On This Day In History...

Did you know that on this day, March 31st, 1889 the Eiffel Tower opened?  It sure did.  I love fun facts.  I read it this morning in the daily "Direct Matin" and thought it would be nice to share!  The opening ceremonies of the Eiffel Tower were conducted by Gustave Eiffel, the designer, as well as the Prime Minister, several other dignitaries, and about 200 construction workers.  The Eiffel Tower was built in honor of the centenary of the French Revolution and the design by Mr. Eiffel was chosen out of about 100 entries.  It stands 984 feet tall, and was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930.  The Eiffel Tower was suppose to be torn down 20 years after it was built because the lease on the land had expired, but the height of the tower was too important for radio transmission.  

Yes....maybe you learned something today?  

Cléo's mother asked me if I could pick Cléo up from school today until around 6:30 or 7.  I didn't mind especially since Marie-Césare loves having friends over....so we headed to the park after school.  Shortly thereafter, it began to rain so we had to rush home so we didn't get soaked!  Luckily the girls both had on rain boots and coats so it wasn't too bad!  We stopped in to see Marc for a couple of flowers, then took Cléo to see Marie-Césare's princess room.  We had a dance, they put on a play, we played doctor and of course got out the Playdoh again.  Cléo plays Playdoh like me, so we got along jusssst fine. 

Luckily her mother wasn't too late, because keeping up with two French children just about does it in for me.  Got to skype with my precious cousin Landon and Melanie tonight! He has gotten so big and I love when my internet works well enough to video!! We get to make funny faces at each other and I can see pictures that he has drawn!  

Wednesdays?

Wednesdays have seemed like a foreign concept to me, as I haven't spent a full Wednesday working in at least a month and a half.  I don't mind Wednesdays at all, in fact, I love them!  Normally Wednesdays are an au pairs worst nightmare, but doing fun things - just us - is great.  

Manon's dad was bringing her by our house before art school this morning.  Their babysitter couldn't come and both of her parents had to work so of course I didn't mind to keep her until 10:30.  Marie-Césare and Manon usually play well together, including not listening to me.  Manon is a very sweet girl, not quite so grown up as Marie-Césare, with a bit of a temper if she doesn't get what she wants (typical here in France I find)...

They dressed up and wore earrings, pretty purses, and crowns.  We put on music to dance and ate pain au chocolat.  I sent them off to school with flowers from Marc, the florist, and bonbons in each pocket of their coats.  Marie-Césare came home with a sculpture she had finished a few weeks ago which had her in the mood for some Playdoh.  Of course I obliged...I love Playdoh!  I was the kid who didn't mix the colors because if you did it was ruined.  I never even wanted a little tiny dot of purple to get in the yellow because then you might as well throw it away.  Well, Marie-Césare is the exact opposite.  She mixes the colors and blends them all together until she has a fine shade of brown.  

Our suns!

Every time she smashed them together and rolled it out I just wanted to take it away and save the Playdoh from its ugly agony.  (Yes, another obsessive compulsive trait of mine.)

She took a quick nap, and afterwards we made chocolate Hello Kitty suckers.  I had bought the mold awhile ago here in Paris, but was saving it for a rainy day like today!  The mold had a thin paper sugar coating of a face of Hello Kitty, and after the first use...now its just a mold.  

They turned out pretty cute!  And it was very easy which is the key with Marie-Césare.  As you can see from below, even the simplest of tasks she takes advantage of.  

I had also taken this picture last week.  We made these for Franck's birthday.  Its just bread, although now they are rock solid and still perched upon their counter for goodness knows what reason.  

I had a first tonight.  It had been raining for most of the afternoon and as I was stepping off one of the streets onto the sidewalk...I did it.  I fell.  On my face.  I was so embarrassed.  A lady stopped and asked, "ça va?"  All I could say was "oui" and run off.  haha....I couldn't help but laugh at myself.  Sure I've tripped up or down the stairs of the metro several times, but never completely wiped out like I did tonight.  I'm sure it won't be the last time!  

Class in the morning and then I'm meeting Kerry tomorrow night for a browse in H&M at their new summer wardrobe items.  We're planning on going to Giverny on Saturday to visit Monet's house and gardens.  Hopefully we will have beautiful weather!  

Ashleigh's Birthday!

