All posts tagged: travel

Exploring Belleville and Ménilmontant, Paris

Exploring Belleville and Ménilmontant

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Continuing on from the newly created tradition of exploration Thursdays, this week me and Kate ventured off to districts of  Belleville and Ménilmontant. Having never been to this part of Paris before, I was interested to see what exactly it was like. Both Ménilmontant and Belleville are charming cosmopolitan districts which emanate a wealth of cultural diversity and offer a great deal of chances to experience vibrant street art. Our day included heading to the Parc de Belleville, which provides beautiful views of the cityscape. We did a lot of walking around the various streets, becoming fully fledged flâneurs for the day. During our exploration, we also went into the gothic inspired church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville which offered a peaceful sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area. Overall, we had a lovely time getting to explore new parts of the city, and I will definitely be back to this arrondissement not only to take more photographs from the Parc de Belleville and the various street art adorning the buildings, but also to sample some of the diverse cuisines on …

The Parc de Belleville, Paris

The Parc de Belleville

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Whilst exploring Belleville the other week, we also ventured to the Parc de Belleville, which is reported to host some amazing views of Paris. Situated on the hill of Belleville, to attain these reputed views, one must climb quite a few stairs to get to the top. This strenuous and somewhat taxing experience (well it was for me, but I am positive that after a bit more exercise, it will be much easier!) was well worth it. Unfortunately, it was still hazy over the horizon the day we came, but we still managed to gain an impression of how magnificent the views can be. I’m just upset that I didn’t take more photos – I blame the stairs, all that physical exertion distracted me! However, on a beautiful cloudless day, one will be able to see notable monuments and buildings such as the Musée Pompidou and Eiffel Tower, as well Le Panthéon and Tour Montparnasse. I would definitely recommend coming to the Parc de Belleville, not only to see some stunning views of Paris, but also to get some exercise at the same …

Le mur des je t'aime, Montmartre

Le mur des je t’aime, Montmartre

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What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a post all about love! This week I ventured off to Montmartre, and stumbled upon an infamous sight of this area. Stretching across 612 lava tiles, this is no ordinary wall. It is Paris’ Le mur des je t’aime, a wall devoted to expressing the words ‘I love you’ in 311 various languages. It was created by Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito, who both went round the various Embassies in the city and asked their neighbours to write down the phrase in their own languages, until finally they had gathered an adequate amount of love. Furthermore, what is interesting is that the artist Frédéric Baron stated that the random red shapes which interject various parts of the tiles have a metaphorical function, representing “the pieces of a broken heart” of “which the wall tries to gather together.” You can find this interesting piece of art in Jehan-Rictus Square, which is located right by Abbesses station in Montmartre. There is even a website for the wall: http://www.lesjetaime.com

Exploring the 6th arrondissement, Paris

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The 6th arrondissement, known as offering the quintessential Parisian experience. This area of the city is beautiful – you can take a leisurely stroll around the Jardin du Luxembourg, check out some chic boutiques, visit a 6th-century Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and eat to your heart’s delight. Wanna be a true Parisian flâneur? Head to the 6th arrondissement

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Farewell January, hello February!

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January is often a somewhat monotonous month. Christmas has come and gone, and people go back to work or university. However, for me, this January has been incredibly different to what I have become accustomed to. For the last 6 years, January has meant exams, but this year was the first time in many that I didn’t have to revise over the Christmas holidays nor panic myself during this period. So now, I have a very different view-point of this time of year.  As previously mentioned, nothing exciting normally happens around this time, but here in Paris, January has definitely been an eventful one. One only needs to think back to the three days of terror that took the city by surprise, with the attack on the satirical paper Charlie Hebdo, and the hostage scenes taking place both outside Paris and in the very heart of the city. Everyone was shaken by these events, which ultimately led to the most attended march in French History. Within the following weeks, the hysteria subdued, and people carried on with their January. Personally, this …