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














Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin // Society6

Promenade Plantée & Rue Crèmieux

The weather has been treating us SO well lately, so a buddy and I decided to soak it all in last Thursday. We started the day with a long lunch at Holy Belly, a somewhat-newly opened café/restaurant that prides itself on using fresh, seasonal ingredients, and boasting a monthly-rotating menu, a small selection of microbrews, and a pinball machine. I'm working on a more in-depth review of this restaurant for another website, so I'll leave it at this for now: It's yummy and I highly recommend.

Next, we chose to search out the enigmatic Rue Crèmieux. I had seen Instagram photos of this mysterious pedestrian street, most often not location-tagged, so I had only a slight inkling of where it might be located. This road is like a legend that I've always wanted to track down but which never crosses my mind at the right time - a small, alternate reality where color lives. Okay, I sound a bit dramatic, but it truly is uncharacteristic of Parisian architecture, and I'm happy to say I finally found it! These are just a few of the facades that captured my special attention with their color combinations. Sadly, the road is only 144 meters long (I looked it up)!




Just a block away from Rue Crèmieux is the Promenade Plantée, and if you're familiar at all with New York City, it's like Paris's version of the High Line. A long walkway/park constructed atop an old, abandoned railway line, raised above street level, so your view is a mix of greenery, sky, apartment building windows, and rooftops. It's a fantastic place to go for a brisk walk or jog, but there's also benches dispersed frequently to sit and have a quick picnic - like we did with a couple of éclairs bought from a nearby bakery. We walked the entire thing, starting east of Bastille and continuing the length of about three metro stops. The promenade runs parallel to Boulevard Daumesnil.





This was my first time exploring the 12th Arrondissement, and it has a different vibe than the rest of Paris. More of the buildings are modern and... let's just say it's not as fancy. But it has some cool things to offer! Hopefully I'll be able to discover some more great things about this generally overlooked arrondissement.



Up next, my amazing trip to Giverny. I'm telling you, the flower photos from Giverny are going to blow these photos away!! Okay, I'm getting excited to write my next post now!


Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin // Society6

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}