Des faux stéréotypes des Français

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1. They all smell like garlic (or worse) 

This, believe it or not, is not true. It's somewhat similar to the British stereotype that says we all drink tea. Yes, a lot of people DO drink tea but with a population of around 50 million you can't expect everyone to enjoy a brew just because the Queen does. It's the same with the French. You will sometimes encounter people, especially in the metro, who smell quel surprise but not all the time! I take the metro/train/bus everyday and rarely get a whiff of anything nasty. The most common problem is the metro stations themselves that smell because they haven't been cleaned or because homeless people live and shelter inside them. On Tuesday night I passed a homeless man in the metro  who was not so discreetly peeing into a crisp packet. However, generally speaking the French do not smell and they only smell like garlic when they eat snails, as anyone does.

2. French women don't shave their armpits

I've been in Paris for over 2 years now and I've yet to meet a woman who doesn't shave her armpits. They are definitely more focused on natural beauty than we are; they wear less make up, they make being glamorous look easy and their beauty is very subtle...but as much as they uphold natural beauty they do shave their armpits. Part of me wishes they didn't, it would make life so much easier for us. Yesterday when trying to slide the lid back on my razor I missed and slice all the skin off my little finger...it wouldn't stop bleeding and it still hurts now :-( Whoever said no pain, no gain was absolutely right. 

3. The French are rude

Okay so French people can be a bit impolite but who isn't compared to us Brits?! We apologise just for breathing and always say please and thank you to anyone and everyone. As I explained in my previous blog this 'misunderstanding' about French behaviour is actually due to quite a large cultural divide. If the English or Americans made even a small effort to learn basic French words they would soon see that the French are not as rude as everyone thinks. They're rude to lazy foreigners who think that being English means they don't have to make any effort to speak any other languages when they travel the world. Imagine a French person coming to the UK and refusing to speak in English, what would you think? What a tosser. That's what you'd think and that's why sometimes people are rude to you in France. So...as much as I adore England and my English friends, get off your high horse and learn a second language, then see if their behaviour towards you is different. 

4. The French hate the Americans

This is actually completely wrong. Since France refused to go to war with Iraq you could argue that it's the Americans who dislike the French. I actually asked a few French people about this because I was quite shocked to discover this information during my research into French stereotypes. The French don't hate the Americans but they also don't think they are the most intelligent of our species and to be honest, it seems to be the tourists behaviour in Paris that give the Yankees a bad name. France has embraced all the big franchises such as MacDonalds nicknamed MacDo to sound more French, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, Hollister and Abercrombie into their society and understand that by doing so they can help to boost the economy. Young people also try to emulate the Americans and American films are extremely popular in France. 

5.  French toilets are disgusting

I remember my first date with my French ex-boyfriend. He took me to a lovely little brasserie on Rue Mouffetard and we had a couple of drinks overlooking the square. I thought I'd better use the bathroom before we went to dinner so off I went to find the toilet. At first I thought I'd entered the mens, this couldn't possibly be the ladies, could it?!? What I found was a hole-in-the-ground squatting toilet. Apparently they are quite popular in France but this was the first one I'd encountered. Needless to say I didn't use the bathroom here and prayed that the restaurant would have a normal loo. To my relief I soon discovered that these kind of toilets are very traditional French cafes and brasseries. Most places have normal toilets! Thank goodness!

6. All French people smoke

A lot of people do still smoke in France and it's definitely more present than in the UK. There's a BNP just next to where I work and I don't think I've ever walked past without seeing someone smoking outside, maybe they're just very stressed?! However it's definitely changed since the law prohibiting smoking in public places was introduced in 2007. I have a lot of friends who used to smoke and now don't and at least people can't smoke in bars anymore! It makes it much easier for people in France to quit smoking now. 

7. French women are stick thin

In general I think French women are thinner than girls back home. The majority seem to be around a size 6-8 whereas in the UK I would guess the national average is around 10-12, it's only a small size difference but it's definitely noticeable. I've never been a skinny girl but somehow in France I haven't gained weight. I drink wine and I eat cheese but I don't really gain a lot...it's bizarre. I honestly think it's the way of life. I often don't have dinner because of my weird work schedule (I don't get home until 9 or 10pm) so I always make sure I have a nice big lunch and often just have a cup of tea and a bit of chocolate in the evening. I guess this is why I haven't become a Camembert-resembling human being...yet. 

8. French people wear berets while riding bicycles with baskets full of baguettes

I'm quite sure that anyone who comes to Paris expects to see the stereotypical image of a French person riding a bicycle. Thanks to the amazing Velib system there are literally bikes and people on bikes everywhere you look and generally speaking they are carrying baguettes in their panier. The one thing they are definitely NOT doing is wearing berets. Honestly in 2 years I've probably seen a maximum of 4 people wearing a beret and most of the time they've clearly been tourists. I'm embarrassed to say the first time I came to Paris in 2004 I bought a grey beret and I'm pretty sure it's still at home somewhere...I think it's a tradition that just faded out in Paris.

9. The French won't speak English and will laugh at your French

This is 100% NOT true. French people always try to speak English even if you speak to them in French. It wasn't until I could really speak French well that people finally stopped replying in English and even now if they hear just a hint of my British accent they often say ohhhh vous venez d'ou? Cover blown - damn it. I think a lot of foreigners think they aren't very patient because of their mannerisms. When you speak to them in French they will often say Quoi?? Ehh?? or Pardon?? but it's not to be rude it's just their way of letting you know that they don't really understand so you need to repeat, speak more loudly or speak in English. 

10. Mimes are everywhere 

I have, kind of sadly, never seen a mime in Paris. Some random statue people who move when you put money in their pot/hat and a talented football player at Montmartre but no help-I'm-trapped-in-a-room mimes. Maybe they're all hiding out in some secret Mime cave...you never know, this is Paris after all.

                                                                   

Stereotypes about the French that are true

Before I begin I would just like to say that this blog is in no way intended to be offensive or critical of the Frenchies. These are simply my personal observations and the  French stereotypes that have been confirmed during my stay in France. My next blog will focus on the stereotypes that we got wrong.. Alors, on y va!