I arrived where I was suppose to be at my new class yesterday morning at 10:20.  Just a little early, but not that awkward early where everyone thinks you're a goody-goody.  My school has 3 different locations within this one area of Paris, and often your conference class is in a different location than your grammar class.  Turns out there was some maintenance being done where my class was suppose to be, so I wandered around this floor trying to find the correct class.  I stumbled upon Laura, a girl who was in my previous class and we were looking for the same room.  Finally found someone with authority and found out that it was in one of the other buildings....so, we trekked over there ending up about 5 minutes late for our normal class.  Wasn't so bad, but...you know me, I h.a.t.e. being late!  

My last teacher was bubbly, fun, and we did a lot of other things besides the book.  My new teacher is a man, and we followed every activity in the book.  Not so exciting.  He seems to really know what he is talking about...I'm just not sure he will compare to Marjorie!  There are about 12 in my class which is slightly bigger and since I have skipped over about 4 dossiers in the old book, I'm having to do a little bit of catch up to get on the same level.  Which-is probably good for me because it is a challenge and I will really study to be able to do good!  First days are always awkward, so we'll see in the upcoming weeks if things with the new professor get better!

Chloé came home tonight and shared the news that I will now have the second weekend of vacations off too sooooo.....Ashleigh and I are planning our trip to the Cinque Terre in Italy as well as Pisa and a weekend in Cannes/Nice/Monaco to visit Kerry in her new au pair home!  Yes!  April holidays just got even more exciting!

We met at one of our favorite places near the Eiffel Tower to celebrate Ashleigh's birthday after work on Monday.  They have excellent service, and the prices aren't too bad either.  Always a winning combination.  After we forced Ashleigh to get dessert (she chose a boule of lemon sorbet) I plopped a candle in it, lit that sucker up, and we sang Joyeux Anniversaire right in the middle of the restaurant.  

I ordered tarte tatin....a yummmmmmy apple tart with caramel and whipped cream.  I couldn't even finish it all that's how rich it was.  The apples were warm and the tart on the bottom so crisp and flaky!  

At 20 minutes until 11 we walked over to the magnificent Tour Eiffel for cheeky photos and some champagne.  We couldn't find confetti or party hats so champagne had to do.  I love birthdays and they don't love them as much here in France so you really have to search for things like that!  We talked about how so many people were wishing Ashleigh a Happy Birthday from all over the globe...I only hope we did our part in this time zone!  As soon as it began to sparkle we shook the bottle and sent the cork flying.  And of course let the candid pictures rip as well.....

Being silly when Kerry has the camera.  She's an excellent photographer you know.  

Cheers to Ashleigh!

Don't know why this one's so dark.....

It was such a simple birthday...and yet so fun!! I think Ashleigh had a good night, and I was just glad I was there to celebrate.  I am so lucky to have found such wonderful friends this year on the other side of the world, and celebrating milestones only reminds me of that even more!  I really hate to see them both leave over the next couple of months, but these girls are two girls I promise to keep in touch with for a long while!  We've all started planning our visits to respective countries...Australia being the first and most exciting on our list!  

Ashleigh's Perfect Eiffel Tower Pastry Birthday Party.

Sunday was slightly cloudy, but not rainy, so we trudged out to the end of line 8, Balard.  In the Parc Andre Citroen there is none other than a giant hot air balloon.  The Ballon Air de Paris.  Sure, it wasn't the best decision given my current health conditions but I definitely wasn't about to miss out!! Tickets were 12 euros...which doesn't even compare to the fact that we now get to say we've seen Paris from a hot air balloon.  :)  The hot air balloon "basket" if you will, is actually a circular platform that 15 people can walk freely around.  The balloon stays connected to the ground by a giant cord and when you're at the top, the balloon guide spins the platform so you can see 360 degrees.

It extends 150 meters into the air.  Not too high, but just enough so that you can see all of Paris.  

Of course its another one of those attractions with "the best views of Paris" but this one didn't have near the amount of tourists as the Eiffel Tower or the Sacre Coeur which was quite refreshing.  We only had to wait 5 minutes!  The flashing green light on the side of the balloon in the next photo means that the air quality was clear and you could see distances relatively well.  

When you're sick is not the best time to take photos!

After coming down (literally), we made the short trek back to the metro and stopped near the Eiffel Tower to find some lunch.  We were celebrating Ashleigh's birthday and she wanted to picnic as close to the Champ de Mars as possible and eat lots of French pastries.  We most definitely succeeded.  Since its Sunday we stopped in the first pâtisserie we saw that was open and luckily it was an excellent decision indeed.  At first glance they didn't have a large selection, but what they did have was incredibly delicious.  The lady working also sent us on our way with a sack full of small, pillowy pastries for free!  So sweet! We bought fougasse filled with olives, mushrooms, and cheese for "lunch."

