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.

Bastille Day

So surprisingly after a pretty rough morning Bastille Day finally became one of my happiest memories in a long time. 

After cancelling the pre-arranged picnic on the Champ de Mars (thinking the weather would be bad) the sun shone ALL day. It was very windy though so we had lunch at Ilana's (lovely pasta merci a Ilana et Kelvin) followed by the yummiest and cheapest (only 8 euros) 'grillee aux pommes' from the bakery in Belleville. Anyway, even with the sun shining we stuck with the decision of avoiding the Champ de Mars, hearing from most of our French friends that it would be horribly crowded and full of 'cons.' So finally we decided on a free ballet that is offered at the Opera Garnier every year..

We arrive an hour and a half early (thinking that would be MORE than enough time). Oh...how wrong we were. We found the queue on one side of the Opera house and slowly started to follow it round to find the end of the line...around ten minutes later we were still walking. At this point I just started to laugh, I couldn't actually believe how many people there were. The problem was huge tour buses had dropped groups off outside who had obviously just come for the free ballet (as they were all full of oldies on a retirement day out). The queue reached all around the Opera house, all four sides were lined with people, at least five people deep. We were at first happy to queue until we asked one of the workers if we would get in and she clearly explained that although we might get in to the building "vous allez voir rien" (basically you'll see nothing). So pop went that balloon. 

Alors...time for a re-group. We were kind of in my area with the Opera being so close to my work so I had a brainwave after remembering Ilana nor Rachel had been on Printemps terrace before. It was beautiful (comme toujours) and I was happy to be there with my good friends. 

The idea was then to go to Pont Neuf to see if we could get a good spot to watch the fireworks. However after walking to Concorde and deciding to explore a bit (the staging was still up after the Military Parade) we found ourselves at Pont de la Concorde. After walking down onto the quai Ilana and Kelvin discovered this great little spot with enough room for all of us to sit AND have pizza with a great view of the Tour Eiffel. 

After more than a few beers, 2 pizzas and around 3 hours of waiting the fireworks finally began. Although Isabelle said she thought the view from the Champ de Mars was better (because the fireworks are either side of the tower) I was just happy to have a great view, great friends and not to be pushed and shoved around by some moody Parisians. 

The fireworks were beautiful and after a very mixed year which has included falling in and out of love, more than a touch of heartbreak,  a new job, a new apartment, new and old friends arriving and leaving and much much more they helped to summarise my feelings for Paris. I found myself feeling that even now, after everything Paris still has a part of my heart. It's not all tarnished for me. 

I don't know if this is a sign of the end or a new beginning but all I know is  I'm still here and I'm still fighting, Some things are worth fighting for. 

Gay Pride

The month of June has been full of changes for me. After a rollercoaster of a year I am finally beginning to move forward with my life. I can already see a few of my friends rolling their eyes (with good reason). I know you all know I've said this many (many many) times but now, really, it's time to start a fresh. So...here's the update.

A few weeks ago I went to Gay Pride which was both a new and interesting experience for me. I was a little nervous because I've never even seen a gay pride before let alone dance in one! But really, I had a great time. Everyone was in costumes holding huge flags and wearing wigs on their heads. I think my favourite moment had to be Dave catching a balloon and screaming "BALLOOOOOOON" with delight before realising that it was, in fact, a blown up condom. Poor Dave and he couldn't wash his hands for ages either...

I have to add a little note for the boys there, I'm so glad I met these two utter crazy people. They've made me open up to new ideas (some ridiculously stupid) but they've also made me lighten up and not take life so seriously, for which I will be eternally grateful. "I'm going to spike my gavina!" and "Don't you think the moon is just so....AWESOME." Coolest guys ever.

We also managed to find a semi secret location by the Seine where you can sit without being surrounded by du monde and a great place on the quai at Bastille. It pays to have friends who grew up in Paris.

The Cost of Living

Now, I'm not normally one to complain about France or the way the French do things. Generally speaking I agree with how the system works over here and as a French friend once said to me (rather bluntly as they always do) "If you don't like it you can always go home." France can be a wonderful place to live but sometimes it just tests your patience.


