Saturday, July 30, 2016

Paris is not a city, it's a world

Almost a year to the day that I left Paris, I was lucky enough to return for a week for Danielle and Julian's wedding!

Once I landed, we hit the ground running! Danielle's friends, sisters and I set off to explore the city. Saturday we took the city tour bus and saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musée de l'Armée and Napoleon's tomb. Sunday we went to some of my favorite places, Notre Dame and Jardin du Luxembourg.
Danielle and I at Jardin du Luxembourg
Sunday afternoon we had lunch at Paul's on the Champs-Elysée and then toured the Arche de Triomphe, where we enjoyed Ladurée macarons and the amazing views of Paris. The top of the Arch de Triomphe showcases the amazing urban planning of the city as well as the beautiful views of the many monuments including Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and La Défense!
View from the Arche de Triomphe with a Laderee Macaron
I was lucky enough to be able to work at Les Miroirs from Monday to Wednesday and see my old colleagues. Monday night I had dinner with my colleagues and it was great to catch up. Tuesday night, I met Danielle and her friend at Champ de Mars for a picnic with Eiffel Tower views.

Wednesday night was Danielle's Bachelorette, which was 1920's themed. We took photos at Palais Royal near the Louvre and then had dinner and drinks after. It was so fun to dress up and have a night out!
Bachelorette photo shoot
Thursday was Danielle's bridal shower at a cute little cafe and that night we had the rehearsal dinner with a delicious meal of wine, cheese and charcuterie!

Friday was the big day! Danielle looked absolutely stunning. The ceremony, both in French and English was beautiful and held in a church in Nogent-Sur-Marne. After, the reception was at the Maison de L'Amérique Latine in the 4eme arrondissement. The gardens were beautiful and the entire reception was so much fun. We ended the night out at a club, returning home when the sun came up.
Congratulations Danielle and Julian!

Saturday was meant for relaxing and we spent the day at Bois de Vincennes, the perfect end to an amazing, whirlwind of a week!

À bientôt Paris!

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

I have left my heart in so many places

When I was in college I knew I wanted to live abroad for a year. With the help and support of my parents in August 2012 I left for Switzerland to get my masters. I left behind my family and friends and my little bubble of comfort. I knew absolutely no one and only had my memories of my semester abroad to get me around the city. I ended up meeting some of my closest friends, and having one of the  most amazing years. I fell in love with Lugano and Switzerland all over again. After I graduated I extended my stay for the summer in order to work as an intern for a start-up. Among many other activities, I traveled the world with my school, I skied the Swiss Alps with Shannon, went boating on Lake Lugano, hiked more Swiss mountains and Swiss tripped with Jeannie.
In October 2013, I once again packed my life into suitcases and headed back across the pond for a job. Destination: Paris! Although I was going over knowing a few people, I didn't know the city or the language. Between French classes and work, I experienced a different kind of Paris. I learned the culture, the language and way of life. Through it all, I met life long friends who helped make the year as incredible as it was.
This past summer, I closed my suitcases up for the last time and headed back across the Atlantic. When I left for Switzerland in 2012 I thought I would be back the following May, I never thought that I would stay for 2 years. I also had no idea how much I would learn, how many amazing friends I would meet and how much I would change and accomplish. I fell in love with two amazing and beautiful cities and although I may not know exactly when I will return, I know in my heart I will. The past two years have helped shape me into the person I am today, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Iceland

On my way back from Paris to New York I stopped over in Iceland for 3 full days. I have always wanted to go to Iceland due to its unique geography and this was the perfect opportunity to check it out! I arrived in the early afternoon on Thursday and had the rest of the day to do a walking tour of Reykjavík. The city is quite small and I was able to see the entire city within a few hours. I started with the Hallgrimskirkja Church, the 6th tallest building in Iceland which was modeled after the basalt lava flows seen throughout Iceland's landscape. I went to the top of the church tower for great views of the city. The Sun Voyager statue is located on the coast of the Atlantic and resembles a viking boat but is actually a dream boat that is an ode to the sun. Lastly, I visited the old harbor, which I would visit often over the next few days due to the pretty ocean views. 

