1. Going to the marché aux fleurs on île de la cité.
Weeks like this one remind me of how impossible it is to be bored in Paris. I can always wake up in the morning, open a Paris guide book to any page and say, “I think I’ll go here today.”
I do have to get to my homework eventually, but isn’t that what Sundays are for?
2. Celebrating Galentine’s Day (or as we like to call it: palentine’s day).
3. Drinking good coffee and being damn sexy.
4. A pink Valentine’s Day sunset while walking along the canal.
5. Breathtakingly beautiful stained glass at Saint Chapelle.
A spontaneously planned trip is always rather exciting and is made more exciting by a wild bus ride and a new city to explore, but I really do recommend taking the train if you go to London. It’s much quicker.
A clear and cold London evening.
Yes, I did just go to London about a month ago, but I guess I liked it so much I couldn’t stay away. And this trip had a much different purpose to the last. Instead of just touring, my friend Judy and I were on a mission, a very specific mission that involved one actor named Tom Hiddleston and our one chance to see him in his beautiful-ness in the play Coriolanus which was on its last weekend at the Donmar Warehouse in London.
It was dark and stormy Thursday evening when Judy and I boarded our coach to London, and after a night of little sleep, a bus driver who didn’t speak English or French, and a delayed ferry ride, we arrived in London on Friday morning around 8 AM.
(Judy took this lovely photo.)
It was beautiful on Friday, and after some friendly deli workers offered to watch our bags all day (if anyone ever tells you that Londoners are rude, they are very wrong) Judy and I toured the city with a sudden burst of energy.
We stayed that evening with my sister’s former house mom from the time she spent a semester in London. Having just read The Fellowship of the Ring, I felt a bit as if Judy and I were two hobbits, traveling through a strange land and receiving the nicest hospitality from people that we barely knew. We had a lovely dinner and slept peacefully in warm beds.
The next morning arrived quickly and we set off before sunrise to line up for day tickets to see T-Hiddles in Coriolanus only to arrive to a line full of people who had been there all night, too long for us to have the slightest chance at tickets. So, to avoid waiting in line for three hours only to be turned away empty-handed, Judy and I went to our second choice, the play Mojo starring Rupert Grint, Ben Whishaw, Colin Morgan, and Brendan Coyle (or as I like to call him, Mr. Bates).
Waiting in line to get tickets. Cold but worth it.
While in line, and throughout the rest of the trip, Judy and I often found ourselves wondering which celebrities would we queue in line all night for. (Next time you’re a party and there’s an awkward silence, it’s a question that will get people talking.)
After procuring our tickets, we set about enjoying London and were out and about for over 18 hours. (After counting up those hours I realize why I feel so tired today.)
Outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The faux 221B from BBC’s Sherlock.
So we may not have been able to see Tom Hiddleston take his shirt off in the much talked about shower scene of Coriolanus, but we still had a wonderful time in London (and got to see Ben Whishaw take his shirt off which was just as good really).
Now it’s time to drink lots of tea and try to recover from a cold that I put off recovering from while in London…
New Year’s Eve on December 31st in Paris was less than satisfying (much too crowded), so I was happy to have a second chance in celebrating the Lunar New Year this weekend. A day trip to Chartres–which I include in the celebration, though it had very little to do with the Chinese New Year–made for a wonderful New Year’s day and was then followed up with a party hosted by the lovely Judy Gu.
I used to wonder why my parents would wake up early on Saturday mornings and vacuum or go grocery shopping. I would lie in bed and think, “Aren’t weekends for relaxing and having fun?” But experience has taught me that if I don’t clean during the weekend, I wake up on Monday morning and can’t find my wallet because it’s buried under books and papers, and I end up haphazardly putting on wrinkly clothes from a pile on the floor. It makes for a hectic morning, the kind that turns the rest of the day (and possibly week) into a giant hot mess. It took me half of the year, but I have finally started cleaning on Saturday mornings (well ok, more like afternoons) and found it to be quite relaxing, made even more fun by listening to a little Pink Martini and dancing around.
After a frivolous winter break, life has begun to restart in Paris, and by life I mean school. While I’m not looking forward to waking up tomorrow and metro-ing across the city to get to class by 9 am, I am rather excited for a new quarter and a fresh start.
The latest street art on Oberkampf.
