If you can tolerate the cold and are keen on including some outdoor activities in your museum-packed Paris itinerary, the winter is an excellent time to visit. An injured back keeps me on the sidelines but watching locals and visitors, big and small, glide along the ice at the skating rink stationed in front of Hôtel de Ville (through March 17th) immediately transports me back to childhood. Back to the adrenaline rush and father-daughter time I eagerly anticipated each season.
Each visit unfurled the same way. I’d gingerly waddle my way from the safe, rubber mat to the crisp, glistening ice where my dad would be waiting after having completed a few laps on his own while I prepared. We’d skate until our limbs felt numb or I had fallen one too many times to feel confident enough to continue and then make our way indoors for piping hot soft pretzels and steaming cups of hot cocoa.
Though I’d love to create new skating memories in Paris, I don’t have to hit the ice to relive the joy it brought me as a kid. I can, however, recreate the post-skate snack – at least half of it, anyway. Resist the temptation to…
