Christmas Day in Paris - Mob Scene
 

Though i had been in Paris during Christmas season several times i had never been in Paris itself on Christmas Day.

As it was i landed in Paris CDG Christmas Day - with visions in my mind of a nearly deserted city - a la most cities in America on Christmas Day - i was even apprehensive enough about being able to buy some French wine that i tracked down the tiny Casino grocery store at the far end of CDG terminal 2 before setting off into the city by RER train - getting off at Gare du Nord and then setting out by foot thru town to Austerlitz train station to reach my final goal -Les Aubrais-Orfleans train station near my son's French home.

The Gare du Nord itself was humming with travelers coming and going in droves (I thought of the contrast in Britain where nearly no trains run on Christmas Day or even Dec 26th) - the Eurostar entry was roped off however as no Eurostar trains were running due to the snafu in the Chunnel some days before - it was eerie to see the whole Eurostar part of the Gare du Nord dark and silent.

LeavingGare du Nord i saw streets literally mobbedwith strollers - the area around the station has a lot of immigrant types who don't celebrate Christmas and for them it was just another day-many shops were open, including clothing stores, and many folks were shopping.

And there were dozens of Arab or Muslim run groceries that indeed were open and thronged - there was no lack of places to buy wine as i found out.

All the way down the Fauborg St Denis ethnic Parisians were out and about. Only the hookers on the Rue Saint Denis seemed to be taking the day off - i could only find one lady who could have been working the streets and not the multitudes on a typical day or night.

Nearing the Pompidou Center area i saw many ethnic French also out and about -on their ubiquitous after Sunday meal stroll - Christmas Day did indeed seem to be just another Sunday in Paris.

Theskating rink in front of the Hotel de Ville was also humming -with, signs said a half hour wait to get on the ice. The facade of the city hall was wondrously decorated and sublimely lit in various colors.

Even some of the bookinistes lining the Left Bank Quai of the Seine near the Latin Quarter were open for business.

Cafes all thru the city were humming.

Bateau Mouche on the Seine were packed - there seemed to be a ton of foreign tourists also out and about- since most museums were closed (but not all) the line to get into Notre Dame was the longest i have ever seen - several hundred in queue it seemed.

TBC

Another Sunday? But December 25 was a Friday, if I am not mistaken, or perhaps my calendars were wrong?

Welcome back. You were missed!

cigale - you do not know how appreciative for those sentiments.

No Christmas was not on Sunday but Christmas Day in Paris seemed just like a typical Sunday - except museums were not open - though actually two i passed were - the Natural History and adjacent museum in the Jardin des Plantes, right by Austerlitz station.

Hello Pal, we wondered where you were and yes you were missed, Thin even started a thread because we had not seen any posts from you. I enjoyed reading your impressions of Paris on Christmas Day and am sure you had a good holiday with your son.

Yes Christmas day itself is not such a big deal for many French families - after their big meal on the 24th and the opening of presents either in the early hours or after breakfast on the 25th, that's pretty much it for many people.

Now I know where to go for Christmas Day at least. In England the holidays drag on and on and on, Christmas Eve through Boxing Day until after New Year's Day. And now the snow is still keeping activity at a minimum.

Yes, Christmas day is a day to go out and do stuff in France. People wouldn't dream of sitting at home all day, particularly since they have to work off all that they ate and drank on the evening of the 24th.

And the Gare de Lyon on Christmas Day -i have rarely seen it so packed with folks leaving - perhaps for ski trips?

But it was totally mobbed - just like i've seen it in the most hectic August days

Yes, it's a big time for ski trips, and since the ski week starts on Saturday, that's the day they would be leaving.

One thing i noticed in Paris and in Orleans that i had not noticed before were lots of Santas hanging from windows of flats and houses - like the tiny Santa was going in a window or chimney - is this a recent trend or something i failed to note before?

Anyway i found it rather cute

It is a slightly growing trend, but basically you failed to notice it before. The Chinese are distributing their goods better.