The illustrious Daniel told me that Oxford has a representation from every period of British architecture-that is to say, there is an example of every type of British architecture (ever) in Oxford. This means it has all sorts of charming old buildings and churches. It was definitely the most picturesque town we went to in Britain (granted we didn’t go to that many, I know there are a great many of them in Ol’ Blighty). We had a great day idling in a pub, wandering around, gaping at the technicolor ivy creeping up all the walls and peering into the gated university buildings. Every corner we turned there was some unique, incredibly picturesque detail and surprise. A secret bridge between to buildings, a tiny dome hidden behind a school wall, a giant wood gate with an immense peephole. It was incredible, the whole town was a just a jewel.

A gorgeous old building and big pile of bikes. You know you're in a university town now.

The beautiful spire of that building

Charming old door and entryway

Striking blue door in Oxford

Oxford University Press

Jude the Obscure, where we had lunch! Amazing food and such a great name!

Technicolor Ivy

After lunch we took a wander around town. The University campuses are sprinkled all over town so we strolled along peeking in through their guarded gates. Most of the campuses require an entry fee to enter and look around. They are lovely old buildings with lush green courtyards in the middle, most of the time. It would have been nice to visit one or two of them, but because we were dealing with pounds we were trying to save our nickels and pennies. I did get a chance to snap a couple of pictures of the inside areas.

Beautiful swirly door hinge, and a peek into the garden

How beautiful would this be to walk by every day to class?

I went a bit wild taking photos of Oxford. It was so beautiful! I could have spent a week looking around and admiring the town.

I loved this drainpipe with a little green oasis growing out of it.

One of Oxford's charming Spires

Open Window

Another example of Oxford's diverse architecture

A view of Christopher Wren's Sheldonian Theatre.

Blood red ivy in Oxford

Red Ivy taking over this buildings facade

Door within a door

Just your typical super cool covered bridge between two buildings. Why walk on the street when you can do this?

Door handle

Floral carvings

Golden Gate, looking into campus courtyard

The Radcliffe Camera

Oxford Church

Vintage Bike for a Cafe sign

The bones of ivy

Little hidden dome

Oxford Examination Schools

Where Examinations are dropped off I suppose!

Boats and Punts on the Oxford Canal

Oxford Canal

Domes

Stained glass door

Thought this was a bit of a stretch, Burritos via Mexico, via San Francisco, to the UK

Christ Church

Keyhole Gate

We spent the twilight hours in a cafe on Rose Place, sketching the Christ Church. Our day trip to Oxford was a wonderful change of pace. The town was peaceful and lovely and seems infinitely explorable. Besides it’s obvious interest with the University there, the architecture and general learned atmosphere were a wonderful experience.

<3 Chelsea

The Rosetta Stone, with Greek, Demotic and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

The Mold Gold Cape, found in Wales dating between 1600-1900 BC!

Glass vessels

And now for the jewelry section. Sorry fellas….

Cameo carved out of gems

Beautiful gold and turquoise Swallow brooch

Lots of Swallow brooches!!!!

Butterfly and Moth brooches made out of minerals and gems

Ivy crown!! Can I wear this everyday? British from around 1900

Incredible lizard bracelet! Why don't they make jewelry like this anymore?

More fabulous flower and fruit brooches

Double Swallow brooch!

Ok, end of the jewelry section. Thanks for indulging me!

Eric and Brett's friend Hanna check out the inner workings of a clock.

Crazy gold boat, that is actually a clock!!

Eric and Brett check out the extensive clock collection

Amazing old cash register

Clay Vessels

Ancient turquoise dish

Pharaoh figurines

Pidcock's (is there any better name?) Royal Menagerie, featuring the ONLY black swan ever seen in the Kingdon and a cow with 2 heads!

Old spelling of animals including an Afs, a Horfe and a Wolfe

Full Samurai suit!

Eric, Brett and Hanna ponder what it's like to hold a Katana.

Samurai saddle and stirrups with mother of pearl inlay

Copy of Hokusai's "The Great Wave"

What an incredible museum to take in. And we only scratched the surface! And it was free! Can you imagine? That is the beauty of british museums, many if not a majority are free. All these amazing relics and all this information is at anyone’s fingertips in London. How lucky are they?

Next stop: Oxford!

<3 Chelsea

Bonfire night in Lewes

Loads of people in Lewes for Guy Fawkes Night

An effigy of Guy Fawkes to burn

These pictures might indeed look like a war zone set on fire, and I must say that that was the general atmosphere of the whole night. Dan’s brother, John and his girlfriend, Rosie, rented a mini van and we all, plus their friend Smuggo, drove down to the city of Lewes (is it pronounced Loooos, or Louis? We’re still not sure) for the festivities, about 2 hours outside of London. Apparently, this city is renowned for their Bonfire night celebrations, where the surrounding four towns, plus Lewes, join up for a night of parades, fireworks, drinking and general madness.

Citizens dressed up as pirate smugglers

Fire, fire, everywhere

Citizen dressed up as a british foot soldier....bottle feeding his baby

And some people were dressed as Vikings

Little boys dressed up as Firefighters

Laura, enjoying the lights

Following the parade groups were men towing sawed off oil barrels (half barrels) in which they piled up the torches people dropped.

*At the end of the video I’m crouching behind Eric because I was too scared!

Basically, everyone was dressed up from the time period of Guy Fawkes and was marching around in a parade carrying torches. In a lovely addition, they were also dropping M-1000 fireworks on the ground every so often (i.e. every 2-3 minutes) that create a huge bang, a huge fireball, and a huge flash of light. Those bangs you hear in the video above are the little “firecrackers” everyone was dropping! KABOOM!

