Before COVID-19, I used to spend Christmas in the UK, and New Year in a European city. Sometimes I went to Paris. Other times I went to Amsterdam or Helsinki. Paris is my favourite city. I last went to Paris at the end of 2019.

There are many tourists in Paris at the end of the year. I don’t visit the tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower. I like to sit in a cafe and read a book while drinking coffee. I also like to go to cemeteries. Many of my favourite writers and artists are buried in Paris. I like to go to their graves.

On 31st December 2019, I went to a cemetery. I wanted to see Sartre, de Beauvoir, Baudelaire and Nijinsky’s graves. I went early -at about 8:30am. The sky was still quite dark. There were no other people in the cemetery. It was very peaceful and quiet. It was good to get away from the noisy city and all the tourists.

In the afternoon, I went to some bookshops. There is a famous English bookshop in Paris called Shakespeare and Company. I enjoyed browsing there. I also went to a French bookshop. I can’t speak French very well, but I am studying it.

At night, I went to the Sacre Coeur. It is a famous church in Paris. I enjoyed listening to the choir. The voices are beautiful.

On 1st January, I returned to Japan. I only stayed in Paris for three nights, but I had a very good time. I hope I can spend next New Year in Paris too.

By Heather @ I Talk You Talk Press