Versailles, Champs Elysées and home.

Hi All!


First of all: Merry almost-Christmas! I am excited to be leaving for Holland tomorrow to spend the big days of the holidays with some Dutch relatives. For now I'd like to share a bit of my day today with you.


Today I took a trip to Versailles with Michael, a classmate from my grammar course. We spent a good couple of hours inside the palace being astounded by its size and grandeur. My favourite place inside is probably the well-known Hall of Mirrors. My favourite part of our time there was spent outside in a little area of the very snowy gardens. I have not seen that much snow since being here and it was an exciting time. I'll call it: snow therapy. It was great to walk and run through it. We commented on how peaceful snow seems to make a place: everyone seems to quiet down, everything gets covered, and there's a grey "foggishness" when you watch it snow further away from you. Absolutely beautiful. Pictures will come at the end.


On my way home I remembered that I had planned on going to the Arc de Triomphe to take pictures of Champs Elysées at Christmastime from up high on the Arc. Unfortunately for me, going up to the top was not available tonight. Instead I took pictures from the street and wandered down it until I got to the Grand Palais. Here I took the street towards the Pont des Invalides to see if I could get a picture of the Eiffel Tower from there as I had done the first time we wandered around Paris. I had some fun taking a couple evening snowy pictures of the area. I walked beside the Seine just a little ways towards the tower and got a picture of it just a bit closer. Then I moved to a more open and well-lit area to pull out my Plan de Paris (always helpful) to figure out how to walk home. I figured it out, then looked up to see what the sign in front of me said. I was at the "Place du Canada," already "home". ;) 


I came home and saw that I had mail. So I picked it up, noticed it was from my lovely cousin & her family in Stratford and figured out, by the time I got to my room, that it must be for that fabulous time of the year that is normally spent all together as the van de Hoef family. I opened it up and found a fun poem and my Christmas gift. Here's a peek into that sometimes frustrating yet great Christmas tradition.


"What to get for a girl in France?
Maybe something to make you dance?


Perhaps you're tired of hearing Frenched
So in English you need to be drenched!


I hope this works well overseas
As you hit some high & low "Cs."


Enjoy this present for Bonne Noël
I tried to write in French. Oh well!"


Thanks Lori & family! I'd like to take a moment and say HI! to all my family back home. I'll miss seeing you all this year; I'll miss the family get-togethers, the noise, all the poems at the van de Hoef gathering, and simply eating and spending time together. However, I'll try to soak in some Dutch-ness this year and be back in full force next year. I pray for your safe travels to and from the Christmas celebrations. Blessings at Christmas and for the New Year!


All in all: a good, good day. Now I'm tired (a good tired), trying to pack, and getting increasingly excited for Holland.

 In front of Versailles.

 Looking out one of the lovely windows at the more-lovely snow-covered garden.

 The beautiful Hall of Mirrors.

 My feet in snow in France!

 My new gardens. :)

 Champs Elysées.

 La Seine et la tour Eiffel.

"Home." Snow and all.

Merry Christmas everyone!


~Lynette