Montserrat Monastery

On our second day in Barcelona, we decided to actually leave the city and head into the mountains to visit Montserrat Monastery, home to the Black Madonna which was found in a grotto near the monastery sometime around the year 880 AD. Aside from the beautiful basilica, the natural scenery is also a wonder to behold and something we had both been looking forward to after living in a city of 10 million for the past four months.

Walking along the lower trail to the grotto of the Madonna.

We decided to view the basilica first as the Montserrat boys choir was giving a short performance. The music combined with the beauty of the basilica was unreal. We have found that the Spanish churches tend to have a warmer feel as more wood and marble are used compared to the rock used in the cathedrals and churches of France.

The alter of the basilica at Montserrat.

At the end of the performance, we decided to make our way to the top of the mountain to take in the spectacular views. It was the middle of the afternoon and the sun was simply marvelous. Even at the top of the mountain, it was still 13 degrees.

At the top of the mountain. 1.3 km from the base.

Mindy practices her karate while her new friend, the kitty, looks on in stunned amusement (see the little guy behind her).

While waiting for the ride back down the mountain, I decided to make like the locals and took a little siesta in the sun.

After going to the summit of the mountain, we made our way down to the grotto of the Madonna. Along the path, there are fifteen stations depicting the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The monuments at each station are fairly elaborate and its amazing to think how they were made on the side of a mountain. For anyone thinking about a trip to Barcelona, Montserrat is a definite must-see.

Walking the mountain path to the grotto of the Madonna. Ahead is the station of the cross.

Merry Christmas

As we sit here on the balcony in Barcelona, and reflect back on the year that was 2008, we cannot help but feel incredibly blessed. The experiences we have had, the people we have met, and the special times we have shared with both family and friends have made this a truly incredible year. As with every year, there have certainly been some difficult and trying times, most notably the passing of David's grandfather, Ferbie St.Cyr, but as a whole our year has been filled with many joyous occasions.

We started 2008 off in Hawaii where we celebrated the New Year with the St. Cyr Family, Paul, Karen, Mark and Kate. We spent a wonderful time touring the sites of Ohau's most famous places. From Pearl Harbour to boat cruises, we saw exotic wildlife and experienced wonderful culture. While Paul and Karen decided to ring in their first month of retirement snowbird style, we only spent week in Hawaii as did Mark and Kate. We were lucky to get a 2 day overlap of our trips so that the whole family could be together and celebrate. On our last night there, David surprised me with a trip to the famous Turtle Bay resort for a special event that he'd had planned for some months by that time. As we embarked on all that the hotel had to offer; horseback riding, great food and an amazing hotel room with a view to die for, David didn't fail to surprise by taking me on a romantic walk through out the grounds. It was a beautiful night with a full moon and a warm breeze coming off the ocean. We found a hammock in a quiet place and snuggled up together to relax and enjoy one another. It was in that moment when David pulled out a lovely little diamond ring and asked me to marry him. In my shock and amazement, I could only respond with " Are you SERIOUS??? Did you really just ask me to marry you?" When it finally hit home that he was truly asking for my hand.... and patiently waiting for an answer, I did accept his proposal. It was the next morning that we returned to the beach where the whole family was set to meet up for the first time and spend the rest of the day together. We came upon everyone and were pleasantly surprised with a special announcement from our very own favorite couple, Mark and Kate. Mark too had proposed to the lovely Miss Wood, and as everyone hugged and congratulated each other, we all felt temendous joy and hopeful excitement for the coming year.

Four months later, after much preparation, and not only by the bride-to-be, David and I walked down the aisle in the wedding of our dreams. We were both so giddy with excitement and couldn't wait to marry each other and the moment that felt like it would never come, finally did. We were so blessed to acquire a beautiful presbyterian church filled with stain glass windows, an amazing hardwood interior with a very traditional and slightly gothic feel, as the setting for our fairytale wedding. The church also featured an incredibly grand pipe organ that was over 100 years old. As we said our vows, we drank in the moment and reflected on how lucky we were as a couple to have amazing friends and family witness our special day. Overall, it was a huge success and we must have danced until the morning when we finally closed out our own wedding.