Friday morning I headed out on my first day tour, the Golden Circle, the most popular tour in Iceland. We hit many of the major spots including Gullfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland (the name translates into Golden Waterfall) and Geysir and Strokkur. They are two famous geysers and "geysir" is where the name "geyser" comes from. However, although the original no longer goes off, its neighbor, Strokkur, goes off every 5-10 minutes. 
Lastly, we stopped at Thingvellir, my favorite stop. Thingvellir marks the Mid-Atlantic ridge and is where the American and the Eurasian tectonic plates diverge! It also where Icelandic parliament was held starting in 980 up through the 1700s and is a place of historical significance to the Icelanders. We were able to walk between the tectonic plates on the newly formed earth crust! It is the only place in the world where the plates are above land. I had been looking forward to this stop all day and it did not disappoint.
Saturday morning I took a Puffin cruise as I have always loved puffins since I was a kid. My grandmother had given me a wooden push toy when I was a toddler that was a puffin and they have held a special place in my heart ever since. Therefore, one of my main tasks in Iceland was to go see them! I took an hour boa tride and we went out to an Island where we could see them on the rocks and flying around. They are so tiny and quick! It was absolutely great to finally see them in person! 
In the afternoon I headed to the Blue Lagoon, a natural geothermal spa. On the way to the surface, the water picks up silica and minerals and by the time it hits the surface it is around 100°F. The water has three active ingredients, silica, algae and the minerals. The blue color is caused by the silica and the way it reflects the light but over the summer it may be a little greenish due to the algae.
On my last day I went inside the Thrihnukagigur (Three Peaks Crater) volcano, the only volcano in the world that you can access. We hiked around 3km over lava fields to get to the base camp and then hiked to the top of the crater. To descend into the volcano we were lowered down in a window cleaner device that bumped off the sides of the volcano walls. We were brought down 120 meters and given time to explore the inside. It was a once in a lifetime experience and simply amazing.
This trip was an absolutely amazing experience and something I will never forget. It has always been a dream to go to Iceland and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to experience it. 

Friday, July 11, 2014

Ma dernière semaine à Paris

With a few days left in Paris, I made one last attempt to do the things I love that Paris has to offer while also trying to fit in the things I had yet to see and do. Although I couldn't fit it all in, this past week was amazing.

On Wednesday nights the Louvre stays open until 10pm so after work I met Danielle and her sister for a night at the Museum. We went to see the Mona Lisa, some of the Greek Statues and ended our night in the Egyptian section. The Louvre is so big that it is basically impossible to see it all and see it well. Having been there before we just wandered the halls taking in some of the works.
Over the week I spent a lot of time at Jardin Luxembourg, my favorite park. Tuesday morning I met Danielle and we picked up the most amazing pain au raisin from "Bread and Roses" near the park. I would highly recommend these pastries and I've gone back for another since. We took them to the park and spent a good part of our morning there.
Wednesday I met Danielle and her sister at the Catacombs. The wait was around 2.5 hours since they can't allow more than 200 people inside at a time. The catacombs are quite extensive and hold the remains of over 6 million people but only a small area is open to the public. The remains are separated by bone type and stacked high. As you walk through, each section represents a cemetery that the remains were taken from.
My Aunt Kathy and three cousins were visiting Paris as part of their European tour. I  was able to meet them for dinner on Wednesday and took them to my favorite crepe place, Galette Café. On Thursday I was able to see them again and we headed back to Jardin Luxembourg for an afternoon in the park.
July 4th I headed up to Montmarte and Sacre Coeur with Danielle and her sister. We stopped in the Marais for falafel and to pick up eclairs from L'Éclair de Génie. We enjoyed the eclairs in a small garden off of the Sacre Coeur.
On Tuesday I visited Musee Rodin, dedicated to the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The Museum holds most of his major works and is small and manageable. Many of his statues can be found throughout the gardens that surround the museum.
On my last day in Paris Danielle and I spent the day wandering around, as the rainy Paris weather put a little damper on our original plans. After dinner (planches of cheese and charcuterie) we headed to the "How to Become Parisian in One Hour" show, which was the perfect ending of my stay in Paris.

