Paris, je t' aime...

Earlyish next morning, we went out in search of a proper French breakfast, none of that usual continental stuff for us. We ended up in this little cafe, both because there were quite a few people in there already and because I fancied the guy behind the counter. Both of those are perfectly valid reasons to enter any establishement in my book. If in addition, food is being served, what more can one want. We had a lovely Tartine, orange juice and the best hot chocolate ever, made with real chocolate, none of the powdery stuff. If I marry him, will he make me one every morning?
Suitably fortified we walked down to Rue Mouffetard...
For a bit of this...
And really, where else do you find displays like this...
I guess by now you have rumbled me, I keep telling you I am quite arty and bookish, but my main priority seems to be food... I am just greedy!
We again walked round there for hours, and in one of the streets running of the Rue Mouffetard found my first fountain of the day, I liked this one...
Coming across little surprises like this is the real joy of just walking around with no apparent aim. We had a good map with us, so even if we did get lost, we were always able to find our way back somehow.
After we had our fill ( see what I did there?) we went up to the Place de la Justice, because I really wanted to see Saint Chapelle. I just love stained glass windows, and even on quite a grey day they immensely cheer me up.
Really, where do you see more impressive gates...
I took this picture because of the man conducting a phonecall in a quite precarious place, but to me these kind of houses just seem so quintessentially French...
From Saint Chappelle we walked to the Notre Dame, where on the square we ate our brioches and drank our tea. It just felt so amazing to be there and it was almost unreal to be able to quite comfortably have a little picnic outside at the end of November.
Inspite of my good intentions, we did not actually go into the Notre Dame, as there was a long queue and by then I had spotted this...
It would have been sacrilege not to enter here. I have read so much about this place over the years, and it did not disappoint. It is ridiculously stocked, overly full, and completely gorgeously welcoming at the same time. I loved it more than I had expected to.
I still had not viewed any bouquinistes though, probably because of the time of year. But when we walked up to the Institut du monde Arabe, there were a few in situ as it were, and I actually found a few lovely little books.
Now, how is this for sun blinds...
This is the most amazing sight, both from the outside and the inside. As it is a real workplace for a lot of people, I was amazed that as a tourist you can enter it as well and go up to the roof. I would find it really astonishing if at work I would enter a lift full of tourist. Nobody here seemed to think that was worth batting an eye lid about though.
And now for my real treat of the day... You all know how much I had been looking forward to seeing the Strawinsky fountain! My friend first took me the Centre Pompidou, which I am not sure about by the way, and then finally what I saw was this...
Trust it to spring a leak when I come to pay hommage to it! Now I know for sure I will have to return, maybe it is a sign.
Even though I did not like the Centre Pompidou much, I do like the area around there, and we ended up browsing quite a few shops. From there we wandered to Les Halles, where in the neighbourhood we went into a gorgeous yarn, beads etc store, La Droguerie, and probably one of the most amazing cooking ware shop, Dehellirin, I have ever seen.
After all that we were exhausted, so we went back to the hotel, put our feet up for an hour and then had a lovely meal in a place near the hotel.
After that, it was straight to bed, this is hard work, all this sight seeing malarkey...

And still there is more to come...

Bonjour Paris...

After a bit of a disaster getting out of my hometown on Sunday morning ( there was no conductor on the train) which basically meant that we could not make the train to Paris, we eventually arrived there about an hour and 20 minutes later than we had planned. Which really was not too bad, considering we had to change trains in Brussels as well because the train we were on had broken down.
We quickly put that all behind us though, we were met at the Gare du Nord by my friend Marion who had been in Paris for a couple of days because of Paris Photo.
It had seemed a brilliant plan to meet up for lunch and in the end it was, but there is always this sticky moment when you mix two sets of friends, particularly when you know they are completely different in their ways and tastes. I ended up having to tell both Karin and Marion to behave, as we would only be all together for a couple of hours, this was my first time ever in Paris and hey, who's party was it anyway?
After that it all went swimmingly. We dropped our luggage off at the hotel, not one I would recommend for anything other than its location, and went our merry way.
We had decided to go and have a late lunch at Le Fumoir, and were met by these little boyscouts in front of the Louvre...
After a lovely meal, a gorgeous mousse au chocolat and pleasant surroundings, we strolled down Rue Rivoli...
This is where I realised I really need to get myself a better camera for next time.
Next morning we headed out to the Marche aux Puces St Ouen, only to find that even though it says it opens at 9, it very defenitely does not. This was actually a lot of fun, because we kept wandering around for hours, every time discovering new stalls that had just opened.
After having had our fill of bric a brac, we went up to Montmartre and a lovely cup of coffee within view of the Sacre Coeur...
What is it with French trees, even they are a lot prettier than Dutch ones...
After having enjoyed the views and braved the winds...
We walked down into Montmartre, past the painters...
Up to the restaurant where we had lunch...
This really was the tiniest place ever. We arrived at what I deduced later must have been 5 to two, and were seated. After that, nobody was allowed in anymore. The place was full, and you basically had to eat what they were giving you, but the food was great. Plus I do not think I have ever seen anyone serve a full house as efficiently as the owner did. It really was a joy.
Fortified we started just to walk around, which is fun, as that way you really see such a lot of things that otherwise you would not have seen. However, after a few hours my little legs decided they had enough and we took the Metro to Lafayette, as I really wanted to see the dome.
I could not get a good picture as it was already dark by the time we got in there and my camera did not really like that, but I think you get the idea of how pretty it is...
We walked around there for a bit, they have a great bookstore (trust me to find that one), and we treated ourselves to a gorgeous cup of tea there. Even though the French are not really tea drinkers themselves, they serve remarkably good tea everywhere you go.
By then it was time to find our way back to the Place de la Republique, have a glass of wine in the local cafe and prepare ourselves for the day ahead.
Are not you curious about what we did next? You will have to wait till tomorrow though.

