Featured image: A stop inside A La Mere de Famille on a culinary tour in Paris | Photo by Maureen Littlejohn

Steena Holmes hosts a Christmas foodie extravaganza

by Maureen Littlejohn

Christmas in Paris is magical. Elegant twinkling lights hang above the streets while smartly dressed denizens carrying brightly coloured packages buzz happily along the glittering pavement. Add a little chocolate, high fashion, shopping, and a bestselling author and you’ve got the perfect package.

In early December, I joined Tours by Absolutely for a seven-day Sweet Christmas in Paris tour with author Steena Holmes. Steena is a Calgary-based, New York Times bestselling fiction author. Not only does she blend bakeries, coffee, and much sweetness into her novels, but she sent us little goodie packages in advance of the trip with salted chocolate bars, a Christmas candle, and a copy of her novel, A Belgium Chocolate Christmas.

Warmly welcomed at La Maison Favart

Arriving at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, I was met by a driver who took me to La Maison Favart, our hotel in the 2nd arrondissement. Entering the four-star, boutique property, I felt like I was being welcomed into a cherished aunt’s home. My room was on the fourth floor, overlooking Place Boieldieu and the Opéra Comique, founded during the reign of Louis XIV.

From the hotel’s calm quiet, you’d never know a busy boulevard was around the corner. I felt snug and secure and caught a few ZZs before the evening began.

Our group met in a pink upholstered breakfast/lounge area just off the lobby. Nancy McGee, Tours by Absolutely’s founder, new owner Emma Gély, and author Steena Holmes were there to greet us. Introductions occurred as we sipped glasses of sparkling wine.

We were a small group of 13 women. Some had come with a friend, some came solo. Some had done tours with the company before, and others like me were first-timers. The mood was warm and happy.

“The places we go make us special. We offer experiences you can’t find on your own. Our clients pay for an itinerary they wouldn’t find by themselves,” Nancy McGee, who was raised in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, and is now based in the South of France, confided as we departed the hotel.

“There’s something magical about small groups of women coming together, bonding over shared stories and experiences,” she says. “Witnessing these connections flourish into lifelong friendships is incredibly rewarding.”

Dinner was a few blocks away at Brasserie Vaudeville, an opulent, marble-lined, art deco space filled with mirrors and fresh flowers. Emma had sent us menu choices in advance of all our meals so the service was swift and seamless. I had a creamy chicken supreme with a crisp white wine. Dessert was a massive floating island.

The newly restored Notre Dame

The next day we were in for an unbelievable treat. Emma had secured tickets for our group to tour the inside of the freshly restored Notre Dame Cathedral. The day the tickets were made available to the public, Emma hopped on the phone and stayed there until she secured them for our group. We were fortunate as many Parisians had yet to go in.

As we entered Notre Dame, I was stunned by the beauty of its whiteness. This was a stark contrast to the murky, soot-coated walls I had seen on a visit before the fire.  Vincent Duboquet, our guide throughout much of the week, was a rich source of information and was able to answer all our questions about the history of Paris.

Hotspots on a culinary tour in Paris

Imbibing at sugary Parisian hotspots was also on our agenda. The first stop was À la Mère de Famille, the city’s oldest chocolate maker founded in 1761. Then we sipped hot chocolate thick as pudding at Angelina and scarfed down sweet macarons at Odette.

The day also included a walk through the Notre Dame Christmas Market, a stop at Breizh café for crépes, and a pop into the storied Shakespeare & Co. bookstore.

Strasbourg’s Michelin-star restaurants

More seasonal shopping was in store for us. After breakfast at the hotel on our third day,  we boarded a train at Gare de l’Est to Strasbourg. The city was dotted with shops decorated to the nines for the season, and it felt like we were taking part in a holiday movie.

The main draw was the Christmas Market surrounding Strasbourg Cathedral. It took me a few rounds to figure out where I wanted to purchase ornaments, jewelry, and cookies. Oh, and a delicious mulled wine.

Our Strasbourg lunch was at Chez Yvonne, a traditional Alsatian restaurant specializing in sausage and sauerkraut – perfect stick-to-the-ribs food for a cold winter day.

