We got to experience Halloween, Parisian style this past weekend. Halloween is not celebrated here to the extent it is in the United States. While it is gaining some popularity, we were still eyed with suspicion as we walked around Paris in our costumes. This may seem strange to you, but there are no pumpkins to buy, which means no pumpkin carving. Pumpkin spice anything cannot be found, unless you visit a Starbucks, which I have sworn against while here. And decorative gourds aren't even a thing! Thank goodness Granmama sent us four tiny pumpkins or we might not even be sure it is fall here!
A few places around Paris try to make Halloween special. In these neighborhoods, you meet at one location, grab a map, and head out to stores to trick-or-treat. For those of you in Minnesota, think of it as like trick-or-treating at St. Olaf or at the Mall of America.
The first place we went to was BoneShaker Doughnuts, where we waited 30 minutes in line for a donut before using our map to visit 20 different stores for candy. We went right in the middle of the time designated to trick-or-treat and many of the stores were already out of candy! The kids didn't seem to mind though, for they enjoyed seeing all the kids and adults dressed up.
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| Traveling by Metro to go trick-or-treating. |
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| The line outside of BoneShaker Doughnuts. |
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| May I present to you, Nutella, a knife, and a crepe! |
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| Admiring the BoneShaker employees. |
We then got on the Metro and headed over to the American Library, where we met up with two more friends, Kai and Alex. They had something similar, where you picked up a map from them that directed you to stores around the 7th arrondissement to trick-or-treat. This time we were towards the end of the trick-or-treating window. We found most stores here were out of candy as well. Oh well. We still had fun trick-or-treating around the Eiffel Tower.
We then headed back to the American Library were Edy was participating in a Haunted Library. A few weeks ago she had tried out for a part in the Hasted Library and helped write the script for the event. She and the rest of the cast, then preformed for groups touring through. I am not one for haunted houses, but when your daughter is involved you enthusiastically enter and wait to be scared silly. As Gretel, she did a wonderful job. The second best part about the library event? Will, Geer, and Carson won second prize in the costume contest for their creativity as Nutella, a knife, and a crepe!
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| Gretel and Hansal |
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| The entire Haunted Library Cast. |
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| The loot here in Paris is much more manageable than at home! |
We were all tired after a day of walking around the city in our costumes. We were grateful for an extra hour of sleep, as Europe had their day-light-savings last weekend. So for a few days, we are only 5 hours different from the east coast, and 6 from the midwest.
Now on to our latest visitors...
We just ended a fun week of visitors. We were fortunate enough to have two different groups staying with us. My friend, Renee, and her 12 year old daughter, Megan, came to visit us from Minnesota. Neither one of them had ever been out of the country before! We had a marvelous time showing them around Paris, introducing them to some new foods, and encouraging them to venture out on their own. I enjoyed catching up with a dear friend, and Edy enjoyed making a new one in Megan.
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| Megan and Renne |
The other two guests we hosted were from Santa Barbara. Cody came with his 9 year old daughter Noelle. We had not seen Cody in many years, and had never met Noelle. We had nothing to worry about because by the end of their time here, we weren't ready to let either of them go. So far the guests that have visited us are friends from Minnesota. While we are sad when they leave, we know that we will see them again in 8 months. With Cody and Noelle, it was different. Here were two people we were desperate to hold on to and not let them go because we don't know when we will see them again.
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| Cody and Noelle |
What was so special about this pair was Noelle. She, like Megan, was up for anything. (Both girls quickly learned to navigate Paris confidently with Edy and Will's help.) But Noelle brought something out in Will that I had never seen before. Will has had many wonderful friends over the years. But in Noelle he found a sole mate, a bosom bubby, a "you've changed my life forever" friend. I have never seen anything like it. She took interest in everything Will did. And he was right beside her leading the way. They developed their own language, talking endlessly about whatever was on their hearts and minds. They feel asleep whispering to each other at night and woke up patiently waiting for then other to stir so they could start right back up again. And like any friendship, they shared everything, including Will's beloved Star Wars hats.
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| Noelle and Will riding the oldest carousel in Paris at the Jardin du Luxembourg. |
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| Noelle and Will on the top of Galeries Lafayette, with the Opera behind them. |
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| Helping each other out at the Palais Royal. |
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| Sharing a yummy treat! |
Will was so sad when Noelle left on Saturday. In fact, he rode the train part of the way to the airport with them to extend his time with Noelle. He is already looking forward to FaceTiming her soon.
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| Will's selfie to Noelle as she on the plane going home. |
My heart was very sad Saturday as well. While having company can be exhausting, it can be so rewarding that you don't want it to end. So I sobbed through my good-byes to Cody and Noelle, restrained myself from kidnapping Noelle, and promised Will that his dad and I would make every effort to see her again soon. Will's solution to this was that she should just come back to Paris again in a few months.
Jeff and I have shared with each other that it is not just about what WE see and do in Paris, but how we share it with others. It is how we open our apartment to friends, how we share with them what we love, and how we learn to live and interact with others in a small space. So while guests continue to remark about how much they enjoyed and learned about Paris by staying with us, we feel we are learning the same. Each new set of friends reaffirms why we are here and doing this year abroad.
Finally, enjoy a few photos of our time together with Megan, Renee, Noelle and Cody. As usual, they are mostly of the kids!
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| Edy, Will, and Noelle - Just exercising along the Seine! |
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| I put everyone to work making breakfast, including Will and Noelle, who were in-charge of the eggs. |
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| Megan and Edy got to whip the cream for crepes. |
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| Off on the Metro! Will and Noelle could tell you what train line we were on. |
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| Beautiful views around Montmarte. |
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| Sacre Coeur |
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| I took a moment to share the view with my Greenvale Park colleagues. |
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| Posing on the Champs-Elysee in front of Dior - Will, Edy, and Megan. |
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| The three of us in front of the Louvre. I haven't visited inside yet! |
We did a class at the Galeries Lafayette learning how to make macaroons.
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| Jeff, Will, Noelle, and Cody. |
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| Ready, Set, Bake - Edy, Megan, and Renee. |
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| My favorite baking partner... |
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| Caroline was quite the expert, even having Noelle and Will help. |
We also toured the famous Paris Opera, where the story of the Phantom of the Opera is said to have originated.
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| The Paris Opera |
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| The grand staircase at the Paris Opera. |
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| I spy Edy! |
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| Box 5, reserved for the Phantom of the Opera. |
I couldn't resist getting a few photos of these cuties!
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| Riding Line 1 on the Metro. |
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| Attending Alladan. |
My attempt to make Pumpkin Pie with the ingredients Cody so lovingly brought from Santa Barbara, California.
Bonne journée,
Betsy
