November Turns to December

Hearing of the first serious storms of the Ontario winter this weekend causes us to reflect on the changing seasons here in Paris. For me (Brian), November had a melancholy feeling to it. There were a few of those brilliant fall days when the cooler air and bright sunlight puts everything into a sharp focus, but there was also wet and cold, and to a great extent I had the feeling that Parisians were retreating a little bit from the streets, rushing to complete their courses (weekly shopping) and lingering less. The cafés still have outdoor tables set up, but they are increasingly unfilled – I wonder if the clients that do still sit outside aren't there to make a statement in defiance of the changing seasons, rather than because it pleasant. The upside is that, unlike earlier months, it is not too difficult to get a table for that essential afternoon double expresso. The traffic on weekends also seemed to drop off a little in late November, producing the strange phenomenon of empty streets, like this wide avenue near us. L’Etoile (about three minutes walk from our apartment) is the busiest traffic circle in Paris, where 12 roads converge at the Arc de Triomphe, but I managed to get this picture of it without a single car in view. A huge change from the bustle and shimmering colours of summer nights you see in this other picture taken by Hayley in August.

November also seemed to be between seasons. The hoopla leading up to Nouveau Beaujolais day had passed and the great parties to celebrate the rather ordinary wine were over. Most shops hadn’t yet put up their Christmas decorations or other hints of the coming festive season, except for the windows of the wine merchants filled with displays of champagne, a sure sign that spirits will pick up again soon – literally.

As always, there is a food aspect to the changing seasons, and in November, the champagne is meant to go with oysters. On a quiet corner a couple of blocks from our apartment I found the Paris equivalent of the hot dog stand. Not bad to be able to stop for a few oysters and a glass of white wine at 10:00 on a Sunday morning, as this woman did while walking her dog. I was tempted myself, but Moby is not yet a sufficiently Parisian dog to be able to sit quietly while Master takes a few minutes of enjoyment. Somehow I don’t think we’ll ever reach that stage with him.

The key Fall/Winter fashion accessory for both men and women in Paris is the foulard, a neck scarf, usually in woven wool knotted around the neck. For men, it is even worn with business suits when no overcoat is worn. The first day the temperature dropped below 10 degrees, three people commented that I wasn’t wearing one and warned me of the health consequences of not doing so. Luckily, our time in India means we all have cupboards full of pashminas and other scarves so we’re well set up. But for those who may be visiting us through the winter, you are warned what you must wear. And for not heeding the warnings of my colleagues, I caught my first Parisian grippe this week - losing my voice completely on the day I welcomed my most important business visitor of the year.

November 29^th seemed to be a key date when the pre-Christmas season started to gear up. One of the first shops to have decorations up was Maison Pou (translation: House of Pou – sausages our specialty) and others quickly followed. The Christmas lights on the Champs Elysées also came on this week, every tree from the Arc de Triomphe to Place Concorde wrapped in white lights. The huge FNAC store (think Future Shop, HMV Records, Chapters Bookstore and Ticketmaster rolled into one) in our neighbourhood announced it will open the next four Sundays, and Christmas tree lots sprang up on the corners in front of the florist shops. We visited the Christmas market that opened underneath the Grande Arche de la Défense, a modern Paris landmark, also pretty much in our neighbourhood. The foods stalls seem to be the best part of the market, selling regional specialities and fast food and hot spiced wine. The melted raclette cheese baguette sandwiches looked particularly good, but unfortunately we had just eaten a salad in the food court of the mall next door. Other than the food, we found the market not that much different from a Canadian Christmas craft sale and weren’t tempted to buy. Except maybe for the collapsible wooden salad bowl.

As we’re hosting our first larger party this week, we decided to get our Christmas tree early. That will give us more opportunity for Christmas-themed entries in the coming days. Our thoughts are with all our family and friends and we’re happy to be able to share some of our life here with you with this blog. We hope your preparations for a wonderful holiday season are already well underway. A bientôt!