A crisp Parisienne weekend..

After another long week of work, meetings, training and sorting out becoming a bit French... it was time for the weekend and a nice stroll through some parks and of course checking out the sights on a beautiful afternoon. 

First a little picnic of bread and cheese and ham in Parc de Saint-Cloud. If you haven't been here, please take the time for a wander down. It has some of the best views in Paris. You can see the whole Paris sky-line, Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, the whole shabang! Beautiful on a crispy December afternoon.

After that we took a trip on the metro to the Eiffel Tower, Line 6 is a nice trip as its mainly outside and you can peer out at all the beautiful house as you wizz past. Of course the tower was busy as the sun was out and there were no clouds to be seen. The tower was standing proud and posed for some beautiful photos! As its Christmas we indulged in the over priced markets and got ourselves some yummy Churros!  Perfect to warm you up on a cold day! and in fact, well worth the 3€! 

The Tower at about 3pm with the moon cheekily making an appearance!! 

We still had some energy left (thanks to the churros!) so we took the metro again and headed up to Montmartre. Which i have now decided is one of my most favourite places in Paris. The view, the buildings, the tranquillity, the shops and of course the restaurants! :)

At this time of year, Montmartre offers a beautiful Christmas market just at Sacre Coeur with the best Vin Chaud and Chocolat Chaud! Traditional Christmas songs are played over a tannoy and the smells and sights of Christmas fit perfectly in this setting! Really a place to go to get you in the Christmas spirit.....

Christmas Wishes.

So after a long weeks working, what did I decide to do at the weekend?
Go and do a little shopping... well window shopping as its not pay day yet!

So here are some of my Christmas Wishes.

But firstly, if you are in Paris, or decide to visit Paris for the festive season, you are in for a treat! There are so many markets to visit and everything is dressed up nice and pretty!!
Head down to the Champs Elysée for a traditional Christmas Market. Starting at Concorde and working its way up to Champs Elysée Clemenceau. On the way stop off for a lovely glass of vin chaud (in a keeps sake glass!) and lots of tasty treats.

La Defense also haws a glorious market right underneath the Grande Arche selling arts and crafts as well as food and other things, and if you get cold you can always pop into the shopping centre for some retail therapy for yourself!

There are some other great markets around, St Germain-des-Pres, Place des Abbssess, Trocadero Gardens- Where there is an ice-rink i hear- (will check it out this weekend and let you know!) So lots you can see and do.

But, for the hearty Christmas shopper, unafraid of crowds, who doesn't get the crazy shopping sweats, and doesn't mind being pushed around in a mob like mentality, then head down to Galeries LaFayette. It has some of the most stunning decorations I have seen!

If you have never been to Galeries LaFayette before, think Selfridges London, mixed with Macys NYC with a bit of Harrods class in the main hall, and here is where you can find all your Christmas wishes... :)





So here is my Christmas wish, and wish it will stay I'm sure. But hey, a girl can dream.











But remember, when we are going crazy trying to find the right gift, pushing people for the last roll of your favourite wrapping paper...queuing for over an hour in some over priced store.......

The Lumineers at The Zenith 17th November 2013

Last night me and my friends ventured out in the cold, ate a hearty McDonald's in the cold (tres Parisienne!) and queued to get in to the Zenith in the North of Paris to watch 'The Lumineers' a folk band from Denver, Colorado US!

The venue was buzzing with excitement and burst of chorus's from 'Ho Hey!'
The set was simple, but framed the band and their wonderful instruments perfectly. The stage was littered with guitars, banjos, ukuleles, cellos, honky tonk piano and a great percussion set. 

The band, consisiting of front man- Wesley Schultz, Jeremiah Fraites on percussion, Neyla Pekarek on cello and vocals, Stelth Ulvang on Piano and Ben Wahamaki on Bass, put on a heartfelt and musically breathtaking performance. There's always worry with bands that 'they never sound as good as on the CD!' BUT.....ALAS! The Lumineers are not stumped with that title, in fact, their rawness and emotional quality of their music is MADE for live performance. 

Their hits were performed with twists and extra bits which made the audience love them even more. (Stubborn Love, mainly sung by the audience!) But what amazed me the most, was their new music. There are issues with some folk bands where their music starts to sound quite 'samey' but, this again, is not the case with these guys. 'Falling' a duet between Schultz and Pekarek is definitely my favourite and had everyone in the audience dancing along and most likely going straight home to YouTube it. They also did their own rendition of Bob Dylan's 'Subterranean Homesick Blues' and made it their own with Schultz on guitar and vocals and the rest of the band producing some insane percussion.

Not only did their performance leave you going home to play it in the car on the way back, but their gratitude and thanks to the audience as well as their humbleness and modesty really made for a great evening.

Miss Dior Exhibition- Grand Palais Paris 14th November 2013

Yesterday consisted of a few great things, job interviews and shopping for the most part, but in the evening, I ventured in to Paris to visit the Grand Palais and its Miss Dior exhibition. 

For a fan of fashion, but not an avid follower, I went in thinking 'oh god, I'm going to look so out of place'. Expecting people to be dressed in high couture with their finery, but instead it was full of every day people, looking to learn the history of one of the worlds most famous fashion houses and their trademark perfume. 