To be honest, this really freaked me out for the first few minutes, when I looked at Laura after the first barrage and she shouted “I’m SOOO SORRY WE BROUGHT YOU HERE” I felt a bit better. Like “Ok, I’m less of a wimp”. But after a while, we got used to the noise and the fire and got into the mood. We thought this was what all the bonfire nights were like and then Dan told us no, he’d never been to one this big before. When I asked, “Isn’t someone worried about people getting hurt? Isn’t someone going to sue someone???” they replied, “You’re such an American. No one is thinking like that here.” Fair point.

Dan is stoked.

War Veterans memorial. The whole crowd sat for a minute's silence. In the middle of all that madness, it was really powerful.

Lighting a torch before setting of the Veterans effigies

Lights going off during the Veterans memorial

Dan and John

"No Popery", a big theme in Bonfire Night. Apparently Guy Fawkes was a Catholic so "no popery" reinforces the fact that Bonfire Night celebrates his demise.

Effigy of the Pope

Gaddafi effigy. Yowza!

We ended the night on top of the hill above town, watching three simultaneous firework shows go off across the sky of the valley. Laura had brought sparklers so we played around with those for a while too. I won’t get into how we almost got in a fight with a pack of 14 year olds. You’ll have to wait to hear about that one!

Dan and Laura, sparkling

Firework casing I found

All in all, it was definitely one of the most exciting nights of our trip. We would have never even known about it except for Dan and his brother. We were really excited to be able to experience it. I hope we’re there next year for it!

<3 Chelsea

Harry Potter effigy!

Did you know Big Ben is actually just the name of the big bell inside the Tower?

Lion in front of a statue by Parliament

Parliament

Golden Flags, London

Westminster Abbey towers over Eric.

This gargoyle had plants growing out of it's head. Teehee.

Big Ben at Night

London Eye

Eric and I in front of Big Ben and Parliament

Next up, Guy Fawkes Night!

<3 Chelsea

Here are some snaps from that market, and the nearby Brick Lane.

Inside Liverpool Street Station, on the way to Spitalfield's

Fresh baked goods at Spitalfields

Union Jack and ice skates....

Bobby Hat

Brick Lane is an interesting area. Laura regaled me with it’s history: the area originated as a haven for the Huguenots who had fled France, then the Irish followed, then the Jews and now the Bengali (from Bangladesh).  It’s becoming gentrified by the hipsters moving in with many, many vintage shops and one-off coffeehouses but it is also the outpost of the Bengali community in London, with curry house after curry house (all professing to be the TOP in London) lining up beside the vintage shops. It’s an interesting diverse area that’s got two very different communities residing within it.

Watch out for that Stork!

Brick Lane. In English and Bengali.

Old Truman Factory, Brick Lane

We met up with Laura and Dan that night for some gourmet pizza (pumpkin and goat cheese, oh yes) in a place Eric and I would have never found. Love seeing a city with locals!

<3 Chelsea

Laura was one of my very first interns in my old job. She struggled with me while I learned the ropes of being a “manager” (which was a bit laughable as we’re the same age), and helped me through that busy period of my life. She and her boyfriend were living in San Francisco for 6 months in their post college days, volunteering and interning. Laura is awe-inspiring Laura. I mean, this woman is studying to be a teacher and working with outer city kids, is smart as a whip, keeps a beautiful home, is a wonderful cook and has amazing style to boot. I don’t know any one else who can pull of the Michelle Williams pixie cut like Laura. Basically, I want to marry the woman but she’s already with Dan, who, let’s face it, is much more handsome than I am, so I need to move on with my broken heart. Anyway, I love her very much and am inspired by her every day.

Being as gracious as she is, she fetched us from the train station and accompanied us back to her lovely home, just across the road from the Arsenal tube station. They have an adorable place, perfectly decorated, so stylish, but comfortable and minimal. Dan and Laura welcomed us with some home made soup and dug in to hear all our travel stories up to that point. We had a great night catching up with friends (a rare treat for us who are always alone) and learning about our new neighborhood.

A note about the graciousness of our hosts. As I mentioned, we showed up expecting to just stay one week, because as anyone who’s had a house guest knows, a week is a long time for two idiots with giant back packs to invade your home.  They asked  “How long are you staying? One month? Two months?” (I wish!). They would hear nothing of us leaving before my Mom came. “It’s nothing to us, we’re glad to have you here.” Laura and Dan’s generosity knew no bounds. They welcomed us to their food, their space and their lives without a second thought. We would never have been able to stay in London for as long as we did, without their generosity. And indeed, we wouldn’t have liked it half as much as we did, if they weren’t there to share it with.

Our first day was spent tootling around our new neighborhood. We took a big walk up to Highbury, Islington Green and Angel to discover the area. We liked it immediately. It was our kind of place with cute boutique shops (ok, that’s my type of place), nice coffee shops (that’s Eric’s type of place) and one of a kind cafes, restaurants and a nice one screen movie theatre. Here are some photos of our home away from home.

The tree outside Laura and Dan's house, showing us it's beautiful autumn colors.

When we arrived London was in full Autumn, cool, crisp, autumnal.

Roses in the neighborhood

Blue door and checked tiles in Aresenal

Clock tower in Highbury, Islington

Autumn leaves in Highbury Fields

Highbury Fields

Autumnal light

"A church for atheists"

Upturned chairs on Upper Street, the local high street

"No football colours", no team colors means no fights

Islington Green, green space on Upper Street next to the movie theatre Screen on the Green

Camden Passage near Upper Street, home of the African Waistcoat Company. That old man was embroidering on a chair across from his store.

