Pippa wakes up completely excited and rarin' to unwrap her presents at 11:30pm, Christmas Eve. She catches me at the computer and Anthony cleaning up. The presents are all under the tree, the stockings are filled, and Pippa catches us in flagrante delicto (go ahead, look it up, it doesn't have to refer to sex...), preparing for Christmas morning. She tells us she's awake because she heard footsteps on the roof (which is 4 stories above us) and the "'sprink' of a magic sprinkle from Santa Claus." So we think up a lie, and we think it up quick: it is well after midnight, and we too we were woken up by the "sprink." We've gotten out of bed to check the Santa tracker online. Fully appeased, she goes back to bed.
Perhaps Santa does hit Paris before midnight, or well after. In any event, it seems clear he could never stand to fly over Paris at midnight on the dot. The bells ring here for 15 solid minutes: Not just every bell of Notre Dame, but also the bells of the dozen other churches within spitting distance. Basically, churches here are like Starbucks in the U.S.: one on every block, sometimes two right across from each other. There are Eglise St.Gervais St. Portais and Eglise St. Paul St. Louis just on the Rive Droite side of the isles; Eglise St. Nicolas du Chardonnet and Eglise St. Julian le Pauvre on Rive Gauche; and of course Cathédral de Notre Dame in the middle.
It is an impressive display of bell ringing, in surround sound, and the biggest Christmas miracle is that it seems more melodious than cacophonous. But still, poor Santa. I hope he wears ear muffs.
Perhaps Santa does hit Paris before midnight, or well after. In any event, it seems clear he could never stand to fly over Paris at midnight on the dot. The bells ring here for 15 solid minutes: Not just every bell of Notre Dame, but also the bells of the dozen other churches within spitting distance. Basically, churches here are like Starbucks in the U.S.: one on every block, sometimes two right across from each other. There are Eglise St.Gervais St. Portais and Eglise St. Paul St. Louis just on the Rive Droite side of the isles; Eglise St. Nicolas du Chardonnet and Eglise St. Julian le Pauvre on Rive Gauche; and of course Cathédral de Notre Dame in the middle.
It is an impressive display of bell ringing, in surround sound, and the biggest Christmas miracle is that it seems more melodious than cacophonous. But still, poor Santa. I hope he wears ear muffs.
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