Paris for Christmas

---

We arrived in Paris on the 22nd of December and experienced our first 'white christmas'. It didn't actually snow, but it was definitely freezing and enjoyable all the same.

Arriving after dark on the 22nd, we went late night shopping at Les Galleries Lafayette, an amazing shopping complex spread over three buildings for women, men and homwares (much like Harrods in London). The women's store is every shoppers dream, with a basement floor dedicated to youth fashion, a floor for contemporary fashion and last but not least - a designer floor, home to all the big fashion house names. You could spend hours browsing this floor alone!



On the 23rd we did some more shopping on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which was walking distance from our hotel and the Arc de Triomphe.



This shopping street contained many flagship stores for high-end couture (such as the huge Louis Vuitton store).



Also on the street is the Häagen-Dazs ice-cream store and restaurant. "The Gold Room" is on the second floor and is a sit down restaurant in which the entire menu consists of ice-cream meals. The ice-cream was amazing (Dulce de Leche was my favourite) and they really need one of these restaurants back home!



Then on the 24th we took the metro and RER out of paris to the Palace of Versailles, home of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The palace and surrounding gardens were so beautiful, everything was embellished in gold and renaissance paintings, the Versailles held such an interesting history. My favourite section was the Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinette's gardens) with is quant bridges and gardens it was incredible to imagine what is was like in the time of the French Revolution.





It was at last Christmas Day and after a breakfast of croissants and opening presents, we headed to the Eiffel Tower to embark on a boat cruise down the River Seine. The river passes many famous landmarks such as the Notre Dame, the Lourve and many of Paris' most beautiful and romantic bridges.



The cruise offered a breath-taking view of the Eiffel Tower; so many people could be seen embarking on the hundreds of steps to the top of the tower for a very Parisian Christmas experience. That night we went to Hard Rock Cafe for Dinner and spoke with the manager who was coincidentally Australian and we got to share our experience of Paris and talk about home.

The next day we had to say au revoir to Paris as we boarded the ferry in Calais back to England. I will truly miss Paris and the wonderful atmosphere the city holds. It is such an amazing city both aesthetically and culturally - I highly recommend reading Sarah Turnbull's Almost French before visiting Paris, as it captures perfectly the atmosphere and experiences the stunning city has to offer.

---