Have a wondreous week!

A-MA-ZING...

Very reluctantly I returned from Paris last night. I already feel homesick! It was completely gorgeous, even I, so defenitely not a city person, adored it.
I felt so at home there, autumn really suits it as well. Feel that I have not even seen the beginning of everything there is to see and do there. Yet, we walked and walked and walked all day for 4 days.
I will organise my photos soon and will post them in a later post. For now I leave you with the first bar/restaurant I entered soon after arriving( and probably one of my favourites) and the gorgeous Christmas lights on the Champs Elysees.

Sigh... how quickly can I return without it looking indecent?

Still four more nights...

I am almost exploding now with excitement!!! It has been soooo many years that I have been planning to go to Paris, and it just never happened. This time round it will, I can not breathe, I can not sleep, basically I am a hyperactive child on speed.
This is a picture of one of the things I really want to see in the flesh as it were, I just adore Niki de St Phalle and Jean Tinguely, that was just one brilliant partnership!

I was in Waterstone's this afternoon (really, when am I not there) because I felt that it was time for me to start reading Terry Pratchett. I know, it is almost sacrilegious, but I have never ever read anything he has written, for the simple fact that I do not like fantasy much. Even of the Lord of the Rings I have only read The Hobbit (feeling very brave tonight, I am).
There are two reasons I want to start reading him now, one is the programme he did on the BBC on his onset of Alzheimers, which I found impressive and very courageous. Also someone recommended Little Gods to me.
However, they were stocking two different editions of the Disc world series, but of neither edition that one was in stock. And then I chickened out and got this instead...

Well, in my defence, it says Terry Pratchett on the front... It is brilliant, really funny. If you love cats, and possibly even if you hate them, get it. It really is a hoot. I love the Gray Joliffe cartoons as well.
I did pick up a copy of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights when I was there as well, another one of those books I have been meaning to read and just never get round to actually buy... again I left it in favour of something else. Guess I am not quite ready for fantasy yet.

Have a turbulent Thursday!

Randomly...

Just a couple of things I absolutely love at the moment...


Is not this a truly evocative painting. Even though weirdly I do not like the colour orange that much, I find this one of the most lovely paintings I know at the moment. I love that period in time and this really sums it up for me.

I am always one of the last people to actually buy a best seller, and this again is a case in point. I had been looking at it for a while, but never actually picked it up. I was in Waterstone's the other day and was paying for two books I bought, when the girl behind the counter pointed out to me that I had actually bought two of the 3 for 2 books, and why did not I pick up a third one ( neat trick that). So I quickly scanned the other ones available, and thought, oh, why not! I am glad I did, as I am immensely enjoying it. It truly evokes the spirit of that time. This must me the most beautiful thing I have ever made ( and definitely the most expensive one!). I only have a couple of more row to knit on the collar and then it is done. I adore this... the colours, the yarn, I will feel sooooo special in this.

My secret addiction has been Strictly come dancing for a few years now. I started watching series 3 I think, and have watched them all since. I love it, I find I have to watch it takes two every day as well, as I just adore Claudia Winkleman. She is just mad.
This is my favourite couple this year, though I do not think we will see them again, poor Jade!



And last but not least... this time next week I will be in Paris!!! I am getting so excited about it, I can hardly sleep. I have never been there, so it will be magical I guess. I will take my camera, so hopefully I will be able to show you loads of pictures. Cannot wait!

Have a gorgeous week and do not get too stressed about Christmas yet ( less than 6 weeks to go, Yikes!)

I seem to be back...

I know I have been awol for a while... do not ask me what happened, I am not entirely sure myself, but I feel like I am starting to be myself a bit again now.
I have enjoyed the autumn this year, I thought it to be particularly pretty. Really love those colours. I had wanted to do a lot of crafting, but did not, nothing really came out of my hands. Do not you just hate those times? I guess we all have them, luckily we get through them as well.
I have started reading a few blogs again, and as ever have been truly inspired by them. Thank you all for being around! I will catch up with you all soon now, and I will be better at posting again.
I have loads of ideas about Christmas crafting, but there are only 42 days left. Do you know that feeling when there are so many ideas bouncing around in your head, and you just do not know where to start. So you start somewhere, then 5 minutes later you start something else and 10 minutes later, something else again... Please tell me I am not alone in this. Well, at least I ordered a Kelly Bronze turkey today, so I guess that shows you what my priorities are!
Only a shortie today, as I am off to catch up with all your blogs again... I will leave you with some photos of a sailing trip with my colleagues. I am not a great sailor, but we had a brilliant day!
Me and my colleagues...
Not sure that that is really where we are going...We are sailing...
Have a wonderful evening!