Tea and Crumpets for the Easter Bunny

For the very first time in my French adult life, I had plans for Easter. It all worked out par hasard, as they say, but it just so happened that Copain had plans to go to London, and it just so happened that all of my English friends were free to come to Paris. 

Voila! Girls weekend chez moi was born.

Two of my friends took the TGV up from Cannes and another took the train down from Normandy, and we all squished into my peanut apartment - two on the sofa bed and two in the normal bed. It was, shall we say, cozy.

We went to l'Asian Wok for dinner, celebrated a 30th birthday at Mama Shelter, went to see 10 Ans de Mariage at the Le Palace, brunched at L'Echappée, and watched Runaway Bride whilst noshing on bread and cheese in our pjs on the couch that just stayed a bed all weekend long.

I introduced my friends to the greatness of Hema, toenails were painted, eyebrows were plucked and we vacillated between coffee and tea, trying to keep warm in arctic Paris (in an apartment that hasn't been properly heated since we moved in circa 2010). 

Despite my best efforts to heat the place as soon as Copain left the house (shhhhh, he'll never know...), my poor friends from the South had to request long-sleeved tops to keep warm at night! La honte...

What we lacked in heat, I hopefully made up for in English goodies and Easter baskets...

Crumpets for breakfast 

(I was given the "how to butter a crumpet" lesson - 

right out of the toaster, in case you were wondering)

Easter goodies for Sunday morning

And for the first time, in 8 years, Easter weekend was fun and spent with my peeps - who are really my France family when it comes down to it. Because when you live abroad and your family is on the other side of the world, your friends become your people. 

At brunch on Sunday morning, Dancer friend met us at l'Echappée. When I told her that somehow I so needed to have these holiday plans, and that as long as I've been here, Easter has been a disappointment, she told me that she knew exactly what I meant. 

And all this time I thought I was a bit of a crazy lady for wanting some good old fashioned Easter egg hunting and kids on sugar highs running around! 

We decided right then and there, that we would count on each other for the holiday plans we've been missing abroad, and that we would never have another bummer Easter weekend in France again.