A beautiful little video that I found, directed by Benjamin Trancart, designed to highlight that during the eighteenth century Paris was the city of illuminating ideas and innovation in science, art and philosophy.
Mood- Bright
14.1.13
13.1.13
New Year - New Start
2013, I feel this year will be a great one, it will, however, take a lot to top 2012. Last year was my year. I met some incredible people, formed some incredible friendships, achieved things I never believed I could and to top it all of, I moved to Paris. So if 2012 was the year for moving to Paris, 2013 is definitely the year for making this city my own. I am a great believer in new year's resolutions, even if they are made to be broken. This year I have three:
1) Be healthier and lose the incredible EIGHT POUNDS that I have put on in Paris! I know its a golden rule that if you move to France you must put on weight; people take it as a sign you are enjoying yourself. However, the novelty MUST wear off, or by the end of the year, according to these dangerous statistics I will have put on 24 POUNDS.....thats nearly TWO WHOLE STONE! The time has come for drastic action. From now on I shall only consume patisseries on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Deal.
2) (Courtesy of Owen) I have promised to stop nagging and getting stressed so easily. Pretty explanatory really, all I can say is.....I will keep trying!
3) (Courtesy of Jess) I will empty the bins before they overflow. Jess has lived with me for half a year now, I must accept her suggestion.
So new year and a whole new me. Maybe? One thing is for sure though, this year is the year to discover Paris and to make this city my home. This is one resolution I am sure to keep!
Mood- Optimistic
10.12.12
Dreaming of summer days
Wandering along the Seine wrapped up in a fur coat and mittens munching on a warm pain-au-chocolat should be romantic and beautifully elegant, as portrayed in films, however I find that winter brings runny noses, freezing fingers and horrific windswept hairstyles. Paris is beautiful in the winter but I have come to realise that it is much better to experience this from inside a warm roof-top apartment or huddled in a cafe repeatedly ordering chocolat chaud. I therefore have decided to remember warmer summer days whilst refusing to acknowledged the rain storm and blizzard going on behind me. It's all very well coming to Paris and viewing the Tour Eiffel and the Arch the Triomphe but as far as seeing the real Paris I find that it is by joining in French celebrations and exploring the city's traditions that I begin to feel like Paris has become my home. My first experience of this was La Nuit Blanche 2012, an annual, all-night art festival during which museums, galleries and cinemas open their doors all night and special exhibitions and instillations pop-up all over the city. My friends and I started outside the Hotel de Ville and wandered to the Centre Pompidou where there was an electro-band playing from the roof, turning the square below into a dance floor. Following the course of the Seine we came across street Jazz bands, huge screens projecting films and an outdoor cinema with deck chairs for seats. The most exciting things about La Nuit Blanche is feeling that for one night everywhere is Paris is open, areas that are usually dead become party squares and locked buildings allow you unprecedented access. At about 2am we found ourselves sitting in a basement of a building in the centre of Paris watching an artistic film on a gigantic screen. However, the highlight of my night was finding a tiny little installation under the Pont Alexandre III by following some dubious looking arrows into a cave under the depths of the Seine. Wandering around this beautiful city, without bumping into map-checking tourists and seeing the buildings and streets come alive with music and activity really highlighted Paris at its most exciting and I feel very lucky to have been part of La Nuit Blanche 2012!
14.11.12
Les fleurs les plus belles du monde (Edmond Rostard)
Despite this blog post being two months into my time in Paris, it is about a shop that I came across on my first day in the city. Moving house is a stressful experience, however moving cities is exciting. The blank slate is intriguing, ready to be decorated with alluring places and discoveries. I started this process from the get go and like to think of it as my alternative map of Paris. Forget the metro map, tourist boards and guide books, I decided to view Paris as a print of my favourite places, beautiful views, exquisite shops and intriguing sites. Therefore, I consider "Julian" on Boulevard Le Tour Malbourg as the first illustration on my personal Parisian map. It sounds ridiculous but spotting this shop on my first walk around my new arrondissement was the first indication that I had that Paris would become my home, a place where I felt welcomed and settled. Its hard not to fall in love with such a beautiful place. Julian was opened four generations ago and has continued to be a thriving family business in the heart of Paris, a rare find in most cities that are overcome with department stores, chains and franchises. This city really cherishes it independent boutiques and it fills me with love that Parisians still support their local businesses by purchasing their food from artisan and specialist food shops, bread from patisseries, clothes from boutiques, perfume from parfumeries etc etc etc. In fact, in French there is a word for just about every type of trade and trader and the word "magasin," inferring one shop for all, is almost treated like a dirty word. Except of course when talking about Printemps and Galleries Lafayette, in which case you are excused. It is not difficult to embrace this love of the independent for the idea contains in itself a love for the special and unique, with each purchase warming your heart slightly.