For my last day of freedom I strolled around Paris with Judy after attending church, stopping at 10 Belles for a cappuccino and then window shopping and looking at flowers in local florist shops.
Along Canal St. Martin.
Spring approaches and I am coming out of hibernation mode and ready for the second half of my year in Paris. I’ve always found New Year’s Resolutions to be useless; this year is no exception. But on top of that, I have no need for resolutions because I live in such an amazing city and am surrounded by amazing people and each day it makes me feel like living.
And now the ultimate end-of-winter-break question haunts me: why did I screw up my sleeping schedule so much? It is now 11:45 pm and I have the choice of watching a couple more episodes, or getting a good 8-hours in. Hopefully I make the right choice.
After Christmas, my family headed home and I hopped on a plane to Ireland with my friend Hannah. Ireland had never been very high on my “to go” list (which could do with the fact that I despise the color green) but once we arrived in Dublin I was glad I had chosen Ireland over any of the other places on my list.
The Irish people are all incredibly nice, the food is good, and the air almost always smells like beef jerky. Not only that, but the small towns surrounding Dublin hold some of the most incredible scenery I have ever seen.
Overlooking Killiney beach and the Irish sea.
Dublin’s River Liffey reflecting the city lights at night.
The city of Dublin held my interest for about two days, and once we had seen all the book shops and museums, and the beautiful Trinity college, Hannah and I went outside of Dublin to explore coastal towns, castles, and the Wicklow National Park area.
Living in Paris means being apart from the ocean, so I was relieved to be able to get some time near the sea. The water in Howth was so blue, and we sat and watched a group of kids getting sailing lessons.
Malahide Castle dates back to the 12th Century, and housed the same Irish family for 800 years. The castle was impressive, but my favorite part was the walled garden.
Kitty friend met me at the gate and then gave me a guided tour of the beautiful botanical gardens.
Seeing Irish sheep may have been the highlight of our trip…
Apparently this is Ireland’s largest waterfall, but it isn’t very big so I’ll just pretend the website I read was wrong.
Hannah and I did all the planning for our trip and I’m very happy with how smoothly it went, and with how much of Ireland I was able to see while there. It was a lovely vacation, and now I’m thoroughly worn out, sitting at home and planning my next trip. (I’m thinking Istanbul, or maybe Venice? Or maybe even El Camino de Santiago?? Just brainstorming here…)
Occasionally time moves so quickly that I think someone (or something) may be stealing it from me. But not everything is a Doctor Who episode, so instead I just sigh and say the tiresome phrase “time flies when you’re having fun.”
December was lost to me in a flurry of finals, food, new socks, and traveling. In the midst of the flurries I managed to grasp onto some events that will probably make up my most precious memories, the kind I will think of fondly when I am an elderly lady.
Some of the best cotton candy I have ever tasted, and I’m pretty sure I can still feel a slight burn in my legs from climbing all those steps in the Eiffel Tower.
Christmas was spent as it should be: with my family. But instead of our typical candle light Christmas Eve service, we attended midnight mass at the Notre Dame. And instead of opening presents by the tree on Christmas morning, we climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower, got cotton candy, and ate a Buche de Noël while watching Merry Christmas Mr. Bean on my laptop. Not a typical Christmas, but one that I will never forget.
Over the entire Christmas break I went to a total of 13 museums in three different countries. Mon pere et moi deserve the sit-down at Musee D’Orsay. (Also I must say we look quite angelic in that light).
My favorite part about spending Christmas in Paris with my family was probably the food. And the hot chocolate. (We went to Angelina’s. Twice.)
After Christmas, we spent four days in London, which was not nearly enough time for me to get over the culture shock of being in such a completely different city. I think London won me over the second I stepped into a Tube station and did not smell any urine. I have never seen a city more clean. I also loved being a tourist. Living in Paris, I try to shy away from doing touristy things, but while in London I had the time of my life taking a million pictures.
It felt so good to be with these three people again. And to have Lois do all the navigating so I could just tag along snapping pictures.
Apparently only the bell is called Big Ben?? I don’t really know, ask Lois.
A Hotel in Belgravia.
I didn’t see the Queen, or HRH Prince George but I did get to see Jeeves and Wooster the play, which was absolutely hilarious. Not only that, but I got to meet Lois’s house mom from her study abroad trip in London and pet her adorable kitty!
Matthew McFadyen (who plays Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice!) made an excellent Jeeves.
