Paris is always magical, but it takes on new life during the Christmas season. The lights, sapins (christmas trees), and shopping buzz fills the city until (mostly at the malls and Galeries Lafayette) it explodes with glorious christmas songs, ornaments, and red and green everything.
Paris has two main markets, La Défense and Champs Elysées. We decided to go to La Défense first, as it located outside the gigantic mall and we Americans could just not help ourselves. The spirit of the marchée was my favorite part. We tasted some delectable cheeses, I got a wonderful, hearty organic vegetable soup for lunch, and Ari got a very sweet Brioche. However, the actual vendors were disappointing. Some things seemed authentic, such as spices, teas, cheeses and chocolates, but the prices were high and there were multiple vendors of the same item. Not to mention the rest of the vendors that sold wine openers, make-up, scarves, juicers, awful jewelry, ethnic items, as seen on TV, etc. I was hoping for an experience like the wine festival at Montmartre, where vendors came from all over to sell their family recipes, homemade wares, and original gifts. After thirty minutes we returned to the mall. The highlight of the afternoon? We sat on French Santa's lap...kind of.
Champs Market:
Known as the best Christmas market in Paris. It starts opposite of the Tuileries and stretches (on both sides of the avenue) all the way to the beginning of the Champs Elysées. Although I was warned never to go on a weekend, Saturday was our only free day. Alas, we braved the insanity. The crowd was unbelievable, you could hardly walk. I had to get a bag of candy to help relieve my rising stress levels as we wove and bumped through and into hoards of people. We couldn't really even try samples, which is definitely the main perk of these markets.
Like the first, the Champs market vendors sold exactly the same touristy, overpriced items. There were some flashes of originality, such as some amazing looking spice bread, cheese, cookies, and chocolate covered strawberries. Ari bought some delicious vin chaud (hot wine mixed with orange and spices) and I got a hot Bretzel (pretzel) fresh from the oven, one of my favorite salty snacks. We stuck it out for a while, but after 15 minutes you have seen everything the market has to offer.
We decided to veer off the overpacked path and explore the area. We took Rue Faubourg St. Honoré and passed by magnificently expensive art galleries and couture stores; you know, just your average day of Christmas shopping.
Apparently Germany and Strasbourg have the best Christmas markets, and the vendors do actually sell authentic items for the Christmas season. Some Germans in my French class scoffed at these Parisian marchees for their ridiculous and cheap items. So, if you are ever in Europe during the holiday season, skip out on Paris and hit up Germany--or so rumor has it.
Well.....I would have been over there like lightening if you came upon a great outdoor market like the ones I visited in Nice & Aix. Aix had many AMAZING MARKETS & great museums! Enjoying your blog:))
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