Jewels

After Angelina, it was a short walk to 'The Musee des Arts Decoratifs' which hides nestled inside the Louvre's vast façade. Under its wing are "Arts Decoratifs", "Mode et Textile" and "Publicite". Given my love of old retro posters, my sister's interest in a career in intellectual property (ooh) and my brother's Madmen addiction - we really enjoyed the Museum, and all the more so because it was free for European students under 25 years old. Just take along your passport/proof of identity for free access!

I really liked the fans - which, as they were dipping out of fashion amongst genteel ladies of the aristocracy, became a major tool for advertising - given out free at events. Savvy huh?

 

The jewellery department was all dramatic lighting and crisp cut diamonds - rather imposing and majestic rather than beautiful. There were also some oddities like a necklace made out of beanie babies and a bracelet made out of golden articulated shrimps!

"The day will come, have no fear, when many of these works which you now consider as mere products of industry...the day will come when many of these works will take their place in museums." Victor Hugo, Actes et Paroles I (1841-1851)

Still a little full of Angelina hot chocolate, we hopped on the Metro to Hugo's, a restaurant near to the Gare du Nord. Down an unremarkable street (cutely named 'Butterfly Street', or Rue Papillon', Hugo hides a cute and cosy interior which feels just like eating supper in someone's home. 

Amazing duck salad and goat's cheese toast! 

We may have splashed out on eating out but we made up for it with free museum trips and about 5k of walking!

Our adventure continued on Sunday morning - read all about it tomorrow!

À Bientôt !

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Fashion, Flowers and Family

Photo credit to le-21eme.com

You would not believe how excited I was to see my brother and sister. After hanging out with my Dad on Wednesday, Thursday sans family seemed like a cruel interlude. I coped by going over board on table decor, buying a cheap-as-chips pot plant which I carried home from lectures. Accidentally happening upon Paris Fashion Week, I crossed the Tuileries counter-current to a shoal of colourful and bizarrely decked out creatures - namely models, bloggers and the paparazzi dressed up to the nines. Sequins glittered, bulbs flashed and photographers ducked to avoid me, my blue jeans, dunlop trainers and my plastic-bagged pot plant.

Photo credit to hipparis.com

 No matter - I engaged in my own private photo-shoot, over-excitedly snapping pictures of my tiny room transformed into Paris' smallest new pop-up restaurant, where the maître-d' has to sit on her own bed for lack of chairs. Rachel Khoo, eat your heart out.

          

 Finally, jittery with excitement, I went to get two of my favourite people from the local metro station. 

They oohed and aahed appreciatively at my shoddy guided-tour on the way home: "This is an important building, I don't know what it is". 

Brother and sister

Back at mine, it was chorizo rolls from Besniers the bakers, and pâtisseries followed by Madmen.

Chocolate maccaron, Tarte aux Grandmères, Frangipane

More adventures soon!
À Bientôt !
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