...Part II

Week One - Paris, New Year, and the Champagne District

Monday and Tuesday before New Year we spent in Paris. It was very cold - the kind of cold that reveals the underlying Parisian melancholy. We thoroughly enjoyed it although we all came down with colds. We loved using the Metro (subway). 

Our first sight was the Louvre. It is so huge and so crowded that the awe-inspiring works are slightly dimmed, but absolutely still worth going. 
We got to see all of Leonardo DaVinci's works on display, including the Mona Lisa.
After the Louvre, we made our way toward the Eiffel Tower. Last time I was in Paris, it was summer and we stayed outside the city so I did not get to see the Tower lit. This time it was especially magical, since it was so close to New Year.
Imagine the lights below all flashing at random...
The next day, the weather was much less agreeable- cold and sleeting. But again, it made for such a mystical environment, especially at Notre Dame. 
Le Basilica - the view from the top is quite breath-taking. 
Monmartre - the place where the artists sell their wares. One of my favorite areas of Paris.
New Year's Eve - back in Ghent. Due to my recent ability to get sick and ruin the entire evening when surrounded by noise and crowds, we decided to spend the holiday at my friends' home rather than Paris. It was definitely the right choice. We all needed the quiet warmth at home to recover from our colds. New Year's Eve our friends had ordered catering and the food was fantastic. A full four courses with wine and champagne. They spoil us so! 
We ate dinner and settled down to some travel photos of our friends' trip to NZ which we so regrettably missed. We had a toast at midnight and slipped outside to catch the fireworks. Hope everyone had as lovely a New Year as we did!
The Champagne District - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Friday we departed for the short drive to the Champagne District of France. Our first stop was the Taittinger Champagne producer's caves in Reims. The tour was amazing. The caves below ground were originally Roman chalk mines and later an abbey in the Middle Ages. Now they are used to store and process champagne. Perhaps the best part was the tasting that followed.
Our Bed and Breakfast was so much more than we imagined. It is nestled in the countryside. It could not have been done in better taste and style.
Our room.
Our (very own) bathroom.
The best part of the B&B is the dinner that is served in the evening. All of the guests come down at 7:30 for aperitifs of champagne and chips. Then an unbelievable dinner of 7 courses is served which lasts until midnight. The owners not only have incredible taste in furnishings, but also have an incredible knack for cooking. 
Saturday we began the day by visiting the nearest American WWI cemetery. We were the only visitors that day and were in awe of the silence. Words cannot express it.
We spent the afternoon in the town of Soissons where we saw the most fantastic ruined cathedral and abbey, St. Jean des Vignes, built in 1076. After lunch we visited a ruined castle that was absolutely beyond belief.