Get Stuffed, the local taxidermy shop. Of course.

Checkerboard steps

Conservatory patio at the Blue Legume cafe on Church Street

The Blue Legume

Cafe Vintage, our closest cafe....

...an adorable cafe with a teeny vintage store in the back and yummy coffee and baked goods in the front.

Cafe Vintage

As we were in London for so long, I’ll cover it in shorter posts about all the fun things we did. Next time, Spitalfield’s vintage market!

<3 Chelsea

We were surprised one day when we decided to check out the area of the 5eme district when we exited the metro. We walked out into a full blown “Magic: The Gathering” trading expo! Right on the street! One of those times when you realize that certain things don’t just exist in America. After we picked up some on-the-go crepes, we headed over to see the Pantheon.

The Pantheon

"Through great men our patrimony is recognized"

The 5eme district includes the Latin Quarter, the traditionally student area, and includes most of the faculties for the university of La Sorbonne. On the Pantheon from Wikipedia, “It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens”. Some people interred there include Voltaire, Victor Hugo (author of the Hunchback of Notre Dame), Emile Zola and Pierre and Marie Curie.

Door to the Pantheon

Seafoam green window grates

Just your average old beautiful apartment building in Paris

We wandered for a while, exploring this area and really getting to like it. One of the most famous roads in this area is Rue Mouffetard which often is at market, with fresh food sellers.

Rue Mouffetard

This area has a lot of charm. The younger studenty vibe, the mom and pop food shops and cafes; lots and lots of flower shops don’t hurt either. This actually became one of our favorite neighborhoods as it was much quieter than most the rest of Paris but still had interesting streets salt and peppered throughout the neighborhood. There was a good energy and it also has the classic Paris look and feel that you picture when you imagine the city.

Ivy.

The next day we tried our luck at visiting l’Eglise de Sainte-Chapelle. This church is not as famous as Notre Dame but I would say it is the second most visited church in Paris after it. It is actually located inside the Palais du Justice, the city courts. I’d never been before because I was always scared off by the lines, but we decided that it was time to make it happen.

We did wait in line for about 40 minutes, but we were entertained by a mime of sorts, who was dressed in all black, with a scary flesh colored mask over his head who made sport of all the people passing by. His stature was so small, and his dress so plain that he mysteriously would blend in with everyone walking by. He even got me when we were walking up to the line. Eric and I were walking along, but not holding hands, and someone grabbed my hand to hold it. Thinking it was Eric I looked over to see this hideous mask staring back at me! I shrieked and jumped! And then everyone waiting in line laughed. I realized after a few moments that it was a joke and he was doing it to everyone, but oh what a fright he gave me at first! Then we spent the rest of the time waiting in line watching him do the same to others. At least it made the time pass. Frustratingly, we realized the reason why the line was so long was simply because there were only 2 guards running ancient metal detectors who had to check everyone going into the Palais du Justice and courts as well tourists visiting Sainte-Chapelle. Once we passed these there was no line. Oh well, the inside of the church was worth it.

Mini Sainte Chapelle's carved into the façade

You enter on the ground floor to a normal looking church with beautiful cobalt blue and gold frescoes on the ceiling and walls with fleur-de-lys all over.

Ceiling of Sainte Chapelle

Altar section of Sainte Chapelle's first floor

Then you climb the stairs to the top floor where the pièce de résistance awaits. The stained glass windows. Essentially, the entire church, from half way up the wall to the high, high ceiling is comprised of stained glass windows.

The Altar at Sainte Chapelle

Altar at Sainte Chapelle

You can see the sun pass in and out of the clouds by how much light is filtering through the windows which creates a beautiful, almost aquarium like effect. The windows are all very intricate depicting most of the bible stories.

Sunshine in Sainte Chapelle

Close up of the stained glass windows at Sainte Chapelle

After Sainte-Chapelle we spent the rest of the day drawing the Notre Dame and walking along the Seine.

The trees from Notre Dame

The next day we took a tour of the Opera Garnier in downtown Paris. This is one of my favorite things to do and I enjoy it every time, even though I had already taken this tour twice before this. The Opera Garnier is the famous Opera where “The Phantom fo the Opera” takes place. The building is amazing architecturally and the inside is full of interesting nooks and crannies. Our guide was fantastic. Always take this tour with a guide, it is completely worth it. Only a few dollars more and you get tons of information.

Opera Garnier

Our guide at Opera Garnier, the funniest part was when she trash talked the other Opera house in Paris because it was only built in the 80's, rather than 1860's like this one. Teehee.

Looking up from the Grand Staircase in Opera Garnier

Chandelier

Tea panel in the former restaurant

The first women to enter the Grand Foyer was a widowed royal from Spain. Women were only allowed to enter this hall accompanied by men at the time and as she was widowed, she had no way to go in. The paintings on the ceiling by Paul Baudry were the talk of the town and she wanted to see them. Not giving a fig, she decided to go ahead anyway and she went in and said in quite a loud voice "I am very pleased to see the paintings of Monsieur Baudry. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!". From then on, women were allowed to roam freely!

Mosaic from the Grand Foyer, Palais Garnier

One of my favorite rooms, this is called the Vestibule of Night; featuring moons, stars and bats. The Vestibule of Day on the other side of the Grand Foyer features suns, rays and dragons.

Detail of stars in the Vestibule of Night

The auditorium in Opera Garnier, you can see the set design for their current show

Chagall ceiling at Opera Garnier

Seating at the Opera Garnier

Former fountain

Eric and I also spent a lovely day at the Musée Rodin. This museum is located in Rodin’s former residence and one of the best parts about it, since it’s mostly a sculpture museum, is that a majority of the works are outside in his garden. The museum is much less expensive than the other more popular museums, and you can spend time just strolling around the garden viewing the works and relaxing in the middle of rose bushes. We saw his major works like the Gates of Hell and the Thinker.

