Papeterie

The inside of my room is starting to look like a stationer's shop... 

[Ma chambre commence à rassembler une papeterie...]

A polaroid that we got printed off at the 'Ici & Demain' night at La Machine du Moulin Rouge

 Un Polaroïd que nous avons imprimé à l'événement 'Ici & Demain' à La Machine du Moulin Rouge

My friend sent me a care package of a notebook, some chocolate & a card from the Musee d'Orsay - just the ticket to get me through a 3 hour TD!

 Une amie m'a envoyé un cadeau surprise - d'un cahier, du chocolat et une carte du Musée d'Orsay, exactement ce qu'il faut pour m'aider à se débrouiller pendant un TD de 3 heures !

There are two types of people in this world - those for whom the sight of a drawer full of books fills them with joy and those for whom it fills them with fear. Luckily I'm in the former category!

Il y a deux types de personne dans ce monde - ceux qui sont remplis de terreur devant tout un tiroir plein de livres et ceux de qui remplis de joie - heureusement je fais partie de cette dernière catégorie !

 Another one to add to the collection!

And finally, I am very excited because I've finally booked some tickets to go and see 'Andromaque' and 'Phedre' at the Comedie Française !

Et finalement, je suis super contente parce que j'ai finalement réservé des tickets pour 'Andromaque' et 'Phedre' à La Comédie Française !

À Bientôt !

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Updates!

Clockwise: Beautiful gates in the Tuileries gardens; Le Bleu Club; Letter writing; Hanging out; The Shakespeare & Co.; the carrousel at Hotel de Ville 

Clockwise: A free gift from my new local Franprix; a sign which makes you smile: "Je voulais juste vous dire bonjour !"; an amazing surprise gift from a lovely friend!

Clockwise: Aggie's birthday; Ici & Demain at La Machine du Moulin Rouge; at Eleonore's; Cocktails; Jade's birthday!

À Bientôt !

x 

Shakespeare & Co.

So, it's been a while since I've put up anything too exciting on the blog - because I've mainly been hanging out with friends - movie nights, cinema, eating together: the kind of thing that no one needs to see posted on the internet. But, I've neglected to post about a whole other aspect to my life in Paris which has recently taken root, grown and blossomed. 

Outside the Shop

Right at the beginning of my blog [here] I posted about The Shakespeare & Company, after having been there twice before on trips to Paris. The first time I went to the shop, it was as a tourist, and I treated it as such. I enjoyed looking around, but it bothered me to find that in the old typewriter upstairs there was no ribbon, and I began to imagine that the whole shop operated as a sham, not a "socialist utopia masquerading as a bookshop" as Whitman, the founder liked to quip, but rather the other way round. On my third visit I was still wavering over the genuineness of the shop, but I soon realised there is a depth to The Shakespeare and Company that confirmed its authenticity in my eye.

 

In the studio upstairs.

As opposed to other French bookshops I've been to, which are understandably businesses with books to sell & money to be made, the bookshop really is a project of the heart. It's a living, beating hub which embraces current authors as much as keeping old traditions alive: the bookshop still welcomes "Tumbleweed" authors who live in the shop above in exchange for helping out for 2 hours a day in the shop. They've recently taken to busking outside on the banks of the Seine, so the front of the shop is filled with guitar music and at the back, the tinkling of piano keys drifts down from customers who are invited to play the upright piano upstairs. The admiration and affection that all who work for the bookshop is real, and for me that overrides everything.

Flowers in the park outside the bookshop. Virginia Woolf painted on the window upstairs.

And now, I've joined the ranks. The shop has an internship/volunteer system: 4 hours of unpaid work a week is your ticket into the centre of this rabbit warren of a shop. It might sound like a raw deal, and in certain ways it is. You really have to enjoy being in the shop, to be the kind of person who might have spent 4 hours amongst books in any case. The bit I like is getting to know all the interesting people from all over the world who work there: the staff, Tumbles and other volunteers. I like getting to talk to the customers for whom The Shakespeare & Company is a dream-come-true, who leave notes and photos around the speckled mirror upstairs or slipped into books. I like being able to go up into George Whitman's old apartment, which has apparently remained almost unchanged over the passage of time. And the other day I was asked to take the shop's resident dog Colette for a walk, with an old belt hastily fashioned into a leash. This very much sums up the syncopated rhythm of the bookshop life. 