I am zee frog and I like to smoke zee cigarette wiz a beret on my head

THINGS THAT ARE TRUE ABOUT THE FRENCH

1. They eat a lot  but they don't get fat

This is something that I found hard to believe at first but it is in fact true. I remember in the early days of my life in France I would watch my host family, friends and boyfriend devour piles and piles of food almost always accompanied by some kind of wine or champagne. It was such a surprise to see people follow the 'set menu' so closely and on top of that, to do it and to not get fat. It wasn't until I did some extra reading that I discovered the tricks of the French trade. 

If you eat with the French be prepared for a big meal because you will most certainly have 3 courses and you will probably have the whole shebang. A French dinner traditionally consists of: The l'aperitif - a small alcoholic drink to stimulate the taste palette, l'entree - the starter, le plat/le plat principal - the main dish (plus at least one if not 2 bottles of wine), le plateau de fromages - the cheese board or tray, le dessert - the dessert, le cafe - the coffee (often served with dessert) and last but not least le digestif - an after dinner spirit such as cognac. Before you ask, yes I have done and managed to do this, several times. When curiosity got the better of me I started thinking about how they (and I) weren't obese yet and this is what I found out. Apparently the French way of eating is how we should ALL be eating. The French don't inhale their food like we or the Americans do, they take their time to eat all the courses and eat different dishes to ensure that their body is digesting their food correctly. It's very important in France to have an aperitif and a digestif, as if you are telling the body that the meal is beginning and ending. So what if dinner takes 3 hours??? In France 'take out' food is very uncommon. Giving food your time and patience is top of their list. 

2. They drink a lot of wine (maybe gallons)

This is certainly true, adding on to what I said about their eating habits the French like a little tipple. They definitely drink more wine than us, probably because the wine is so much better and a lot cheaper here (you can get a good Bordeaux for 4 euros). But again, I quickly discovered how they do it. The French don't binge drink, viola, simple. Yes they drink an obscene amount of wine but it's all in moderation and it's all whilst they are eating food. I've rarely seen French people just drinking wine without eating or at least intending to eat. In England we often drink wine to be drunk, knowing that one bottle (in my case anyway, in my sister's and mother's it's two) can be a cheap and fun way of getting drunk quickly and the effects lasting all night and most of the next day. Wine headache. I've been at a lot of dinners with 3 or 4 people where we've consumed a huge amount of wine but thanks to the coffee and the digestif and all the food I've never been drunk OR hungover. There is so much pleasure to be found in eating well and drinking a good French wine. Ahh c'est la vie. 

3. The French love love

According to a survey by Durex, French people have more sexual encounters annually than Americans. This might not seem too surprising but when you think that the United States total area is 9,629,048 square kilometres and France's area (mainland) is about 551,000 square kilometres...it's a bit more of a shock. Oh and that you could fit all of France into Texas (just ONE state in America), well...that's a lot of sex the French are having. Unfortunately their addiction to love means that they are generally, famously unfaithful. I say generally because I don't like to tar everyone with the same brush  but after speaking to a number of people the general consensus  seems to be that they are great lovers but not so wonderful partners, especially if the word commitment is involved. 

4. They eat snails and foie gras 

Yes, they do indeed eat snails and other specialities like foie gras. However there seems to be a general impression in England and America that it's all they eat and it definitely isn't. These kind of things are reserved for special occasions and are not served in every restaurant. Foie gras is expensive and snails are a 'typical' dish but they are both mostly found in traditional French restaurants. I think tourists eat more snails than the French actually do. 

5. They eat oysters and drink champagne on Christmas day

This year I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go home for Christmas so for a while I was thinking about how I would celebrate Christmas here. A friend very kindly offered for me to stay with his family for Xmas but when he explained about the oysters I was a little unsettled. Don't knock it until you try it I guess but I think I'll stick with smoked salmon and Dad's mackerel pate. 

6. They love paperwork 

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork party. The French absolutely LOVE paperwork, to the point that I think, if it was possible, the President of the Republique might make a bank holiday especially for the people who spend their lives cajoling you for your documents. For example, I would like to have a 'carte vitale' (a health card) here, sounds simple enough right? Wrong. I've been here for over two years and I STILL don't have my card. They want an original birth certificate (and not just the healthcare system) the retirement people too so I have to pay for new documents (which just to add I will never get back even if I leave France). They want your first and last three payslips, a copy of your contract, an attestation from your employer (because the contract isn't enough of course), a copy of your passport (must be recto-verso) and much much more. Oh and the best thing is, when I finally get my card I have to send off ALL my medical bills from the last two years so I can be reimbursed. Honestly the French healthcare system is good when you are finally accepted but my god, their attitude towards paperwork is just anal. The people on the phone are also not the friendliest or most helpful so a lot of time is lost just from being misinformed. 

7. People can be a bit racist

Again, just to emphasise, this is not all French people. However, when walking through the ticket barrier at Opera every night I see people getting stopped by the ticket controllers. This wouldn't be a problem if the people had been passing through without a ticket or jumping the barrier but the controllers aren't asking for that, they are asking for their identity papers. I understand that France wants to control the amount of immigrants in the country but does that justify stopping people and demanding their papers because of the colour of their skin?! I have never been stopped because I'm white but the funny thing is, I don't have a French identity card and I haven't carried ID since I lost my driving license so I could easily be an immigrant. Obviously I'm not and I have the right to be here because I'm from another part of the EU but how can they know that from the colour of my skin? The judging a book by its cover mentality is what I dislike. 

8. Paris is the most romantic city in the world

If you are lucky enough to be in love in Paris, Paris really IS the most romantic city you'll ever visit. There are people snogging EVERYWHERE. If you're single you find yourself very agitated by these people,.I don't sit there thinking 'oh how cute' I sit there thinking 'Gosh...couldn't you just do that at home and not on the metro?!' French people have no shame, I had a couple sit next to me on the RER once and I ended up having to move because they were so intense that I actually started to feel uncomfortable. I guess I'm still a British prude at heart. I'll kiss someone on the metro or on the bus or even in the street but if it's very intimate I don't feel like it should be entirely public, so please people sucking face, do it at home.  

