Day 6 : Basilique St Denis - France's Royal Resting Grounds

North of Paris and outside of the city center is the town of Saint Denis where the Basilique St Denis stands.

St. Denis was a bishop of Paris in the third century and legend has it that he was martyred and beheaded (for all the reasons they beheaded martyrs in those days).

But the real marvelous and miraculous part of the legend is that St. Denis may have lost his head BUT he caught it in his hands and headless -- walked with his head all the way to this place -- ten kilometers away, preaching as he went.

That's a bishop for you, never one to miss a chance to do a sermon!

Today St. Denis is always depicted as a headless statue but carrying his head in his hands.

This truly astounding feat has been commemorated by building a basilica on top of the spot where he finally died.

Since the 7th century, this has been the burial place for all of France's kings, queens, princes, princesses -- the royal necropolis.

It is an early and a fine example Gothic architecture. Standing tall and proud in the town square, it sits right beside the municipal hall.

This being the holiday season, a Christmas tree and a small carousel or merry-go-round also decorate the square.

Once inside the church, you get a teaser of what lies in the royal burial grounds -- off to one side of the main nave is a chapel where you see the robes that Marie Antoinette wore before she was beheaded at the guillotine. Made of heavy brocade and be-furred and beaded, it's a wonder she was able to walk at all.

This is a view of the church interior as you enter the massive doors. The necropolis is behind the altar and is accessed via a separate entrance, off to the side of the church.

The funerary statues made of marble are so beautiful -- this one is of Charlemagne.

There are only a handful of the kings of France who are not buried here -- all told there are more than 80 cadaver tombs with these carved marble effigies.

Some of the funerary statues show animals resting at the foot of the effigies. A dog is supposed to symbolize one's guide even in the after life and the lion symbolizes the resurrected Christ -- since baby lions open their eyes only on the third day of life.

In a private chapel are the kneeling statues of King Louis XVI and his more famous better half, Marie Antoinette -- eyes cast modestly downward but wearing a revealing, low cut gown.

The marble tombs are wonderful works of art -- some are simple effigies and there are some that are very ornate.

This huge tomb is of Louis XII and his wife, Anne de Bretagne. The couple are depicted both inside, lying down and on top of the tomb, knelt in prayer. In addition, they are surrounded by the 12 apostles and the 4 virtues -- of course to help ensure their heavenly rewards.

After more than an hour in the Basilica, we are surprised to see that it is way past lunchtime.Back outside in the square, we see a typical french brasserie called Le Khedive just outside the church. It looks like a good place to stop and eat before taking the long subway ride back to Paris.

We snag a seat that allows us a view of the Basilica -- outside the window is the smoking section where people brave the chill, happily puffing away.

It may be early afternoon but I'm so ready for a cold glass of 1664 beer -- tomb viewing is thirsty work!

Day 5 : Of Point Zero, a Marche de Noel, hot mulled wine and a Cafe named Panis

It isn't the Eiffel Tower that is my iconic Parisian landmark -- it's the Gothic cathedral

Notre Dame that is my most favorite sight in this beautiful city.

I love to take walks along the area, looking at it from all angles -- from the front where I can see the two towers, to the sides where the gargoyles and chimeras leer down at me, to the back where I can see its flying buttresses.

The detailed carvings on the walls and doors are so intricate and complete -- it's like reading the story of Catholicism just by looking at the Cathedral's exteriors.

This morning, we decided to spend the day -- bitingly cold but sunny - once again walking around the area of Notre Dame.

There were lines of people waiting to get into the Cathedral. Last year, we heard Christmas Day mass here, celebrated by no less than the Archbishop of Paris himself. It was quite an experience.

Many people walk past this marker on the ground in front of Notre Dame's main doors without realizing that this is Point Zero -- all distances in France are measured from this point.

After more than an hour of walking around and enjoying the cold day, we decide it's time for lunch. Right across Notre Dame, at the corner of Quai Montebello is a typical French bistro called Cafe Panis -- it's been there for ages and is probably the most convenient place to sit, have a bite and continue to gaze at the view of the Cathedral.

Cafe Panis, with its enviable location, is really a good choice for a meal -- the food is dependable, servings are generous, prices are reasonable and very surprisingly -- the waiters are all cheerfully friendly.

The interiors are very warm and cozy. Tables are set up very close to each other since space is a premium and it's always full -- both of tourists and locals. If you sit at the bar, you can still order a sandwich -- but the nice thing is that you'll only have to pay 1 euro for your coffee. How cheap is that!

The minute you sit down, the waiter brings a menu AND a small dish of home made potato chips -- gratis! They're thinly sliced, salty and very tasty -- best of all, they're free!

To ward off the chill, we split an order of the classic soupe a la oignon gratinee. It comes piping hot with stringy melted cheese on top of slices of baguette.