December wasn’t lost in the void, I was just too busy having the time of my life to notice the minutes pass by.
XOLily
PS: Stay tuned for the next episode: Most of January Got Lost in a Void Called Ireland.
Even for a warrior queen like me, homesickness happens. But not in the way I thought it would. Some of the things I miss are things I never even realized I loved.
Soil, Especially the smell of soil after it rains. Good tasting water. The ocean. Purring cats sitting on my lap while I’m trying to do homework. Fat free milk. The box of fruits and vegetables delivered to the front door by a handsome farmer boy every Thursday. Cats. Evergreen trees. Snails using the front porch as a highway. Driving on I-5. The couch where I sat and stared out the front window into the street. That really ugly Valentine’s Day mug I always used.
Today I was missing things, but my sadness quickly dispersed because it was such a sunny day, and as I was walking from the metro stop to school I saw a dog on a motorcycle. He was sitting in front of the driver, his front paws on the handle bars so it looked like the dog was the one driving. Ears flapping in the wind, his tongue hung out and his doggy lips were in the shape of a toothy smile. I was jealous. They were going rather fast, too, and passed before I could take a second glance. I laughed out loud and then looked around to see if anyone else had seen it. I wanted to say, “Did anybody just see that? That dog was driving a motorcycle!!” but I couldn’t think of how to say that in French and a man was already staring at me oddly for laughing out loud. So I continued to walk, but I knew my life had been changed.
Having Thanksgiving dinner in the Eiffel Tower was fantastic. All dressed up, we ate gourmet Thanksgiving-themed food while looking out at the sparkling lights of Paris and watching the boats go by on the Seine.
(Turkey stuffed with mascarpone, topped with foam. A side of scalloped potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. This was only the main course, the dessert was absolutely divine.)
Even with all the fanciness of dinner in the Eiffel Tower, it didn’t feel exactly like Thanksgiving. First off, we didn’t get to stuff ourselves to the point of food coma. But there was also a distinct lack of family that I felt, even with the distraction of being in the Eiffel Tower. It was, after all, my first ever Thanksgiving away from home.
In a way, however, my friends in Paris have made our own little family. All from different places, backgrounds, and cultures, we are displaced… perhaps even “global citizens.” But we are able to recreate the feeling of home that we miss just by getting together, making food, and playing games.
Our event last night was aptly named the “No Thanksgiving Leftovers Support Group.” Everyone contributed food, and using two kitchens we (well mostly Matthew, Dana, Julie, Jenna, and Judy… the rest of us chatted until it was ready) made a fantastic feast in order to celebrate both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.
My friend Dana made a mountain of delicious latkes and brought her menorah so that we could light the three candles. She even said the blessing in Hebrew (which was super cool) and then kindly explained to those of us who didn’t know (me) what it meant. Having never had homemade latkes before, I am now a number 1 fan.
Matthew, our resident cook and bringer of awesome, made some delicious Indian Chicken Masala, with tomatoes covered in lime juice to go on the side. Basically way more flavor than has ever been in France before now.
We didn’t have the elegant view of the Seine and the food may not have been as delicately arranged as on Thursday, but we still had an excellent time cooking and eating in each others company.
I realized that for me, Thanksgiving isn’t really about the food at all, but is more about the company and the act of being together. In the past I might have groaned about being dragged to an all day family event (please no one take offense but those parties are loonngg), but now I know how much I actually love it.
In fact, my favorite part about the fancy meal in the Eiffel Tower was not the food, or the view, or the wine, or anything like that. It was when my friend Hannah and I compared our family Thanksgiving traditions, talking about all the funny things that happen each year and what makes it special.
After eating our heart’s content of chicken masala and latkes, we all cleaned and then played games until the wee hours of the morning. There was some intense slap jack rounds, some hilarious impersonations, a game of Cards Against Humanity, and most of all, a ton of laughing.
I am incredibly thankful for Paris and the friends I have made here.
1. Going to the marché aux fleurs on île de la cité.
2. Celebrating Galentine’s Day (or as we like to call it: palentine’s day).
3. Drinking good coffee and being damn sexy.
4. A pink Valentine’s Day sunset while walking along the canal.
5. Breathtakingly beautiful stained glass at Saint Chapelle.
The latest street art on Oberkampf.
Along Canal St. Martin.
Lily Haight 