Christmas in Paris 2021

Kelly and I are back in Paris for the semester. This time we decided to come for Christmas and have Kate, Carter and Luna join us. We arrived on Tuesday, December 21.

Paris welcomed us at the Airport

We caught our first glimpse of the
Tour Eiffel from the cab

We are back home at the BYU apartment near the Eiffel Tower. We were able to get essentials at the grocery store and partially unpack before collapsing with exhaustion. We were up early the next morning and ready for Carter, Kate and Luna to arrive.

Kelly shopping on the rue Cler

We were so excited to see jet-lagged Kate, Carter and Luna by 10 am Wednesday. Luna took to the apartment right away and quickly learned which door on the street opened to our building. This is such a fun time to be in Paris with all the Christmas decorations and yummy Christmas treats at the bakeries and patisseries.

Luna makes herself at home

Kate and Luna check out the
White Bakery which is now
officially the Green Bakery

Window Shopping on the rue Cler

Christmas Lights on rue Cler

Fighting jet lag, we decided we had better make the trek to the east side of Paris to Bercy Village to a large pet store, Animalis, to buy a crate for Luna to sleep in. We had never been to Bercy Village. It consists of a cobblestone courtyard with 42 stone storage buildings on either side that were used for storing wine. It had been the largest wine market in the world but now has cute boutiques and shops. The suspended umbrellas were really fun.

Bercy Village

Thursday morning was market day at the Marché Avenue Saxe not far from our apartment. We were shopping for Christmas dinner and chose basil and pine nut homemade pasta. We bought a half flat of brown eggs (15) with dark yellow yolks. The clementines were big and juicy. We love the view of the Eiffel Tower as we walk up the market. Kate spotted her favorite fisherman in in his yellow apron who she remembered from years past. The brioche at the market is to die for. Always so much to see at the marché.

View of the Eiffel Tower

Purple Artichokes

Brioche loaves and buns

Cheese, yogurt and more

Fisherman at the Market

We have been out for lots of walks with Luna in the neighborhood. She loves the bakery and keeps trying to go inside. There is a temporary building-the Grand Palais Éphémère constructed at the foot of the Champ de Mars to house art exhibits that are normally at the Grand Palais while the Grand Palais is being renovated for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Grand Palais Éphémère will also house judo and wrestling for the Olympics.

It has been mostly grey and cold since we arrived in Paris but we did get some blue sky briefly Thursday afternoon. 

Kelly and Luna in front
of l'École Militaire

Eiffel Tower reflected
in glass of the
Grand Palais Éphémère

A Pug in Paris

Luna and Kate
at the Green Bakery

Carter and Kate stocking up
on frozen food at Picard

We decided to take advantage of the good weather and take Luna to the Eiffel Tower in the French clothes Carter's mom, Michelle, bought her for Christmas. She received lots of attention and was so cooperative.

Friday we took the bus over to the Latin Quarter near where we lived in 2018 and walked up to the Panthéon where Josephine Baker was recently reinterred. We walked back down towards our old apartment and stopped at our favorite Boulangerie de la Tour for a palmier. We crossed the bridge to gaze at Nôtre Dame. It looks like they are making progress on the restoration. They have put huge wooden buttresses in to support the flying buttresses.

Panthéon 

Bakers busy working in the back 
of the Boulangerie de la Tour

Boulangerie de la Tour

Nôtre Dame from the bridge

Flying Buttress Buttressed
with Wood

Nôtre Dame

We had lunch at our favorite café on Île St. Louis-the St. Regis. Carter had an amazing Croque Madame with the egg on top. I loved their goat cheese salad and their frites are so good. We walked back to the left bank and over to our favorite crêpe stand at Odéon. We were happy to see a familiar face running the stand and making yummy fresh crêpes. We enjoyed the Christmas decorations everywhere we walked.

In front of the St. Regis

Ordering crêpes

Street near Saint Sulpice

We read together from Luke that evening about the birth of our Savior. Luna was all cozy for Christmas Eve in her Christmas pjs and Santa hat. We are ready for a nice quiet Christmas in Paris.

Santa Luna