Coquelicot

That was exhilarating! I'm glad it came back from youtube limbo. Just great.

Saraho

Fun to read! Now I have to go to Paris again!
I couldn't access the video on my IPad.

cigalechanta

Minutes ago I watched your video. Well Done!
Was that Michael with your wife?

maitaitom

Cigale, Yes that was Michael (the tour guide, not the guardian angel) with Tracy at the Absinthe store.

DebitNM

What a great video! Having never been in Paris at Christmas, it was fun to see familiar sites all done up in their finery. Thanks!

michele_d

Waaahhh...now I want to go back to Paris NOW.

Great pic of you and Tracey in front of the Eiffel Tower.

crckwc1

Both your trip report and the video are great! I'm surprised we didn't limp into each other in Paris. I was there just about the same time and injured my knee (permanently), but I managed to hobble around, enjoying the Christmas sights. Always enjoy your trip reports. If you don't write professionally, you should!

taconictraveler

MaiTai -very professional! You never cease to amaze! Sell that to the Paris Tourism Office! ( or maybe get a free trip?)

kerouac

Great video, maitaitom!

Huggy

Hr

tdk320n

Thanks for the great reports, just spent 2 hours reading your reports on Paris and Rome.
Brought back many memories and ideas for next years trip to both cities.

TDudette

Wonderful music and I loved the dissolves (the Chappelle one was so cool). Rhody and I went to American Dream resto on our last trip.

Thanks, Tom!

Ozarksbill

So now we have a report revival. A most painful leg at the beginning of your trip...which prompted some laughs...leg in your lady's lap and the blind guy incident and then it seemed to go away. What a nice youtube added. Certainly covering much of Paris. We liked the Monet water color panels in l'Orangerie because we were to later visit the garden in Giverny in our Seine river trip.

TDudette

PS-Did you use Photodex Proshow by any chance?

maitaitom

Hi TD - I used Final Cut Pro on my MAC for this one.

topeater

Loved your trip report! We are going to Munich and Paris December 15-26. You gave us so many good ideas & I'm sure a few things we will be saying while there....it's after dawn, time for some champagne!

Thanks again.

TDudette

Thanks, Tom.

Where to next?

maitaitom

Next trip is to Paris, Sarlat and environs, the Loire, Mont Saint Michel, Bayeux/D-Day Beaches and back to Paris...nothing but net! All my doctors are on speed dial and local officials have been notified.

ginitown

I have had a marvelous time getting to know you, Tom and Tracy, through this wonderful trip report. Thank you for taking the time to write it! We are meeting our college aged daughter in Europe this year at the end of her fall study abroad semester in Spain-- to travel for a few weeks, ending with a week in Paris.

I was a little worried about what kind of a Christmas we might have there, and this has been very reassuring. Though we have been to Paris before, (but never in winter); our kids have not (also taking her twin brother with us). I think they would enjoy a trip like you describe more than slavishly trying to see every monument/museum. Of course, without the Hotel Surgery part.

Question: It sounds like you are approaching each day's itinerary very casually--do you know Paris that well, or did you map out a plan ahead of time, for each day and what order you would travel around the city? (I realize you must have had a plan for the Louvre day with Michael, and I liked the fact that favorable weather allowed you to do something more spontaneous.)

You guys sound like you would be fun to travel with. I originally started reading this because I wanted to know more about the lost/stolen camera incident (you posted about it elsewhere), but what a treasure trove I found here.
I've picked up a lot from others' comments, as well.

maitaitom

We have been to Paris on many occasions, so we decided not to have our usual hectic, go-see-as-many-sights-as-possible itinerary that we usually do. When we visit Paris, we have an outline of a plan we want to do each day, and depending on how sore our feet become, we walk a lot and use the great Paris metro (I love the Paris metro...easy to navigate and great for sore-footed tourists).

We've been to Paris twice during the Christmas season. The first time it was rainy and overcast the entire time. On this trip, we had sunshine the first half, and clouds the second half. The one consistent factor was that we loved both Christmas vsits. We will be back there this Fall as part of our trip to the Dordogne, Loire and Normandy. Have a great time, and watch out for that "fake blind guy" at the metro!