Dame at night, ice skating infront of Hotel de Ville (city hall), and finally some night scenes of the river. We also walked through Montparnasse, and window shopped.

Monday morning we went up to a neighbourhood called Montmartre. This little village within a huge city, surrounds a famous square filled with painters, and caricaturists who would love nothing more than to do your portrait, or sell you a landscape of the city (I couldn't resist). At this point we had the first little bit of rain, as up until then we'd had cool, but clear skys. We took shelter in the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur; a beautiful church that, like the rest of the city, is so tasteful (not overly ornate like many are in europe).

After a good french meal (with some excellent wine) we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower; that single monument that everyone in the world associates with this city. I'd been watching it from a distance for 3 days, subtly appearing between buildings, in the sky line, or sparkling at night, but suddenly when it's up close, you can't help but smile, and stare. I'm fully aware of how cheesey and cliche this must all seem,... I know, but I don't care,... believe me, you really can't help it.

What a fantastic weekend (yes, haha, I'm still walking on clouds). And to think that I have SO many other photos that I want to post and show you, but it already seems a little much.... Okay, just a few more,...

Joyeux Noel!