Since I am continuing not to eat meat on this trip, I order a croque provencal which is really mozzarella cheese melted on top of tomato slices. It comes with a mountain of frittes and a cold green salad.

After lunch, we see that the little park across, the Square Viviane has a small marche de noel going on. A marche de noel is a Christmas market, set up for the holidays -- they pop up in public squares, street corners, church plazas. They sell food, arts and crafts -- all sorts of things!

Ranging from small ones like this one near the Notre Dame to large scale ones like the marche de Noel lining Champs Elysee where you have more than 150 vendors at one time!

One stall run by two smiling ladies is selling vin chaud or hot mulled wine. I have been seeing this in many other marches across Paris so it's time to give it a try!

Vin chaud is ordinary (some say, cheap) red wine with added sugar, spices and fruit flavors.

It's always served hot or at the very least, warm.

A small plastic cup is 3 euros and after I pay for my vin chaud, it is ladled it out from a soup pot.

I take a sip and it's very good!

Halfway through the cup, a warm glow sets in. It lasts with me throughout the rest of the chilly afternoon, walking by the banks of the Seine!

Day 4: Le Leche Vitrine in Le Marche aux Puces de Vanves

It means literally, "licking the windows" or french slang for window shopping.

And while there are no windows between merchandise and shoppers in the Marche aux Puces de Vanves - or Vanves Flea Market, for Jay and me, it was still just that -- "window shopping".

Here's Jay standing at the very top of Rue Lafenestre where one of Paris' most famous flea markets starts. The market stretches the whole length of the street, just a few hundred meters but it can take you more than an hour to traverse -- there are just too many interesting things to see and discover!

Paris is known for its huge flea markets and we discovered how much fun and fascinating they were on our last visit.

While Vanves is not the biggest, that title would go to the marche aux puces de Clignancourt, we think Vanves is more friendly, less commercial and a place where you can really unearth some genuine finds.

Sellers bring their trucks of merchandise and set up tables with their particular specialties.

While some trade in all sorts of curio and knick knacks, there are those with a specific category of goods to sell.

This load of old shoes and roller skates I classify under the junk category!

Vanves' vendors all have cars or trucks that back up right to the sidewalk and contain all the stuff they have to sell.

The market is open every week-end from morning till 2. After selling hours, everything unsold goes back into the truck.

There are all sorts of old and antique stuff -- this tapestry or rug looks like it could have belonged to some aristocratic old home.

There are paintings and artworks -- oils, watercolors, traditional paintings, modern paintings and more often than not, really bad paintings.

I saw this pair of unusual and beautiful wall sconces -- I was so tempted but didn't even ask how much they were. How would I ever bring these home?

Clothes are found at the flea market too. There's a whole section devoted to old clothes. Ukay ukay is alive and well in Paris, although they call it vintage clothing!

Old toys are particularly charming -- dolls, teddy bears, old cars -- and they're frightfully expensive too! I saw a small, very old doll in a glass case worth 650 euros!

Graffiti of a grinning cat head makes a nice backdrop and counterpoint for this table where everything that you see is worth 20 euros each.

It's fascinating to see all the items available for sale. A lot of it may just be other peoples' junk but you can and do run into real gems.

These leather bound books would make great additions to any bookshelf -- too bad they're all in french. However, if you just want to fill shelves with books that look like they have character and are well worn and read, then these would do the trick.

Matched chairs anyone? Aside from furniture which looks like it was passed down from one generation to the next, with this generation not finding it appropriate for their lifestyle, or their tiny apartments -- the other major find that you can get at Vanves is antique silverware.

Word is that young Parisiennes have no use for grand-mere's Christofle flatware that's why they've been turning up in Vanves -- selling for very attractive prices.

It's the end of the street and a snack truck selling hot coffee, fries and hotdogs is conveniently on hand for hungry shoppers.

It's taken Jay and me more than an hour to walk this short distance.

The happy thing is, we get to go through everything else again when we walk back to take the metro home!

PS -- It didn't turn out to be just window shopping for us. We bought antique silver flatware, service for 12 ... and a steal at 80 euros!

Day 3 - Berthillon Ice Cream on a 3C day in Paris

Berthillon is probably the most famous name in ice cream in Paris.

It's been around since the 1950s and reputedly makes the best ice creams and sorbets in the city, some say - in the whole of France.

What makes their products so good -- they claim not to use any artificial ingredients, everything is made from fresh fruits and natural flavors.

I'm not so fond of ice cream but on this trip, I decided that a visit to Berthillon was something I finally had to fit in.

It's very easy to find Berthillon, you go behind the Notre Dame and cross the bridge that connects the Ile de la Cite to the Ile St. Louis.

And voila -- as they say in France -- there it is! Actually, this salon de the is Berthillon's sit down restaurant. The ice cream is made and sold for take away, in cones or in gallons, a few doors away.



And here I am, enjoying my double scoop of framboise and chocolat.