Musee Rodin and le jardin

The Embrace

by Rodin

Eric at Musée Rodin

The toilette of Venus by Rodin

by Rodin

We picnicked there and rounded off our afternoon by sketching. Even though it was a chilly fall day, the changing colors of the leaves in the trees and the fresh air were too much of a draw to go inside.

Roses chez Rodin

Red Ivy

Fall Ivy, Musee Rodin

Holly

Le jardin au Musee Rodin

On Halloween we celebrated by climbing up the Eiffel Tower, by the stairs! Woohoo! It was to see the city from such a different point of view, and point our all the sights from way up high. We could even look down at the fog and light blocking our view from the base of the Tower. It was amazing to try and fathom how high you are, and how much light the tower emits. If you can’t celebrate Halloween, then going up the Eiffel Tower instead ain’t half bad, right?

View from the Eiffel Tower

Bateau sur la Seine

Paris from the Eiffel Tower

Sur la Tour Eiffel

On our last day I finally took Eric inside the Notre Dame, just because it seemed silly that we had lived so close to it for 3 weeks and had never been inside.

Candlelight

Rose Window, Notre Dame

Shining Light

Model of the Notre Dame

Open Window

After we strolled through we walked over to the Louvre to see if we could revisit it and maybe do some museum sketching. We walked over only to realize that the Louvre was closed that day! Oh well. We walked through the Jardin des Tuileries and took some last Fall photographs of the park.

Fall Trees, Jardin des Tuileries

Eric in Paris

Jardin des Tuileries

Fall in the Jardin des Tuileries

Red leaf

Afterwards, we walked around the area of Opera to find a cafe. After finding something suitable, we spent our remaining hours in Paris sipping cafe au lait’s and sketching. Low key as it was, it was the perfect way to end our time there. Doing what we love in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Forever my home away from home, and now Eric’s too.

Our subject

Eric's postcard

My take

In french there are many ways to say goodbye. The strongest and most final being “Adieu”, which literally translated is “At God”, meaning when we’re both facing God is when I’ll see you again. There’s “Au revoir”, meaning when I see you again. There’s “A tout a l’heure” -I’ll see you quite soon, at the hour of meeting, usually abbreviated as “A tout!”. And, there is “à bientôt”, meaning, I’ll see you soon. This is how I will say goodbye to Paris this time. Not with finality, but neither with the certainty of when I will see my city again-just with the intonation of hope that it will be sooner, rather than later, when I’m back in my little Parisian oasis. Although Paris and I have had our differences in the past, this city is magical-no matter how cliché it sounds. It casts a spell over those who love it and will always hold a reserved place in their heart. Simply, it is too beautiful to ever forget or let go of. I don’t know when I’ll see it again, but I leave the city this time with nothing but love in my heart and look forward to when I will see it again, au revoir.

Next stop London!

<3 Chelsea

We started Brett’s week off right with something small, a gentle introduction to Paris if you will, with a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Hello ma belle

We spent the day eating baguettes, brie, grapes, wine and Schweppes Agrum. Eric and I drew while Brett caught up with two friends he had made in Venice.

Eric and I drawing at the picnic

Picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, bit of stormy weather on the horizon

We decided to stroll all the way home from the Eiffel Tower and see the sights along the Seine. We ended up coming upon a peaceful demonstration for freedom for Tibet.

Brett and his friends in front of one of the many, many merry-go-rounds in Paris.

Eiffel Tower from Trocadero. You can see the storm clouds moving away.

Peaceful protest for the freedom of Tibet

Fall Colors along the Seine, photo by Eric

Chelsea and Little Brett

Walking along the quai of the Seine, caught the tail end of a Bateau Mouche bearing the French flag!

Can't resist just one more. The sky was so beautiful that day.

We stopped in at the Petit Palais, a free museum in Paris, to warm up and take a breather. Unwittingly, we got into a special preview of the new exhibition happening there-basically, we were at the museum after hours. We poked around the museum, and the new exhibition, Elles changent l’Inde (Women who change India), and got warm again.

Entrance to the Petit Palais

The Grand Palais from the Petit Palais, in purple

Beautiful railing detail in the Petit Palais

The Eiffel Tower and the Elephant by Jules Ernest Renoux, from the Petit Palais

After we had had our fill, we kept on towards home. The walk was a lot longer than I had anticipated (and sold the rest of the group on), so we rewarded ourselves with a big spaghetti dinner upon returning home.

The next day, Brett met me at Bastille and we walked back through the Marais district and Place des Vosges.

Place des Vosges

That night, we went out to a wonderful jazz club called L’Atelier Charonne. An amazing spot that specializes in gypsy jazz or jazz manouche.  We knew we wanted to visit this spot that night, but when we looked up who was playing that night we were shocked to discover that it was David Reinhardt, grandson of Django Reinhardt-King and Father of gypsy jazz! We spent a wonderful evening listening to him play (literally, like it was nothing, he played with the guitar as if it was a toy, effortlessly). After we visited a few bars in the Bastille area before heading home for the night.

The next day, my good friend Joy (who is nothing but sweetness and light), invited us to join her at attending the FIAC!. I wasn’t familiar with the FIAC! (Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain) before this but it turns out the be a very special event, every year in Paris, where gallery owners from all over the city converge in the Grand Palais (across the street from the Petit Palais) and put forth the most promising artists that they know. All the gallery owners have, essentially, market stalls (but very fancy of course) and are introducing the public to new artists and are selling their works as well. We found out that this is a very, very popular event in Paris and we were really lucky to get to go with Joy. As it was modern art, we had a fun time discovering the surprising works throughout the beautiful space.