9. They are very impatient and they don't know how to queue

Oh yes, this one must be one of the most correct stereotypes about the French, including of course the famous French 'sigh.' Note to all; never, ever, go to a post office with a French person. I have first hand experience of this and although funny it was a lesson learnt. Now, just like in England, the French post offices are very slow. The people, just like the post, move at snail pace and if you are not a patient person it is very difficult to stay calm. My ex is not the most patient person ever and to be fair to him the people in front of us seemed to be particularly special that day but his reaction was ust comedy gold. I could feel him getting agitated as the woman in front of us was taking forever and claimed she 'had never sent a package before' so needed full, child-like guidance on how to do it. I think we were in a hurry because he had to go to work, I don't really remember but for some reason we needed to send our letter quickly and this lady was the only obstacle in the way. I reassured him that she would be finished soon enough and we would be first in the queue after her. Then, we got the queue-pushers. In France they don't understand what it means to queue, they think a queue is just people standing around in formation for no reason. I watched a woman push in front of around 30 people once and when she was yelled at she explained simply that 'she had no time to queue.' WOMAN ON A MISSION! I had to laugh at the sheer audacity of this woman, as if the other people couldn't possibly be busy too. Anyway, so these people tried to push in front of us, I could feel his palm sweating in my hand but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. All the French people, including my ex, started yelling at the queue pushers "Eh, il y a un queue la-bas!!" "Vous faites quoi??" "Incroyable." It was like a customer war and I just didn't know where to look or rather, hide. French 'sighs' were being issued all over the place (the French sigh is great it's about 5 times as strong as a normal sigh and so loud you could probably here it at the other side of the room). Finally we got served and I tried to usher my ex out of the PO before anything else happened. 

10. Last but not least, they aren't as rude as people think but they can be a tad impolite

Everyone says the French are really rude and it's sort of what you expect to receive before you arrive in France. In fact they are not as rude as everyone makes out. Unfortunately it's a bit of a language barrier between English and French and I finally understood why this misconception exists when I started speaking the language. French is MUCH more direct than English, we cushion everything with nice words to make our sentences and phrases very polite, the French do not. For example, even to a friend I would say 'can you hold this for me please?' whereas, if it's familiar, the French say 'tiens' meaning take this. The first time someone said that to me I thought they were being very rude because I would never say 'hold this' to someone but in fact it's just the language! The only thing that grates on me is men's attitude to women sometimes. In England if a man goes through a door before you they will hold the door and if you have a huge, heavy suitcase or a pushchair they will carry it up the stairs. In France they let the door smack you in the face (this happened to me in my first year as I didn't even think about the possibility that the guy might not hold the door) and I've encountered women who have waited for 20 or so minutes before I offered to help them. I'm always helping girls my own age, women with pushchairs and elderly people carry things. I dread to think how long they would wait if I didn't offer and it's quite shocking how surprised they are when I help them! 

Anyway as I said this is not ALL French people and I'm only generalising what I have observed, I have wonderful French friends who are polite, kind, funny, faithful and they even binge drink with me sometimes! I hope you enjoyed my anecdotes about les francais...and if you're French that you didn't take any offence :-) 

Exploring Greenhouses

My Green Thumb

Everyone knows someone who 'has a green thumb' or as the French would put it 'avoir la main verte' (literally to have a green hand). In our family I would say it's my mum and I, although we are still learning. When I was growing up we didn't have a very large garden. First we lived in a little cottage with almost no garden at all and after when we had a reasonable sized garden my sister and I insisted on having a 'summer house' so we could 'move' into it temporarily and play with our dolls all day in peace (the house consequently taking up most of the garden space). As a result the plants we took care of were pretty basic... hydrangeas,  geraniums, lavender etc. and the extent of our gardening was pulling up weeds with mum and watching Dad mow the lawn. We also had a Jack Rusell called Mylo at this point so any nice plants were destroyed by him urinating on them anyway. I didn't really realise how much I enjoyed gardening and being surrounded by nature until a) we moved into our now, current house and b) I moved away to Paris.                

The cottage we lived in was the 4th from the right (shown by the arrow), it's so small and covered with hanging baskets you can barely see it but that's where I lived for the first 4 years of my life :)

I suppose I never realised how lucky I was to live in Devon until I moved to Paris. We live in the South-West of England and are physically enclosed by the coast on one side and the countryside on the other. We live a maximum of five minutes from the beach (with a view of the sea from the house) and only a twenty minute drive from Dartmoor National Park. My sister and I went to a school that was in the middle of nowhere and to quote the website is placed in the foothills of Dartmoor yet in the heart of Devon’s glorious countryside. Moving away  makes you realise what you had and how grateful you should have been for it! The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Paris was the lack of green space and if I hadn't discovered Jardin des Plantes I may not have stayed. It sounds dramatic but when you are so accustomed to having so much green around you the city's polluted, grey air is not a welcome sight. 

Finding Green Spaces

As most of you know I've been visiting the Jardin des Plantes for a long time now and I've had a year pass (the zoo included) for the past 2 years. I love the garden itself and the zoo even more so but recently I have to admit I've thought about cheating on the JDP with another garden...quel horreur. I don't want to become bored of the JDP so we're having a break and while the weather is nul I've decided to visit some other parks and greenhouses, starting with the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil.

Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil

I've wanted to go to this garden ever since I read about it on Time Out Paris, a website you should really have a look at if you haven't before (it updates you,  in French or English comme tu veux, on all current events and exhibitions worth seeing/doing in Paris http://www.timeout.fr/paris/en). Anyway I won't digress as I have a habit of doing that. This Wednesday I finally had time to go to the garden. The garden itself is a botanical garden set within a major greenhouse complex in the 16th arrondissement, close to Bois de Boulogne. The metro is Porte d'Auteuil on the Line 10 and while you're there you can also glimpse the famous site of Rolland Garros and the equally as famous Hippodrome.

The garden is very big and reminded me a lot of London with wide open spaces, huge trees (even a conker tree!) and park benches. The only downside for me was that it was incredibly close to the road which was a little disappointing, it's hard to relax entirely and feel 'away' from Paris when you can hear cars zooming past to join the Peripherique, mais tant pis. It's one of the oldest gardens in Paris existing since 1761, with the greenhouses existing since around 1895.  You can see that the greenhouses have existed for a long time because apart from the large, central greenhouse the others look very dated and the door handles are so old and low it's sometimes difficult to enter inside! However, the greenhouses themselves, especially the main greenhouse is unbelievably beautiful inside.

The main greenhouse is full of different plants, mostly tropical and unusual, it also has a man-made pond with Japanese carp and other fish and a bird cage with budgies, love birds and others. The other greenhouses are all designed based on different climates and are often linked to a specific continent. There is only one main greenhouse but at least ten other 'hot' houses. There were cactus plants, cocoa, apples, palm trees and much more and according to their statistics the greenhouses produce around 100,000 plants each year! Another advantage (which you don't have at JDP) is that the information is also displayed in English, yes sometimes I like to be lazy, but it's nice to have a summary in English as it's not exactly everyday French they are using!




















