Palais Garnier

If Thursday was the perfect autumn day, Friday brought rain, grey skies and an excuse to go for a decadent warm drink at Angelina's. I promise that soon I will expand my 'salon de the' repertoire, but for now the promise of the richest hot chocolate in town is enough to keep tempting me back. It's hard to beat the elegance of everyone who dines at Angelina's, especially the dapper gentlemen in their retirement still treating their fabulously stylish silver-haired lady friends to lunch.  I had the 'Paris-New York' pastry, and I think it was definitely a good choice to give my tastebuds a break from a cocoa overload! Mum went for the equally yummy 'Choc Africain'.

In the morning our plans to go to the Mona Bismarck Centre had been foiled (Closed for the jour ferie for Toussaint, 1 Nov) and also to visit the Louvre (queues from here to Timbuktu). Instead we headed to the Palais Garnier which was thankfully still open for business. Known particularly at the setting for Gaston Leroux's 'The Phantom of the Opera' (or perhaps Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, eh!), the building designed by young architect Charles Garnier is an absolute masterpiece!

The central staircase is looming and impressive: I genuinely gasped as I climbed the steps and took in the magnitude of the Opera house. But I hadn't seen anything yet: the upstairs rooms, designed for the enjoyment of the theatre-goers during interval breaks were even more awe-inspiring:

Entry was €10 for my Mum, and €6.00 for me with a student card, making it a little more pricey than some of Paris' other cultural attractions, but I think it was well worth the price. There were no queues, and as we didn't investigate the 1 1/2 hour guided tour we were free to marvel at the Opera's cavernous, gilded insides at our own pace. I hadn't realised that the Opera is now mainly used for ballet, so seeing some of the prima ballerina costumes was an unexpected treat.

         

One of my favourite things was the library, where you could peek in at old mises-en-scene for theatrical spectacles of bygone eras. I have never seen such detailed stage decorations: each show must have been absolutely breath-taking. Apparently audiences were known to clap for ten minutes when the curtain was pulled up to reveal these incredible scenes, and set designers could make a name for themselves in a way that isn't appreciated today.

 One of my most favourite things done in Paris so far, with one of my most favourite people :)

À Bientôt !

x

Kilo Shop

It was after the luxury and splendour of Paris' finest boutiques that Mum and I thankfully came across the cheerful "The Kilo Store" thrift shop. Although on the top level you can find vintage clothes that are marked at normal retail prices, it's in the 'pay per weight' section that the real bargains are to be found. I got a raspberry coloured polka dot top from the 80s for about €5 and my Mum found a Laura Ashley skirt for 4 or so euros. Even if you don't find something to buy, it's fun to rifle through the bomber jackets, cravats and tea dresses, and guess the price before throwing your finds onto the scales. If I remember rightly, green tagged items retail at €20 a kilo and red tags mean €30 a kilo. Scarfs, light silk tops and hats are your cheapest bets.

Sorry for the selfies! Compared to the Marche aux Puces de St Ouen where a silk top seemed to cost about €40, and other thrift stores in Le Marais which made for quite a stressful, hot, crowded trip, 'The Kilo Shop' seemed to be more organised and tidy. We visited the Saint Germain store, but they also have an outlet in Le Marais.

               

After a quick detour via The Sorbonne and St. Sulpice, Mum and I took a late afternoon stroll in my new favourite hangout, Les Jardins du Luxembourg.

Rounding off a brilliant day, we cooked an evening meal in my little chambre de bonne and watched "Once" on DVD. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend. The musical is magical too and was a snip of the price of some of the more established shows like 'The Lion King 'or 'Les Mis' when I saw it in the summer!

We got an early night, as the morning promised sweet treats, a dash of culture and a bilingual dining adventure!

À Bientôt !

x

Cute Shop Crawl

On Thursday, my Mum arrived in Paris to spend a few days with me. As I walked round to the station to fetch her, the clear blue skies, rustling trees and crunch of leaves underfoot promised that it would be a perfect autumn day. Once home, we set about making a restorative cup of tea and throwing together some brunch: fresh fruits, mini French pastries and marmalade toast to add a zing of Britishness to affairs!

Please excuse the messy room!

Next on my agenda was a "cute shop crawl". A few weeks ago, I discovered the adorable Rue du Bac, lined with enticing window displays and culminating in the "Harrods" of Paris, "Le Bon Marche". This is a secret to be jealously guarded, but when Mum came to stay I happily let her in on it. We spent a contented hour or so discovering cute gifts or knick-knacks and then tutting at the extortionate prices. As a rule, multiply the price you think it's worth by 4 and you'll be nearing Parisian prices!