Christian Dior said, 'Make me a fragrance that smells like love' 

When entering from the side entrance of the Grand Palais you are greeted almost immediately with a luxurious scent. They have filled the whole exhibition space with the Miss Dior scent, inviting you in!

The space itself is filled with many different types of art work, installations and sculptures, by 15 artists who have been commissioned to design work based on Dior's iconic perfume.

Christian Dior, a follower of the avant-garde was compelled by works of Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Man Ray. Before becoming and international fashion House, Dior was a director of an art gallery, exhibiting avant-garde artists work. Whilst going through this exhibition, you can really see the influence of the avant-garde in his earlier drawings and designs.

These are just two of the vast amount of beautiful dresses on display. Each with their own different story. My personal favourite has to be the red one! I mean, a classic sweetheart cut, in beautiful red satin, it just oozes grace and perfection!

There are lots of little hide outs, where you can swat up your knowledge on the history of the House of Dior and Miss Dior, this little piece here shows you the history of the bottle, and its design. 

One last thing about this exhibition, and I think its the best bit really considering....ITS FREE! (which does mean you have to queue for a bit but...it's completely worth it!) And after you've finished, just hop across the road to the river and take in this wonderful view! 

The Miss Dior Exhibition is on until 25th November at the Grand Palais, open from 11am-8pm. (10pm on a Wednesday)

Daniel Linehan- Theatre Des Abbesses November 9th 2013

A surprise trip to Theatre des Abbesses  lead me to seeing this great piece of dance by a new up and coming choreographer Daniel Linehan. The trio of pieces each leant themselves to Linehan's unique choreographic style, a mixture of pedestrianised movement with artistic intent. 

Digested Noise (Linehan's Solo piece) was followed by, The Sun Came Out and Being Together Without Any Voice all different with their own context's and choreographic values, but had elements of linkage with each other. Such as the strong use of repetition and sudden changes in pace - which are integral to Linehan's artistic and choreographic development. 

Digested Noise began as a series of movements placed together, in a physically logical order accompanied by human sounds, humming, ticks, clicks, mumbles and breath. The movement was in correlation to the sounds that were produced and provided the essential accompaniment to the quirky movement. 

The following pieces had a strong sense of ensemble in the way that they first appeared on stage, but for me I was constantly thinking 'move together, lift! pair work!' it lacked a sense of togetherness in parts, with a vast array of intricate solos that were repeated, passed on, and choreographically enhanced each time they appeared. This does not distract from what are beautiful pieces of movement, delicately placed together with immaculate timing and ensemble collaboration.... I just fancied a cheeky lift or two!

Being Together Without Any Voice, effervesced a social atmosphere that was known by everyone in the auditorium. The giggles and titters of laughter when company members were working hard on their own solos, bumping into each other, some recognising what happened, others just focused on the task at hand, echoes SO MANY situations that are known to everyone. A bustling bar, an over crowded nightclub or even pushing to see your favourite thing in a museum.  Social situations where bodies in space is the important the only thing that communicates, situations where the voice is unheard. The intricate solos appeared once more, with the same hypnotic effect, movements of routine and expression filled the lines this time and produced a snappy pace that never became boring or predictable. Dancers partnered themselves differently each time. the spacing and orientation changed, giving the audience a different perspective every time. 

3 pieces of dance work that provoke laughter, thought and realisation. What else do you want from new dance? 

beginning.

So, as one is embarking on a 'new life', it might be best to document it. 

Starting with the escapades of tourist/wannabe Parisienne life, indulging in the 'traditional' tourist sights, but getting used to the high culture and finding the hidden-gems of La Ville de Lumière. 
Here are a few moments from the first week. 

So the week started off with a cold but sunny trip to Château de Versailles (easily reached from the Centre of Paris- about 40 mins maximum by train) One very nice thing was that it was the first Sunday of the Month meaning that entrance to the Château and Gardens were freee! This also meant a lovely queue, but in the sunshine trap courtyard, with a woolly hat and a scarf this was not a problem! 

The Château itself is a spectacle! The grand, ornate rooms filled with luxuries of French aristocracy oozed with grandeur that only one could dream of. 

Unfortunately, the gardens were not in bloom, but had that cool, autumnal feel. Leaves crisping up on the trees. Leaf lined pathways in to the labyrinth of small courtyards with understated water fountains or sculptures of Greek Goddesses. Around each corner there was a surprise of some kind. Including a vendor selling mulled wine! Just what a Brit needs in the cooler Autumn afternoons!

The week was followed with many a shopping trip with stop offs for a Chocolat Chaud. After moseying down the Champs Elysée you reach the Arc de Triomph. Many people say that the best view of Paris is either from The Eiffel Tower or the Montparnasse Tower (where your view of Paris is adorned with the Eiffel Tower itself! - As well as some unsightly phone poles and cables......) I found my favourite view was from here. As you can see from the pictures, all the sights of Paris are placed in front of you. With out technology obstructing! And it seems that all roads in Paris lead to here....