Overall, I really liked the park and absolutely loved the main greenhouse. There were even small tables and chairs where people were reading or drawing which is what I would probably do if I went again. If you're a fan of greenhouses and just need a day away from central Paris this garden is perfect. I also recently went to Parc Floral close to Vincennes which despite the horrible weather was also a great park, even including a Bonzai and Butterfly house (although the latter was closed). I imagine Parc Floral is much better in Summer though, under the rain the big open spaces and lack of cover are not ideal. Anyway, come rain or shine get out of the centre of Paris and visit one of the amazing gardens Paris has to offer. You might even discover you have a green thumb!

Paris - The birthplace of the metro-sexual man?

The word metrosexual generally refers to a man that can be both masculine and feminine without being gay. A metrosexual man is normally manly and works on cars but at the same time is interested in art, fashion and even celebrity gossip. Basically...most European males (especially in France and Italy).

According to Urban Dictionary you may be metrosexual if you do any of the following things:


1. You just can't walk past a fashion store without making a purchase.

2. You own 20 pairs of shoes, half a dozen pairs of sunglasses, just as many watches and you carry a man-purse.

3. You see a stylist instead of a barber, because barbers don't do highlights.

4. You can make her lamb shanks and risotto for dinner and Eggs Benedict for breakfast... all from scratch.

5. You only wear Calvin Klein boxer-briefs.

6. You shave more than just your face. You also exfoliate and moisturize.

7. You would never, ever own a pickup truck.

8. You can't imagine a day without hair styling products.

9. You'd rather drink wine than beer... but you'll find out what estate and vintage first.

10. Despite being flattered (even proud) that gay guys hit on you, you still wouldn't be intimate with a man.

"Some people think he's gay, but he's actually metrosexual."

I honestly believe it might be David Beckham who created this term when he started wearing sarongs and nail varnish a few years ago...making it not only okay, but perfectly acceptable for a straight man to be incredibly feminine...and why not?

There is only one, tiny problem I have with men being metrosexual in Paris; it is almost impossible to tell who is gay and who is straight (and no I'm not joking, I wish I was). It doesn't help that my gay-dar is absolutely terrible. Luckily I have some friends who are much more 'in tune' than I am but sometimes even they get it wrong. It's so difficult to know in Paris because a man having feminine qualities is the norm. In England being a 'lad' means showing as much masculinity as possible; drinking beer, burping, generally being bolshy, referring to how "fit" girls are and using the words "bang a bird" instead of making love to a woman. Here in Paris it's the total opposite. Even in the metro one day, whilst I was looking at the map, a man came over to tell me he wanted to faire l'amour with me (make love) and he was a total stranger (oh how romantic and creepy at the same time). My point is even when they don't know you they are still more delicate with their words. Now, I hate to be cynical and I first I did appreciate it but sometimes it just gets to a point where you want to say "HEY! CAN THE REAL STRAIGHT MEN PLEASE STAND UP???"

I have a friend, who will remain anonymous for obvious reasons, who up until very recently I was entirely convinced was gay. I've known him for about a year but generally his taste in music, dress sense, behaviour with me, general attitude and even his laugh made me come to the conclusion that he was, in fact, gay, Now I never voiced this opinion because I don't think it's at all necessary but thank bloody bananas I didn't. Obviously it turns out he isn't gay and I was way off par with that one. Not only is he interested in women but it's now become apparent he might be interested in me...and all my girl-friends are saying "Oh but you knew he liked you...right?" NEWSFLASH  I thought he liked men. It just goes to show you can never ever be sure, even after a year of knowing someone their sexuality can still surprise you.

The other thing that I find difficult to accept is MAN BAGS. I actually wrote a note to my friend Jerry from the Mazet when I saw he had a man-purse. It read "Dear Jerry. I thought we were friends. Then I saw your man bag." He laughed and kept the note not realising that I was, of course, entirely serious (love ya Jerry). Here in France it is entirely acceptable to have a man-bag. It is not fashionable for men to have all their keys, their wallet, their cigarettes and other things in their pockets so consequently some stupid designer decided to create a handbag for men. I hate them. I'm sorry if you're reading this and you own one but I hate them. I like the big bags guys have or the kind of satchel bags guys bring to work (so cute) but a small, girlie, baby purse is not masculine and above all does not make a woman want to sleep with you, EVER. My friends and I first joked that maybe they were just FULL of condoms because French men are so 'stereotypically' promiscuous... but to this day I am still unaware of what really 'fills up' a man-bag and I'm not sure I ever want to find out.

I just don't get it. Why don't they just do what an ex-boyfriend of mine did? When we went out together he put his keys in my bag and kept loose cash and his cards in his pocket. VIOLA, problem solved. No man-bag, no problem. However, I do understand that to do this you need a girlfriend and preferably one who always carries a big enough bag to put 2 sets of keys in (as well as all the junk a girl already carries in her bag). So men are faced with a difficult decision - a man-bag or a girlfriend with a bag. I know which one I'd choose, especially if it was a Marc Jacobs handbag. Boyfriend who??

Going back to urban dictionary's definition of the metrosexual man there is another thing I feel I should address. Metrosexual men and their facial hair, specifically, their eyebrows. Apparently in Paris it's perfectly normal and acceptable for a straight man to go and have his eyebrows waxed. And I don't mean just normally waxed, I mean these bad boys look more pruned and tweezed than Angelina Jolie on the way to the Oscars. They pay so much attention to their outer appearance and insist that their eyebrows being 'tidy' justifies a quick waxing. Most of them look like they've spent more time in a beautician than I ever have (and that must be true because I've never been to one). I actually have a friend who's ex-boyfriend had his eyebrows waxed quite regularly and as his girlfriend she was often present when this special event happened. I'll never forget the first time I called her at the beauticians and she tried to explain, whispering as quietly as a mouse, that her boyfriend was in fact having his eyebrows waxed at this precise moment in time. My friend and I often discussed this afterwards (not the eyebrows as such) but just the general acceptance of men wanting to look 'pretty' and how bizarre it was when we were accustomed to English 'lads' and Canadian and American 'men'. Honestly I've had boyfriends who tweezed but normally it was because of a dire situation e.g. a baby uno-brow and it was normally me who insisted that it be plucked and the boyfriend who eventually realised that no uno-brow was better and continued the plucking without me. Truthfully, besides a little plucking of the eyebrows/monobrow I am pretty inclined to say I don't fancy men with shaped eyebrows. I like rugged men who look like they just got out the shower, rubbed a towel on their head and didn't shave for a couple of days...neat and tidy eyebrows are just not my thing.

