Bruxelles - Day 1

This post is long overdue. I have been a little out of the blogging loop recently due to starting my new job, friends visiting and my fantastic new flatmate arriving. You can check his awesomeness out here!

Way way back, in the deep dark depths of January I decided to take a little Euro road trip, because lets face it, January is a bit of a let-down month after all the fun and magic of Christmas. First stop was a ski-break in Samoens, the to Geneva to visit JJ, quick stop over in London town to catch up with beautiful friends and then to BRUSSELS!

Everyone kept telling me that Brussels is one of the most boring city to visit, I cannot disagree more. An hour or so on the Eurostar, a quick metro to our hotel and MW and I were loving life in the beautiful city of Brussels.

Obviously food was the first thing on our minds and we headed out to a famous burger restaurant right in the heart of the old town and munched out way through the biggest burgers I have seen for a long time and our first plate of Belgian frites......delicious!

The most famous sight in Brussels is the Grand Place, a picture-perfect square surrounded by grand guild houses and the impressive town hall. The flowers were not quite in bloom but the colours on the roofs of the houses are quintessentially Belgian.

Next stop, you guessed it, more food! We stumbled across one of the many world-renowned friteries; Fritland and quickly ordered two huge portions of perfectly crispy and wonderfully fluffy chips. Beautiful. 

On of my favourite things about Brussels was the incredible array of street art on display on every available wall, mostly featuring the Belgian comic book character Tintin. Even at night, several buildings had projectors lighting up artwork depicting life inside Belgian homes, so unique and such a fantastic idea.

City hopping is exhausting, no wonder we managed to polish off a deliciously rich hot chocolate in the afternoon, before returning to our hotel and collapsed into our squishy hotel bed.

Mood- Missing those chips and hot choc!

Pin It Now!

Reflections on Paris as the "City of Love" and on beauty in general: An Anniversary Poem

I have to share this incredible poem that was written for me by the very talented OC. 

You said Paris was beautiful, and moved there one September,

And from my visits there are many sights that i'll remember.

Though through its arrondissements, I could forever roam, 

I don't believe it's really special when it's on its own.

"The padlock bridge is sweet", they say. I have to disagree,

'cause every loving couple's padlock only takes one key.

The Eiffel Tower's wonderful, but how alone it stands.

The Mona Lisa's painted well but she's holding her own hands. 

And sure it looks sublime, when the sun shines off the Seine,

But it isn't as appealing when its filling up with rain

'Cause real beauty doesn't change, or hinge upon the weather,

And two things that look nice will look better when together.

If three's the magic number, then the beauty number's two,

And you never look as beautiful as when I'm in love with you.

I never usually share things like this and i'm the first person to curse others who do, however this boy's talents need to be shared. What is Paris doing to me??

Mood - Changed

Pin It Now!

Marché au Puces

The 18th arrondissement is well know for the bohemian and artistic quarter of Montmartre with its cobbled squares, authentic cafes and struggling artists. During my time in Paris I have discovered that the 18th is an interesting area, beautiful in parts and in others pretty grim. Prior to living in Paris I believe that all of the city was picture-perfect with wide avenues and pretty cafes but my time in Clignancourt has proved otherwise. After spending five months in the Sorbonne Clignancourt campus I had promised myself that when I finished I would never return there, under any circumstance!

But........last week I bravely ventured back with my friends JM and AS, to visit the marché au puces, the most famous antique/ flea market in the Europe. It was fantastic, miles of sprawling stalls and fancy boutique-style shops displaying everything from 17th century suits of armour, art and furniture. The market is arranged as a series of alleys, creating a fascinating maze of all that is weird and wonderful. I can safely say that this is one of the best and most unique ways to spend a lazy sunday afternoon in Paris.

It is incredible that in the middle of an urbanised area, down the backstreet of the market, tucked away inconspicuously are some of the most incredible stalls I have ever seen. Beautiful vintage Chanel dresses are displayed on racks and Hermes scarves overflow from decadent displays creating every girl's dream shop. Sadly prices ran into several thousands but seeing such incredible items hidden away was like, I imagine, stumbling upon Aladdin's cave stuffed with treasures upon your wildest dreams.

