Champs-Elysées Christmas Market

Arc de Triomphe

Last week we went to Champs-Elysées to check out their Christmas market. Probably the most well-known Christmas market in Paris, it did not disappoint.

I loved the festive atmosphere!

We decided to take the metro there and it dropped us off right on Champs-Elysées. We started of near the Place de Concorde (where the huge ferris wheel is) and headed off towards the Arc de Triomphe.

Champs-Elysées is roughly 2 km long and has many flagship stores, boutiques, and restaurants along the boulevard. It is nicknamed "the world's most beautiful avenue". With all the Christmas lights and decorations, it definitely was beautiful.

Our family loves trying new cheese. Samples are given out by the merchants so one can try a new flavor before buying.

The Christmas market occurs every year from late November until January. If you missed going before Christmas, you still have a chance to check it out before the new year!

There are tons of little booths set up selling gift ideas, food (crepes, speciality items like foie gras, drinks), and clothing. 

Actual painting on the carousal

And another one

One of the neatest things we got to do was have London go on this beautiful carousal. We talked to the man working and he said it was 85 years old! I loved all the horses and the lights - it was gorgeous!

London chose to ride on a hot air balloon that would spin when she pushed the wheel around. It was darling. She loved it and we loved watching her have so much fun.

So magical!

We did a lot of walking around and checked out all the booths. I loved seeing all the stacks of chocolate and cheese and other specialty items.

So.Much.Chocolate.

There were also different craftsmen, like the one above, making different items. The man making pottery made a little pot for London. We also bought some gloves that were handmade in Nepal. It was really neat seeing all these different items being sold from all over the world.

Once we went past the different booths, we passed by many boutiques and flagship stores. At the very end, we reached the Arc de Triomphe. It was very beautiful.

We crossed the street and headed down back towards the Ferris wheel. On our way, we passed a little section called "The Enchanted Forest". It had different little animal scenes set up and a talking tree and a little play area. It was a nice area to let our toddler get out and run around.

There were several other little sectioned areas like this throughout the avenue as well. One had all kinds of Christmas decorations and there were several others that we didn't get a chance to check out.

The Ferris Wheel and the Place de la Concorde

We had a great time walking around seeing all the sights. It's definitely something I would recommend everyone do at least once if they're in Paris during the holidays!

Provins | Medieval Christmas Festival

We went to Provins December 12th for their Medieval Christmas Festival. Provins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and dates back to the Middle Ages.

Provins is most well known for it's well-preserved medieval walls around the town and the Tour Cesar in the middle of town.

During the 12th century, Provins was known for being a wealthy, commercial town. It was conveniently located between routes to the North Sea and routes going south to the Mediterranean Ports.

View from the top of the walls

Provins was known for it's excellent treatment of merchants and increased safety measures. As soon as merchants reached the borders, they would be escorted safely inside the town. They also had special fair guards and lieutenants to help keep order during the fairs.

Just some guy dressed up with his two humongous dogs

Today Provins is a normal town where people live and work. The houses are mostly beautiful old half timbered homes and one can easily imagine what it would have been like living there back in the Middle Ages.

This was a whole group that was dressed up as the Knights Templar

We were fortunate enough to hear from a friend about a Medieval Christmas Festival that would be happening the 12th and 13th of December in Provins. We weren't entirely sure what we were getting ourselves into, but it sounded fun so we headed out on the 12th to check it out. Luckily, Provins is only a little over an hour drive from Paris.

Soup cooked over an open fire

Roasting chestnuts

I'll be honest, I was expecting a lot more of a Christmas-y feel, but it was still a lot of fun! Lots of people were dressed up for the time period and many merchants were selling items to help others dress up if they wanted to as well.

Yes, these shoes were all for sale

There were musicians and dancers walking around town performing and also opportunities to buy food made with medieval recipes.

We had a blast walking around and taking in the sites. My favorite was a man dressed up with his reindeer (see the photo below).

More items for sale

There were many activities as well that one could participate in. They had a children's area with medieval games. London had a lot of fun checking them all out. We also watched a blacksmith make some small souvenirs and later witnessed a duel.

Tour Cesar

There was also a section of town that was dedicated to more of a Santa's Village feel. We took our girls over and they got to meet Pere Noel, or "Papa" Noel as many children seem to call him. My oldest was very excited, but still a bit timid and my youngest cried (she's only 10 months old). They were also selling gingerbread men and hot chocolate here that were pretty good.

The cathedral

Spices for every occasion

The town has the Tour Cesar in the middle that can still be visited today. We met up with some friends and went to check it out. At the top, we had an excellent view of the town. We were able to watch some duels that were happening down below and could also see other festivities going on.

If you look closely, you can see a duel going on

At one point, we went up some super narrow stairs to get to the very tippy top that were a bit nerve wracking. They were so narrow that both shoulders would touch the wall next to them. And we went up and down them while holding a toddler and a baby! It was definitely worth the climb though. The view was beautiful!

There was also a living nativity in the cathedral. At the end of our day, we went and checked it out. Unfortunately, we weren't able to watch more than 20 minutes of it due to it being well past our girls' dinner time. It looked like it would have been beautiful though.

We had a great time visiting Provins and had a lot of fun people watching and enjoying the festival.

For more information, check out:
http://www.provins.net/heritage-and-sightseeing/history-of-provins-a-medieval-fair-town.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provins

First Christmas

It's my littlest's first Christmas this year, so her and I took a few tree photos last week. She loved inspecting the ornaments and the gifts underneath.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. We're enjoying our time here in France and love learning more about the culture. We're excited for our first Christmas here!

How will you be celebrating Christmas this year? What are some of your favorite traditions?

It's a Boy! | Izabella's Pregnancy Session

Last week I had the opportunity to meet Izabella, her gorgeous little girl, Henley, and also their adorable pup, Hiccup.

I love this Mommy-Daughter photo!

Izabella is pregnant with their second child and is due this Spring. She asked me if we could do some announcement photos so we headed out to the Gardens in Versailles for a photo session.

Seriously, such a cute girl. And that crown!

I had so much fun getting to know Izabella and Henley. And my goodness, was Hiccup so well-behaved! I've never seen a dog pose so perfectly for a picture before. :)

This was such a great session and I hope you enjoy some of my favorites below.

It's a boy!

Totally rocking that whole Pregnancy thing!

As soon as I saw this picture, I couldn't resist having a little fun with it ;)

One of my favorites!

I had an amazing time getting to know Izabella and her daughter. They are so cute and photogenic - They made my job pretty easy. :) Best of luck on the rest of your pregnancy, Izabella! That baby boy is going to be one cutie-pie!