12.14.2011

Already a December to Remember!

What's Been Happening Lately

So far December in Paris has been so awesome!  I absolutely love all the Christmas lights everywhere, the cool air, the festive markets, shopping for gifts.  I could do with a little less rain, but we can't have it all.  


I'm sure it's fairly obvious that our favorite Holiday pastime in Paris is strolling around the Christmas markets.  We just can't stop ourselves!  The food is fabulous and cheap, the vin chaud flows like water, the decorations are beautiful and everyone is in the Christmas spirit (that probably has something to do with the vin chaud).  I can't wait to travel to the major markets in Germany next year!


Oh, did I mention that these are the sights along our walk to and from the market???  I think we can all agree that it's totally normal that we go a couple times a week :)






So beautiful it makes you want to jump!

Or maybe that was the sugar high from the churros with melted Nutella?


This seems like an appropriate security measure for a Christmas market, right?


Ma Famille Vient a Paris


Last week my cousin Cara and her boyfriend James arrived for a visit.  It was the first trip to Paris for James and the second for Cara, although it had been a while.  We had a blast doing the usual Paris-y things - shopping, cafe-sitting, sight-seeing, getting pepper sprayed.  Oh wait, that's not normal...


We were sitting under a heater at a cafe having drinks and really enjoying ourselves.  Then, two guys started fighting next to us and one of them pulled out a big spray can that sort of looked like a fire extinguisher.  Turns out it was an industrial size pepper spray can.  Who has those??  The guy noticed after spraying it that we were sitting right there and yelled to us that it was pepper spray and we should move.  Too late... I actually felt drops of it land in my eyes and on my face.  Holy crap, I've never felt pain like that!  It was so strange, it incapacitated me.  My eyes were watering like crazy and burning, my skin was stinging, it made me double over.  So weird.  How the heck do those Occupy protesters take it?


Once we could think straight again we found out that the guy that did the spraying was actually the owner of the bar next door.  He kicked some guy out, but I guess that wasn't good enough.  He followed him out spraying, too.  Seems a bit irresponsible for a business owner to spray the customers of the neighboring cafe, but he didn't ask my opinion first.  They didn't even offer to buy our drinks!  Oh well, not everyone can say that happened to them in Paris, right?!


Like I said though, the rest of their trip was super fun!











The Christmas lights at Galeries Lafayette are so pretty!


Visiting Napoleon's tomb





Cara looking rather tiny in the massiveness of Les Invalides


Napoleon's tomb



Chantal's Birthday Dinner!


We went out for dinner and drinks to this really cool restaurant/bar for Chantal's Birthday last weekend.  It's called Cha Cha Club and we had great time.


That's the Bday Girl at the head of the table.









Let's see, what else is going on?


Well, I've discovered three things from Winter in Paris (aside from the obvious amazing things!)...


1)  Having a dog in an apartment is the pits when you have to take him out in the freezing rain.
2)  I have a serious Gossip Girl addiction.  I discovered this addiction on a cold, rainy day when I couldn't go outside, I finished every book I had and there was nothing on TV.  So, I purchased season 1 of Gossip Girl on iTunes (which I had never watched before) and I've been addicted ever since.  
3)  I wish I had a bath tub to soak in on chilly nights.  Although I never used our huge garden tub the entire time we were in our townhome in Houston, I would kill for it now.  


These are all minute trade-offs for all the positive things, of course!


Next up, we travel to Berwick to spend Christmas with the family.  I think it's been nearly 20 years since I've been in England for Christmas and we are SOOOO excited.  We're planning to do NYE in Edinburgh, which will be fab, too.  They put on a big celebration and do fireworks at the castle.  CAN'T WAIT!!!

Bisous!
Maygan

11.30.2011

Sarah, Ricky, Kyle & Maygan Stooooorm Paris!

Hooray for Visitors!


Kyle and I have been very lucky to have met some great friends in Paris.  Right from the beginning we've had Julie, who was an instant bestie the first week we moved here!  More recently we've gotten to know a bunch more awesome people.  However, nothing can compare to having one of my oldest and best friends come be a part of our new lives for a week.  It's totally different having friends come to Paris that know us in our "real" lives (Paris doesn't quite feel that way yet) and getting to share our world here with them.  