The final difficult thing is French men's fashion sense. Generally they all dress pretty well and actually, that's what causes problems for me. They dress so well and again with so much care (you can see colours have been matched and shoes and accessories have been carefully chosen) that I normally presume they aren't straight. A man dressed that well in England...isn't normally batting for my team (if you catch my drift). So honestly, I never know. Between the man bags, the girlie behaviour, the music tastes, the shopping habits, the fashion knowledge and the trim and tidy appearance I don't imagine I will ever really be sure at first who is homosexual and who is heterosexual. I guess it goes back to the age old saying 'Never judge a book by its cover' and I would do well to remember that. In Paris just because a guy loves Lady Gaga and knows what Christian Louboutin shoes are does not necessarily mean he's gay. So keep guessing girls! . 

Food, glorious food

I'm very lucky that during my time here in France I have acquired some amazing friends and not only are they amazing but they have the BEST taste in restaurants. Sometimes I feel like I'm in food heaven and I just never wake up, good meal after good meal after good meal. If you have an 'average' meal in France it's such a shock whereas in England it's a pretty common re-occurrence. Here are some of the wonderful restaurants I've been to recently in Paris...

Vins et Terroirs
66 Rue Saint Andre des Arts 
75006, Paris
Metro: Odeon/St Michel

Actually this is a restaurant I've spoken about in past blogs as I had my birthday dinner there back in April but it never fails to disappoint. Most recently I took Danielle there when she was here for a little visit because she had never tasted snails before and vins&terroirs do some of the best I've ever had. Vins&Terroirs does a great set meal for 19 euros, one starter and one main or one main and a dessert. Unlike most places you have a choice of about six different courses for each one so there is no shortage of choice. I always have the same thing escargots a l'ail (snails in garlic) and filet de canette  avec pommes de terre sautees/puree (fillet of duck with sautee potatoes/mash potato and a BBQ honey sauce)...both to die for! Danielle was willing to try snails so we both had the same dinner plus a nice glass of free rose (I go there often so they have started offering me a free glass of wine, very kind)! It's such a delicious meal and such good value I would recommend it to anyone visiting or living in Paris. Just be aware if it's Friday or Saturday night you might have to book, they get very busy!

                 

Alcazar
62 Rue Mazarine
75006
Metro: Odeon/St Germain des Pres

I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I think about this restaurant. Yes, it was real and yes, you did eat there. This restaurant came as a bit of a surprise, it's in an area I know very well (Saint Germain des Pres) but had somehow never been brought to my attention. Probably because a) from the outside it doesn't appear to be anything too special and b) it's rather on the expensive side.



Luckily for me I have friends, one friend in particular who has great taste in restaurants and as always when I dine out with him, I wasn't disappointed. I felt a little bit under-dressed in a basic blue dress and heels, I would have preferred to be wearing a more glamorous dress and more glamorous heels but c'est la vie. I didn't realise we were going to such a fantastic restaurant, I had just come from work and hadn't even touched up my make up...oops! But anyway, I digress. So, after the shock of the beauty of the restaurant I was further indulged by the menu and the champagne. Romain ordered a bottle of rose champagne that was served with little raspberries in the glass, it was divine and I literally felt like a princess or some kind of celebrity (oh the little things). It was just surreal to be in a restaurant like that with French people drinking champagne with raspberries in, I couldn't stop smiling. How much my life has changed in one year! After the champagne we had the most delicious starter. Romain and Jonathan chose foie gras with toast and onion chutney whereas us girls chose smoked salmon with sweet bread. Both were delicious (Romain was kind enough to let me try some of his foie gras) which I would definitely have next time, it was rich but just so tasty #foodorgasm. After Romain had the roast chicken and I had a small roasted bird (I forget what it was in English...I did find out but I didn't know at the time) with a kind of sweet couscous. Again it was just delicious and it wasn't the end yet...for dessert Jonathan and I had saint marcellin (a very strong goats cheese, not for the faint hearted) while Romain and Jog's girlfriend had the millefeuille which literally translates as 1000 layers, vanilla and brandy flavoured. Of course as with all French meals we rounded it off with an espresso and a disgestif (Jet 27 and ice)...what a meal! I really was impressed by this restaurant, a little more expensive than the normal night out (fortunately I was invited this time - Thank you again Romain) but still only 26 euros for a formule of starter/main or main/dessert which really considering the quality of the food is not half bad. Not somewhere to go every week but perfect for a special occasion with friends, family or if you want to treat your other half.

Last but not least...

Les Fabricants
61 Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud 
75011 Paris
Metro: Oberkampf/Parmentier

This is the restaurant I discovered most recently, thanks again to the wonderful Romain! Les Fabricants is what I would call a Basque restaurant, serving food from the South West of France, famous for their huge salads and snails with a cheese sauce. It's very similar to Chez Gladines (especially the menu) but for me, personally, it's ten times better. I went to Chez Gladines (in the 13e) a few weeks ago with some friends and was honestly, quite disappointed. The atmosphere was great, buzzing, loud and full of people but due to the rush and business of the restaurant the food looked like it had been chucked on the plate. There didn't seem to be any time or care gone into the meal and actually my veal was overcooked and the potatoes were burnt...not a great first experience. However at Les Fabricants it was an entirely different story. I have been there twice now and both times thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I just went there on Monday and we were a large table of six so we had a few different starters including snails in a cheese sauce, potatoes covered with ham and blue cheese and charcuterie (different sliced meats) with of course a couple of baskets of bread (a necessity in any French restaurant). They were all delicious, we were all like children in a sweet shop diving into each starter trying to savour the taste of each different dish. Finally we moved on to mains...I ordered escalope de veau Montagnarde which is Veal escalope with mushrooms and potatoes in a creamy sauce. It literally looks like a mountain of food! They place the potatoes in the middle and the veal escalope on top, then they pour the sauce on and all around the meat so you have plenty to dip in...as many like to do...don't they Romain ;) It's absolutely delicious but a word of warning, go hungry because you need your appetite for the size of these meals. They also do great chicken and duck, one leg of duck with forest mushrooms, a duck fillet with roquefort sauce '(I haven't quite found the courage to try this yet...next time) and a chicken dish 'Spanish style.' The salads are also fantastic and absolutely huge, they are served in large aluminium bowls that look like they could be a feeding bowl for a horse! I wasn't joking when I said you needed to be hungry...

