New Year's Eve in Paris

A gray day in Paris; overcast sky with crisp temperatures giving one the sense that snow is in the air (none is predicted, though). This morning was leisurely for us: coffee and a galette for Susie, coffee and baguette and toast and jam for me.

After rousing from a respite of indolence I showered, dressed and headed out the door and down and out the door to run errands, prepping for our New Year's Eve dinner with the group and A & B's apartment.

First off, down to Place Leon Blum (and paying my obligatory respects to the man himself), to Boucherie Thomelin for two veal roasts, then next door to Maison de Rouyer for pastries (getting a start on Saturday morning): Apricot Ornais and a croissant d'amandes; then to Nicolas for wine and finally to Simply Market for juice, milk and water, the last two stops stoking our larder for later this weekend, and for when we return from Brittany.

After returning to apartment and unloading, Susie and I headed down rue Chemin Vert to Gerard Mulot's pastry shop, a quick but not terribly scenic walk to the edge of the Marais, where we stocked up on a raft of desserts for the evening. Our assignments for dinner were now fulfilled.

That afternoon we headed off to the Champs Elysees to the Village du Noel, the Christmas Village that was set up on both sides of the street between the Place de la Concorde and the Rond Pont des Champs Elysees. Consisting primarily of vendor tents selling food, there were some cool crafts to be found, and we indeed found the soap maker that Susie had discovered in the Saint Germain neighborhood some time back. Anyway, it was primarily food that was the big attraction, as one might expect in France:

Smoking salmon on the spot

And of course champagne to go

Chocolate

About half-past six we left the apartment and, carrying meat in a backpack and desserts we walked the five minutes or so to the no. 5 line at Richard Lenoir.

Ten minutes later we were standing outside the door of A & B's apartment ringing the buzzer. Andrea let us in. a few minutes later and I had aproned up and was browning the roasts, preparing them for the oven, while Andrea prepped the salad.

Matt & Susan arrived with the cheese and more wine, and not long afterwards Sebastian (a friend of Andie's who lives in Paris) brought the champagne.

Dinner was tasty, the wines were wonderful and the conversation warm and lively -- although I'm still not sure who "Jackie" is. Anyway, the evening once again slipped into night and then into early morning as we said adieu to 2010 and bon jour to 2011.

Matt

Susan and Sarra

Eventually we had to leave and after saying good night Susie and I headed off to the Place d'Italie and the no. 5. Fortunately, this is the one night of the year the Metro runs all night -- and it was free to boot!

Wishing you a most happy and wonderful New Year!

Steve & Susan