TRAVEL / December
TRAVEL / December
OBLIGATORY PROGRAMME
Words by Nadīna Elekse
Photos by iStock
and VidaPress
CITY OF LIGHT.
CITY OF CHRISTMAS
Let’s pretend for a moment that
you need another reason to visit
Paris. Because there are always
enough reasons to go to Paris: the
architecture, grand museums,
refined cuisine, wines, countless
cultural events, or simply the city’s
unique aura. But at Christmas
time the City of Light shines
even brighter.
90
/ airBaltic.com
Even the biggest cynic regarding Paris
and the holiday season will have a hard
time resisting the allure of the Eiffel
Tower, the Champs Élysées, and the
promenade along the Seine, regardless
of how many times one has seen them in
the movies, magazines, and Instagram.
Because they are timeless values. Even
after living in the city or visiting it several
times, one does not become immune to
the charms of these places. In fact, as
the holiday season nears, the joy only
multiplies in anticipation of how the city
will be decorated, what will appear in the
window displays of stores, and whether
the mulled wine at the Christmas mar-
kets will be just as good as it was last year
(spoiler alert: it always is).
So, as you arrive in Paris in December,
remember to spend some time soak-
ing up the holiday atmosphere. Plan on
visiting the main tourist sights to see how
they’ve been dressed up for the holidays,
having some mulled wine along the
Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and enjoy-
ing breakfast on one of the city’s classic
café terraces, most of which are open and
heated throughout the winter.
Christmas time makes the magic of
Paris shine even brighter than usual. For
example, approximately 150,000 light
bulbs illuminate the Avenue des Champs-
Élysées alone, and the surrounding
streets, such as Avenue Montaigne, do not
lag far behind. Elsewhere, too, buildings
are strewn with decorations and lights.
Christmas in this town is like a beauty
contest in which every shop owner,
boulangerie baker, or resident who
has windows that open up onto a street
tries to display his or her own special
holiday mood. The French (and Parisian
in particular) propensity for and under-
standing of beauty and refinement can be
felt in every corner – they decorate their
city as if their very lives depended on it.
However, if you’re a true Parisian, you’ll
be completely unbothered by it all and
leave the childish enthusiasm to tourists.
To you, this is just another magical year
in the city of light.
For many Parisians, Christmas is
a much more intimate and personal
celebration, one without the extravagant
splendour and huge spruce trees. One
traditional treat, enjoyed in almost every
home, is the bûche de Noël, or Yule log.
A traditional
Yule log
cake
Christmas time makes
the magic of Paris shine
even brighter than usual
Christmas
lights in Paris
Baltic Outlook
/ 2018 / 91