Then after lunch was the good part!  I bought a macaron citron and a praline strawberry cake.  I haven't had a lemon macaron before and it was SO perfect!  Not to mention the color of it was vibrant and gorgeous!  It was sour, but just sweet enough-a perfect contrast!

Next, (yes, next...as if we hadn't had enough already) was the strawberry praline cake.  Okay, this was my favorite.  A cross between a croissant, brioche and strawberry cake with nuts mixed in.  Heavenly!  

Ashleigh chose things a little different from Kerry and I...a lemon custard and some sort of cookie with jam and powdered sugar, I forget the name. 

She was equally as pleased with her selection.  It started raining and the girls contemplated going to do the sewer tour underground, but we ended up heading back to my place for dinner!  I had planned to cook dinner for them all week so we spent the afternoon here hanging out...which it was nice to have company!  I shared my pictures of all my friends and family, including a few very funny ones from when I was really young.  On the menu....a few simple things that I can cook only with the stovetop and microwave.  Salad, Ratatouille, Chicken and Pesto Pasta, and Chocolate Mousse...with hand-whipped cream.  I folded out my corner table into a normal square table, pulled up my new foldable chairs, and set the table as best as I could with my crazy yellow dishes.  And of course, there were pictures.   

  

It was so nice to eat together in the quiet...and it turned out pretty good.  My chocolate mousse was a bit grainy, I think because I didn't let the sugar melt all the way while it was hot.  But, it was edible and Kerry didn't seem to mind and finished her entire glass, satisfied that it was a bigger portion than you normally get in a French restaurant.  And she could ask for seconds.  

They left around 10, at a good close to the weekend.  Tonight was Ashleigh's birthday and it was calm, quiet and fabulous next to the Eiffel Tower.  Took some cute pictures that I will share tomorrow.  Also...my new class was today, having some mixed feelings!! 

Sickly Week.

Okay okay....I have been a bad blogger this week, but, I have an excuse!! I have unfortunately been under the weather with a really bad cold!! It was beautiful in Paris last week (completely sunny and 65 degrees) and all of my friends were going to parks and picnics every day...but not me!  I was doing good to make it to school and 3 hours with the kids.  As much as I hated to come back to my apartment for rest....I just had to make myself do it so I could get through the weekend!

I did go out Tuesday for a bit with Ashleigh to Parc Buttes Chaumont.  We were only there for an hour and a half or so, but it was so worth it!  I discovered things that I almost forgot existed in Paris like sun, grass, blue sky, bugs!, and butterflies!

Friday night I babysat, as I had agreed before I became sick.  It was one of those parties where Chloé's friends were coming over for drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and I was to watch Marie-Césare and one of her friends' child for the evening.  Fair enough.  Except for the fact that the only time she gets to see her mother is on the weekend and she wants that time to be hers!  Marie-Césare would have nothing to do with me.  She wanted to be under her mother's feet, with her friends, showing off her jewelry and toys to the trendy party-goers.  These friends were her co-workers when she was brand manager for Kiehl's, so they were all quite young and funky-very Parisien.  Around 11, Chloé realized that there was no hope so she happily sent me home.  All I wanted was a Sudafed and my bed so I practically ran out the door.  

I wasn't sure how I would feel Saturday morning so I told the girls that I would play it by ear and see how far I could go with their sightseeing, but wouldn't be up for a marathon day like normal.  We started off at Place de la Madeleine, a rather posh shopping area with the Église de la Madeleine slapped right in the center.  It's huge just like they all are, and the church has been kept up very nicely.  It's neo-classical style is reflected beautifully and was designed as a temple to the glory of Napoleon's army.   

We marched over to Place Vendôme, which is where Chloé works with Van Cleef and Arpels.  Also other high end shops...and the Ritz.  Which I can completely understand.  It was absolutely beautiful and I can't imagine coming to work here everyday.  W.o.w.  

