Apartment!

E here.  I'm still in Chantilly, but about to hit the road to pick up L, the little one, and head to our apartment for a walk through and for the gas to be turned on.  I don't think we will actually sleep there for a few more nights but it will be nice to progressively move suitcases from the hotel to our new digs.  Since we are only 9 days away from Christmas, there will definitely be no decorating or hosting large gatherings this year, which will free us up to explore the city.  In Montreal, one department store (Ogilvy's) puts up an animated Christmas window every year - here, apparently, there is a whole section of amazing Christmas windows that we will hopefully get to explore on Sunday.  I'm not sure if the little one is really old enough to enjoy for more than 2 minutes, but who knows?

Although the cost of living here is higher, I found one very pleasant surprise this week: telecommunication services are MUCH cheaper here.  For 37€ per month, we get super fast fiber-optic internet, cable TV with a free DVR and blu-ray player, and phone with unlimited calls to 104 countries, including the US and Canada.  Sweet!  I am told it will "only" take about 3 weeks for our equipment to be delivered.  Super fast internet, super long set-up time.  Given that this timeframe spans both Christmas and New Years, I am not holding my breath for a faster delivery, but miracles do happen, right?

Before and After pics of the kitchen to come soon.  Happy Friday!