I am finally getting around to posting New Years Eve photos...why? I have no idea. Laziness I suppose. New Years weekend was filled with lots of running around and visiting every. single. tourist site. available.
Toni (Pat's sister) and her family were in town, and I was delighted to have some familiar faces to spend the weekend with. They spent a week or so in London with Kerry (who is an au pair there) seeing the sights anddddd spending Christmas in London doesn't sound half bad does it? I was so glad they were able to pop down to Paris even if for just a couple of days. We started off the morning by visiting Sainte-Chappelle, a must see for them during their visit. We finished up with the Christmas lights at Galeries Lafayette and dinner near their hotel in the 9th. We left Toni and her husband to have their own New Years celebration and Kerry, Elena, Andy and I met my friends at the Eiffel Tower. We had nothing planned...no big parties or soirée's, lets face it-I was just glad to have the night off. I didn't want to spend the tick of midnight in a bar somewhere in Paris, so we decided that the Eiffel Tower seemed pretty memorable. (So cliché, but memorable.) Trying to miss the overcrowded metros we planned to meet around 9:30, and spend the evening on the Champ de Mars. Luckily it wasn't too cold, and we were able to find a few places to sit.
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| People crowded around the empty fountains in the middle of the Champ de Mars. |
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| Me, Kerry, Elena, and Andy Kerry, Elena, Andy, and I....WHY do I never know which one is correct? |
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| The lame fireworks that supposedly "weren't" allowed. |
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| The metro, line 8, at 1:00 am. We decided to walk. |
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| Gendarmerie and garbage men already sweeping/cleaning the Champs Élysées at 2am. And yes, they all walked in a line as to shield the garbage trucks and street cleaners from whatever harm was to come ahead. |
Midnight was spent with champagne toasts and bisous all around and as I stood in front of the sparkling Eiffel Tower reflecting on 2011 I was so glad to have some family and some very dear friends standing next to me. I'm excited to see where 2012 will take me... full of change, excitement, and worldly travel I hope.
Sunday was spent in Montmartre with the Fowler's, a quick jaunt to Angelina's to taste some delicious hot chocolate, and the afternoon in the Jardin du Luxembourg. I am always sad to see familiar faces go, but am so lucky that they had the opportunity to pop down. It was lovely and I always enjoy sharing my city with the people I love.
This weekend we are not planning much, definitely church on Sunday, and probably a pain au chocolat on Saturday morning. I've got to gather my things for my next visa appointment. My wallet just took a hit this morning because I paid for my last trimester of French classes. Boom. I hope that's the last 380 euros I pay to France Langue for awhile.
Mission 2012: Finding a job in the states that will allow me to use my French often so I don't let 2000 euros go to waste!!!!!!! Any ideas?
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