The next day, David and I jetted off to the beautiful Island of Maui for a crazy fun honeymoon. We took part in some great adventures including whale watching boat cruises, zip lining, surfing, swimming with turtles and much much more. Again, David planned a little surprise for me when he took me to the Grand Wailea for a night (you can only afford one night unless you are Brad Pitt and homewrecker), and let me tell you, the place is indescibable. We were wisked away into a tropical island Paradise, to a land of dual massages in the most luxurious and lavish spa I have ever been to... and let me tell you, I frequent spas, so to say the least, it was mindblowing.
Unfortunately, we did receive the devastating news of the passing of Ferbie and had to make arrangments to fly back to Ontario instead of Edmonton, but when we arrived on Ontarian soil, we were met by family and friends. Everyone was celebrating the life of, what I came to understand later, a beautiful and devout man, who lived a good life leaving the legacy of a wonderful family that I am so happy to be a part of.
While it was an unexpected way to end a honeymoon, it was still an awesome adventure and turned out to provide a mini-family reunion with a chance for the people who were unable to attend the wedding, a way to meet and celebrate with each other still.




Getting back home to Edmonton we easily settled into a new life together and embarked on building a brand new home down the street from our special friends, Chris and Jody. We are really excited about its completion in 2009 and starting a family, however, as newlyweds, we are still in practice mode. At this point, the home is coming along nicely and we are glued to our progres updates each week.


The year flowed into a great summer with some funfilled time in BC with my mom and Dad. David of course spent as much time possible taming the wild gelding Bucky, and showing me how being a cowboy is done. We passed the time with animals, golfing, quading, (snowmobiling during our winter visits), bonfires, eating hearty fabulous meals, and of course a fireworks show, put on by none other then my daring father and always up for anything husband. Needless to say we freaked the crap out of the dogs who tore around the yard in a panic. We finally had to put the 2 huge White German Shepards in the house, where they continued to tear around the basement leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Our own fault I guess. Well worth it!!!

We also spent some quality time out at the cabin. It was a mixture of water fun and extention building on the cabin, but a great time indeed. Karen and I would do little jobs together like cleaning, cooking or staining shingles, but let it be known that when I wasn't around, my formidable mother in law took to much more dauting tasks. Between her and Paul, they exhausted themselves with the neverending things that needed to be done when building, but none of this ever took the smiles off their faces, or the laughter from their always happy hearts. David and Mark spent some good old fashion brotherly love outside together working on the framing of the cabin. It was fun to watch them work together like a well oiled machine, with the occassional, but hilarious squabbling and banter. Karen and I mostly stood back and laughed and took trips to the store or the farmer's market when things got tense. While there was alot of work, we still got our play time in and despite my broken tailbone from falling down the stairs during one of our numerous bootcamp workouts, I still managed to tube like a freakazoid whenever possible. David skiied and enjoyed himself and Paul even jumped on the tube and pulled off the most amazing 360 you've ever seen from a near 50 year old man;)

After the summer ended, it came time for David to depart on our heavily planned trip to Paris. Knowing David's passion for hockey and his ever lingering feelings of regret about the way he had to end his career before, I encouraged him that it wasn't too late to play pro and finish things on his own terms. Inspired by many of his family and friends, especially Kevin and Nell Gardner, the idea of playing in another country materialized into what has turned out to be an amazing adventure for the two of us. Nell, I can't thank you enough for sending us continual highlights and pictures from your own adventures. David has gotten along well with his new team, and the Asnieres Castors have bestowed upon him, the rank of Assistant Captain. His positive atittude and ability to speak French and English made him an ideal candidate for this role and he's been wonderful to watch this season. In addition we both got fantastic jobs teaching English. That in and of itself has been more of a blessing then an actual job. We often think about who we've met, what we've learned and where we've gone because of it and ponder, in disbelief, that we actually get paid to do what we do. I have been so lucky as to meet the who's who of the House of Chanel. From Karl Lagerfeld's business partner, who never fails to give me gifts before I leave my lesson, to the only lady in Chanel responsible for giving the tours of Mademoiselle Chanel's apartment. On our last lesson of the year, she unexpectedly took me for a tour and all I can say, is WHY DIDN'T I HAVE MY CAMERA??? This tour is basically off limits to everyone including most Chanel employees. Only people affiliated with specific press releases, or one of their 250 Haute Coture clients ever get a tour. It was an honour and a wonderful experience, and thankfully, despite my nervousness, I managed not to be too clumsy or break anything. I hope I can swing one more visit, this time with a Camera.

So now we sit in Barcelona, on Christmas Day, after opening all of our fabulous presents and reminiscing of the year that has passed. We cannot express our emotions as the culmination of our memories continue to grow. We are ever thankful and think of those who have helped us, inspired us, encouraged us, and stuck with us in our crazy ideas of packing up our lives and taking them to a continent far far away. We are full of gratitude for the love and support of you, our families and friends and we want to express a deep appreciation for the beautful thoughts and memories you bring to us this Christmas day. While its just the two of us in Barcelona, we do not feel alone in anyway. We send our love and best wishes to you all this season, and our prayers going forward into the new year.