The Grand Palais is one of my very favorite buildings in Paris because of this amazing glass roof.

Organization Balloons at the FIAC!

Brett is French.

Darth Vader slays all the Harry Potter books

And then there was this thing....yikes!!!

We walked home from the FIAC and grabbed crepes at my favorite spot, La Boulangerie de Papa in the 4eme. Brett adored his first real crepe.

Brett and his crêpe

I've lost my boyfriend to a crêpe.....

....it's ok because I love this crêpe more than him anyway! So there!

Then we walked from the 4eme home, passing in front of the Notre Dame. Time for some more photos! Naturellement!

Brett and Chelsea in front of the Notre Dame

Night Café, photo by Eric

Notre Dame at night, photo by Eric

Night boat on the Seine

And then we saw this thing....

Poetry anti-war machine and it's maker....

oh yes, and it was a fountain. So a mobile-poetry-anti-war-fountain.

Hôtel de Ville colors, photo by Eric

Photo ghosts in front of Hôtel de Ville, photo by Eric

The next day, I took Brett to my old neighborhood, Montmarte, to introduce him. First he wanted to see the infamous Moulin Rouge and so I obliged by getting off the metro at Blanche, so he could see. As I anticipated he was a bit underwhelmed by what he found. In fact, he told me he didn’t even know that was it until I pointed it out to him.

Moulin Rouge

Upon arrival, we found that there was an Festival d’Automne (Autumn Fair) happening. Lots of artisan food sellers were out in stalls all along Rue d’Abbesses and in the main square, Place d’Abbesses, there was a Ferme Vivante {more on that in a minute}.

Le Deux Moulins café, where Amélie worked

Abbesses Metro station in Montmarte

We bought some organic Macarons from this vendor at the festival

And then I bought a doughnut because....well....because!!

A Ferme Vivante, means living farm, and seeing this fulfilled all of Brett and my cute meters for the rest of time. I would compare it to a mobile petting zoo, and the “Farmer” also puts on a little show with kids, teaching them about the animals (how to milk a goat, etc.). They absolutely loved it and we spent what could easily have been 45 minutes watching. Basically, Brett and I (and let me say, mostly Brett) spent the whole time squealing at how cute the animals (and kids) were and trying to pet the baby lamb.

The Farmer and his farm hands

Hello Goose.

Wheeeee!!!

I tried to steal this baby lamb. I'm not ashamed!

The baby lamb and his best friend, Pig.

Un petit veau

Un petit Brett

Les petits lapins

Les petits canards! Am happy to say I've successfully smuggled one of these in my bag! Pierre, you're coming to America!!!

Having finally pet the baby lamb, we felt that we could leave and see the rest of Montmarte. We strolled around and drank in the big white teapot, the Sacré Coeur.

On Brett’s second to last day, we braved the Sunday crowds in the Marais (the only district that’s open) and started off with a Falafal at the king of Falafal’s, L’as du Falafal.

True. Spotted this in line at Falafal.

Happy Camper with his falafal

We walked a few blocks away to sit and eat our falafals, when all of a sudden we heard a loud thumping beat. That morning had been the final game in the Rugby cup between France and New Zealand. I assumed that France had won and some group had gotten together to celebrate. The beat got steadily louder and then we heard a piano with it….huh?

We were perched on a circle cement in the middle of a very small roundabout. In the middle of the roundabout was a tree. Out of the street in front of us, all of a sudden, poured out a mass of people. Wait, people? No they were definitely zombies!!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!! The zombie invasion was underway!!!!

Unnervingly real life zombies came spilling through the streets in front of us, all around us and nearly through us! The were climbing trees and walls and pulling down helpless victims from the windows!

Beginning of the Zombie Walk...

Zombies pushing a zombie keyboard player

Cerveauxxxxx...Cerveauxxxx.....

Zombie signs

It was amazing because some of these people had very professional looking makeup-really life like and vivid! If we had to guess, we would say there were 1,000 people in the parade. Everyone was completely in character and ready to scare you. This whole thing was so amazing because it was obviously totally coordinated but still had a very subversive feeling about it. And, in my opinion, Paris is a pretty reserved place. Yes, it is an artists city. Yes, Paris sets the trends for a lot of fashion. But, in my experience living there most people pretty much fall in line with the Parisian norm. I got A LOT of weird looks when I wore my retro dresses out in town. How come you’re not wearing all grey and skinny jeans?!?!?! One day, when it was about 34 degrees out (about 93 Farenheit) I wore a short skirt because, well, it was REALLY REALLY HOT. Oh the glares I got! Nobody wore short skirts in Paris then and it was a shock to everyone. One time, my friend wore shorts out to a restaurant at night, one hot humid summer night and someone asked if she was going to the pool! It’s hot people! Sometimes we dress accordingly! We’re from California!

So flash forward 5 years later, and a bunch of Parisians are marching down the street as zombies-which is admittedly actually weird! Look how far they’ve come! To me, this was a huge indicator that Paris had changed. In my opinion, for the better. If people feel free enough to get dressed up as real life zombies, and march down the street in the name of zombie pride, chasing people around and growling “Mangeeeeezzzzz, Mangeeeeezzz. Cerveauxxxxxx, Cerveauxxxxxx” {Eaaaat, Eaaat. Braaaiinnss, Braaaaiins.} then Paris has come become much more accepting by leaps and bounds. Well done Paris.

