Christmas Day 2021

We had a lovely, low key Christmas in Paris. Kelly and Carter ran 11 miles in the Bois de Boulogne in the morning while Kate and I went on a long walk with Luna, who sported her Christmas pjs.

Kate and Luna on the rue Cler

Luna met some frenchies running out of a café where they were offering oysters for the traditional French Christmas meal.

Luna meets some friends

Lots of Oysters

We love all there is to see in our neighborhood, from the Eiffel Tower to Napoleon's Tomb and the dome of Les Invalides. We also walked past a lovely Art Nouveau door and building. 

Art Nouveau

View of Eiffel Tower in the Fog

Les Invalides

Luna the Parisian Pug

We hurried home to bake our brioche French toast with pecans for Christmas brunch. We had gotten a fresh loaf of brioche bread at the bakery Thursday and Kate, the master chef, prepared a heavenly version of French toast. It finished baking just as the guys returned from their run. We sliced bananas on top of it and it was so delicious. Kate is amazing!

Brioche French Toast

Luna and her Snaggletooth

Santa Luna

After brunch Kelly and Luna napped while we went to one of my favorite museums-the Jacquemart-André. It is in a large mansion on Boulevard Hausmann. Carter had never been. The couple who lived in the mansion collected art-especially Italian Renaissance and Florentine art. 

Musée Jacquemart-André

My favorite Rembrandt painting was back hanging in the library at the museum. It had been on loan when I visited the museum in 2020 and I missed it. I love how the profile of Christ is mostly in shadow and the light glows around Him as the man across the table recognizes who He is.

Dinner at Emmaus

Grand Staircase with
Venetian Frescoes 

Kate and Carter on the
Musicians' Balcony

The couple owned four Botticelli paintings. These two are my favorites. The frame on the Madonna and Child is spectacular.

Madonna and Child

Flight into Egypt

The museum had a special Botticelli exhibit. It was interesting to learn more about him. Botticelli originally trained as a goldsmith so he was an expert draftsman. I didn't realize that he was a student of Filippo Lippi and Lippi's son, in turn, was Botticelli's student. He had a workshop where he trained other artists and produced commissioned works. He would have his assistants paint from his drawings and then he would finish the more difficult parts like faces and hands. Eventually, Botticelli spent most of his time designing. The star of the exhibit was his allegory painting of La Belle Simonetta. It was our favorite.

La Belle Simonetta

We made our Christmas dinner that evening with the fresh ravioli from the marché. And finished dinner off with a large Bûche de Noël. We are so grateful to be in Paris with Kate, Carter and Luna and enjoyed our simple Christmas together. We just wish Andrew could have been here with us, too.

Bûche de Noël