« La neige possède ce secret de rendre au coeur en un souffle la joie naïve... » - Antonine Maillet
J’adore la neige! To me, a snow day is an unexpected gift of “me time” with a magical backdrop. On Wednesday, when we got the call that school was cancelled, Piper and I spent the day playing in the snow and taking pictures before snuggling by the fire with coffee and a good book.
It also snowed in Paris this week. In fact, for the past several winters, Paris has enjoyed a day or two of snow that usually lasts for about 24 captivating hours before things become slushy and rather inconvenient. But for one wonderful day, the iconic monuments and Haussmannian architecture are transformed into an enchanting Parisian snow globe.
Last year, it snowed on my final day in Paris ( March 1 ) — just a dusting like powdered sugar on a perfect crêpe. And, even though I had spent a week taking pictures all over the city, I couldn’t resist venturing out to snap a few new photos of Paris sous la neige.
When I visited Paris for a weekend conference in January 2013, I had no intention of “playing tourist.” I planned to shop the January soldes/sales, stroll aimlessly, and warm up in charming cafés. And then I woke up to eight inches of snow and Paris was completely transformed! I will never forget how much fun I had that day watching children and dogs play in the parks, encountering uniquely French snowmen with high fashion accessories, secretly snickering at posh Parisians slipping and sliding in completely inappropriate footwear while I easily navigated snowy sidewalks in my waterproof riding boots (You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but you can’t take the Wisconsin out of the girl).
Of course I took beaucoup de photos that weekend. One of my favorites is this amazing apartment building in the 7e arrondissement near the Eiffel Tower. Can’t you just image spending a snow day here? I bet it looks like this inside — those architectural details, that view! I would light a Diptyque candle and a cozy fire in the marble fireplace. I’d snuggle up with a cup of Laudrée tea to watch the falling snow through those amazing windows and the pale winter light casting subtle shadows on the parquet floors. Doesn’t that sound practically perfect?
Of course, to achieve absolute snow day perfection, I would include une certaine belle beagle ;-)