Of course we accompanied the meal with 2 bottles of wine, both red, one Spanish and one French (a Rioja and a....I forget the other one). I preferred the Rioja hence my lack of memory haha...it was delicious, full-bodied but not too fruity so it was really tasty. It went down a treat :) Last of all we had espressos followed by a digestif (it's very traditional and important in France to have all of the courses) which were a mix of Jet 27 and an apple-based liquor with ice which was really tasty.

Most shocking of all we ate and drank all of this for a mere 30 euros per person. You can spend much less than that as most main courses are no more than 13 euros, even the huge 2 person sized salads, but we were celebrating Romain's new adventure so we went all out :-) Great ambiance, great staff (one of the waiter's is South African and a total hoot) and fantastic food. Go as soon as you can!

August, the best month to be in Paris?

August

August in Paris was just wonderful. Last year I missed most of August as I came back towards the end and went straight into my new job to start training. I was also still finding my feet so didn't know Paris as well as I do now. This year was entirely different and I'm about to tell you why.

Ils sont partis en vacances 

The best thing about Paris in August is the distinct lack of Parisians. Everyone leaves to go on vacation in August and not just for one or 2 weeks but normally for an entire month (if not longer)! Paris is calm, quiet and full of 'the rest of us' who stayed behind in the city. No one is stressed, angry or pushy. The metros and trains are so quiet you could hear a pin drop and everyday without fail I had a seat on both the train or the metro. Even the roads are quiet, riding the Velib (below)was such a pleasure because there were barely any cars and even the buses were less frequent than normal (so no fear of being squashed)! It was such a pleasure to experience Paris during such a quiet time, it's just a shame it's not always like that. If you are ever thinking of coming to Paris, August is the time to do it, not only is it quieter than usual but the weather is great too!

Velib fun

Paris plage

In the summer between the 20th July and the 19th August Paris creates a beach. Yes, that's right, you didn't misread the sentence they 'make' a beach. They import tonnes of sand and build a beach just next to the seine and the canal with umbrellas, deck chairs, sunbeds, water fountains, drinks and ice cream bars. The sunbeds were so comfortable I almost fell asleep several times on the beach with Rachel, Ilana and Dave. The weather was so so hot (around 34 degrees on one of the days we were there) but luckily we did have home-made showers/water fountains which we had to go under around every 20 minutes because the heat was so intense. The mayor had also worked together with Paris Plage to provide free water and monin syrup so we drank mint and syrup all day yum. It was so nice to be able to experience the beach without going away (as it's not easy for me with my lack of holiday time) so paris plage really made a difference, I can't wait until next year! 

The beach layout (one side)

The advert

  

The beach

The fountain

Cinema plein air

Cinema plein air means literally 'outdoor cinema' and every July-August they are set up in a few places in Paris such as Trocadero and Porte de la Villette. Big screens are set up on large grass areas and movies screened every Wednesday to Sunday after the sun goes down. And the best thing is it's completely free!!! This year there were several films (French/English/American and others) including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Superman (the original), Gran Torino, District 9, Potiche, Un homme un vrai and many many more. Below you can see the agenda from this years Cinema plein air at Porte de la Villette.

http://www.villette.com/fr/agenda/Cinema-en-plein-air-2012.htm

Unfortunately I never got chance to go to this as there always seemed to be something else going on...or the late start of the movie meant finding our way back was going to be really difficult. Next year I will make a point of going because from what I heard it's something not to be missed!

FNAC LIVE

Last but not least the council gave us another free thing - all day music concerts! I went to the FNAC Live festival on a Saturday at Hotel de Ville. It was brilliant with live bands, a great atmosphere and lots of people. I really enjoyed Revolver a French band I hadn't seen before and I just couldn't believe that everything was free. Nothing like that is really organised in the UK...concerts are organised but you always have to pay.

Paris seems to do so much for the people who stay behind in August with so much being free and so much being created for people's pure enjoyment. It's just another reason why I love Paris in the summer. 

Our petit adventure continues...

Tuesday 17th July 

Most of this day was spent in Vannes, a lovely city about an hour and a half from Benodet. We'd already been there before but not for a few years so we decided to go and do a bit of shopping and explore the city. Unfortunately the weather wasn't too great and since living in Paris I hardly ever travel in a car anymore (almost never actually) and now seem to be prone to car sickness...by the time we arrived I didn't feel so well.

Anyway we managed to have a few hours in the city before it started to rain. We explored an indoor market, the Cathedral, some nice shops (managed to find 2 new pairs of shoes, thanks Pops) and devoured an enormous club sandwich at a cute little cafe in the central square.

Vannes and his wife 

The main square

On the way home we decided that travelling in the car actually made everyone a bit stressed so we agreed to do more cycling and try to avoid using the car (unless it was necessary). Car sick Chloe + stoppy dad + car = bad recipe. On the way home we stopped in the Carrefour to pick up some bits and bobs. I was thrilled to find a 7 euro pair of fake TOMS and a French football shirt for 10 euros. Please someone tell me why don't we have the huge Carrefours in Paris?!

The weather was terrible on Tuesday night so we decided to stay in, drinking red wine and eating copious amounts of bread and cheese whilst watching Ghost together. We also dyed my hair...unfortunately instead of my normal honey blonde dye mum accidentally bought natural honey for blondes. I'm not originally blonde so now I'm slightly too blonde but it will fade, right? (>>>) What a perfect evening, it almost felt like I was at home in our living room!




Wednesday 

After a restful night we woke up early to cycle to Mousterlin, a little town about 3-4 km away. We cycled through Fousenant, the little town where we had the delicious meal on the first night and picked up some fresh Breton style pancakes (with chocolate chips). We actually bought a sealed packet that had cold pancakes in but when I asked the lady working there to open the packet as we wanted to eat them straight away she offered to give us fresh pancakes straight off the hot plate. They were absolutely delicious and we were so grateful, people are so kind in Britanny!

Mum and dad enjoying the cycle and the fresh pancakes from Fousenant!