May God richly bless and keep you all.

Sincerely,

The Junior St.Cyr's,
David and Mindy

Sagrada Familia

When you mention Barcelona, the name that usually pops into everyone's mind is Gaudi, the famous architect. Of course, his most famous work is the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, which is a massive Roman Catholic church being built in the middle of Barcelona. Construction of the Sagrada Familia was started in 1882 and is currently scheduled to be finished in the year 2026. When asked about the extremely long construction period, Gaudi is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry." Given the duration of the construction, the detail and dimensions of the Sagrada Familia are truly a wonder to behold.

Mindy in front of the Passion facade.

David in front of the Nativity facade.

The church has two of the three facades completed. The first is the Nativity facade, which was finished prior to 1935, certainly has the most Gaudi influence in its design. The level of detail on this facade was incredible. In contrast, the Passion facade is strikingly sparse, with statues of characters in obvious pain as the crucifixion of Christ is depicted. The entire church is amazing to view, even during the construction, and Mindy and I are looking forward to returning in our retirement to view the finished product.

One of the finished sections of the church.

The arches and columns are mind-boggling.

A España

Princess Mindy is ready to make a visit to Spain.

One of the advantages to living in Europe is the ability to travel Europe for relatively low prices thanks to the wonders of budget airlines. Deciding to take full advantage of our Christmas holidays, Mindy and I set out for the Spanish coastal city of Barcelona. A little sun, warmer temperatures, fantastic food...we figured it was worth a shot.

We set off from Paris on Monday evening to make the two hour flight from Paris to Barcelona. The key to budget airlines is that they fly out of airports that are little further out of town then Charles de Gaulle. As a result, when we landed in Barcelona, we actually arrived in a town about an hour's train ride to Barcelona. So we stayed the night in the local Quality Hotel before continuing our journey in the morning.

Mindy on the early train to Barcelona.

We caught the early train and arrived at our hotel on La Rambla in Barcelona at about 10:30 in the morning (La Rambla is one of the main steets in Barcelona). Check-in is usually in the early afternoon, but the manager decided that we could use a little special treatment and checked us in on the spot. Our hotel features an open buffet with fruits, hot dishes, pastries, and beverages free of charge for the guests, so Mindy and I decided that a late breakfast on the balcony of our room overlooking La Rambla was in order. See our tour video at the end of the post for more.

Breakfast for two on the balcony.

After breakfast we decided to explore the area of town that we are staying in as La Rambla is known as one of the top tourist areas in Barcelona. It was beautiful day with barely a cloud in the sky and a balmy plus 13 degrees. We made our way down to the watefront where we viewed the monument of Columbus.

The New World is that way...I think.

At the base of the monument are some statues of lions, which of course we had to climb on and pose in front of before heading back up La Rambla to our hotel for lunch before we continue our Barcelona adventure.

Tackling a lion is no easy task.

Mindy does her best to look like Simba.

Welcome a España. Stay tuned for more...

Regular Season Game #11

Every season teams suffer a lose that they would rather not remember ever occured. The Edmonton Oilers were embarrased by the Chicago Blackhawks this past week 9-2. Well, the Asnieres Castors had their forgetable game as well this past weekend when we travelled to Wasquehal.

Wasquehal is a team that we had previously beaten on home ice by a convincing score of 9-1. We knew they would be tougher at home, and the game started out with both teams playing each other tough. The first period was a not our best period of hockey, but Tommi made the saves he needed to and with about a minute left in the period, Andronik won the face-off in our zone back to me. I found some space before sending a pass across the ice to a steaking Franz Ehrhart who walked in and neatly deposited the puck past a sprawled Wasquehal goalie. This would be the high point of the game for our team.

In the second period, Wasquehal started taking advantage of our sloppy play and converted three times. The goals were more a result of our mistakes then great plays by the other team. We were a very frustrated team by the end of the period.

Things didn't get better in the third period as we allowed a fourth goal against early in the period. It didn't seem to matter what we did, we could not come together, play our game, and generate an attack. We finally scored with about three minutes left to play to close the gap, but it was really too late for a comeback. Wasquehal added an empty netter and a garbage goal with one second left on the clock to finish the game. Final score was a win for Wasquehal 6-2. Not a great way to close out 2008 but hopefully the Christmas break will allow the team to regroup and get back to our more successful ways in 2009.

