[ Paris Christmas market ]

ONE OF THE magical things about visiting Paris at this time of year is the Christmas Market that stretches all along the Champs Elysées...

Both sides of the street are lined with white wooden stalls filled with gifts, mulled wine, food and sweets galore...

After passing numerous crepe stands, I finally broke down and had to get one...

And then on to more stalls...

As the day got darker, we decided to make our way back to our hotel. Paris is so pretty at night...

One more of these and I was ready to bid farewell to lovely Paris...

I think no matter what time of year you visit Paris, you'll never be disappointed. Thanks for following along!

lisa

[ traditional arabic coffee ]

ARABIC COFFEE is all about tradition, hospitality and ceremony. It's a sign of welcome and marks the beginning and end of a guest's visit. Recently we were presented with a lovely gift of a traditional brass Arabic coffee pot called a Dallah.

The Dallah is an important symbol in the UAE and even appears on their dirham coin.

Not to be confused with the thick, dark Turkish coffee, Arabic coffee is called Khaleeji, is paler in colour and is served in a small cup with no handles called a Finjan. It is traditionally ground with cardamom and prepared by adding cloves, saffron and rose water.

The coffee is served and received with the right hand. The host serving the coffee fills the small cup only half full so it cools quickly. As soon as the guest drinks it, the cup is refilled continually until the guest gently jiggles the cup indicating he has had enough {it is customary to take 2 to 3 cups}.

Sugar and milk are never added but it is often served with dates, an extremely popular sweet here in Dubai. Emirates Airlines also serves Arabic coffee and dates on its flights.

Arabic coffee can be served anytime at home, at social gatherings or business meetings. I've only tried it once and found it quite strong and bitter {I enjoy sugar in my usual coffee} but perhaps I'll develop a taste for it now that I have my own Dallah.

lisa

[mine, via camerasandcucumbers, 2, 4 via arabiczeal]

[ flea-ing in Paris ]

IT'S NO secret that one of my absolute favourite things is to go to flea markets, antique fairs, auctions, thrift stores and yard sales ~ most of which don't exist here in Dubai. So I wasn't going to pass up visiting the big Paris flea market, Les Puces Saint-Ouen.

We took the Metro up to the Porte de Clignancourt stop, walked past all the cheesy clothing stalls and arrived in heaven...

If you've never been, this place is HUGE. Filled with alleys of permanent little stalls overflowing with French goodness...

Here's a peek at some gorgeous eye-candy for you...

Even a stall named after my guy...

Time to refuel...

This is one market that could easily use a couple of days to get through. There were many areas that we had to pass right by due to time {and our feet were hurting and noses were cold}. I would recommend the Vernaison area and the Paul Bert area for sure and then add on the others if time permits.

So after this overload of vintage goodness, what did I buy?

Well, let's just say that anyone who lives in Paris is very lucky ~ just have it delivered and furnish your entire place in gorgeousness. I wasn't prepared to start shipping anything to Dubai so I only ended up picking a few small items {some other things I would have loved to go back to get, but neither one of us felt like navigating back through the stalls at the end of the day}. It was overwhelming and after a while I couldn't even think straight! And I had to consider ease of bringing home in my suitcase with airline weight limits.

So I came home with:

a vintage enamel house number...

an old metal sign stencil in my initial {to add to a gallery wall}...

a vintage French book with beautifully aged pages {perfect for crafting}...

and a vintage price sign from a French meat counter {perfect to frame with my other quirky kitchen art ~ the old milk bottle tops and potato sack tags}...

I know, they may not seem like mind-blowing purchases, but I had an amazing day. A bit cold to do in November ~ definitely better in warmer weather, especially for anyone who's not quite a diehard antiquer.

Stay tuned for the next instalment ~ the Paris Christmas Market and a wrap-up of miscellaneous Paris prettiness!

lisa