by I’ve arrived.
I’ve lived in Paris for approximately one hour, have seen about four roads (maximum), and already, I’ve had to stop myself from buying everything in every second boutique, buying even one of the 10982374 Vogues they have for sale on magazine racks, and told myself, “Alice, you will have plenty of time to take photographs in the next year”.
But it’s just so beautiful! The roads are small near the temporary apartment we’re staying in, but lined with orange and red trees, whispering the approach of Autumn. There is a little balcony in my bedroom, which has spotty pink bed covers and a little bookshelf, and in the kitchen, the kettle is boiling to make tea.
After this, we’ll most probably set out to find a place to eat a late lunch/early dinner (depending on exactly how late we leave it), and I most certainly want to locate the nearest macaroon shop. Or pastry shop for that matter. And the Notre Dame Cathedral is literally a few blocks away. From the window, I hear people singing French words across buildings to one another, and shoes and flowerpots are placed neatly on windowsills overlooking the road.
Bicycles are everywhere. I’ll soon buy my own. A pink one with a basket (dream bicycle) that I fully intend to use to ride to school every day.
Accomplissement Du Jour:
A few minutes ago, my mom asked me to go to Monop down the road to buy tea. I got there, chose the tea, and went to pay. I started speaking to the lady behind the counter, and she completely thought I was French. That is, until I spoke for a long period of time and she heard my accent is ridiculous. But for a moment there, I felt AMAZING!
Le Soleil
It finally decided to set. The sun, I mean. Outside the window. Behind beautiful building after beautiful building.
At 9 o’ clock p.m.
Les Abeilles
Today, we went exploring. We visited the Notre Dame Cathedral, I got a baguette for lunch from the most beautiful of shops in the world (with giant meringues and beautiful little cakes), and we walked down the oldest street in Paris. When I got my baguette, it was accompanied by a pineapple drink. This is why two little bees decided they’d make a visit to our little table on the roadside.
Top Three Shop Discoveries:
- A tea shop that is literally lined with shelf after shelf after shelf of every tea you can possibly imagine. It’s magical.
- A store with all these ballet things in it – including the most beautiful white costume that reminds me a lot of Black Swan (the good parts), and at the back, there is a shelf with more satin pointe shoes on it than I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
- This old book store that sells back issues of Vogue that are absolutely ancient. It’s incredible what’s inside there. I haven’t had a proper look, but I intend to as soon as possible.
The weather’s been kind of mad. One minute there’s sun, the next minute there are raindrops tumbling out of the clouds above. It’s not heavy rain, though.
Winding Roads and Patisseries
My mom and I set out to find my apartment (successful) and then, via the Metro, my college building (successful). I was also delighted to find that about a one or two minute walk down the road there is a big plaza that houses a Starbucks, a Zara, AND an H&M. Shamelessly, my mom and I decided to duck out of the rain that randomly decided to come down, and passed the time in H&M buying the loveliest clothes. My mom is to blame for most of the stuff, actually. I was quite conservative – probably because I know I can come back there anytime I want for the next year. Win! Then, we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant a little further down the road. It was really good, and there was a lady there who noticed my poor mom trying to pronounce “du riz” and started speaking to us in English. She had a little dog that patiently waited for her under the table, and she made it do all these tricks.
There are people playing accordions everywhere. Next to the river and on the Metro.
Also, the Eiffel Tower keeps popping up when I least expect it. At one point, I saw it behind a bunch of buildings and it was so close it was ridiculous. I don’t know how it manages to be EVERYWHERE.
Versailles
Sussed out the RER today by taking a day trip to Versailles. One day is not enough.
We visited the Chateau there, where Louis XIV entertained his nobles and all that. The palace also has the biggest garden in the universe, and it’s beautiful. Then, over in a corner, is where Marie Antoinette used to pass the time. It was lovely. We walked until my legs felt like they’d fall of. No joke.
But we saw golden gates and flowers and pink marble. There was even a Laduree right outside.
Food of the day: A teramisu ice cream that was yuhm; a Caesar salad which was also yuhm; this little hot chocolate cake thing my mom ordered after dinner, and that, my friends, was heaven.
One of the most underrated things in Paris: baguette sandwiches at small shops and on the streets, delicious!