Even for a non ice cream eater like me, I must admit, I enjoyed it very much.

The framboise sorbet was a blend of sweet and tart, just like biting into the fruit.

But more than that, finally enjoying Berthillon was an iconic experience on a cold but brilliantly sunny day in Paris.

Paris Again, Day 2 - Lunch at the Grande Mosque de Paris

Day 2 in Paris was windy and rainy.

Thankfully, it was not as cold as last year when it was snowing most of the time.

However, the wet day did not dampen our enthusiasm to walk and explore new places near the apartment -- foremost of which was the Grande Mosque de Paris.

Located across the Jardin des Plantes (which we also visited despite the not-conducive-to-walking-around-gardens weather), the Grande Mosque de Paris is the largest mosque in France and the third largest in Europe.

It was built to thank the Muslim community for having fought for France in World War 1, where more than 100,000 of them died.

Aside from its historical and architectural significance, the mosque is certainly worth a visit, particularly for its noted salon de the.

This pretty little archway welcomes you to the entrance of the restaurant. If it weren't drizzling intermittently, I wouldn't have minded sitting outside despite the chilly weather, on these inviting blue chairs.

Inside the restaurant I am enchanted by the orange walls, traditional tiles and arches -- soft yellow light from the lamps create a warm glow. It's a comforting refuge from the blustery cold day outside.

The tables are round and made of brass with intricate designs, they look like huge brass gongs.

We order a the de menthe and the waiter comes and with a grand flourish -- pours our hot tea from a carved silver teapot that he holds way up high.

This is very impressive but not as impressive as the the de menthe which is sweet, hot and minty -- the best mint tea I had ever tried!

The ceiling is a delight -- yellow and blue tiles make a backdrop for a very old brass chandelier.

Our food arrives! We both order couscous plates -- poulet or chicken for Jay, vegetarian for me.

While couscous really does not have a flavor in itself much like rice -- the way it is cooked can spell the difference in how it tastes. This was cooked to fluffy perfection!

Here is my vegetarian couscous platter -- a hearty, simple vegetable stew made with carrots, zucchini, eggplants and potatoes. Golden sultanas and chick peas make for a sweet garnish.

The restaurant has a small army of resident birds -- very much akin to our local maya.

They flit and fly and chirp all over the place, land on your table and without even a by your leave, tuck into your plate of couscous! Such cheek!

No one seems to mind though, not the diners, nor the waiters -- they're really quite cute!

At the entrance of the salon de the there is a glass case of different varieties of traditional sweets, cookies and pastries. Just .60 euros each, but I was much too full. However, I did make a mental note to come back for the pistachio cookies.

If buying sweets or pastries is not your thing, there is a small gift shop selling all sorts of middle eastern trinkets, accessories, tiles even home decor.

It's a wonderful way to remember your visit to the Grande Mosque de Paris!

Another Paris Christmas - Day 1: Airline Food is not so bad at all!

Who would have thought that we could spend another Christmas in Paris for the second straight year? As I always like to say, "A goal without a plan is just a wish" so plan it I did.

The adventure began on board KLM804 bound for Amsterdam. As the brochure aptly put it, this would be our grand December Celebration. I have always found airline food to be barely tolerable -- would KLM's food make the long flight less wearisome?

Salted mixed nuts were served right after take off -- with your beverage of choice. The nuts certainly helped assuage hunger pangs as it was past lunch time by then.

This was quickly followed by an appetizer of smoked salmon, a fresh shrimp rice roll and a small green salad with a tart, tangy vinaigrette. I had decided not to order a vegetarian meal and take my chances that fish would be served -- vegetarian meals are usually the worst kind on any airline.

Cream dory, which I don't particularly like because it is just about the ugliest fish I have ever seen -- was served baked with a cream sauce and a heap of buttery mashed potatoes. Not bad and quite flavorful but too rich for my taste.

Jay had a traditional Dutch beef dish which was served with even more mashed potatoes, this time in a different shade of yellow orange. He didn't complain so I suppose it must have been all right.

For dessert, they offered different kinds of cakes but I opted for the cheese plate and got three different kinds of cheese -- one with peppercorn, an herbed soft cheese and a hard emmental. With a small packet of crackers, it was a great choice for a meal ender. Maybe I should just have had another cheese plate instead of the cream dory?

Fruit skewers were also served for people who wanted a much lighter option.

This was quite a filling lunch -- and no wonder, we wouldn't be fed again until nearly eight hours later, just before arriving in Schiphol Airport!

I was ravenous when we got on board Air France for our connecting flight to Paris -- it didn't help that I couldn't eat the cold pate sandwiches although the small dish of ratatouille was piquant and tasty -- albeit, too small a serving.

We arrived at the apartment nearly midnight, with a chilled bottle of red wine waiting for us. What a typical French welcome!

Bon soir Paris -- we meet again!