Rainy Day in Montmartre

Here's a nutshelled update: My friend Natalie visited me in Paris for the holidays, I came back to the US two weeks ago leaving some really good friends and a Swedish lover behind, I moved into my new place in SoCal yesterday, and I start school tomorrow!

Actually, I just taped 22 postcards on my wall as decoration. I had plenty of postcards, seeing as I bought about 5 from each place I visited :P

I have A TON of Paris pictures, so I think to "catch up" I'll just occasionally post a random assortment of them for your viewing enjoyment. So first up, MONTMARTRE! the magical quarter of wonderful views, charming hills, rustic cobblestones, art, and romance.


{Made me think of hobbits}



{Translation: Young Canadian student who loves art and cuisine is looking for a roommate, either with a family or with other students. On the hill of Montmartre, a neighborhood which he adores.}


{This guy walked by at the inopportune time}





{basement of a vintage shop called Chine Machine}



{Right near Chine Machine, this place was full of gilt frames and mirrors}

Palace de Versailles

One of the activities I accomplished with my mother was the enormous Palace/Chateau of Versailles. Think Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis the sometheenth. (Sorry guys, not so good with historical details!)

The interiors are ridiculously detailed and gaudy, it actually got rather sickening towards the end of the visit. But I'd say it's still worth a visit.

Aside from the main chateau, you can also explore the gardens, two smaller palaces, and the Queen's hamlet. We saw everything there was to see, and I have to say the smaller palaces and hamlet were much more enjoyable, simply because they were far less busy.

It's a super short train ride out to Versailles, followed by a ten minute walk to the palace. There is a lot of walking involved if you decide to explore the gardens, so wear comfortable shoes. Or you can rent a golf cart for around 35 Euro.

The gardens were gorgeous! I'll be posting pictures of the gardens in a separate post. :)


{I adore tiny decorative details!} {Such great colors and textures} {Everything is so...frilly} {I took about fifteen pictures of these details alone} {Formal bedroom of Marie Antoinette}


{If Marie A. had a helecopter, this is what it'd look like} {Hall of Mirrors} {Looking awkward in the Hall of Mirrors} {Crazy ceiling} {Another ridiculous ceiling} {LOVE doors}
{It's Marie} {Interior Courtyard} {Moi in front of the gate!}

Cathedral Light

Since I simply can't keep my blog posts caught up with my crazy schedule, I've decided to organize my posts by place or theme!

Today I want to share with you the beauty of light in Gothic cathedrals. The majority of these pictures are from Sainte Chapelle, but a few are from Notre Dame. If you happen to visit a Gothic cathedral at the correct time of day, when the sun is low enough in the sky to create golden light with long shadows, you're in for a treat. I tried my best to capture the glow of it, but nothing substitutes actually being there.

The past two weeks I was lucky enough to have two visitors: My mom and my grandma! I showed them around the city, and pretty much checked everything off their Paris To-See lists. I felt like a pretty adept mock-tour-guide!

I have to admit though, it was so hard leaving my mom at the airport bus stop. It was like I reverted back to being 4 years old. That moment when you're left at kindergarten for the first time, and you feel absolutely hopeless and heartbroken. But thankfully, after a few days of rest (which included copious amounts of sleep and medicine), I was able to get over not only my residual cough, but also the feeling of loneliness I had been battling since my very first day in Paris.

I realized during this time, thanks to some pokes and prods from my dear friends here and back home, that happiness doesn't just happen. Rather, it's a choice that you have to make everyday. If I allowed myself, I could have been depressed and scared for the entirety of my stay, but that simply isn't an option for me.

It's time for me to embrace being here, to fall in love with Paris, to see all that I can see in the next four months, to remember that my hometown, family, and friends will ALWAYS be there for me. I'm never alone with all the love I'm being sent through prayer and good wishes. Big life changes are extremely difficult for most people, but if you are determined enough, all it takes is a choice to be happy.

On my wall, I have written: I am in charge of how I feel, and today I choose determination, bravery, strength, and happiness. (or insert whichever type of abstract nouns you have need of)

If you're reading this right now, you are studying abroad, and you are experiencing culture shock, loneliness, homesickness, regret, or fear, take comfort in the fact that probably 98% of people who study abroad feel the exact same things. There was even a point where I almost came back home, only three weeks in. Take it one day at a time, and find a way to become happy, even if it takes time, a whole month even. You can do it!

And if you're not studying abroad, just enjoy my photos and live vicariously! :)

Marché aux Fleurs

This is the second half of my Ile-de-la-Cité trip!

The Metro station Cité dropped me right on the edge of the flower market, and directly in front of St. Chapelle. I was pleasantly surprised by the flower market because I had forgotten about its existence, and because I love anything to do with flowers.

Not only were there flowers neatly arranged in rows and bunches, but also pots, lanterns, and garden accessories strewn about in the most charmingly chaotic way. I've heard that this area also becomes a bird market on certain days... I'll definitely have to see what that's all about. I mean, how many people can there possibly be who buy birds every week? In any case, here are the photos:

{Rows of Flowers} {Love the little signs}








I hope this flower market stays open year-round! I would like to accumulate a handful of different types of flowers with which to adorn my flat.

Speaking of flowers - I hope to visit Giverny (Monet's home and gardens) on Saturday, so expect an abundance of Flora.