 On our way back we stopped at a little pub called 'The Queen's Pub' and had a quick Breton cider before continuing to cycle. Honestly, you can't match Breton cider, it's just so tasty. It tastes like it's made only of pure apples that just ripened, fell off the tree and into the glass. Delicieux. 

Later in the afternoon we went to L'Eclerc (one of France's huge supermarkets, a bit like Carrefour but bigger). You are probably wondering why I keep harping on about supermarkets but I have to explain to you why France officially has the best supermarkets in the world. In L'Eclerc you can find and buy just about anything you need. There are clothes, books, electronics, domestic utilities, food, drink, a separate bakery, a fresh seafood area, a meat section which is effectively it's own fresh butchers, a separate cheese section which could be a fromagerie it's so big and even it's own wine section (including 'La Cave' for the more precious wines). It's like dying and going to supermarket heaven.

Cheese, glorious cheese

Thursday 

On Thursday we decided to cycle to a little village just outside Benodet called Sainte Marine. It didn't take us very long at all, maybe 45 minutes in total. It was very very small but had some pretty little cafes and a small port. We decided to take the tiny ferry back across to Benodet because it was possible to take the bikes with us and it crossed the river to an area of the town we hadn't explored yet. We spotted La Croisette a restaurant recommended to us by our neighbours and decided we would come back and go there for dinner later that night. As normal we cycled back to the campsite, picking up fresh bread from the bakery on the way back and sitting on our little terrace to have lunch. 

Mum and I went for a swim afterwards in the gorgeous pool, exploring the whirlpool tunnel and jacuzzi pool as Dad took photos (he's not so keen on water). When we got back to our mobile home dad was up to his old mischief again. My dad is nearly 60 years old but continues to be a big kid at heart, he's always playing tricks on people, especially my mum. As she got in the shower he decided to turn the tap on so that the water would run cold in the shower, mum gasped and started cursing while dad and I were in heaps of hysterics on the sofa. Poor mum. Although it's worse when Lydia is around, her and dad are like the gruesome twosome. 

We went to La Croisette for dinner and it was absolutely wonderful. We all wished we had found it sooner as it was great value for money and the waiter was really pleasant (and funnily enough originally from Paris)! He asked me if I was studying and looked shocked when I explained I was an English teacher (yes I look sixteen, I know). I convinced dad to have an  Ile Flottante (a Floating Island) for dessert as it is typically French and absolutely yummy. From his expression he seemed to like it...!

Enjoying his Ile Flottante

Friday

Our last day sadly! 

We decided to go back to Concarneau because after the cycling palava on Monday we didn't really have time to explore the walled city very much so we wanted to visit a second time, oh and Mum wanted a fruit bowl. I started reading 50 Shades of Gray in the car because everyone has been raving about, I got to chapter 8 before wanting to hurl the book in the bin. It's awfully written, distasteful and honestly quite disturbing. If you like good books, don't waste your time with this trilogy! On the other hand I read Jill Mansell's A Walk in the Park in 3 days (it's over 400 pages) which is well worth a read. Her books are pretty girlie but so well written and thoroughly enjoyable, a perfect holiday book. 

Anyway I'm sidetracking. When we arrived at Concarneau there was an outdoor market so we explored that first, looking at vintage items, tasting cheese, olives, Breton cakes, fresh cooked pork and much more. I bought some postcards, a friendship bracelet for my sister and I (we've sort of started a tradition of collecting them together) and a keyring to add to my already big assortment. We had a lovely lunch of fish soup and mussles and the sun came out all afternoon. 

We went back to Quimper a little earlier (as that's where I was catching the train from) and we hadn't explored the old town yet. It's a shame we didn't have more time actually as it was really beautiful with an old, prestigious cathedral and typically Breton style architecture. The only downside was the toilets were the kind built into the floor (it still baffles me that the French have these), it's so medieval! After a quick walk around the town we headed back to the station where we had an emotional goodbye on the platform. I told mum not to cry but it never ever works, she always starts blubbing, bless her. Actually I found myself welling up (I'm usually the strong one) because it had just been such a fantastic week. I had really needed the break from Paris and the difficult past few months. It reminded me how important family is and even though sometimes they drive you mad, there is nothing more valuable than family. So to my dear mum and dad, I know I can be a pain in the arse sometimes but I really do love you both more than a chubby child loves chocolate cake.

Better late, than never

So I'm finally finishing my post about my vacation in Benodet. It will have to be briefer than I originally anticipated as it's now September, I'm 2 months behind schedule and therefore officially need to go blogging crazy in the next few weeks. Be prepared readers, be prepared.

The rest of the week in Benodet passed far too quickly. It included numerous cycling trips, a few too many Breton pancakes, some hilarious miscalculations (not at the time but in reflection), a tonne of wine and cheese buying and some quality family time. What are vacations for after all?

So much cheese, delicious cheese

16.07.12

On Monday, my first full day in Bretagne we decided to cycle to Concarneau (around 20km away...or so dad thought). Now, I had been doing a fair bit of velib-ing in Paris (the cycling system in the city) so I knew I wasn't too unfit, but my god, nothing could have prepared me for the cycling we did that day.

First of all when we set off the sun wasn't too hot, so I put sun cream on (as you do) but didn't pack any with me in my bag. Huge mistake. Dad wasn't too off par with the calculations, it was about 20km. Unfortunately it was 20 km if the entire world was flat, the entire world is not flat and we consequently landed right in the merde. There were more hills than we could have ever anticipated (literally not in my wildest nightmares). On top of that, we got lost, several times. Dad's a good map reader but I'm pretty much sure French road signs were made by a drunk person; no surprise really with all the wine made around the country. I'm starting to think people just get drunk and hammer the signs into place, spinning them round as they go just to add extra confusion. None of the signs make sense and when you follow the sign you SHOULD take you're pretty much guaranteed to end up in the wrong place. Highly annoying. So finally after nearly 3 hours of cycling up hill in 30 degree heat, several wrong turns and a 30km journey we finally arrived in the city of Concarneau. We were exhausted but weirdly happy at the sense of achieving such a distance on the first day...

Finally after 30km and one sore ass!!!

Unfortunately my back suffered too...peau Anglaise!

