Le gai Paris at New Year's!

Brilliant!  How else do you describe ringing in the New Year with the dazzling lights of the Eiffel Tower when you're with family and friends?

My cousin Jean-Francois and his family, Rozita, Shadie and Shirine  visited us first in London and we made the journey on the Eurostar to gay Paree to join Sylvie in New Year's celebrations.

We had a fabulous time walking and touring and of course eating!  It was fantastic to see Sylvie, Jose and Anne-Marie again after almost 8 years!  It was 20 years since the whole group was all together!

Woo hoo!  

The city of lights

Strict orders!  Take me to Paris - got the map! Know the landmark!

First stop, the Eiffel Tower

Cousins!

First time E was in Paris at 8 mths old

Return vist at 8 years old

   

Living the life! Look, Adrian has sprouted wings!

I liked the spherical repetition in this photo

Look what eating all this baguette will do for me!

I owe all of this to baguette.

Only in France is the cross walk sign skinnier.  I took this as a green light message to eat my way through Paris (again).  

So we had crepes with creme de marrons.

A little seafood....

Then some cheese

We howled when Jose magically pulled out a perfect cheese platter, with the knife in the cheese from his bag transported on the Metro. (can't seem to get the audio to work)

Say cheese!

More stinky cheese!  Even our cheese monsters (E, Shadie and Shirine) were starting to ask, "more cheese - again, today??!!)

Do you think Nutcrackers eat cheese?

I bet we're having more cheese for dinner tonight.

Everyone say cheese!  Yes, we're eating more cheese!

The lovely Anne-Marie and Rozita

Hey, is that dog poop on my shoe?  Some things in Paris haven't changed....

Hmm, they haven't got a clue.  

Adrian didn't mind, he was all about the cafe.

I 'amm loooking zo French, n'est ce pas?

Sylvie touring us through the Marais.  Who knew what a "pas de mule" was before?  I thought they were shoes.  She's promised a private tour just for Adrian the next time we come to Paris.

Lunch in the Jewish quarter.

You know, I look this good all the time.

The brilliant dome of Galleries Lafayette

Decor - so simple and so elegant

We lucked in one morning and didn't have to wait in line to get into the Notre-Dame cathedral. Last time we were there, we attended Easter Mass and experienced some amazing choral music.  It was 19 years ago that I met Karina Roman at the Notre-Dame!  Isn't it a small world?

Outside Notre-Dame

Nativity diorama in Notre-Dame.

Writing a prayer at Notre-Dame.  Just 3 days before 9 January,  my inauspicious personal prayer was for more peace in the world. 

Beautiful window in Notre-Dame. 

Pooped in Paris

Must be the end of the trip as E takes her crashed stance on the Eurostar. 

  

The Eiffel Tower standing strong at the end of the day.  Vive la France!