Submitted by Olivia Toth on the 2016 fall semester study abroad program in Paris, France…
This week we went to the Christmas market on the Champs-Elysées. This is the biggest market in all of Paris and the first one to open. This market is simply amazing, and I don’t think anything can compare to it in the United States. The entire street is beautifully decorated with a stunning array of lights. A Santa sleigh flies through the air between one block, and the stores are filled with delicious food, and the street is lined on both sides with hundreds of shops so you can find the perfect Christmas present for everyone. The first thing we did was browse the shops. I bought a few gifts to bring home for my family, like a nice winter scarf for my grandpa and jewelry for my mom. We waited until the sun went down so we could see the street lit up at night and I’m so glad we did. The lights were so fun to see and the whole market really put me in the Christmas spirit even though we went well before December even started. It’s amazing how they can transform this street into such a winter wonderland, with rides for children and an ice skating rink, it almost felt a bit like a fair, too. It’s one of the busiest streets in Paris, and I think it’s so cool to see it transformed into something so beautiful.