Author: Roisin Astell

‘How to become Parisian in one hour?’ – Olivier Giraud

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Last night I had the pleasure of taking the two eldest children to see a theatre production in Paris. However, this was not just your average show. No. It was a one man comedy show, all about how to become Parisian. It was absolutely brilliant! Whilst the audience was relatively small, encompassing around 300 spectators, the comedian, Olivier Giraud, still managed to make the performance seem very intimate. The show revolved around certain differences in cultures between the Parisians and everyone else in the world. For example, Giraud spent time letting us know how to act Parisian when seeing the Eiffel Tower, or when attempting to get served in a restaurant. We also learned how to act on the metro, which I guess is quite similar to how Londoners are on the tube – look depressed, never give your seat to anyone (including old people and pregnant women, as Giraud said, it’s not your fault they’re pregnant!), and especially don’t talk or make eye contact with fellow passengers. Probably the most funny part for me personally …

Père Lachaise Cemetery

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As part of my ‘do two different things’ this week, I ventured to Père Lachaise Cemetery to have a wander around. For those who have never heard of it, Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris. However, it’s not only known for it’s vastness, but for the many burials it contains, especially of many famous people including writers, authors, composers, musicians and many more. Père Lachaise Cemetery is in the 20th arr, and there are two close metro stations near either end of the Cemetery. I decided to go here because this was something that my family and I did not have a chance to explore when we were here in Paris last year. I was not too sure what to expect. I definitely didn’t know that it was going to be as big as it was, so if you’re going to go there, make sure you wear comfortable shoes! I also did the grave mistake (pardon the pun) of going without a map. Many people believe a map in Père Lachaise Cemetery to be a …

Brief visit back in England

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This weekend I arose at an un-earthly hour, jumped onto the Metro to commute across the city, and boarded an early morning plane to England. The reason behind this voyage was that it was one of my best friend’s 21st Birthday Masquerade Ball! So before heading down to the Midlands to join my friends, I was able to have lunch at home in Liverpool, see my cat and family, and then hop onto another train. Phew. I feel tired just thinking about it! We had all donned on our best dresses and suites, and danced the night away! Because it was a masquerade ball, as well as having our own individual masks, my friends had also organised having masks of the birthday girl made, so our entrance encompassed us walking into the venue all wearing a mask of her face – what a surprise! I had an amazing time. It was wonderful to see all my friends again, some I haven’t seen since March! Below are a few pictures from the night. Alas, back to …

One French Film per week challenge!

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I have decided to set my self the challenge of watching at least one French film a week. This way, it not only helps me to immerse myself in the language, but it allows me to understand and experience the culture and the French je ne sais quoi, so to speak. The films included on this list may shock you, as some of them are classics that I have not seen – so please do not judge! My French Film challenge: Amélie Romantics Anonymous A Very Long Engagement Populaire I Do The Fairy Bird People OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies Kings of Pastry Serial (Bad) Weddings Le Chef Entre Les Murs Amour Coco Before Chanel These are the only films that I could think of, so if you can think of any films that I have missed, or urgently need to watch – leave a comment below!

Do something different challenge

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I recently stumbled onto this amazing blog, which is run by Anne, an American expat in Paris. Pret a Voyager offers an amazing array of information, guides and tips to living and exploring the city that I call home, Paris. One of the posts that I really like the sound of is ‘Do something different everyday’, which includes a list of the various things that the blogger did during her free time. The aim is obvious, to do something different everyday. So I’m going to give it a go! But rather than something everyday, I’m going to make it my challenge to do at least two different things each week! So keep watching this space to see what I get up to. If anyone has any suggestions of what they think/know is off the beaten track here in Paris, please leave a comment to let me know!   Check Anne’s blog and useful pages here: http://www.pret-a-voyager.com/2010/05/do-something-different-everyday/ http://www.pret-a-voyager.com/search/label/Paris%20Travel%20Tip

Palace of Versailles, France

A Flea Market and Versailles

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  As previously mentioned, this weekend the family’s previous Au Pair Ruth came to visit. It was lovely to finally meet Ruth in person, as she was incredibly helpful during the run up of my arrival in Paris. As well as going to Jay Z and Beyonce on the Saturday night (have I already mentioned how amazing they were!?), on Sunday morning we headed over to a local ‘Flea Market’. On this occasion I think the description ‘Flea Market’ is a little off, probably a glorified car boot sale (with out the cars or their boots…) would suffice. Anyway, we spent a good hour looking around, and items that were on sale varied a great deal. There was the usual, such as books, old clothes and toys. However, the odd stall was selling some very interesting stuff. One woman had boxes and boxes of free fur for sale. I was really tempted to buy one that could act as a throw for my chair (for €20, that’s not too bad), but I think my conscience altered me …