                         

You can even buy an oversized clock or the statue of liberty if that is what takes your fancy?

Mood- Hankering for a vintage Chanel dress! 

Pin It Now!

Le Ski - Day 3

So food is always a highlight for me and today was no exception. Even in the mountains delicious food can be found and I was lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful lunch in one of the most incredible lunch spots ever. Nestled deep within the valley of the Grand Massif, only accessible by one long ski run is a the Lac de Gers mountain refuge. The little chalet, built on the side of a frozen lake, can only be accessed by skidoo or helicopter and therefore is possibly one of the most untouched and peaceful places that I have ever visited. The food is to die for, the lamp chops are home-reared from mountain spring pastures and the steaks are as big as any I have ever seen. But, the dessert is what its really about. Each day a freshly baked dessert is available and oh my goodness are they incredible. We were treated to raspberry tart and chocolate pudding with meringue and melted salted-caramel sauce. What a way to round of a fantastic few days in the mountains. 

Mood- Hungry for more! 

Pin It Now!

Le Ski - Day 2

Today couldn’t have been a better day for skiing, beautiful sunshine, empty pistes and fresh powder. Amazing! At the top of Flaine we were treated to a spectacular view of Mont Blanc peeping out of the cloud, a rare sight reserved only for clear days.

There is nothing like a  deliciously indulgent hot chocolate with whipped Chantilly cream to warm you up after a long day's skiing… delish!

Mood- Achey!

Pin It Now!

Le Ski - Day 1

I awoke this morning at 6.00am, a time I am not usually accustomed to seeing that much, but this morning being one of the first people on the streets was a rare joy. Usually I find the winter morning darkness and abandoned streets eerily lonely and bleak, and walk the metro cursing my alarm and the cold wind for waking me from my sleepy-state. A fresh white blanket of pure white, marshmallow snow covered the ground and dragging my suitcase creating tracks through the snow was a delight. I stopped to take a few snaps of early morning Paris in the snow. 

After my horrendously early start I was more than happy to curl up on the TGV until I arrived in Geneve and I woke up just in time to see spectacular views of the French alps. The mountain air and beautiful scenery is the perfect remedy to the hustle and bustle of busy city life. Nothing relaxes me more than being back in my second home in the beautiful village of Samoens. Definitely worth a visit, trust me on this one. The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for what promises to be a fantastic days skiing tomorrow, fresh powder, empty pistes and hopefully a bit of sunshine! Bring on le ski but most importantly, bring on the apres. 

(Of course, I also managed to find some gorgeous rustic Savoie bread and pastries) 

Mood- Ready, so ready! 

Pin It Now!

Toasty warm

One of the benefits of living abroad is being able to feel incredibly smug reading and listening to complaints about the miserable weather back in England. I know that Paris is not the same as being somewhere warm and sunny, however, the mere fact that Paris is a few degrees warmer than London has given me great satisfaction. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the snow, for me it usually means a day or two sledging with friends and then snuggling down with Bailey's hot chocolate. It's all the problems that a few centimetres of snow brings with it; no trains, no planes, panic buying and obsessive amounts of disgruntled tweeting and updating. I am revelling in enjoying pictures of cute puppies rolling in the snow and children building snowmen, whilst secretly praising the fact that this year the snow will NOT get me! 

The thing is, tomorrow I leave for a ski holiday with family and friends. For once it is a joy knowing that I will not have any snow-induced travel problems as I am getting a TGV straight from Paris. Bethany 1- Snow 0. Sadly though its beginning to look like the others will not make it, as Heathrow has been shut. Snow 1 - Bethany 1.

Even being in another country snow fury is beginning to set in! There is only one solution..... i'm going for a chocolat chaud viennois with extra marshmallows before all this snow talk really dampens my spirits. 

Wrap up warm mes cheries! 

Mood- Chilly brrrrrr 

Pin It Now!