All posts tagged: paris

Récemment

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Before I begin writing to my hearts content about the recent happenings for me here in Paris, for those avid (or not so avid) readers who drop by every now and then onto my blog will have noticed that I have a new layout and design! This morning I spent a while amending and changing various CSS coding (which to most people is geeky computer talk). But I think that I have done a good job so far, as there is still bits here and there that I would like to change. Simple, yet elegant. So this last week and weekend has been very busy, not necessarily because I’ve been doing heaps of things, but I guess this is to be the Au Pair life. I don’t think I have mentioned it yet, but two weeks ago I started at my new language school which is right in the heart of Paris, a stone throw away from the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral. In fact, you can sometimes hear her beautiful bells ringing during the day (at least …

A guide for the weekend

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To all, I am so sorry for the belatedness (is that such a word?) of this post. This week has been so busy. Now that I am properly in the whole ‘Au Pair schedule’ with the family and school, I’m finding it hard to find the time to just have a few minutes to sit and write to my heart’s content. Luckily, I have managed to snag a few minutes from the day to write this post. This weekend saw the visit of my boyfriend Malek to Paris! It was so nice to see him, as we’ve been apart for over a month now. For those who don’t know, Malek is also an au pair but in Madrid! – he copied me, I swear! Having arrived extremely late on the Friday night, the weekend began slowly, and after a breakfast/brunch on Saturday we headed to the Sainte-Chapelle. Yes, I know how much I go on about this chapel, but Malek’s never been there and he did take the time to read (definitely not forced at all…) …

‘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!