There are a few things that have caused me some grief this month and I've decided to blog about them so my friends back home...and over the world actually, can see what it's like living in France.


1. This month I unfortunately became sick, I had what I think was the flu but it really knocked me sideways. I had a horrible fever, cold and was coughing like someone who'd smoked for 40 years. I had to leave work early on Friday and couldn't work  on the Saturday either so, of course, I had to go to the doctor. That's how it works in France by the way. If you are sick you have to go to the doctor's and get an 'arret du travail' to prove and to justify that you needed the day off. It makes sense, people have a day off for a hangover in the UK it's so easy just to call in sick. In France you have to really BE sick to have the day off, it makes you think about how sick you really are. Unfortunately I was sick on a Saturday and because I needed to get my arret du travail as soon as possible I had to find a clinic open on a Saturday. Finding an appointment was difficult as I originally wanted to go to my normal doctor in Alesia but they only worked until midday, the receptionist rudely reminding me "Well it IS a Saturday, we don't work all day." Oh of course EXCUSEZ-MOI. 


Anyway finally I found one at 2pm on the Saturday afternoon. I was reluctant to leave my apartment but keen to see a doctor as I really didn't feel well. All seemed fine, the doctor was on time and my appointment lasted only around 10 minutes. She checked my back and chest with a stethoscope, making sure my breathing was okay, she took my blood pressure, my temperature and noted down my symptoms. Nice and easy (all in French by the way, mini proud moment there for me). I remember when I was terrified to go to the doctor because I didn't know the medical words...it's not easy now but it's definitely easier. 


So everything was fine, she was a very kind doctor and even offered to prescribe me my inhalers as well as the medicine for the flu. I was just thinking to myself 'oh what a lovely doctor, maybe I will come here instead in the future it's much closer than Alesia and easier to find' blah blah blah. Unfortunately I got a very nasty shock when she told me the price of my consultation....wait for it.....SEVENTY EUROS, yes that's right 70 EUROS. That's around 7 euros a minute. I don't know why I didn't say anything then and there. Last time I went to the doctor it cost me 26 euros and the consultation was much longer. I think I was just in a state of shock, I thought maybe I'd misheard her but when she gave me the receipt I knew I hadn't been mistaken. I don't know why she charged me that much, she knew I spoke French so it's not as if she thought she could charge me whatever she wanted and I'd be none the wiser...Maybe because it was a Saturday, maybe because she was a replacement doctor, maybe it was because of the area (4th arr) I really don't know. I've gone over and over the possible reasons in my head and I still can't justify it. I almost called them later in the day to ask why I was charged such a ridiculous price but at the end of the day, I got ripped off, I paid it and there's not much I can do except learn from the experience and never make the mistake again. 


Funnily enough my colleague M was sick the same week, she doesn't speak French so I offered to go to the doctor with her and help her get her arret du travail. A colleague of ours recommended a doctor's really close to St Lazare station, which I later found to be open on Saturday's and you pay up front before you see the doctor so if you don't agree with the price you don't have to pay. Monique paid 23 euros and the doctor even spoke English. So...I got screwed over but I learnt a huge lesson from it and I will be going to the medical centre close to St Lazare if I ever have another illness. I finally understand why all my French friends don't go to the doctor, you can buy everything you need in the pharamacy (including a thermometer to use at home, I bought one) AND you don't pay for advice. The doctor's is now, I understand, a real last resort.


The other positive is that thanks to my Mutuelle (healthcare) I will EVENTUALLY get reimbursed some, if not all of the amount. It just means I am totally broke now until pay day.....................


2. Wow this is turning out to be quite a long blog maybe I was more frustrated at the French lifestyle than I realised. The second thing that happened this month actually wasn't something that affected me directly but that affected a good friend of mine. D has just moved into his new apartment and he needs all the basics; sheets, duvet, pillows, curtains etc...In England you could probably go to Primark and pick up all of this and more for under 100 euros. In Paris I couldn't even find a duvet for less than 85 euros....it's just crazy. Other things are relatively cheap but the things you HAVE to have are stupidly expensive. I was so lucky parents bought a lot of stuff for me from the UK, even good shampoo I haven't found for cheaper than 6 euros. Finally I donated my old duvet to D and we found some decent covers on boncoin.fr. I think in future I will look for everything second hand first before I even think about buying it new! 