14 years ago I told my parents that I would one day live in Paris and my 10 year old self definitely had the right idea. These past 9 months were absolutely amazing and it would not have been the same without the friends I have made. Living here has taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of achieving. I came to Paris not knowing how to count to four and I'm leaving with an understanding of the French language, culture and way of life. Paris will always hold a very special place in my heart and I cannot wait to come back and visit!
Á plus tard Paris

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Visiting friends in the South of France

July 4th weekend I headed to the South of France to visit family friends. I jumped on a train Saturday morning and headed straight south to outside of Perpignan. The 5 hour train ride was really pretty and I got to see the different geography of France as I traveled South.

When I was younger Sally and her family lived next door and Sally was my babysitter. Through the years our families have stayed in touch and have seen each other over the years. We met Sally in 2000 in London and Sally and her mom, Sheila, have been back to New York. The other week I reached out to Sally to see if I could come down and as Sheila spends her summers in the South of France and Sally was just arriving, the timing worked perfectly!
London with Mom and Sally circa 2000

I was picked up at the train station and when I arrived at their home I was greeted by Sheila. We spent the afternoon at her house enjoying the hot weather and sitting by the pool. Sheila took me up to the mill to get bread for dinner and it was the cutest little bakery I have been to! Sally arrived later that night and we enjoyed one of the many delicious home cooked meals of the trip!

Sunday morning we headed to Peyrepertuse (Pierced Rock), a fortress and Cathar Castle located in the French Pyrénées. The fortress was built during the Middle Ages and dates back to the 11th century. The fortress is known as one of the Five Sons of Carcassone (which includes the five fortresses: Peyrepeturtuse, Queribus, Termes, Puilaurens and Aguilar) which were built to protect the French Border from Spanish invasion. These fortresses are built on the mountain ridges (Peyrepertuse is 800 meters above sea level) and were designed to blend into the rock making them difficult to see. From each fortress you can see two others in the distance allowing them to signal to each other in times of attack.
Peyrepertuse

While at the top, there was a bird spectacle where we got to see vultures, falcons, owls and a bald eagle (my little piece of the USA this July 4th weekend!). They allowed the birds to get quite close to the spectators, so as the vulture wandered around us I got a nice wing to the face!

We spent the rest of the day back at the house relaxing and catching up. Monday morning I had to catch my train back to Paris. The trip was short but it was so good to see Sally and Sheila! I had a wonderful time with them and hopefully I will see them both again soon, most likely on the other side of the Atlantic!

Monday, July 7, 2014

Weekend in the Loire Valley

The last weekend in June I went a little outside of Paris to the Loire Valley, known for it's many Châteaux. I jumped on a morning train on Saturday morning to meet my friend Danielle, her fiancé and his family. Danielle and I spent a good part if the day at Château Chenonceau, one of the most well known Châteaux, famous for its arched bridge.
The château was seized by the King from the Bohier family in 1535 for unpaid debts. King Henry then gave it to his favorite mistress Diane. Diane loved the castle and in 1555 had the arched bridge built across the River Cher and began the extensive flower and vegetable gardens.  After the death of the King, his wife, Catherine de Medici, had Diane expelled and moved into the château. In 1577 she had the Grand Gallery added, which extends over the bridge Diane previously built. Chenonceau became known as the Queen's Castle and each Queen added to the castle.
Today, the Château is very well kept. I loved the fresh flowers from the surrounding gardens and decorations found throughout, it gave it a very homey and liveable feel! It had started to rain during our visit inside so we couldn't tour all of the gardens but we went to the ones near the Château, which were (as usual) beautifully laid out.
We then headed back to the house and met up with Julien and his family for lunch. Later in the afternoon we headed to the Beauval Zoo, one of the top 15 Zoos in the world. The zoo was large and very open. Many of the animals had ample room to wander and I was surprised at the low fences separating us. At dusk, they brought the animals into their cages which are located in the open with large glass windows, allowing you to see the animals enjoying their dinner.
After, we headed back to the house (which was built in the 1850s and such a cool house to visit) for dinner and some down time. the next morning, after breakfast, we went to the nearby town to pick up food for a delicious BBQ lunch. I headed back to Paris around 5 after a wonderful weekend in the Loire Valley!

