Stitch and knit in Paris

I have just spent an amazing 4 days in Paris with my crafty friends.
Only a week after the horrendous attacks on the 13th November it was a different city to the one I have visited in the past. When we arrived on Thursday afternoon the station was very quiet, we dumped our cases at the hotel and took the metro to Notre Dame for a quick wander before it got dark

then on to a little restaurant in the Italian quarter where we feasted on seafood pastas and risotto.

On Friday it was pouring with rain, but not a problem as we were off to 'Creations savoir-faire' an exhibition run by 'Marie Claire idees', with over 200 stands selling everything you could possibly want. Clearly nothing stops a crafter as by the afternoon the place was heaving with people, probably the largest crowd we saw over the whole 4 days.

Favourite stands were Elle Tricot and La Fee Fil. After an exhausting day of shopping and gathering inspiration we staggered back (in the rain again) to the hotel clutching our purchases for a show and tell and a very welcome glass of wine.

On Saturday morning the sun was shining so we caught the bus to Gare du Nord and walked to Montmartre stopping at the Marche St Pierre (5 floors of fabric heaven with prices starting at 1.99 a metre) and Tissus Reine for more fabric and trimmings.

Then up the steps to Sacre Coeur (OK - 2 of us went on the lift and 2 climbed the steps),  

sandwiches and cake for lunch and a long walk (in the rain  again) down to Galeries Lafayette to admire the Christmas decs and gifts and beautiful domed ceiling

then on to a very damp Christmas market on the Champs Elysees

and metro back to the hotel to dry off and scoff a superbly garlicky meal in a Lebanese restaurant just around the corner.
On Sunday we spent the morning at the Louvre and had a leisurely lunch in one of the cafes there and then caught the train back home.

It was a lovely break, but our thoughts were very much with the residents of Paris who made us feel so welcome at such a difficult time.