Fortunately the upside of all this was that Concarneau was just beautiful, it's an old walled city that was recommended to us by a good friend of mine (merci encore Cedric) and I'm so glad we visited, even if I couldn't sit down for at least a day. Sadly by the time we got there we only just about had time for lunch before the last bus back to Benodet. Yes we caught the bus, with our bikes, don't judge. Honestly I couldn't have managed it and I'm 23 years old...I didn't fancy having either of my parents keeling over on the way back up those wretched hills. Luckily now I speak French (oh la la) I was able to go into the tourist agency, find out where and when the buses were and if they accepted bikes or not. The guy explained to me that they normally took bikes but only if there weren't a lot of people with luggage), it was a maybe and maybe was good enough because my bottom couldn't even entertain getting back on the damn bike.

The city itself

So we went for a little wander around the city, tres picturesque before coming back to wait for the bus. The bus finally arrived and the lady explained that actually, we needed bikes that folded up. We had three bikes and three that did not fold up. VIE DE MERDE. I think when she told me this I must have looked like I was going to a) cry or b) have a nervous breakdown. I started rambling in French about how we had cycled 30 km, were so lost, so tired (me personally sun stroked) and so far from Benodet that this was our only HOPE of getting back in the next century. She must have been concerned for my mental state if she said no because she let us on the bus (HOORAY!) and even helped us with our bikes, what a star. I will be eternally grateful to this kind woman and thank god we weren't in  Paris because it never would have happened. 

The only negative was in all the commotion begging for the bus and trying to get the bikes on dad forgot his helmet on the bus shelter bench (ahaha). Oh well you can't win at everything! 

As soon as we got back we took a long dip in the gorgeous pool and I have never enjoyed a cold swim more in my life. It was like having an ice bath after a marathon (or what I imagine that would be like seeing as I've never done either one of those things). There is only one word I can use to describe this day and that's...unforgettable. 

Benodet

15/07/12 - 20/07/12

Well, what a week it has been. It's been good for my mind, body and soul and finally I feel a little more revitalised! I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about certain things and certain people but I've come to realise that it's just all part of life. You can mourn the loss of a friend as much as the loss of a lover and both can be equally as difficult but...c'est la vie. 

I had a lot of 'quiet' time in Benodet which at first frustrated me because I wanted to keep myself busy so my thoughts wouldn't wander...(fear of silence I guess) but eventually it became easier and the feeling of loneliness soon turned into the feeling of independence and...freedom even. So, I pulled myself together a bit and although I'll openly admit I've got a long way to go, at least I'm finally moving forward instead of a hundred steps back.

So anyway...after a long but pleasant 5 hour journey I arrived in Quimper. Mum and Dad were on the platform when I arrived and I dived into a huge welcome hug from them both. We headed back to the car and to the campsite which was about 15 minutes away in the lovely little seaside town of Benodet. 

Unbeknown to me (at least until later) Mum was actually worried I'd be disappointed. Yes, we haven't stayed in a mobile since I was a kid and yes, since then we've had some pretty luxurious holidays BUT  what Mum didn't realise was that this was all I wanted to do. I was so tired of Paris, I just needed the countryside, some sea air and the simple life and that's what I got :-) For most of my holiday my phone was switched off and we spent a huge portion of the trip cycling, walking and exploring Britanny. 

I will probably have to do several blogs for this vacation (as it's a little long) but let's start at the beginning. As I said I arrived in Benodet around 5pm and although I was a little tired after a long weekend I was happy to go for some dinner and a little coastal walk to see some of the town. We decided on a little bistro that my parents had passed in the next town along called Fouesnant. From the outside it looked like a simple French Bistro with a traditional French menu but inside it was pleasantly surprising. It had a kind of Cuban theme with old pictures, a juke box and a refurbished wireless radio. 

 The little wireless radio

 The interior of the restaurant

It took us a while to decipher the menu (there was a lot of strange fish dishes and something called black pasta) but finally we decided to take a chance and order some food. I ordered veal, dad ordered some kind of white fish and mum ordered scallops. I couldn't believe it when the food arrived, this bistro didn't seem to be anything special but the food was just...incredible! The black pasta that mum and dad were a little hesitant about turned out to be delicious, we think it was made with vegetable oil but we are still not sure. *(Ilana just told me that black pasta is normally with squid ink - merci my encyclopedia d'information). Either way it was just divine. My veal was cooked perfectly and had a 'foristiere' sauce which had wild mushrooms in it. To.die.for.com. And of course I took pictures of my food, as we Martin's do...

  Mum's scallops and black pasta

 My veal, mushroom sauce and frites

After our delicious meal we came back to the camp site. It was around twilight when  so we decided to go for a walk along the coastal path. Our camp site was really close to the beach so we were able to reach it quickly and easily. It was a little windy but we still enjoyed the view and nosied at some very expensive houses right on the beach. 

Mum and dad xxxx (below)

The promenade by the beach

All in all a very good first night, now let's see what the rest of the week holds...

Je pars en vacances

15/07/12

This vacation could not have come at a better time. I'm exhausted, mentally and emotionally and I can't wait to have a huge hug from my parents. Yes, I'm 23 years old and I need a calin. 


I also burnt my eye with my straighteners on Friday so I look like I got into a fight this weekend (nice, very nice). It looks like it's going to scar too...ouch. Right above my eyelid too...excellent! Note to self - be more careful in future especially when using hot irons!

I planned on sleeping for most of the journey but the view is too beautiful. I think the Frenchies on the train know I'm a 'tourist' because my face is stuck to the window like a chlid looking in a sweet shop window. I also can't stop reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Most of you have probably seen the movie (myself included) but seriously, read the book, I couldn't give it a higher recommendation. I finished it today with tears in my eyes, it's such a moving book. Life in 2012 sometimes seems difficult but  after reading what life was like for a black person  in Mississippi in 1962, the book just renders you speechless. The prejudice and racism people were forced to face was just unimaginable. It really gives you both perspective and a new education. So...pick up a copy asap!

Lastly, I'm so excited to get to Quimper that I really can't sleep. I've spent most of my time scribbling away in my notebook (which is what you are reading now...the typed version anyway). I'm looking forward to switching my phone off and detaching myself for a week, sometimes technology gets the better of us! I can't wait to see my parents and get back to basics (the sea, the countryside and our bikes!) 

I had recently started to feel a bit like a little fish in a big pond and this week is about getting the balance back. I'm not saying I want to be a big fish but medium sized would do nicely, so as not to feel completely overwhelmed by the city of Paris.