Last December, my husband and I were talking about what to do for New Year’s Eve and he suggested that we go away for the weekend. I was expecting Chicago, perhaps New York, but imagine my surprise when instead he said, “Well, I was thinking something more like Paris.” I knew I married that man for a reason! Needless to say within an hour I had flights and a hotel booked, and a few weeks later we were back on a plane en route to our absolute favorite city on the planet.
I had been to Paris in the summer and Paris in the fall, but nothing compared to seeing the city lined with hundreds upon hundreds of fresh spruce trees, elegant decor, and sparkling white twinkle lights.
The weather was cold, brisk, and bright. We took advantage of the daytime sun to explore our favorite neighborhoods and visit our favorite shops. A welcome change from the summertime tourist crowds, we were thrilled that we had the Musée de l’Orangerie nearly to ourselves. Once the sun set, we would head to the closest cafe and sit outside on the heated patios under blankets drinking cafe creme and mulled wine and spend hours reading, talking, and enjoying the unbeatable people watching.
For New Year’s Eve we met up with two of our friends and enjoyed a feast and revelry at Le Grand Colbert. Sometime after the clock struck midnight we headed back to our hotel and continued the celebrations with dancing, cheese, and champagne on our terrace overlooking the entire city.