Mood - in the mood to visit the patisserie!
18.10.12
These are a few of my favourite things
So recently a wave of happiness has overcome me, not that i'm usually unhappy, but little moments have recently warmed my heart triggered a little smile.
There really is nothing better than catching up with old, and new friends, over a steaming hot chocolate in a warm cafe with steaming windows while it is raining outside. I believe nothing could make me happier.....until we progressed onto wine.
Buskers on the metro are a common sight in Paris, however what is not common is people appreciating the music and taking time out of their rushing and dashing to actually listen and not just hear the music. I smiled a little smile today when I rushed past a violinist coming off the metro and noticed a man sat on the steps watching and listening intently, enjoying and appreciating the music. I, in turn, appreciated how special this little moment of unusualness amongst the ordinary touched my heart and re-instilled my faith in art and humanity.
The view from my window never fails to make me smile, bathed in a warm red light from the restaurant opposite and accompanied by the background blur of the street's evening noise there really is nothing pleasanter than throwing open the shutters and absorbing the pace of the city at night.
Mood- Warmed
There really is nothing better than catching up with old, and new friends, over a steaming hot chocolate in a warm cafe with steaming windows while it is raining outside. I believe nothing could make me happier.....until we progressed onto wine.
Buskers on the metro are a common sight in Paris, however what is not common is people appreciating the music and taking time out of their rushing and dashing to actually listen and not just hear the music. I smiled a little smile today when I rushed past a violinist coming off the metro and noticed a man sat on the steps watching and listening intently, enjoying and appreciating the music. I, in turn, appreciated how special this little moment of unusualness amongst the ordinary touched my heart and re-instilled my faith in art and humanity.
The view from my window never fails to make me smile, bathed in a warm red light from the restaurant opposite and accompanied by the background blur of the street's evening noise there really is nothing pleasanter than throwing open the shutters and absorbing the pace of the city at night.
Mood- Warmed
10.10.12
A series of unfortunate events
1) Bank closes between 11-2.30, I have classes 11-2.30 so unable to collect my bank card. Have now worked out why getting a French bank account takes months...
2) Professors and course co-ordinators find it amusing and completely logical to write the wrong number of credits in the hand-book to mess up your timetable, planning and classes.
3) French ballet lessons are painful....but excellent (this could be a fortunate event, i'm still in too much pain to think objectively).
4) Paris is cold, rainy and windy in October, which would be terribly artistic and romantic apart from the fact that I only own ballet pumps and summer tops.
5) Croissants for breakfast are making me fat and poor.
6) In order to have a Metro card, one must prove their identity, not with one, nor two pieces of identification but three as well as having proof that they live in Paris (seriously France....just to use your trains?)
7) Being handed a leaflet by the French society of students commanding you to fight back over the increase in French university fees from €150 to €200 per year makes you remember your building student loan and overdraft. At the same time, ripping the leaflet up and laughing at the sheer audacity of the rise in front of a group of outraged french students doesn't help you make any friends.
However, despite this series of unfortunate events, Paris remains marvellous and my freshly baked and still warm baguette today was enough to dispel any animosity I was feeling......until the fun all starts again tomorrow!
Mood- So ready this time, bring it on France!
2.10.12
Home sweet home
One of the best things about this fantastic city is that the surroundings become your home and your back garden. Even though I have down-sized on my living space I feel like I have gained a whole city. The boulevards have become my corridors, the pretty squares my bedroom and the cafes my kitchen. The city defines the well known saying "the world is my oyster", Paris has become my home, physically and metaphorically. So here are a few pictures of my back garden and my new home.
Mood - settled
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