A Joyeux Noël à Paris.doc

Jet-setting really throws your blog schedule into the fire. I feel like every time I sit down to write of my adventures over here I am trying to articulate a month's worth of events in one post. That said, I will my best to describe to you Christmas 2008 - The Kids are Let Loose in Paris!

After a mammoth day of travel on the 23rd, Emily and I arrived in Paris on the morning of Christmas Eve exhausted and craving a place to set our bags. The small hotel in the Montmartre area was pretty much exactly as I had pictured it. The image may have been pieced together from films about the city - it had yellowed walls, a large window which opened outward, yellow and blue curtains, and a sink in the room which would serve as our makeshift showering facilities (the communal shower for the hotel cost 2 euros a pop). On that afternoon, Emily and I walked around the grounds of the beautiful Sacre-Coeur Basilica. The view of Paris was simply breathtaking and the church was really impressive. While we may have been tired from the traveling, the sight of the city that would be our Christmas home was truly invigorating. We grabbed a coffee from one of the many cafes near our hotel and continued through Montmartre. It's one of the more trendy and artistic spots in Paris, so I am told, and I really dug the bo-ho, communal feel in the neighbourhood.

After an obligatory nap, we headed to Emily's boyfriend's place (Raffi, for those who don't tag-team the blogosphere). 'Twas the coming together of a winning triumverate of Christmas revelers! Raffi is a great guy, and proved to be a great city guide to boot! Since he is studying at a famous international clown school called Jacques LeCoq, it was great to chat theatre (without feeling grilled in the classroom) and have him join us for our Christmas adventures in the city. After visiting in his residence, Emily surprised us with Christmas stockings that she had sewn herself - how crafty! It was Raffi's first Christmas stocking, and my first away from home. The Hinckster had placed a variety of wonderful little treasures inside. From the residence we jumped on the metro, which we used often over the three days, and headed to dinner with another clown from Canada named Nicole and her boyfriend Matt who was visiting for Christmas.

The flat they were staying at, usually inhabited by a clown from Italy (so many red-noses to keep track of), was absolutely gorgeous. It had two fire places and lots of space - it felt nice to be surrounded by a beautiful and warm space on Christmas Eve. We had a delicious dinner - real mozzarella and tomato on fresh bread as appetizers with dijon chicken, rice, and veggies for dinner. We stuffed ourselves on a really wholesome food and chatted about life back home. It was really special to be in the company of North Americans again, if only briefly. I think we all were excited to be experiencing the holiday in a country unlike our own. 

After dinner, we headed to the most likely spot on Christmas Eve - the Eiffel Tower. Wine bottles in tow, we hiked it from the metro station just in time to catch the tower turn from a glowing blue to a ten minute sparkler that could be seen all throughout the city. The combination of three glasses of wine at dinner with the simple beauty of my first visit to the Tower coinciding with Christmas Eve made the moment extremely joyful. This type of feeling was only possible at a certain place in the world and shared among friends, new and old. We sat and soaked it in. Raffi and Nicole gave a hilarious rendition of a very detailed chase sequence they were working on in class, we sipped more wine, and spent the night gazing up at the world-renowned spot. 

Christmas Day was spent differently than I ever have before. Instead of rising at the crack of dawn, we opted to sleep in and save up energy for more afternoon and evening adventures. We joined Raffi in the afternoon and spent some time skyping our families back home. It was a special treat to see the Christmas I know and love still going on - the tree a glow, the dog running around playing with wrapping paper, and a turkey in the oven (the smell was the only thing missing). While it was definitely the most homesick I've felt, I'm so grateful to have my parents' blessing to spent the year traveling and learning about the world. Definitely the best Christmas gift I could ask for.

That night we visited some more hot-spots: the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, and the Seine. While the Latin Quarter was a really cool spot with a lot to see and do, it seems to have become pretty darn touristy. The highlight was the huge Christmas Tree outside of the ND Cathedral. We sat down for a nice Thai dinner that evening (since we decided it was important) at a really nice restaurant. Curry dinner for Christmas was a delicious change, although its been much too long since I've had a proper Turkey dinner.

On boxing day, Emily and I welcomed Steve to the city - a friend from Queen's who studies Biology but was also part of the theatre scene. Steve and Emily have been really close friends since first year (S&C shout out). After shaking off jetlag, Steve was just as energized to hit the city. We pieced together a lunch feast at Raffi's and then departed for an epic Parisian walk. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, the outside of the Louvre, and a few beautiful gardens in the city. Each of these spots possesses an amazing history, and it was really inspiring to think I could get a glimpse of them in one day. As much as we were 'sightseeing', we decided, since it was really a holiday, to talk, walk, and wander instead of playing stressful tourists. It was the best choice - we had a fantastic wall through the city.

That evening we said goodbye to Raffi, who returned to work the next day, and jumped on a train to Rennes. I felt really happen to return to the city - it's the city that most reminds me of Kingston since it's undeniably a university town. On the 27th, Emily took Steve and I around the city and we saw the popular Saturday spots: the market, cafes, and the city park. It was enjoyable to see the city for a second time and I realized just how much Emily feels at home here - I can't blame her, it's a wonderful city. After wandering, much photo-taking, and cafe sipping, we visited the Rennes City Fair that was a five minute walk from Emily's apartment building. I felt like a kid again with endless opportunity to have fun. The fair felt much larger than any I have seen in Canada - the rides were more high-tech, the food shops were double, and the prizes for the games looked very expensive. 

Steve, Emily, and I set our sights on one ride in particular to challenge called Toxic. I think that the title was lost in translation from French to English and should actually read Queasy. Think of the ride as a giant Q-tip affixed to the ground at the centre that spins around and around backwards and forwards. It had to be the most dangerous ride at the fair, but the three of us each put down 5 euros and braved the risk. It did not disappoint. Aside from Emily's initial nervousness once we were strapped in and hoisted to the top, we all had an absolute blast. I could feel my contact lenses being pushed again my eyeballs as we descended head-first round and round.

Fair rides create quite an appetite! We had purchases mussels (moules) in the morning market at an insanely cheap price and went ahead, under Emily's guidance, and made red wine, white wine, and curry moules with frites on the side. One of my favorite meals in Europe thus far! We stuffed ourselves on delicious mussels and took comfort in the fact of a healthy communally made meal. With that we split a bottle of wine and headed down to Rue de la Soif for yet another street party - this one of a smaller nature than the one I experienced in September. We stayed out late, met two clowns named Pierre and Antoine (not funny JLC clowns, but actual clowns), had a few drinks, made dance, and then called it a night.

With that my Christmas adventures in France came to an end. I said goodbye to Emily and Steve for just over a week - they'll come visiting in Amdam on September 7 for three nights. I'm back at Warwick Uni essaying and packing for a Dec 31 departure to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay Festival which is one of the largest NYE parties on the continent. There I will be reuniting with friends Talia and Alex where we will welcome 2009 a full five hours before those back in Canada. The party continues...

Doc's Prescription of the Day: One realistic and positive resolution that will serve to help yourself, or your fellow human being. I'm keeping mine to being extremely mundane, but yet something I'm likely to carry through in 2009. Best Wishes for a fun NYE and for much success in the coming year!