Inside Le Bon Marché with its iconic staircases

Getting festive in the Christmas department

Le Bon Marche is an oasis of calm and wealth - too expensive to shop at, but the Papeterie department and delicatessen are worth a visit, and Mum and I did stretch the bank balance to accommodate 4 little macarons in chocolate, peanut, coffee and praline which we nibbled on a bench in the park outside.

The park at Sevres-Babylone

Hear about the rest of our trip tomorrow - including a visit to St. Sulpice, a stroll in the Luxembourg gardens and the amazing discovery of an affordable vintage store (finally!)

À Bientôt ! 

x

Radio Silence

Bonsoir à toutes et à tous ! Sorry for the radio silence over the past few days...I've been having a lovely time with my Mum in Paris. I'll update you with our adventures over the next few days, as I've got a commentaire to write which I keep eyeing guiltily over my laptop screen. But for now, I'll leave you with a couple of sneak peeks to keep you going until tomorrow...

À Bientôt !

x

Toussaint Goals

It's now the holidays, and high time I looked forward to what next term is going to be like. It's nearly two months since I arrived in Paris and I've had a brilliant time - but I've got so much more to learn! Here are my new goals:

After trying macarons, loving them, and nearly spitting them back out on seeing the ridiculous price tag, I think I'd like to give this notoriously difficult recipe a go myself! Crossed off the list is finding a gem of a local shop, which I've happily discovered in 'Da Rocco', an Italian deli in the 7th. Apart from their delicious take away foods such as pizzas and focaccia, they do the cannoli that I waxed lyrical about in this post, back in Rome. The icing sugar on the cannoli (haw haw) are the cheerful owners who wave at me as I walk by. It was made to be!




Crossed off my list are the visit to Les Deux Magots (see my post here, and a concert (remember Olly Murs here?)  

Added are a visit to the Île St. Louis - one of two remaining natural islands perched in the Seine (the other being the famous Île de la Cite, home to Nôtre Dame, and Disney Land - a bit of a pipe dream but a girl can dream!

I've gone far past answering simple questions in class (although this is still terrifying!), and have now taken my first test. Over the holidays I face the task of writing a commentaire – certainly a big challenge! Eek – wish me luck.

À Bientôt !

x

Flânerie

Flâneur (pronounced: [flɑnœʁ]), from the French noun flâneur, means "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", or "loafer". Flânerie refers to the act of strolling, with all of its accompanying associations. The flâneur was, first of all, a literary type from 19th century France, essential to any picture of the streets of Paris. It carried a set of rich associations: the man of leisure, the idler, the urban explorer, the connoisseur of the street. Honore de Balzac described flânerie as "the gastronomy of the eye".[3] Anaïs Bazin wrote that "the only, the true sovereign of Paris is the flâneur."

Yesterday, I played the 'flâneur' and took a stroll around the Tuileries Gardens and backstreets behind the Louvre, up to Les Halles. I was meant to be seeing a Frida Kahlo / Diego Rivera exhibition in the Musee de l'Orangerie in the Tuileries, but of course many of Paris' big museums are closed on a Tuesday. On your Paris adventures, make sure you check ahead, (unlike me) to avoid last minute disappointment! 

Not a cloud in the sky- whilst "The Great Storm" 'rages' in Britain, Paris is experiencing an indian summer!

One of my favourite things to do in Paris is simply to walk around to the rhythms of this great city. I am so unbelievably lucky to have been given the chance to live here, and sometimes when I'm walking I get this feeling of desperation that I won't have enough time to appreciate every little thing. What if I miss out a street, or never go into a shop or round a certain corner and see a certain view?! When I've been so blessed, it seems wasteful not to step out and try to embrace and gather up every last sight, sound and memory. I take some of my favourite pictures whilst walking - it's free, it's healthy and I think it's good for the heart!

 

The day wasn't wasted, however, as instead we headed through the gardens and enjoyed a free impromptu al fresco exhibition, as, as if by magic, large sculptures had grown majestically out of the dirt paths of the jardins and settled themselves ostentatiously on the lawns. Quelle chance !

Can anyone solve the mystery of the glowing left hand in the picture above - I've been imbued with some kind of mystical power ( /the light is shining on my hand) !

In the afternoon, I met a friend for what was going to be my first sushi experience (she couldn't believe I'd never really tried it!) but the restaurant, again, was closed! Something tells me I need to do better planning in the future. Instead we wound up in a cute cafe-cum-restaurant called 'Le Loir dans La Theiere'.

     

I had an amazing goats cheese and onion tart and my friend was really happy with her paella. We both agreed we'd have to return for their amazing cakes, as, trying to keep down costs, we were only able to feast our eyes on them.

Today is a study day as I plough through 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo & knuckle down to writing my first 'Commentaire', before my Mum arrives on Tuesday!

So excited!

À Bientôt !

x

Paris from my Phone

À Bientôt ! 

x