Musée Jacquemart-André

Last Wednesday night, I was feeling pretty crummy about everything, asking myself existential questions like, "why am I here, what's the point of going into Paris, I'm running out of money, what is life, who am I???" So I decided, instead of wallowing in these thoughts, I should defy them and go see something I've never seen before in Paris.

I chose Musée Jacquemart-André, a relatively small museum of decorative arts in the fancy 8th arrondissement. One downside to no longer being a student, is that I no longer receive free admission to certain museums around Paris. I naively attempted to use my old Parisian student ID, but embarrassingly, the ticket woman checked the date on the back and I ended up paying the full price. oops! :p








This museum has an amazing staircase! Still not as good as the staircase at the Gustave Moreau Museum though!

I really love the colors and textures of this smoking room, the rugs, the velvety sofa, and the carved wood:




After the museum, my friend and I got "the best falafel in Paris" on Rue des Rosiers, and then some yummy ice cream at Berthillon because I am obsessed. I've been to Berthillon far, far too many times. In only managed to take this quick pic of the felafel. It was indeed delicious.




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Visual Diary: Tourist or Resident?

It's been nearly a month since I've arrived in France, and one question has been rolling around in my mind constantly - am I a tourist, or do I live here? I think the answer to that question is a definitive, neither.

Paris doesn't have the same angelic glow it has when first laying eyes upon it, the boulangeries and rows of pretty buildings now feel normal. I still find it charming and beautiful, but the sense of adventure and discovery and exhilaration one feels when traveling to new places is definitely lacking.

I've been splitting my time between touristy outings, household tasks, and establishing new routines; Finding a favorite bakery, becoming familiar with the layout of the nearest Monoprix (A french supermarket), and learning to do laundry without a dryer. I also play a lot of video games and watch a great deal of TV. I take sporadic trips into Paris when I'm feeling energetic, but the bulk of my time has been spent doing "homey" things.

Niether of these activities - sightseeing and everyday living - feels completely accurate. I'm no longer a tourist, but I don't quite fully live here, yet. I'm looking forward to the day when I've sorted out all the paperwork for a residence permit and established a job. Lately I've been very stressed over all the little details of becoming "legal," going though all the worst-case scenarios in my mind. I've come to the conclusion, as I have many times before, that the only thing I can do is take it one step at a time. There's no use worrying about things I can't control, only handle them when they do come.

My visual diary of last week includes another trip to Montmartre and a bit of walking around Versailles:







Restauraunt - Refuge des Fondus:




Around Versailles:
This is our little window. I got some plants to spruce it up, but the intense winds the last few days have forced me to bring them inside!





This coming week I'm heading into the foreigner's welcome office to get some more solid information on applying for a residence permit, I think after that I'll feel way more in control.

After exploring a bit of the Canal area of Paris with LouLou - who is also a blogger and was kind enough to reach out and share brunch with me last week - I've been eager to find places in Paris that I've never explored, a different kind of charm.

Coming soon: Musée Jacquemart André, and Chateau de Versailles.


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This Week...

What have I been up to this week? For starters, I got a new pair of shoes at Printemps, which I am very pleased with. I also met up with some friends, did some exploring, and some more "settling in."


Last Friday I met up with a friend from California and her roommate, who are both studying abroad for the semester. We did a little vintage shopping, and I found myself a perfect-fitting tartan mini skirt at Espace Kiliwatch. I love this store. Yes, it's wildly overpriced, BUT it has the best stock, and really is très cool. Rue Tiquetonne has a handful of really unique shops, all with an urban vibe - plus, it's narrow and extremely charming.


After spending far too much time digging through dense racks of vintage goods, we took a (very cold) stroll down Rue Montorgeuil, which is apparently known for it's great food. We decided on a small restaurant, which I don't remember the name of, and I ordered my French favorite: Confit de Canard. It's essentially duck meat marinated in it's own fat, accompanied by garlic potatoes. mmmmmm.


After catching a metro to the Marais, and adding a fourth member to our party, I decided to take us to the only bar I knew of in the area - the bar where Erik and I first met <3. I drank a small Guinness, played a round of pool, then parted ways with my new buddies. I decided to walk about a mile to the train station I needed, so that I could see Notre Dame over the Seine in the night. For me, Notre Dame is one of the few places in the city that won't ever loose its magic.


I've had many lazy days this week. staying in, cleaning, organizing, brainstorming. I made an extremely exhausting trip to ikea, mistakenly thinking that buying about 50 pounds worth of crap without having the convenience of a car to haul it with was a good idea.

While walking around Versailles a bit aimlessly, I came upon a museum I was previously unaware of: Musée Lambinet. It had a nice mix of paintings, decorative objects, and history. Also, most importantly, there was a painting of a wonderfully fluffy white cat.





During my ambles I also happened upon an antique market. However, it's only open on weekends, so I peered into the dark windows around a deserted courtyard. Maybe on Sunday I'll have a real gander at the market, when it's open.



YEsterday, I had a great American-stye breakfast with a French friend and did some shopping at the opulent Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, on Boulevard Haussmann. It was quite overwhelming, all the mirrors and multifaceted architecture, displays, and garments. Most of the things were designer, and far, far, far out of my price range, but I managed to find some shiny black, heeled dress shoes.


Coming this weekend is yet another trip to Montmartre, a visit to Rose Bakery with a new blogger acquaintance, and a birthday party to attend!

I've been taking all my pictures in France so far with my iPod, which is very convenient, but I feel the itch to start using my DSLR again.

All in all, I feel much more relaxed and happy, more settled, and more optimistic. :)


Places Mentioned:
Espace Kiliwatch: 64 Rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris
Musée Lambinet: 54 Boulevard de la Reine, 78000 Versailles
Versailles Antique Market: alley/courtyards near 5 Rue du Bailliage
78000 Versailles


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Visual Diary: Exploring Versailles

Today I decided to explore my new town a bit more, get familiar with the streets, scope out restaurants, and make mental notes of essentials like dry cleaners and bakeries. It was quite brisk out, with a freezing wind on the larger boulevards, but as long as I kept a quick pace, it was manageable.

Here is my visual diary of the day, or at least half of it. The remainder I spent watching Kiki's Delivery Service under a blanket.



9am - Boulangerie Run



{I got a croissant, a viennoise au chocolat, a custard-chocolate-filled thing, and a quiche lorraine}


12pm - Aimless Walking

{Went for some purple lipstick today}



1:30pm - Found Antique Market










3pm - Late lunch




And that, my friends, was my day! Tomorrow, I have a vintage shopping binge planned with a fellow Californian!

À toute à l'heure!

PS: Giusy from Lulu's Sister, did a fantastic feature of my blog, which you can read here.


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