Christmas Market

The happy couple are ready to take on the Christmas market at La Defence.

As neither of us were working Wednesday afternoon this week, Mindy and I decided that we really needed to check out the Christmas market at La Defence. We have both walked by it several times on our way to teach and finally decided that we needed to try some of the delicious foods being offered by the vendors.

Tartiflette sandwich = Delicious

We decided on the tartiflette sandwich for our main course as it looked to be the popular choice among the locals. The sandwich consists of a baguette stuffed with ham and then topped with a mixture of potatoes, bacon, lard, cheese and cream (basically carbs, a little protein, and fat, fat, and fat). The combination is incredibly rich and we practically inhaled the sandwich. Just in case you were wondering, it is not WeightWatchers friendly.

Mindy takes her first bite of heaven.

After lunch we needed to have some dessert (we are in France where dessert is considered a right, not an option). We settled on a strawberry jam waffle and once again congratulated ourselves for moving to a country with such terrific cuisine.

Caught in the act. Mindy is all over the strawberry jam waffle. The Grandes Arches of La Defence are in the background.

Does this not look incredible?

Battuta at Zingaro

Zingaro is a theater experience quite unlike any other.

The owner of ICB Europe and our boss, Eric Wrobley, decided to get a little creative for the company Christmas party this year and instead of the traditional meal and champagne at the office, he decided that a night out at the theater would be something a little more memorable for the staff. So we all gathered at the Zingaro theater for a pre-show meal before checking out the production of Battuta.

First, the dinner. Instead of a set meal, we were allowed to order what we wanted to eat. I went straight for the chili, as I was starving and needed something with some calories. I also had a salad and some cheese quiche, which surprised me by being quite good. Mindy selected onion soup (they don't call it french onion soup here in Paris), a salad, and some lentil pottage. It was an excellent meal with excellent company as we dined with some fellow teachers and their spouses including Corine, Dave L., Tanya, Emily, and Caroline. Sorry about not having a photo of the group, I forgot my good camera and had to rely on the camera-phone which didn't have enough light for a dinner shot.

After the meal, we made our way into the main theater for the show. We knew in it advance that the production involved horses, however we had no idea the display we were about to see. The entire performance involved the performers riding horses at various speeds around a ring while vaulting on and off the horses and executing some unreal moves while riding. The performance was very impressive.

We are both truly grateful to Eric for the opportunity as it is most definetly something we would never have attended had it not been for him.

The stage. The band is on the left on an elevated stage. The blue light in the middle is actually a waterfall. The blurs in the front are the horses racing around the ring.

A girl on a while stalion rode around the ring to signal the end of the act.

The True Rewards of Teaching

Alexandre & Ingrid: Two prized pupils.

While Mindy has been on the receiving end of some pretty fabulous and interesting gifts from some of her Chanel students, I have received only the satisfaction of knowing that my profession is an honourable one where I am helping to further educate my students. Until this past Monday.

My Mondays consist of teaching students all day from Societe Generale, and this past Monday happened to be the last class for two of my favorite students from SG, Alexandre & Ingrid. During the past couple of months, we have shared many laughs in the classroom as they are both students with a keen sense of humour who are confident enough in themselves that they can laugh at their mistakes. It also helps that they really show no mercy in teasing each other or if they have the chance, their teacher. They have been a real pleasure to teach.

Since it was my last day with them, they took it upon themselves to get me a little present. I was taken totally by surprise and was truly touched by the gesture. The gift they decided to present me with was a copy of Indiana Jones and the Sky Pirates...in French!!! So that would actually be Indiana Jones et les Pirates du Ciel. In my English classes, my students have to read everything I put in front of them out loud (to correct their pronunciation). So it was time for the students to turn the tables on their teacher. Alexandre and Ingrid had me read a page from the new book to them, with them correcting my pronunciation. We had a good laugh. I have promised them I will finish the book and send them a summary (yes, all 300 pages will be read). Anyway, it was a great way to finish the class with them and a nice bonus from two great students.

As I left Tours SG on Monday evening, this was the view of Les Grandes Arches.

A Taste of India in Paris.

Mindy braved the frigid -1 degree weather to search the Latin Quarter for someplace to dine.

After surviving the Castors Christmas Party, and promptly sleeping and resting for most of Sunday while her husband cleaned the apartment and updated the blog, Mindy was ready to be whisked away for a fabulous dinner. So we boarded the Metro and went to the Latin Quarter where a great meal can always be found at a reasonable price.

