Paris,

FRANCE

The City of Light is downright luminescent come Christmastime, with every corner seemingly touched by Kris Kringle. Strolling the streets was dazzling, whether we were window shopping along the twinkle-lightlined Champs-élysées, poking around the multiple Christmas markets or marvelling at the elaborate displays at the Galeries Lafayette (which almost rivalled the panoramic view from the roof). When we tired of shopping, we sipped Champagne on a dinner cruise along the Seine, indulged in arguably the world’s best hot chocolate at Angelina and burned the calories off touring museums and dancing in our seats at the Crazy Horse cabaret (whose stage was reproduced for Beyonce’s “Partition” music video). It’s true that Paris feels like one of the most romantic places on Earth— even when you’re there with a bonne amie.

I love the staircase in Shakespeare and Company, a beautiful bookstore where I bought a great many Christmas gifts. (Oprah voice: “You get a book! You get a book! Everybody gets a book!”)