Bonne New Year Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Despite the excitement of celebrating Christmas in a new country, it was actually December 27^th that I had been anticipating most in 2008. Not usually an important day, this year it brought the arrival of Ryohei from Japan.

For those who don’t already know our story, Ryohei is my Japanese boyfriend, whom I met quite fatefully as we were each hiking on our own in the Northern Japanese Alps in summer 2007. With his good English skills and xenophilic tendencies I found in Ryo a hiking partner for the mountains and a friend with whom to share a few days in Tokyo. Even though I left Japan two weeks after our first meeting, Ryohei and I stayed in touch and have developed our relationship through lots of Skype chats and semi-annual visits to one or the other’s country (wherever we happen to be residing).

Thus it was on the afternoon of the 27^th that I made my way, heart aflutter, to Charles De Gaulle airport to meet up with Ryo for our second New Years week together. Since Ryo and I share a mutual love for travel, we always make the most of our visits from a tourism perspective. This year the major destination was Paris, with a little jaunt to the countryside thrown in for authenticity’s sake.

For sleeping we rented (via the internet) a sweet little light-blue room inside an apartment in Paris’ “15^eme Arrondissement,” one of 20 unique neighbourhoods in the city-centre – walking distance from the Eiffel Tower and the Seine and conveniently surrounded by metro stations for access to all the other important sights we might want to visit.

Though we started low key on the first night with some dinner and drinks at a local café, we spent our entire second day on foot climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower, window shopping the Champs-Elysees and skirting our way around the Louvre before catching a show at the Moulin Rouge.

Sadly, by the time we actually sat down for the dancing and champagne at the cabaret, we were so tuckered out from the walking that we spent half the show asleep on the table. I have to say, though, that from what we did see the performance was amateurish and should be nixed from itineraries in favour of one of its competitors like the “Lido” or “Chez Ma Cousine.”

Days 3 and 4 brought more walking, non-shopping around the Galeries Lafayette and a very special dinner with L-Daddy’s mom and companion at the Café du Commerce brasserie – a well-hidden gem serving up French specialties to locals and tourists alike (Ryo and I split a giant medium-rare steak fit to rival the best cuts of Alberta Beef).

Having seen what we could of Paris, we made our way to Juju’s house for a little quietude and Ryohei’s initiation to another version of French life. Since the family were all skiing their hearts out in the Alps, we had the house to ourselves and spent our evenings sipping wine, watching movies and trying out different cheeses and foie gras. We also squeezed in some day trips to nearby Chartres and Versailles to visit the Cathedral, munch savoury crepes and tour the Castle – newly modified with a bizarre exhibition of Jeff Koons’ modern art…

All our activities were grand, but I think the moment de resistance of our countryside stay was our celebration of New Years Eve with some of the family’s friends. Though I originally thought they had invited us to a giant bash, it turned out to be an intimate gathering where they plied us with specialty dishes, wines and cheeses from all the most “gourmand” regions of France. It was a cultural experience the likes of the ones we hope to have when we embark on “home-stay tours” in countries like Thailand and Vietnam – except 100% authentic. Even the language factor was authentic as only one other guest spoke English! But everyone was interested in Japan and after a few glasses of champagne all three languages (French, English and Japanese) were flowing more freely.

This was a perfect near-end to our tri-cultural vacation; the only thing obstructing perfection was the fact that I got the stomach flu on Ryohei’s last night here…darn those European super-germs! So we didn’t get the romantic goodbye we’d both hoped for – more a squeamish half-kiss (I was so scared I would throw up on him). But we’ve vowed to meet up again someday. In the interim here’s hoping for a healthy and happy 2009 for everyone!