The Old Kashmir restaurant caught our eye, but we were unsure as no one was dinning when we perused the menu...of course it was only 7 pm.

We strolled in the direction of La Citrouille, a restaurant we had previously visited back in the fall, as we had noted that there were several other interesting looking restaurants in the area. After scrutinizing several menus, we finally decide on the Old Kasmir restaurant. And what a fantastic decision it turned out to be. We started out the evening with tandori chicken and some fried vegetables accompanied by nan bread. Our main course was chicken curry and another vegetable plate. Dessert was a warm coconut based cake for me while Mindy went with the mango sorbet. It was absolutely superb.

A happy Mindy polishes off her mango sorbet.

If you are ever in Paris and wanting some Indian food, Old Kashmir is the place to go.

Regular Season Game #10

The Asnieres Castors came into this weekend on a three game lossing skid and it was time to make someone pay to get back to the winning ways. The Cherbourg Vikings were in town and the team was eager for the challenge of taking them on.

After a focused warm-up, we hit the ice flying in the first period. Our game is based on speed and puck movement, and we certainly were jumping to start the game. About five minutes into the frame, I managed to keep a loose puck in the offensive zone and put the puck towards the net. The rebound went into the corner where Mika Snellman was all over it. I pinched down to support and Mika moved the puck up to me. I gave a pass back to him in the corner before going to the net. Mika laid out a beauty pass for me to skate on to and I had all day to pick my spot. A quick low shot to the blocker side...and he shoots and scores!!! 1-0 for the good guys. Later on the same shift, I intercepted a pass in our zone and moved the puck to Franz Ehrhart coming out of our zone. I joined the rush to make it a 4-on-2. Franz laid a pass across to Andronik, who them set the puck out for me to wire home. Bingo Bango...2-0 Asnieres. Both goals are in the video as Mindy was working hard to capture great images. We continued to press our advantage in the first and notched two more goals by Patrice Kerner and Olivier Ducam. We did give up one to Cherbourg so the period ended 4-1.

In the second period, it was the Snellman & Pfeiffer show as we continued to score at will against the Cherbourg goalie. After a quick goal to start the period by JC Fornero to give us a 5-1 advantage, I found Mika with a pass from our end at their blueline. He made no mistake on the breakaway. Then being the unselfish teammate that he is, Mika decided to help out another teammate by setting him up to start scoring. Guillaume Pfeiffer notched back-to-back goals and we were cruising. Once again, we allowed Cherbourg to notch a goal, so the period ended with us having an 8-2 lead.

In the third period, Mika continued to play like a man possesed. He was all over the ice. Hitting, passing, shooting. It was a great performance. He set up Baptiste Blommaert early in the third before notching his second of the game on a beauty wrist shot. Cherbourg also notched a couple of goals in the third as our defense started to breakdown a little with the big lead. In the end, the good guys prevailled and pulled off the huge 10-4 win.

Mika finished with 2 goals and 4 assists on the night and was a human wreaking ball as well. He tried valliently to set me up for the hat-trick, but I just couldn't convert. I should also mention that even with the lofty score, Tommi Kuru, our goalie, played fantastic. He made some really great saves and kept the game out of reach for Cherbourg. Playing in front of him certainly adds alot of confidence to the guys knowing he is back there. I've added a couple of great saves to the video.

Castors Christmas Party

The team wishes everyone a Merry Christmas as we show off our new gifts.

As Saturday was our last home game before the Christmas break, the team Christmas party was organized to be held right after the game. Of course it fell to the Frat House to play the role of host for the party, a role which we gladly accepted.

Each line was assigned a part of the meal to bring and the boys came through in fine style with a wide variety of delicious dishes. We had sausage, chicken curry, pasta salad, cake logs, and a few other plates ready to be devoured by the mass of hockey players.

We also had a little gift exchange where each of the players picked a number from a hat and then had a buy a little gift for the player with corresponding number. Of course there were more then a few joke gifts and everyone had more then a few laughs. The boys got quite creative and made a big show of presenting and receiving the gifts.

Baptiste breaks out the shakers and then promptly broke into song.

Mika shows off a new hair style (wearing a wig) complete with a french-style beret.

The Frat House was more then a little crowded but everyone had a fantastic time.

Asnieres Arena Tour

It's hard to believe that we have reached the midway point of the season already. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. This video was a little project I have been thinking about doing for the past couple of months, however I never remembered to bring the camera to practice. Anyway, this is just a little tour of the arena in Asnieres to give all of you following along at home a sense of where I spend a large quantity of my time. Enjoy!

