BEGINNING THE TOUR AT THE EIFFEL NOVOTEL IN PARIS

We chose to explore Paris for three days before our Seine River Cruise began.  When we arrived we saw that he hotel was decked out for Christmas with Christmas Trees and even a balloon Santa Claus.  One decoration reminds me of the story of the development of blown glass Christmas ornaments that looked like the ice apples that trimmed trees  in earlier times.  We did our explorations of the neighborhood around the hotel at 61 Quai De Grenelle, and in the Marais district.  But the Novotel is where we had breakfast in the morning and returned at night after a day of exploration and in once case, after separation in the subway.  There were also several trips to the Monoprix. What memories!

Novotel bar and lounge 

A Christmas to delight children and our inner-child

Red glass balls imitate the ice apples of old

This jolly Santa Claus greeted us every morning at breakfast

Yarn balls and ribbons decorate the tree on the lower floor

Touring the Marais

Saturday in Paris.  We traveled from our hotel by Metro to the Marais section of Paris.  We had our lunch in a cafe where no brave souls were dining on the sidewalk. Even Parisians desert the outdoor bistros by mid-December.  Next we visited the famous Palais Voseges.  Cold as it was on December 20, the grass in Paris was bright green.

Desert in Au Bourguignon du Marais

Tea shop in the arcade of the Palais Vosges

Strolling near the Palais Voseges

Palais Vosges and fountain

Palais Vosges

Decorated Christmas trees near Metro entrance

Small Christmas Market near our hotel

Saarbrucken Christmas Market 2014

We had three days in Paris before our Christmas Cruise on the Seine began.  We spent one day, a Sunday experiencing Christmas in Germany at the Saarbrucken Christmas Market.  We took the fast TGV train from the Paris East Station to get there in just a little over an hour, traveling over 200 miles an hour on the smoothest train ride ever.  Both the Christmas Market and the fast train were wonderful experiences.  

Cafe Maja lunch for the cousins

Candles light up the night

Carousel Ride Ends

Ferris wheel decoration

Christmas Market Flammkuchen 

So many choices at each booth

Lebkuchen plain and fancy

Ornaments by the hundreds

The Christmas Man is ready to ride

Nutcrackers and smokers

Schneeballen in all flavors -too many choices!

Outside looking in

Welcome to the Christmas villages

Another view of the Ferris Wheel

Have a mug of hot mulled wine

Goodbye Christmas Market

Versailles on December 23

On the Tuesday before Christmas, still anchored in Paris, we were part of huge crowds who decided to go to Versailles that day.  A light rain was falling, the wind was blowing, and there was quite a bit of shivering until it was our turn to go inside and see a few of the magnificent rooms.

The golden gate to an important part of French history -
and the luxury of the French Royalty

Green grass of December and an unfamiliar sculpture

Only one small part of the Palace of Versailes

Goddess Diana and a stag

The Hall of Mirrors

Living on the River Ship Bizet

Grand Circle Tours, an American Company catering to the 50+ traveler, chose to call our Seine River ship the Bizet.  It flies the Swiss flag. The program directors and crew did their best to make our Christmas aboard a real pleasure.  We took pictures to help us remember a unique holiday vacation aboard this ship.  Here are some photos showing our home for eight days.

All Aboard!

Waving at other passengers

Bizet cabin in a very cozy and neat condition

Favorite waiter with the Queen Kathy ("Oh my")

One of many dining room courses with amazing presentation

Princess 1 and Princess 2 on Christmas Day in the lounge

PARIS BY TRAIN AND BUS

One kind of travel, which we did on our own, was on the TGV train.  The Gare de Est train station that travels, as its name says, to the east (est) was beautifully decorated for Christmas and featured a fascinating mural.

Train Station Mural

Christmas decorations all around the station

Our itinerary hinted that we might be able to take our cruise ship, The Bizet, on an evening tour of Paris.  It also warned that the water level or some other factor might prevent it.  It did!  We took the tour by bus - not a bad substitute, except when we wanted to get pictures.  Stop-and-start traffic most of the way led to blurry pictures for me.  My sister's and my cousin's pictures, shown here, were better.  There was still quite a lot of daylight when we started.  Here are some of the things they captured when the bus passed by.

The Fountain at St. Sulpice

The Concierge and the Seine 

The clock at the Concierge

Les Invalides

PARIS TOUR WHEN NIGHT FELL

Night fell as the traffic grew even heavier - Parisians anxious to begin celebrating the Christmas holidays.  This was their last day of work until after the commemoration of the birth of the Christ Child on Christmas Eve and the arrival of Pere Noel.  It was a stop-and-start ride along the streets, but the talented photographers I came to France with did a very good job of taking clear pictures.

Blvd San Michel

Cafe du Depart

Place de la Concorde Ferris Wheel

Lighted Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tour sparkles