Sarah and Ricky arrived here last Tuesday after spending a few days in London.  It was Sarah's first visit to Europe, so I was really excited to experience it with them.  We managed to fit in a ton during their visit, but there is still plenty left to do the next time they cross the pond :)


Let's see if I can get everything in the right order...


They're here!

Luckily the day they arrived was a lovely day, so we set out immediately.

This is the hotel Carrie and Petrovsky stayed in during the Paris episodes of Sex and the City.  Of course we had to fit in as many SATC spots in as we could!


  Arc de Triomphe 






The awesome view from the top of the Arc.

One of Kyle's new favorite things... Vin chaud from the Christmas market.


Heading to the Louvre.





Sarah and Ricky spent the Wednesday they were here in Normandy, so we had a special Tuesday edition of Wednesday Friendsday in the park.  Complete with rats, bats and cops... oh my!






Alex and Buckley love each other :)

Sarah and Ricky returned from Normandy on Thursday afternoon, so we fit in some sights before prepping our Turkey Day dinner.

Notre Dame


Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We had a few snags along the way (prepping in a tiny Euro apt is tricky), but it ended up being one of the best Thanksgiving meals I've had.

Clearly pleased with something...

Our sweet potatoes that ended up being an appetizer - one of the aforementioned snags.

One of the trade-offs of living in Paris is that you lack space.  That's why you see Sarah and Ricky's bed leaning against the wall in the background.  Oh, and also why we have everything on the table in plastic containers, no room for serve ware in this kitchen!

Most expensive turkey I've ever eaten, but so darn delicious.

Julie's family makes Northern style stuffing (white bread, sage and sausage) and holy cow was it fantastic!!!!


Julie also made yummy pumpkin pie.  Mine is on the left and Kyle's is on the right :)

Getting fired up to watch the Aggie game.  That's all we'll say about that.




More hot wine in Montmartre.

Crepes, oh heavenly crepes.


Moulin Rouge

Doing our best to fit in to the Red Light District.




Taking the RER out to Versailles for a bike tour.




My bike's name was Flanders.  Poor Flanders got a flat tire on the last leg of the bike tour.

Picking up goodies at the Versailles market for our picnic.








Our super guide, Brian.



Lunch at the base of the Grand Canal.  Possibly the chilliest lunch experience we've ever had.

"My fingers don't work!"




Ricky meticulously cleaning Sarah's tomatoes. 





The Palace





The desk the Treaty of Versailles was signed on.








Our buddy Matt who is stationed in Rome was in town over the Holiday weekend, too.  Matt and some of his Navy buddies met up in Paris and we hung out with them at one of our local pubs for a bit after Versailles.  It was a lot of fun and great to catch up with Matt!  Sadly, I didn't get any pictures.  Whomp whomp.



Their last day in Paireeee

Totally random, but these little guys were the star of the trip.  They're like big doughnut holes filled with caramel.  Be still my beating heart.

Tea at Angelina (another Sex and the City destination).


Pizza and the cheapest pitchers of wine in Paris.  We might have spent five hours here.

A little live piano makes everything more fun.


Live music and people watching on a patio in Montmartre.



The Louvre at night - always a fave spot for me.



"Look, I'm at the Louvre"

Giant Maygan, pocket-sized Sarah!

I couldn't tell you how long we attempted to get the perfect heel clicking shot.  




Pont des Arts.  The Lovers Bridge where Carrie and Big finally got together in the finale of SATC.  

Most may know it better though from Julie's episode of House Hunters International, featuring yours truly.  Yep, we'll pretend that the "decision making scene" made this bridge famous.

This might be the worst photo I've ever taken (seriously, what's with my pencil neck?), but it's the only one of Sarah and I on Pont des Arts.  

Lovers on the Lovers Bridge!

Just in time for the Eiffel twinkle.


The Christmas tree at Notre Dame.




It was SOOOOO wonderful having you guys here!  You're welcome to come back anytime.  In fact, twice a year would be preferable :)
Love y'all!


Bisous!
Maygan