Zombies pulling down victims from windows! Ahhhhhh!!!

After all the zombie excitement, we zipped over to the Eiffel Tower to take a Bateau Mouche-one of the long, many windowed boats that trawl the Seine on a sightseeing tour {so named because the windows looks like the eyes of flies, and mouche means fly}. As my Mom always says, seeing a city from the water is one of the best ways to see a city. We sailed along, drinking in Paris from the rivers point of view; watching the city slide from day to dusk.

The National Assembly

River Tour by Bauteau Mouche

More Bateaux Mouches in front of the Musee d'Orsay on the Seine

Notre Dame via the Bateau Mouche

Backside of Notre Dame, my favorite side from the Bateau Mouche

Pont de Bir-Hakeim

Eiffel Tower at dusk via the Bateau Mouche

Just as Eric and I got up to take a photo, the Eiffel Tower lit up!

Bonsoir Paris!

Since we were already there we visited the Eiffel Tower again!

Who are those nerds in front of the Eiffel Tower?

On Brett’s last day he woke up at an ungodly hour to climb up the Eiffel Tower. Upon his return, we zoomed over to the Louvre, to make sure he saw some of the classics before he left Paris.

Venus de Milo at the Louvre

Cupid and Psyche

Winged Victory

Secret backstock room at the Louvre, piles of treasures just heaped on top of each other!

Doorknob in the King's former apartments

My preferred method of transport: Tortoise.

Although it was a brief trip, we did see the biggies and saw some lesser visited wings that held some breathtaking treasures. Eric and I planned to come back, which ended up not working out but as those who have visited the Louvre know, you can go back a million times and still find more to visit. Next time Paris!

Back at the apartment we toasted Brett’s departure with a “see you soon” drink. We were going to be in London at the same time and promised to see him there. Leaving is easier when you know you’ll see friends soon, but it was still hard to see him leave after having such a good friend around constantly for a week. The toughest thing about extended travel is missing your loved ones, so this small comfort was a true pleasure and relief during Brett’s week with us. Luckily, we had a few more friends to visit and a few more things to see during our next and final week. The full report on that soon to come!

<3 Chelsea

Nerds.

After literally spending 4 months in straight Summer (with a brief break from Summer weather in Scandanavia) we arrive in Paris where it is decidedly Fall. Overcast, moody, and misty-this is the Paris I remember.

We pretty much spent the first week just relaxing and soaking in the Parisian vibe. Walking around, visiting cafes, enjoying the fresh air and completely different feel that Paris has, compared to anywhere else. I’m a bit spoiled having lived in Paris, because it’s one of the cities were every step you take you are bombarded by something beautiful, historical or at the very least, interesting.

Part the reason why we’re having such a good time, is because we’ve got a fabulous little apartment. We’re right in the heart of town, in the 3eme arrondissment, about 1 block away from the Centre Pompidou and right next to one of my favorite districts, the Marais.

Our place in Paris, 3eme arrondissement

The Marais is a mix of the jewish district and the gay district, so as everyone knows, these are always the most fun districts in town! It’s also becoming the trendy neighborhood where thrift stores are cropping up more and more, and independent retailers abound. It’s got personality and a great atmosphere for sure. It’s also one of the only areas in Paris that is open on Sunday since most things are closed on Saturday for Shabat instead.

Enjoying decidedly the best Falafal on the planet, at L'as du Falafal in the Marais. As they say, "toujours imité jamais égalé", or "Always imitated, never equalled". Or even more importantly, "Recommended by Lenny Kravtiz".

Needless to say we had a wonderful time and our first week is a blur of wonderful memories, beautiful pictures and yummy food. I’ll tell you all about it through pictures a few words, but first a funny story about our first morning.

When we arrived we had about an hour before we needed to meet our host and get the keys to our place, etc. so we stopped in a cafe for an true petit dejeuner á la français. The special was a coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice and a pastry, croissant or pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant). Ok, parfait! We enjoyed our first meal in Paris and went to meet our host. After we did meet with her, I mentioned to Eric that the American Diner I used to eat at once a week was just a few blocks away. That put everything on hold. “It’s time for pancakes” he said, and off we went for our second breakfast of the day! American style! Eric had a big stack of chocolate chip pancakes and I had a breakfast burrito. Bienvenue en la France! When the waiters forgot to bring my toast, and I asked for it, they said “Are you sure you want it? I guarantee you won’t be able to finish that burrito.” I replied in turn, “Friend, you don’t know how longs it’s been since I’ve had a burrito. It will be no problem.” When I finished that and the toast, they were all impressed. Man did I miss a good ol’ American breakfast. And I can get delicious french food, and american breakfast in one city! Vive la France! Vive Paris!

Ok, now for the photos, that’s why we’re all here isn’t it?

North end of the Louvre, in the Jardin de Tuileries on our first day

Did you notice the sailboats in the fountain? They're from this guy. He's been here since I lived here and I was glad he's still at his trade.

My view of the Louvre

My sketch of the Louvre

On our second day, we walked from our house to the Palais Royal, on the way to the Opera. This is the Jardin du Palais Royal

All around the Jardin du Palais Royal there are some pretty fancy shops. I've always loved this one that sells old military medals and paraphenalia.

Opera Garnier. We tried to visit the first week but the theatre was closed for rehearsals that day so we decided to come back another time.

Place des Vendôme at sunset, we walked here after the Opera

Amazing light post in Place des Vendôme

Who doesn't love a big blue door?

Then we walked home via Rue de Rivoli, enjoying a purple sunset.

My sketch of the Metro, yet to be watercolored...