This tour was about eating well. A highlight was learning to create some fabulous French desserts. At Cookin’ With Class, we joined chef Sarah Tyler and made crème brulee, ginger cake with chocolate ganache, lemon cakes, and apple tarts.

One of Sarah’s strict rules was keeping hands clean.

“No putting your fingers in your mouth!” she instructed.

Of course, I was the first to be caught doing this as I absent-mindedly swiped at a chocolate drip on the counter.

“You’ve won a trip to the sink,” said eagle-eyed Sarah.

That afternoon we had free time to wander around Montmartre and view artists with easels out painting plein air.

“Every day we are doing something even better!” admitted one of our group.

Nancy guided us expertly around the city. She shepherded us to many destinations on the Metro and thus avoided the city’s notorious traffic jams.

Back to Paris: Versailles, Opera Garnier and the Dior Museum

A pure gold Paris day for me started with a guided tour of Opera Garnier, the opulent opera house built for Emperor Napoleon III.  Lunch was at Ladurée on the Champs Elysée (known for its macarons), followed by a tour of the Dior Museum. That evening we attended a performance at the Moulin Rouge cabaret. No indoor photos were allowed, but I can tell you there were feathers galore.

On a day trip, we were given a peek at aristocratic life at Chateau Vaux le Vicomte.  Built for Nicolas Fouquet, the financial minister to Louis XIV, it was the inspiration for Versailles. Now owned by the Vogüé the domain has been in their family for five generations.

Guide Anne Majdling met us as we entered. A guide for the property, she recounted the estate’s complex history. It all began with Fouquet’s keen eye for the finest in art, décor, and gardens.

“He created a domain of beauty seen nowhere else in France,” she said.

When Louis XIV saw it, he was jealous and furious at being upstaged. Fouquet was arrested on false charges and thrown in prison. His home was dismantled and the King went on to build Versailles with the same designers Fouquet had used.

Now owned privately, the Chateau is open for public tours. Walking through its opulent rooms, we were thrilled to see it was decorated for Christmas. Each room depicted a different fairy tale.

Anne also gave us a little lesson in French dinner party etiquette with a few tips we could take home.

“Never push food onto your fork with your knife. Knives are only for cutting,” she explained.

The last full day of our tour started with a guided tour of the Marmottan Monet Museum. We got there as the doors opened and headed straight to the lower floor of the former mansion. Monet’s gorgeous water lilies surrounded us, as did many of his other works.

This small museum is a treasure. If you only have an hour,  I found it more manageable than the (wonderful but overwhelming) Musée D’Orsay.

Since it was Christmas, it was essential to prowl the Galeries Lafayette that afternoon. The sprawling department store (with numerous buildings) was packed with holiday shoppers. The French like to purchase their gifts in person so they can see, smell, and feel them. It’s a tactile approach (versus ordering online) that is much more satisfying.

Our group had its farewell dinner at Beau CoCo, an elegant restaurant in the Opera Garnier. We promised to keep in touch. And we all agreed the memories from this trip would stay with us for a lifetime.

Carrying on the traditions

Founder Nancy McGee moved to France many years ago where she had an event planning career, first with the United Nations and then Coca-Cola. She started Tour with Absolutely in 2011 and remains a consultant with the company until the end of 2025.

Emma Gély was raised in Montpellier to a bilingual French and British family and is now based in Bordeaux. A former recovery room nurse, she’s always had a passion for travel and believes it is the best medicine, allowing her to care for people in a different way.

“What sets us apart is our pioneering approach to promoting travel experiences hosted by female best-seller authors. Our tours not only highlight their works but also immerse travellers in the authors’ personal stories of each destination,” explains Gély. “Additionally, we are committed to supporting women- and family-owned businesses, ensuring that our travellers engage meaningfully with local communities. These personal relationships with our partners enhance the travel experience and deepen connections to the places we visit.”

Upcoming tours include the French Riviera, Provence, Occitanie, Basque Country Paris, Amalfi Coast, Belgium, and Marrakesh. Details are available on the company website.

Disclaimer: Maureen Littlejohn was a guest of Tours with Absolutely, who did not review this article prior to publication. 

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