Paris, Christmas Eve - Day 12

We took an overnight train from Lourdes to Paris and arrived around 7:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve.

From there, we took a local train and bus back to Plaisir, where we rested and freshened up before heading back into Paris for Christmas Eve Mass at Notre-Dame.

We arrived near the Louvre around 4:00 p.m. to take a few photos before walking toward Notre-Dame. As expected, the area was bustling with tourists, full of energy despite the winter chill.

We reached Notre-Dame around 5:00 p.m. and were met with a long queue to attend Mass. As we hadn’t registered in advance, we had to line up, and in the end, we attended the Mass standing along the side, as the cathedral was completely full. Even so, being present there on Christmas Eve felt deeply meaningful.

After Mass, we met our relatives at Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower and had dinner at the nearby Christmas market. It was a cold and windy night, but our hearts were warm and full of joy as we stood mesmerized by the twinkling Eiffel Tower lighting up the night sky.