Nightime at Louvre-Rivoli

One day we walked around the Left Bank and Notre Dame

Self portrait in the back of Notre-Dame

After exploring the île-de la Cité we walked around the 6eme arrondissement and enjoyed Happy Hour at a bar down this alley.

Of course we strolled along the Champs-Elysees, here te Fall colors were in in full effect.

Love those metros signs....

We also visited the famous La Duree on the Champs-Elysees. They are renowned for their Macarons. We had 4 minis, rose petals, caramel with sea salt, black forest (dark berries and chocolat mix), and espresso. We sat in front of the Arc de Triomphe and munched.

Of course, I took Eric on a thorough tour of my old neighborhood the 18eme arrondissement, otherwise known as Montmarte. Some of you may be familiar with the neighborhood as it’s where the movie Amelie takes place. Montmarte still retains that old Paris charm and I absolutely loved living there. Many of my favorite Paris memories are wrapped up in the loveliness of those cobbled streets.

One of my favorite stores in my neighborhood, right around the corner from my old house called Tombees du Camion, literally meaning "Stuff that fell off the back of the truck". Basically, wonderful bits and bobs from the Flea Market.

The old brick chuch in Montmarte, otherwise known as Eglise St. Jean de Montmartre

There was a Flea Market going on in Place des Abbesses, we took our time exploring and enjoying.

The Sacré Coeur at sunset

In front of my sacred heart

We ate dinner at my old cafe, Le Chinon, on rue des Abbesses. This is a picture of their ceiling withe the beautiful lamps.

Le Chinon

I took Eric to see the old moulin that is still intact up on the hill. Of course, it is now a fancy restaurant.

And finally, to end the week in the very best way possible, we made new friends! One of my friends, Sarah, introduced me to her friend Andrea, who lives with her french husband Jean, in Paris. They generously invited us over for dinner, and we loved them right away! They are those great sort of people who are warm, laugh easily and often and you can pass hours chatting with and it seems like mere minutes. We were so glad to make some new, real friends! Thanks again Jean and Andrea! We miss you already!

Jean, Andrea, Chelsea and Eric

Our first week was one of our most enjoyable (well, I guess they’re all enjoyable huh?). Whiling away the hours in one of the worlds most beautiful cities, exploring a new culture and way of life. Learning the ins and outs of your neighborhood and eating like a local. Life is so good. I am so lucky to be on this trip, to be with Eric and to have Paris as my second home, now and forever.

Our second week Little Brett came to visit! Those pictures and memories coming soon!

<3 Chelsea

Our bedroom in Barcelona

The View from our Balcony, Barcelona

Our staircase in Barcelona, first pole in the banister turns on the first floor....

Our apartment and the building was full of tons of funky tile that Barcelona is known for.

Our host, Francisco, had told us that there was an Air Show going on at the beach, so on our first day we took the metro out to see the spectacle. It was amazing! It was fun to do something that one usually never sees in another country. Being from San Diego, I’m used to the Blue Angels Airshow but this was quite different. They had plans come on like “acts” so there was a bi-plane flying around doing tricks for one act, a giant 777 careening around turning in the air (bit terrifying really), a group of fighter pilots like the blue angels, streaming red and yellow smoke (Catalan colors).

Red and Yellow smoke, Barcelona Air Show

Parachutist!

Fighter pilots

Hola mi corazón!

Streaming smoke, Barcelona Air Show

Our wonderful friends Kat and Romero used to live in Barcelona so we arrived with a whole list of things to do and tons of information. First stop, their old neighborhood:  the Barri Gotic, or Gothic Barrio. This is the neighborhood that Barcelona is known for, lots of dark and mysterious winding alleyways all centered around a Gothic-Baroque Church. We wound our way through this neighborhood several times throughout our stay here as we made our way to and from home. We were a bit surprised to see how much of it consisted of shops, but you can tell that there are also undiscovered treasures lying among the tangled alleys.

Barri Gotic, Barcelona

Twinkle Lights, Twinkle!

Art Nouveau door in Barri Gotic

Of course we visited what must be the most important site to see in Barcelona-the Sagrada Familia.

La Sagrada Familia, Nativity Facade

Even though I had visited once before I was excited to come back, take photos and draw. The Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family, i.e. Joseph, Mary and Jesus) is the epitome of whimsical, art nouveau design. Construction started in 1882 and is still going! That’s 129 years folks! Completion is estimated for 2028. Gaudi is rumored to have remarked on the amount of time the construction would take, “My client is not in a hurry.”

Each facade represents a different period in Jesus’ life from Nativity, the Passion and the Glory. Each facade is done in a different style to underscore the themes and lessons from each period of Jesus’ life. It’s almost as if the building in and of itself is a story book. The front Nativity Facade is filled with plants and animals, farmers and shepherds and is meant to connect with the everyman who can see things that are present in his everyday life (such as local animals) in the facade to bring his connection closer to God.

The Sacred Family surrounding by flora, fauna and well wishers

The Passion Facade on the back is in a much more modern, almost Cubist style. I remember specifically that this interpretation of the cruxifiction is unique in that Jesus’ face is not portrayed.

Passion Facade, Sagrada Familia

All the numbers in this square add up to 33. Passion Facade, Sagrada Familia

Doors of the Passion Facade, Sagrada Familia

We entered the Basilica through the Passion Facade and found ourselves in a completely new environment. One that carries you to an space similar to a forest. Tranquil, colorful, full of meditative silent ambiance.

Inside the Sagrada Familia

Above the altar at the Sagrada Familia

Stained Glass Windows and stained glass shadows

Blue windows looked like snowflakes....

