More pics of a random nature

If I were a Frenchman, I too would wear a beret and sit out on my rooftop overlooking the artists at work in Montmartre. Bravo, random French bloke, I salute you!

This was a very small door in a very thick stone wall with arrow slits in it. We think you must have to have a secret knock to be let in.

Notre Dame by moonlight

Nighttime in the Place Vendome.

Random photoage

Pretty temple-y thing on the lake at the Bois de Vincennes, after having thoroughly tested David's directional abilities (i.e wandered around fairly aimlessly in the woods for 2 hours!)
Hee hee, playing with lights and mirrors is fun.

Returned to my (slightly) more normal self
The Geode at the Cite des Sciences. Big metal ball of cinema-y goodness! In the Marais...this is the doorway into Narnia, I am sure of it!!

upside down planty madness!

The title of this post probably merits explanation, so let's do that first! There was a piece in one of the French papers yesterday about an exhibition on plants, and how they adapt to harsh or unusual environments. Yawn I thought. But then I realised it was an exhibition constructed by Patrick Blanc, who is a very very cool man. He has developed what's called a "Vertical Garden" where plants grow up and down walls to increase awareness of bio diversity.

This is an example of it at the Quai Branly museum. I want my house to look like this! Anyway, I digress, the point is, Patrick Blanc = very cool planty arty guy. Soooo, I thought I'd toddle along to this exhibition after work yesterday. Twas amaaaazing, a really really good mix of fab arty installations and quite indepth information. My favourite bit was a rehash of the vertical garden: the garden-on-the-ceiling. Using plants that are typically found growing stalactite style in tropical caves he's managed to make this huge, living, hanging, flowering canopy. It felt like being in a crazy martian rainforest. Am sufficiently enamoured with his stuff that I'm gonna try and do an article about him for ze paper. Watch this space!

What else have I been doing? We had a visit from Monsieur Walkden at the weekend which was jolly bon. Mooched and bimbled around Montmartre and the Cite des Sciences (where we found outdoor spinny chairs...ooh the hilarity) and then went for a gorgeous meal at a restaurant discovered by George when he was last here. It was yumerooni, although I did nearly explode after foolishly trying to eat the biggest tarte tatin in the universe. It was about the size of my head and twice as thick!

Have also been a very good little studious bean and enrolled at the Bibliotheque Nationale (which is not half as scary as the UL) so now I can go and make scribbled dissertation notes to my heart's content. Word count is currently 250. All of them rubbish. Sigh.

Also went to a poetry open mic night at an underground bar on Monday. It's run by the same guy who does the writers group at Shakespeare and Co (lovely topsy turvy timber beamed English bookshop). It was a good night, and after much prodding by David I was eventually brave enough to get up and read something. Hurrah for poeting! I do miss Clare PoSoc though.

Now I am off to natter incoherently at old ladies. Many fluffy "Happy Valentine's" wishes to ye all! xx

oops! Catch up time

So I almost let it die again...thus proving the utter uselessness and futility of my making ANY new years resolutions. Ho hum, a quick catch-y-uppy type post to fill in the last month and a bit, and then who knows...maybe I'll even start posting vaguely interesting things somewhere approaching regularly!!

First off, the Christmas break: Looooovely, was so nice to be home, despite the fact that I felt as if I bearly sat down for the whole two weeks I was there due to various grandparent/Christmas/wedding festivites. Christmas avec les grandparents was very nice, and comparatively stress free. I am now the proud (and pretty terrified) owner of a voucher for a cookery class with Alain Ducasse's team (he of the 9 michelin stars....oh dear me). Am terrified that they're going to present me with a lobster, or something equally terrifying and expect me to know what to do with it. Ack! Should be a character building experience, that'll hopefully lead to me being able to make some form of posh nosh for the inhabitants of Thirkill next year. And even if I can't it shouldnt matter, as I will have the new, whizzy woo HOT CHOCOLATE MAKER!!!! which I am certain can provide all manner of sustainance.

Then it was Vati and Rob's wedding, which was so lovely (still my adjective of choice), a very moving ceremony, and lots of smiley happy people to mingle with - many of whom I haven't seen since I was about 4. Photos should be available in the next few days, and I'll post some of 'em up on here.

And then all too soon it was time to come back to Pareeeeee (although I did manage to have great fun on New Years Eve with the crew, drinking copious cocktails and somehow managing to single-handedly demolish an entire slab of Brie *shudder*). Despite Easyjet's evil flight cancelling machinations, I managed to get myself on a flight back from Exeter at stupid o clock in the morning, and met a fellow year abroadess from Warwick at the airport. She has so far proved a tres bon shopping buddy, and I think we're gonna try and sample Paris' take on Indian takeaways together at some point soon.

So yes, since I've been back here I have: Had a horrid coldy flu-y virus and taken several days off work.
Watched the entire 2nd series of Dawson's Creek as a direct consequence of this.
Managed to find all sorts of ways to put off starting the dreaded dissertation (gah, bleh, argh etc)
Joined a conversation group which provides tea, biscuits and many very nice and slightly batty old french ladies to natter to, so am finally speaking french to real live french people.
Been to the science museum and the planetarium, which was amazing despite the ludicrous halitosis of the man sitting next to us.
Discovered Cruesli...the chocolateyest cereal in the world and am eating it at every opportunity!

I think that's about it so far. Next week looks set to be fairly dull as I've GOT to start the project of doom, but should anything exciting happen I'll try and remember to post it on here!

Disney on Ice

Princesses strutting their spinny stuff....Belle's contortion is especially worrying!

Yes....that is an elephant...on ice skates

I realise this may jeapardise any reputation I might have as a cultural Parisienne....but it was really really good!!!! Many princesses doing spinny things...made me wish that a) I were a Princess, and b) I had any kind of skill on ice skates....the one time I chanced going on the ice years ago ended in several cartoon falls and much cursing...and that was without leaving the side of the ice rink. *sigh*

the hard life of a journalist intern....

Nearly every day in the office we get sent invitations to press events, openings, museum exhibitions etc. The serious, intellectual type ones John always goes to...and sometimes takes me with him (so I've now seen letters written by Marie Antoinette that are kept in an archive in the bowels of Paris :)) BUT we also get silly frivolous ones that he can't be bothered to go to, or has no interest in...so I get to go.

So...this afternoon I could be found in one of Paris' top chocolateries wearing a chefs jacket and grappling with a piping bag full of melted white chocolate, assembling my own, foot high chocolate Father Christmas under the scrutiny of a master chocolatier! Wuhahaha! I also got to take the finished product home for free.....despite the fact that the (practically identical ones) made by Vincent Whateverhisnameis, Chocolate King, were being sold for 75 euros. Barganious maximus!!! I am quite proud of mine...although his eyebrows are a leetle beet wonky, so he looks slightly pleading...which I suppose is a suitable expression for one soon to be eaten.

Long overdue photooooos

These are all of Chateaudun. Y'see what I mean about the caves! Tee hee.