Over the years, we've always tried to do something special for New Year's Eve. When we decided to stop in Paris on our way home from Myanmar, we searched to learn how folks in Paris like to ring in the New Year. If we wanted to stand outside in the cold, there were fireworks over the Arch de Triomphe or the Eiffel Tower. If we wanted to stay warm and dry, there were hotel parties and dinner cruises on the Seine. We opted for the dinner cruise, with the option of dancing afterwards. This photo was taken by our official cruise photographer.
There were dozens of companies offering New Year's Eve cruises. They ranged from fancy black-tie affairs with live music (and hefty price tags) to the modest party boats with DJs and dancing. Our dinner cruise was somewhere in the middle, since we didn't pack a gown or tux.
Our adventure started with the help of our cab driver, as we tried to find our boat among the hundreds preparing to depart for the night. After checking in and confirmING that we had indeed found the correct cruise, we had nibbles and champagne while we waited for tablemates to arrive.
It didn't take long for our boat to fill up. The close quarters and free-flowing champagne and wine made for a cozy and festive atmosphere.
As our ship set sail on our three hour cruise, we got to know the folks at our table. The couple next to us was from New York City. The couple on the end was from Poland. The conversation flowed freely as we all had two things in common - Paris and our love of it!
Paris is often referred to as The City of Light, both because of its leading role during the Age of Enlightenment, and more literally because Paris was one of the first European cities to adopt gas street lighting. Pictured below, we got our first look at the Eiffel Tower lit up for the night. Did you know that it takes almost 25 miles of illuminated garlands, made up of 20,000 sparkling light bulbs, to light up this famous Paris landmark.
As we passed the Eiffel Tower, we were surprised to see the Statute of Liberty. Turns out, this quarter-scale replica was given to the City of Paris by a group of Americans to highlight the historically close bond between France and the United States, and to reaffirm the dedication of the two nations to the republican ideal on which they were founded. Catching the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower in the same photo is pretty cool!
Our little boat was rocking and rolling by the time midnight rolled around. The countdown was pretty raucous. The photos were just a little too blurry for publication. Take our word for it: a good time was had by all! After returning to port, we had the option to stick around and dance the night way, but, after days and days of walking the streets of Paris, we decided to give our dancing shoes the night off and retired early while we could still find a cab.
We got a good night's sleep woke and woke up without ill effects from the partying, but New Year's Day promised to be another (very) cloudy and (REALLY) rainy day. We noticed a slight break in the weather and headed over to get a closer look at the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, the break didn't last long and we were soon drenched.
We couldn't resist the one little flower holding on despite the cold and rain. A spot of color on such a grey day.
We decided to stroll back to our hotel along the banks of the Seine. Since it was a holiday, most everything was closed. We did find a floating cafe where we warmed up with cafe creme.
We have one more day in Paris. It is hard to believe our journey is coming to an end. Stay tuned for one more Paris adventure!
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