Wandering Wednesdays

Did you know that in French, one walks in a street, and not on one? I think that's quite poetic. To be in a street suggests that the road, the buildings, the trees, the people, are surrounding and enveloping you. You're not just present in a place, but part of it.



If you couldn't tell by the large title image, I'm starting a recurring series called Wandering Wednesdays. I can't say that I'll have pictures of miscellaneous Parisian street scenes every single week on Wednesdays, or that I'll literally be doing the wandering specifically on Wednesdays, but it made for a good title, so I'm sticking with it! And when I do have some lovely pictures to post, I'll post them on Wednesdays!

Okay - I think I've repeated the word "Wednesday" far too many times by now! Enjoy these pictures, most of which were taken between Invalides and Pont de L'Alma, also known as the 7th arrondissement. An exception in the first two, which were taken at the Grand Palais and on Pont Alexandre III. I've also included probably my favorite French song by Miss Bardot for your listening pleasure














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Artist Feature: Jen Gotch

Jen Gotch takes a damn good photo.
Flickr
Website

I love that this set of images capture the essence of Paris without being cliché. What makes Paris so interesting is not really the big monuments, but the little things that Paris is composed of, that make up the city's aesthetic. The way the little round tables and café chairs stand in repetition, how the iron balustrade frames the view from tall windows, and how gritty, urban, and underground the metro is. It's a mix of visuals and feelings, and that's what I love about Paris.



The one below, taken in the Louvre, is immediately recognizable to a viewer who is even remotely familiar with images of Paris; It's the ancient Greek statue called "Winged Victory" that is placed at the axis of a massive room of marble staircases. It's one of the most grand areas of the museum, but the extreme blur makes the photograph unique. The height of the ceiling and buzzing of tourists is conveyed, but through the lens of memory or maybe even "tourist-fatigue" (Seriously, the Louvre is the most exhausting site in Paris).







And last but not least, perhaps my favorite of her Paris set, the Polaroid below. Any depiction of Paris is so easily revered as something so magical and precious. We consume these things up like we're starving, and want to hold on to them with gentle hands as to not damage their beauty. Why is it that anything Parisian becomes a sacred object? This polaroid, at first, gives you that butterfly feeling, because firstly, it's a Polaroid (nostalgia), and secondly, it was taken in Paris. But when you see that absolutely nothing is pictured, you realize that maybe the object itself has less value because of this.

All images of Paris are the same as this Polaroid - actually meaningless and arbitrary material, around which we construct our ideas of Romance and Beauty. It's all in our heads.



She has plenty of other photo sets, not just of Paris. Check out her sites:

Flickr
Website


If you Pin any of these images, make sure her name is in the description!

What catches your attention in these photos the most?



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Montmartre & St. Lucia

I am currently lounging in bed with a cup of hot mint tea on my side table, because it's a holiday here in France! La Toussaint.

So what better to do with a day when everything is closed, than get cozy, surf the interwebs, edit photos, and find new music?

Here are some shots from my Monday amble through Montmartre, and a music video from artist St. Lucia. Love this song, and the videography. I normally favor folksy indie music, but lately I've been getting into more electro-indie-type music.

Enjoy!






















Let me know if you like this song, and which photo you like most. I still have a society6 shop open, and I could use some feedback. :)

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! :)