Friday, June 27, 2014

Mes amies á Paris! (Part deux)

With a great start to the trip my Colgate friends and I still had a few more days of adventures before they left! I took Friday off and we got up early to go to Versailles. With the SNCF strike still going on it took us a little longer than expected to get there due to train delays and cancellations. I went to Versailles in 2000 with my family and have been wanting to go back ever since and am so glad we did!
Versailles from outside the gate

We first started with a tour of the Château. The Château is massive and extremely ornate. Every surface was covered in decorations be it gold plating, wall paper, murals, etc. Paintings and sculptures were found everywhere and most ceilings had ornate paintings to representative of different Gods and Goddesses. However, what surprised me the most was how close together all of the rooms were: King Louis' quarters backs up to the Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors is very impressive, on one side is floor to ceiling mirrors and on the other floor to ceiling windows. The mirrors reflect the gardens that can be seen from the floor to ceiling windows that line the other side of the hall. The windows let in ample light which makes it feel as though the gardens are around you. The mirrors in the hall were constructed by Saint-Gobain, and the company was actually founded by the King in order to manufacture them!
In the Hall of Mirrors

After a tour of the Château we headed to the gardens to find a place to picnic for lunch. We headed away from the Great Canal and towards the Grand Trianon where we found a small pond that wasn't that busy. The weather was perfect so we were able to sit and relax for a bit. However, not wanting to waste time (you can spend days there and not get bored!) we headed to the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. We did a quick tour of her Palace and then headed into the gardens. Marie-Antoinette had the hamlet built in 1783 so she could return to the "charms of the rural life."  Once completed the Hamlet consisted of 11 cottages around a large lake: 5 cottages were reserved for her and her guests, 4 were reserved for the peasants who lived there, the farm and its annexes and one cottage for domestic use. The farm was a working farm complete with livestock, goats and birds as well as a vegetable farm to supply some of the food. The Hamlet was my favorite spot in Versailles all those years ago, and was still one of my favorite places today. Located a little further than the rest of the gardens, not as many people make it to the Hamlet so it is a lot quieter and more peaceful!
The gardener's cottage

After a full day at Versailles we got back to Paris around 6 which gave us enough time to head out to a nice dinner and drinks! Saturday was our last full day and we wanted to take full advantage! In the morning we headed to the left bank to do a walking tour and pick up a picnic lunch which we enjoyed in the park behind Notre Dame.

In the afternoon we had a Patisserie cooking class at La Cuisine Paris, where we learned how to make Croissants, Pain au chocolat, Pain Suisse (dough with vanilla custard & chocolate chips) and Pain Raisin (a spiral of dough with vanilla custard and raisins) as well as some jelly pastries. The class was three hours long and so much fun! We went through all the steps of how to make croissants and all got to make everything. Since the dough takes almost a day to prepare due to all of the breaks you need to give it to let the yeast work, etc we had dough ready to go for us. However, at the beginning of the course we were given our own bowl of ingredients for dough and throughout the course we did a condensed dough preparation version to learn the steps.
Making the Pain au Suisse

Throughout the class our instructor provided us with some funfacts about croissants:
  • The croissants we made had 49 layers alternating butter and dough
  • In the oven the butter forces the dough to separate giving it the light and airy interior 
  • Croissants have two different shapes and names for a reason
    • Croissant ordinaire is Crescent shaped and is made with margarine 
    • Croissant au buerre is the typical straighter shape and is made with butter
At the end of the three hour class we were served coffee along with our pastries straight out of the oven! Everything was so delicious that it was hard not to try to eat all of them right away. We all left feeling full, satisfied and very happy with a bag filled with pastries to enjoy later and the next morning for breakfast!
After our class!

We ended the night at the 33rd edition of Le Fete de La Musique, a free musical festival throughout Paris that anyone can participate in. Throughout the night there are concerts throughout the city ranging from anyone who wants to play to well known bands and orchestras. We saw a really great percussion band in front of Notre Dame and then wandered the streets listening to others.
Sunday morning everyone had to return to the states. I had the most amazing time with Eri, Emily, Emily and Caroline and words cannot describe how happy and grateful I am that they were able to make the trip over. It was amazing to spend a week with them here and show them my life in Paris! I am very much looking forward to my return to the states so that I can see them again soon!