French word of the day: Les vacances
Published on: 8 January 2026
Bonne année and happy new year! Yes, the Christmas holidays have wrapped up. And we are now debating if it is too early or rather late to take the Christmas tree down, and I’m going to say too early…?
For now the tree is still up, mostly because I’m not ready to give up that holiday feeling. We had a lovely few days off with family visiting us, which was nice as I was got to be on cooking duty rather packing and driving duty. In case you were wondering, my big meal highlights for our very French guests were magret de canard, a carmelized onion and green beans dish and this cheesy potato aligot, (along with all the usual staples of oysters, foie gras, smoked salmon, cheese platter, log cake, etc etc.)
Having the folks visit also does mean going to see the big sights around town like the Assemblée Nationale, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées, etc. And of course visiting Versailles for the umpteenth time.
Now, I have of course been to all these places tons of times but I’m a bit mad at myself about Versailles for a rather dumb planning failure on my part.
I had previously read that in 2025 they were exceptionally opening up the Salle du Congrès for visitors, and I even mentioned it in a previous newsletter. But I simply hadn’t had the time to make it there for this opening.
The Salle du Congrès is the giant hall where both France’s House of Representatives and the Senate can sit together to listen to the President, basically the French State of the Union. The hall holds 1500 seats and was open exceptionally till the end of 2025 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 3rd République (basically the era that started in 1870 after France lost the Franco-Prussian war until 1940).
So off we went to this exceptional opening, with visitors who had not been to Versailles in while either, looking earnestly for the entrance to the Salle. After much wandering around, a quick word with a nearby museum guide and we were told that apparently the Salle is open to visitors…but not everyday.
I had not read their website accurately. We were there on the Tuesday right before Christmas, but apparently it was only going to be open during the weekends. Having plans already for the last weekend of 2025, the closest I was going to get to this very famous salle was this mockup:
Serious planning failure on my part. I shall just have to wait to visit this historical hall in…maybe 2035? If you were lucky enough to visit Versailles this past year at the correct time, I salute you.
Anyway after New Year’s, the guests headed home and it is back to work and school for everyone this week. Not for long though, because it has been quite a snowy start to the year in la région Parisienne.
A “Vigilance orange” alert was issued on Monday, leading to a shorter school and work day. (Regular school hours are 8:30am-4:30pm.). Tuesday and Wednesday there has been more snow, so more shortened days and all extracurriculars cancelled.
Not quite the start we were expecting, but who says easing slowly into 2026 is such a bad thing? Added bonus of something we definitely don’t expect much of here in January: bright sunshine and vitamin D.
In actual terms, it has been only about 10-12 cm of snowfall (I can hear my fellow Canadians snickering), but it hardly ever snows around the Paris area, so we are all hopelessly unequipped.
The roads are not salted (lack of equipment and actual salt), the public bus system is “perturbed”, the traffic jams are ginormous, and those who can télétravail (work from home) have been instructed to do so.
I do have a tiny foldable snow shovel for the odd time we go skiing in the Alps, but I’m pretty sure that is not going to get us very far.
So there we were for the past 2 days in covid redux mode, holed up at home with what we hoped were enough groceries to avoid taking the car out. (Le Parisian newspaper helpfully came up with a graphic on how to walk like a penguin in the snow to get around.)
The kids worked on their snow angels, my OH sat on a conf calls, and I tried to type while ignoring all the noise and enjoying the view out the window. But it is now raining and so goodbye snow, which is just as well because I do have to head out to pick up a very special cake.
If you aren’t keeping track, this week is Epiphany, which in France means it is time to get a galette des rois.
A galette des rois is basically a pastry filled with almond cream and meant to celebrate the arrival of the 3 Kings at the birth of baby Jesus. And it is a pastry that the French take very seriously.
There are fancy ones from the patisserie, cheap ones from the supermarket, homemade ones and even ones that are a brioche type from the south of France. As I said, the galette des rois is serious business. Serve it with a glass of cidre brut and you will thank me.
And with that, I will just say cheers to 2026, I wish you and yours all the best for the upcoming year. Santé!
In other news:
- The Madeleine church in Paris which has been under renovations for most of the 15-20 years, is astonishingly going back under renovation this summer 2026. If you want a picture without the scaffolding, the time is now.
- George Clooney, along with his wife and kids, have all become French citizens, without speaking much French. No word yet on if he is going to “Frenchify” his first and last names, as all new French citizens are legally entitled to do.
- Disneyland Paris is going to open a new “Frozen land”, aka Elsa, Anna and Olaf this spring so get ready to embrace your inner Libérée, Délivrée!
In the blog:
9 Things to do in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes
Discover the top 9 things to do in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes in Central France, from mountainous landscapes, roman ruins, alpine lakes, charming villages, and standout food.
Lamb roast with garlic and rosemary
With rub of herbs and spices, this delicious French-style lamb roast is cooked in its own juices for a dinner that is bound to impress.
Spinach salad with tahini yogurt dressing
This spinach salad is served with a homemade creamy tahini yogurt dressing for a perfect zesty complement to any meal.