The weather here is gorgeous: cold and crisp under a clear, cobalt-blue sky.  And it’s forecast to stay that way all week.  Youpi !  (that’s Yippee in French.)

Yesterday I had the day off work.  I met my friend, Monique, for lunch.  She’s off to New York for Christmas, I’m off to Antwerp.  Here’s what we ate – a rather uninspiring mound of mashed potatoes with a chicken breast and gravy on the side. 18 euros.After lunch we walked in the sunshine and made our way to the Place des Vosges.The Place des Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris. Located in the Marais district, it straddles the dividing-line between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris. The Place des Vosges was built by Henri IV from 1605 to 1612. A true square (140 m × 140 m), it embodied the first European program of royal city planning.Later on, Monique went home to pack her bags and I did what I like best:  wandered the back streets.  I came across this tiny shoe boutique at number 19 rue du Parc-Royal. (the boutique is tiny, not the shoes.)  I’ll return in January when the big sales are on.A few doors down is the divine Maison Meert. The original Meert was founded in Lille in 1761. You must try their small and delicate waffles filled with vanilla from Madagascar.

I then left the Marais and took the metro to the 8th arrondissement.  My final destination was the flagship NESPRESSO store on the Champs Elysées.  As one of their valued customers, I had a voucher offering a 50 euro discount which is nothing to sneeze at.  I purchased a new Nespresso machine at half the price and lugged it home on the metro. All in all, it was a pretty good day.