You aren't allowed pictures in the bookshop, so here's one I nicked off the internet :)

I really do think that everyone comes away from The Shakespeare & Company with their own story to tell, and George Whitman's statement that the shop is a "novel in three words" is something I can side with. It's not for everyone, but I'm loving my time helping out there so far!

À Bientôt !
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A Lesson in Looking

How much history can you find on one street, just by opening your eyes?

The Musee Maillol.

 

Alfred de Musset lived here.

 National Horticultural Centre of Paris.

 Centre of Italian Culture.

Ministry for National Education.

The Mairie of the 7th arrondissement.

"The first regular French television programmes were diffused from the studio inside this building in the November of 1935"

Would you believe all these photos were taken on the same street!?

Paris is beautiful!

À Bientôt !

x

Another Love

Last Friday night, I had a very pleasant surprise in the form of a Tom Odell concert. at the Alhambra venue at Republic. For those that haven't heard of him, last year in England Tom Odell was proclaimed somewhat of a boy genius, a musical prodigy, an edgy young thing whose music career was suddenly on the up. After lugging his electric keyboard round the gig scene in Brighton, his music was miraculously noticed by Lily Cooper (Nee Allen)'s record label. Given a Brit Award for his efforts before he'd even released an album. Suddenly, his single "Another Love" was absolutely everywhere. And "Another Love" was all I'd heard. This evening was about to change a lot. 

Le vendredi dernier, j'ai eu une très belle surprise sous le forme d'un concert de Tom Odell à l'Alhambra (au métro République). Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas ce musicien, l'année dernière en Angleterre, Tom Odell a été proclamé un type d'enfant chéri, un prodige, un jeune talent avec sa carrière en musique en plein essor. Après avoir trimballé son clavier électrique à travers des engagements a Brighton, le chef du projet de Lily Allen (qui a sa propre maison de disques)  a miraculeusement remarqué son talent. On lui a donné un "Brit Award" pour ses efforts même avant qu'il a produit un album. Tout d'un coup, son single "Another Love" était partout. Et "Another Love" était la seule chanson que j'avais écouté. Mais ce soir a beaucoup changé mes opinions. 

Tom Odell was supported by Ryan Keen (below) - check him out here.

He was so grateful and spoke endearingly about the tragic death of some friends which had encouraged him to pursue his dreams. He did a great job of warming the crowds up before Tom's band came on.

Tom & his band came on next...

I'm not sure I can convince you how much more I enjoyed Tom Odell in real life. They ramped up the energy on some of his more dreary songs, and, being the last concert of the European tour he really came to life - playing to the crowd and just looking like he was having a lot of fun.

Je ne sais pas trop comment vous convaincre que Tom Odell était mille fois meilleur en vie réelle. Ils ont intensifié le battement du tambour dans ses chansons autrefois un peu pessimistes, et, vu qu'il était le dernier concert de la tournée européenne, Tom était vraiment plein d'énergie, en cédant aux demandes de la foule et se montrant simplement qu'il s'est bien amusé toute la soirée.

Listen to my favourite Tom Odell songs / my footage of Ryan Keen below:

Thanks Tom & Ryan for a great night!

À Bientôt !

x

Le Petit Palais

Stop press! I have discovered a new favourite hang-out in Paris - one to rival even my love of the Musee d'Orsay (this is a big deal). Free entry for everyone, no queues and a selection of beautiful artwork...I could sing the praises of 'Le Petit Palais' all day, but instead I'll let you share in some of its delights through photos I've taken below. If this doesn't make you want to take a look inside the unassuming little brother of the 'Grand Palais', then I don't know what will!

Look how beautiful the courtyard is!

Don't forget to glance upwards or you'll miss some of the best sights.

Just some of the gorgeous artwork on display.

 

 

 Just looking back through these photos has given me a lot of joy, and I'll be sure to get down to Le Petit Palais for their Impressionist exhibition, coming soon.

À Bientôt !

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