Joie de Vivre… On Vacation.

When the frost drops – along with the temperatures – most people daydream about sunny destinations and hot beaches. However, it seems that no one ever really thinks about going somewhere that is just a little less cold. Maybe even somewhere like Paris.

Paris in the winter is just as beautiful as it is in the summertime. I know a few people who strongly disagree, but being a bit of a summer-craver myself, I have to say that it’s one of the few places I’ve really appreciated and enjoyed seeing in the winter months.

Although it still gets chilly, it’s never too cold to take a stroll along the Rive Gauche and pick up a vintage bauble or two. And, if it does get a bit too cold for your liking, there are always quaint cafés and shops to hide out in, like the famous Ladurée, where you can indulge in an endless supply of macaroons in almost every flavour imaginable. Then there’s the shopping. Designer boutiques like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and the subterranean shopping centre Forum des Halles are enough to awaken anyone’s shopaholic senses.

And of course, how could I forget the Eiffel Tower? Sure, it’s one of the most visited sites in the city – but who wouldn’t want to get a bird’s-eye view of Paris from the inside of such a beautiful and historic structure? I know it was certainly worth (partially) getting over my fear of heights just to have a look.

So, before your winter blues get you heading straight towards the southern hemisphere, you may want to consider some of our other neighbour continents first.

— Kate Aenlle