The Grand Mosquée is often off the radar for tourists, and you may not have heard about it. Founded in 1926 after World War I, it is one of the largest mosques in the whole of France. Visitors are allowed to explore the mosque as long as they are respectful to worshipers attending daily prayers, and I am so grateful that we are allowed this opportunity.
In 2014 I was incredibly lucky to travel to some amazing places. Some were cities I was visiting again, and others were my first ever experiences. In February I went to Paris with my University (I did not know at the time that I would soon be living there!), March saw a romantic weekend away to Edinburgh as a present from my boyfriend, July included a visit to Ireland for my cousin’s wedding and August saw me and my boyfriend going to Amsterdam. After officially moving to Paris in September, October was when my family and I flew across the Atlantic ocean to New York city for a week holiday, and just after then also went to Madrid to visit my boyfriend. Just writing and thinking about all these amazing cities and countries I’ve been to in 2014, makes me feel all nostalgic. With the New Year here, I thought I’d create a travel bucket list of all the places I hope to visit in 2015 – let me know if you’ve been there, and some great …
The last two weeks have gone incredibly fast, and now I find myself travelling back to my Au Pari life in Paris. I’ve had an amazing time being back home. It was great to see all my relatives, spend time with my family and boyfriend (oh and Jaffa!), and actually enjoy my first christmas in six years where I haven’t had exams straight after – this is something that I have been looking forward to for ages! So here are a few of my favourite Instagram photos posted during the holidays.
For me, like so many, Christmas is all about spending it with your family and loved ones. Before heading back to England for the Christmas holidays, I blessed to have a visit to Paris from my parents and brother. We had a fantastic weekend, and it was a great start to the holidays. Our weekend adventure took us all over Paris, including the roof terraces of both Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, and all around Versailles. Below are just some of the photos taken by my Dad during this whirlwind weekend. And with this I bid Paris a fond farewell for two weeks, and head home to England for Christmas – Merry Christmas everyone!
A few weeks ago, some friends and I ventured into the 10th arrondissement to enjoy a stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin. Before coming, I had heard a lot about the canal and seen many beautiful pictures – to me, and many will probably agree, it is like having a tiny part of Amsterdam here in the middle of Paris! You may well recognise the Canal Saint-Martin from its staring role in the film Amélie, which shows the audience one of her favourite past times – skipping stones across the water. I totally forgot to do that myself when I went, so I’ll will have to go back to attempt to recapture such a moment. The construction of the canal was begun during the beginning of the 19th century under the direction of Napoleon I, with its main function to supply fresh water into the city of Paris. Throughout the centuries, the canal was also used as a means of transporting food and various building materials into the heart of the city. However, today the canal is simply a magical …
Róisín Astell 