Wow, it’s cold!

I ventured out to BHV, a large department store in the Marais. I wanted to find Christmas gifties for my two young French students. The place was swarming – a real old-fashioned feel of shopping in a big city. It made me smile. So cozy, and so much to see.

I had dropped a glove outside whilst taking photos of the Christmas windows, and a little boy brought it to me. So sweet. The windows of BHV are very colorful and animated for the kiddos.

Inside, there are 6-8 floors of lots of beautiful things, and I spent a lot of time looking and thinking. Finally, I made a few small purchases for my two little students. Content with what I had, I ventured back outside into the rainy, cold weather that is Paris. It was 40-something degrees, but felt like 32 degrees, according to Siri. With the wind and rain, I believed her.

A friend had recommended a nice restaurant in the Marais, and I ventured that way. Reservations were necessary, and I didn’t have one, but I decided to be adventurous and eat outside.

Sad note, they no longer have outside heaters. They did away with them for environmental reasons, and I’m here to say, Omg I miss them. Back in 2022, I enjoyed 99.9% of my meals outside, even in winter. I never batted an eye. Tonight was different, but ask adventure.

I just wanted something hearty, but not too much.started with les escargots, and a basket of bread. My second course was a nice bowl of soup a l’oignon. I enjoyed dipping the bread into everything and washing it all down with a glass (or two) of red. It was cold! Dessert was crème brûlée of course, because hello, I am in Paris, and I wanted all the traditional foods tonight to warm my soul.

Perfection!

Temperatures dropped as my meal ended, and I made my way home at a very quick pace – burning all those calories as I climbed my 50+ steps or so.

I have a portable heater at my side as I type, and I can feel my feet defrosting. I brewed myself a cup of decaf, and I’ve been warming my hands with it in between paragraphs. Yes, it’s that cold in this apartment.

Looking forward to meeting up with my friend tomorrow in the daytime, and then the ballet in the evening.