More Christmas Windows

Just a few more images from the windows at Galeries Lafayette. They are supposed to be holiday themed, but these ones just are not as obvious as the Macy's windows in New York. Enjoy!

Let it Snow!!!

The remains of an afternoon snowfall in Asnieres...on the green grass.

Although some claimed to have seen snow fluries in the air a few weeks ago, today was the first day I could actually tell it was snowing and not raining here in Asnieres. As one of my students put it "It's so cold outside today". Translated to degrees celcius and the temperature was about plus 1. I know, not quite the frigid winter days of Alberta, but to the everyday Parisien, it was cold.

Getting back to the snow, it fell in big wet flakes for maybe about an hour this afternoon. More annoying then beautiful as the only thing that was accomplished was the complete soaking of everything outdoors. The only places where it lasted more then a second was on the grass or on parked cars. And that was the first snowy day in Paris!

Regular Season Game #9

The final game of the first half of the season pitted us against the Dragons of Rouen in a battle for third place in the North Division. Win and we take third place. Lose and we drop to fifth in the league. Unfortunately for the Asnieres Hockey Club, injuries have continued to plague our team, and those not injured have been battling a flu bug this past week. Our starting goalie and Frat House roomate, Tommi, was probably in the worst shape, but I was also sick as were a couple of the other boys. It was going to be tough match.

We started the game with three forward lines and four defensemen, against a full Rouen bench just itching to take third place from us. However we were not going down without a fight this weekend. They came out flying against us and we quickly matched their speed in the first period, and added a dose of physical play as well. They took the first penalty of the game and smelling an opportunity, we pounced. I kept a puck in play by pinching to the half boards on the power-play and feathered a pass to Andro down low. He promptly found Paul Manushkin (our new Finnish sensation) streaking to the net. A well placed shot and it was 1-0 for the good guys. We continued to play well in the first period, but couldn't mark another goal.

In the second, we finally started to take a couple of penalties as you can't play four defensemen and expect them not to make a mistake sooner or later. On our second penalty, Andro stole the puck from the Rouen defender and rushed in on a breakaway. He beat the goalie with a great little move to the backhand but couldn't get the puck up into the net. Can you say TSN Turning Point? Absolutely. Not thirty seconds later, still on the power-play, a shot from a Rouen defender found its way past a screened Tommi to tie the score. At the end of the second, the score was tied 1-1.

In the third, we took a bad penalty almost right out of the gate, and as is typical with bad penalties, the other team always seems to find a way to score. Another screened point shot and Rouen was ahead 2-1. We pushed for the equilizer but couldn't connect as out defensemen, me included, couldn't add alot to the rush, and our forwards needed some support. At the final buzzer, Rouen pulled of the victory.

The game seemed to be really fast passed as both teams seemed to showcase their speed. Mindy said it was a well paced game with an incredible tempo. It sure felt like it on the ice. Anyway, it's time to regroup and get back on a winning note, hopefully that can be accomplished this weekend when Cherbourg comes to town.

A little strol

Mindy on Rue de Rivoli beside the Louvre and right across from WH Smith (our favorite english bookstore in Paris).

After a week of illness, an unreal hockey game last night (more on this tomorrow), and a Sunday spent gathering ourselves for the week ahead (code for sleeping and relaxing), Mindy and I decided we needed to get out of the house for a few hours. So we jumped on the Metro and headed towards the Rue de Rivoli where we went to our favorite english bookstore, WH Smith. It's actually the only english bookstore that we are aware of in Paris, although I'm sure another must surely exist. We love to drop in whenever we are in the area, if only to browse the titles and discuss which ones we have already read. Tonight we picked up a new book for Mindy and then headed out for a little walk.

Upon reaching Rue de Castiglione, we noticed some very interesting seasonal lights in the shape of huge chandeliers leading up to Place Vendome (can you really call chandeliers Christmas lights?!?). The French sure have a different style to celebrate the holidays. We were intrigued and decided to walk to Place Vendome to see the Christmas decorations in the square. There were four Christmas tree shaped displays of lights and waterfall lights above the stores. It looked pretty neat, and of course expensive, as a display in Place Vendome should. The evening had a coolness in the air and we both agreed that it felt like a December evening.

The chandeliers above Rue de Castiglione.

They were pretty detailed and really lit up the street.

Seasons Greeting from Place Vendome!!!