3. I lost my temper with a saleswoman in Galeries Lafayette this week. I think after the doctor and everything costing so much in general I just lost my patience. As M and I were walking through Galeries Lafayette during our lunch break a saleswoman tried to offer us a perfume tester (just one of those little cards with perfume sprayed on). I ignored her because I already knew I didn't like the perfume to which she responded "WAIT" (in English). I am telling you now I just threw my toys out the pram. I explained how I would NOT wait, called her rude and stomped off. I just couldn't believe it. Okay, yes in France the language is more direct and yes you can say 'attends (wait) to each other like you do in English but only when you KNOW the person. It's very familiar language and like "tiens" (hold this) it is not really correct. Also for someone you do not know it's incredibly rude. I think I just got fed up with being spoken to rudely, no wonder French people go to England and comment on how polite everyone is........jeez. 


Anyway rant over, bring on July when I can head to Quimper with Ma and Pa and have a break from this madness. 

A breath of fresh air

This past weekend I found myself escaping to the countryside. It was, officially 'last minute.' I'd been craving to get out of Paris for a while (I was in the UK twice in May) but the opportunity hadn't really presented itself since then. Thanks to my colleague Paul I have been introduced to quite a lot of new people which has really made a difference to my knowledge of Paris (and beyond!) A lot of Paul's friends grew up here, or went to college here so they know so much more than I do about Paris. One of his friends, a lovely girl called Shona, has a holiday house in Samois-sur-Seine, just 40 minutes from Paris. A group of people were all heading there for the weekend and although I had been invited I had to work. Finally I decided (if it was okay with Shona) that I would work on Saturday and arrive afterwards. I needed a break from Paris and this was the perfect opportunity, plus I got to see Shona and talk to her more (before this weekend we had only met once properly).

Anyway I arrive around half past four and everything was running smoothly until.......I waited for an hour for a bus that never arrived. The boys had assured me the buses were running but after a long time we realised that most buses were running but not those to Samois sur Seine. So, finally I decided to try and take a taxi. At this point there were no taxis, I had already missed the only one I had seen at the train station and there didn't seem to be any in the taxi rank nor on the road. I was, apparently, stuck. Now, I love walking so again this did not seem to cause a problem so I called Dave and declared I was going to walk because I was pretty fed up with the bus and taxi situation. It turned out that it was too far to walk so very kindly Paul called a taxi to come and pick me up. I finally got to the house about an hour and a half after I arrived at the station and the first thing I did was open a beer. Bit of a palava but everything was alright in the end and it was definitely worth the wait.

I arrived finally in a tiny village that was full of cute little houses, brasseries, not a single cash point, one tiny boulangerie (bakery) and one tiny corner shop. And finally...I could inhale deeply without coughing, such a relief from the polluted city air! Saturday evening was spent drinking, eating and playing drinking games which always ended in laughter. We had to first describe someone without saying who they were, then we could only give one word to describe the person and finally we had to mime. As the game got more and more difficult and we drank more and more beer some people came out with some ridiculous mimes particularly for Charles de Gaulle. We had a walk down to the river where some of the guys played the guitar and we all wrapped up in blankets looking at the stars.

Sunday was spent relaxing, eating and drinking (again) and after lunch Dave, Paul and I took a walk down to the riverside to take some photographs (as the night before had been too dark and too alcohol based...ha). The riverside was beautiful and it was so nice to see genuine cobbled streets and old buildings. Samois sur Seine is also where Jazz artist Django Reinhardt retired and each year they have an annual Jazz festival in his honour. It was so great just to explore somewhere so green and I was so surprised that there were such nice little villages so close to the centre of Paris, most people don't know they even exist!

Thank you to everyone (especially Shona for allowing me to join you) for this lovely weekend a la campagne!