Like looking up at the trees in a forest

Stained glass windows

Then we took the elevator up, up and up to the top of the towers. Eventually there will be 18 spires, there are 8 currently. We could see all of Barcelona, from the hills to the ocean.

Fruit topped towers at the Sagrada Familia

More fruit, more towers. The higher you climb the more fruit there is! And you can see the ocean!

Climbing down the stairs of the towers

Then we took some time to draw the stained glass windows on the inside. We were actually the very last people in the church because we were so quiet no one noticed we were still there! Gettin’ thrown out of the Sagrada Familia! Rock on!

Eric's strained glass windows

My stained glass windows, yet to be colored.

The Sagrada Familia, end of a great day!

One of our favorite things we did was visit the La Boqueria, a giant epicenter of fruit, veggies and fresh food in the heart of Barcelona. We had a great time tasting new finds, buying food for the upcoming week and eating lunch!

Entrance to La Boqueria Market

Eric loves the fresh fruit juices! This one was Strawberry, Orange, Mango.

Glamour shots of fruit at La Boqueria

Whoa! Escargots!

Pigeons

Clementine, Clementine

Up close and personal with peppers

Dried fruits and nuts

Caliente

Brioche pretzel with almonds and pumpkin!

Ornaments made out of champagne seals

Lunch at La Boqueria, tortilla, bread and lemon fanta!

Of course we visited the famous Casa Batlló, built by Gaudi. The outside is said to represent a dragon. With the facade referencing scales, the pillars and balconies referencing bones and the chimney a lance the house seems to be an homage to the story of St. George and the dragon. We loved all the neat details of this wonderous house. The only regret is that they haven’t restored and opened up more of the house!

Casa Batlló aka the Dragon House

Roof of Casa Batlló. Looks like a lance no?

Inside the drawing room, windows about the dividing door

Swirly ceiling

Mosaics in the back patio

Planter on back patio

Beautiful doors to each floor

Repeating patterns

Chimneys lined up like soldiers

Spine of the dragon

Stormy weather on the roof of Casa Batilo

On one of our last days we visited Parc Güell, another Gaudi creation. Originally, it was intended to be an entire neighborhood or suberb of Barcelona. It wasn’t completed so there are only a few houses here but extensive parks and green space. One of the most famous parts was the plaza with a serpentine mosaic-laden bench encircling the whole area. Although it was massively crowded with tourists, you can still see great views of Barcelona. We started with a picnic in the park and then strolled through the park areas. We bought a few cd’s from the musicians performing throughout the park; one gypsy jazz and one renaissance Lute music!

Parc. Güell.

Parc Güell

GIANT succulents

Views of the little old church and ocean, Parc Güell

Serpentine Plaza

Mosaic Bench

Blue china mosaic bench

Green and pink mosaic, like an English garden

These parrots were flying around everywhere. Their intricate nests are hidden between palm fronds.

Sunning on the mosaic bench

Underneath the Serpentine Plaza

Urchin mosaic underneath the Serpentine Plaza. I love how you can see the broken bottles spitting out from inside the mosaic.

My attempt at the former church in Parc Güell

Eric sketches people in the Parc and the former church

The Gaudi Museum in Parc Güell

Art Nouveau details on the Gaudi Museum

Palm frond gate in front of the Gaudi Museum

Charming gate, leaving Parc Güell

We really enjoyed Barcelona’s mysterious, real and livable nature. We stayed for 9 days and felt like we needed at least another 9 more to start to understand this city. We wanted more time to explore the Barri Gotic and learn the night life even better. We did have one night were we visited a champagne bar were the cups of the lovely pink bubbles were .90 cents each! It was a crazy mashup of cheap, cheap champagne and rustic food like grilled onion and cheese sandwichs on a crusty rolls. Delicious and perfect to counter the schnazy champagne! The place was more like a deli than a bar and was as crazy as a mosh pit.

To leave you on a good and sad note, here’s a little story about how I almost got a pet duck.

So one day, Eric and I are walking down one of the larger avenues of the Barri Gotic, full of shops and people. We come across a singer playing guitar and belting out old school Spanish songs. There’s a group of elderly people in front of him dancing. Some of the women are dancing together because the men are just standing and watching. We watch the performer and the dancing for a few songs. When we’re ready to leave, I walk up to the singer to give him a euro. As I turn to go, one of the old men grabs my arm. At first I think he wants to dance (I’m about to be shown up by a 90 year old) but then he starts saying something in Spanish. I, unfortunately, don’t speak Spanish and I try to tell him this. “Hold on, hold on!” he says. His friends gather around and start yammering at me in Spanish. At this point, I have no idea whats going on. Moments later, he returns with a little cardboard box, just big enough to fit a coffee mug in, with holes punched in it…..he opens it up, and what’s inside? A tiny and perfect, fuzzy. yellow baby duck!!!!! Quacking at me!!!!! “Do you want it? Do you want it?” they all start asking. I try not to understand that one of them says “It will be good for dinner in a few weeks”. I pet the little ducks head with the pad of my forefinger for a few minutes. My brain is screaming “YES YOU WANT THIS DUCK!!! TAKE HIM!!!!”, but what I have to say is (in broken Spanish) “I don’t live here! I can’t! I want to!! I’m sorry!”. Eric is conveniently out of sight and sees nothing so I couldn’t try and talk him into it with puppy dog eyes. After a few more pets and a few more quacks, they say “Ok, we understand” and take my new best friend away. Of course, it made my day to pet a baby duck, but also made me sad for about 3 days afterwards. I was THIS CLOSE to having a pet duck!!!!

Next time I’m taking the duck.

<3 Chelsea