Also in the 9th near the Opera was the Musée de Parfum.  Being sick it wasn't an ideal thing for me to do, but I was a good sport and went along.  We waited for our tour guide for about 5 minutes and joining our group was a Russian mother/daughter duo.  You couldn't take pictures, but the tour was very informative and we were so glad we waited for a guide!  Without her, the museum would have been a lot less interesting and we wouldn't have been let in on so many little tidbits.  Had never really thought that perfume was different from eau de toilette....but it is.  The oil content is much higher in perfume which is why its much more expensive.  And, did you know that to produce 1 kg of lavender extract for use in perfume you need 200 kg of lavender flowers?!  No wonder its so expensive!  At the end you were taken to a room where you could smell all of their scents and they explained what was in each of them...of course with the option to buy.  The smallest bottle was actually very reasonable and I picked out a couple that I would love to purchase, but with an April holiday on the horizon I figured I should wait!  Grabbed lunch at Paul and ate in a nearby park, along with this beautiful macaron...framboise of course.  Do you all ever get tired of seeing my delicious French food?

Hopped on the metro towards Bercy to get on the fairly new Voguéo water transit.  If you have a Navigo pass like Ashleigh and I you can get on for free!  It is like an on-the-water metro.  We didn't know where we were going, but we wanted to have a boat ride on the Seine...and it was free....so-why not combine the two?!  Perfect!  We love doing random things like that.  

It was a little overcast, but there were only 4 other people on the boat so it was quite a nice ride.  The city of Paris created this line of water transit thinking it would catch on fairly quickly with the locals, but I think it hasn't had as much success as they would have liked.  We rode down to practically the suburbs, then got on the actual metro to get back to Paris where we found ourselves near the Île de la Cité for some famous Berthillon ice cream.  So famous that even the line on a chilly, rainy day was roughly 20 people long.  There were so many flavors!! With flavors like Mirabelle, Nougat au Miel, Cassis, and Groseille...what's a girl to do?! How to choose?! 

(After doing that frantic...oh no! I'm next in line! Hurry up! Make a last minute decision...in my head) I finally settled on poire (pear), and pomme verte (green apple).  Oh man...my last minute decisions were excellent!  

The pomme verte was my favorite, but the pear had chunks of actual pear in it which made it refreshing and delightful.  Next time I will choose actual ice cream versus sorbet, just to give it a fair try as well.  It was cold and icy with the perfect amount of flavor!  No wonder people were waiting in line.  Berthillon sells its flavors in bulk to some restaurants around Paris, and one of their main draws for Parisien's is that the don't use any artificial sweeteners, no chemical preservatives, and are derived from natural sources.  And pretty decently priced at 3,40 euros for 2 scoops.  Berthillon also does such good business during the year, that they are often closed during one of the peak tourist months, August, for vacation.  I want to create a business that does so good I can close a whole month out of the year!  Can you imagine?

Today we did a couple of firsts....although with me still being slightly sick it wasn't easy...but I hated to miss out on a weekend.  You know me....I HATE missing out.  Tomorrow we are going out to dinner after work because it's Ashleigh's birthdayyyyyy!!!! Shout out to Ashleigh-Joyeux Anniversaire!  

Not Everyone in Australia Can Throw A Boomerang.

Since Kerry's last few days here in Paris are dwindling down and she hadn't made it to Versailles, Ashleigh and I decided to go with her just to be able to spend the day together!  It was sunny and fairly good weather which was most unlike the last time I was there.  We took the 30 minute RER ride out, waited in half a line for tickets...realized we didn't need tickets and went to the gardens.  We didn't visit the gardens last time because it was so rainy and cloudy.  I will have to say, they are pretty impressive!  There are hundreds of fountains all over the property and 37,000 acres were cleared to make room for all the gardens, walkways, ponds, and trees.  You wonder what royalty did all day?  They walked around their gardens!   It would take years!  

After the gardens we were feeling a bit sheepish so we walked down to the town of Versailles for a quick bite before taking Kerry to the Château.  The town was bustling in the center with a huge market.  Fresh vegetables, cheeses, meats, bread, ah...it was a cook's paradise in which you could find the rarest of cheeses and the softest of breads.  We also found this gem of a boulangerie with a line 20 people long out the door.  But, living in Paris we have found out that the places with the longest lines....are always the best!  So, what else to do but wait!?  Check out their selection....how does one choose between all of these beautiful cakes and pastries?!  

This is what I ended up choosing after at least a 7 minute decision and a check in my wallet to see how much money I was willing to spend.  I settled on a large raspberry macaron (4,60) filled with fresh cream and fresh raspberries.  I'll have to say it was better than my chocolate ones.  The shell had just enough crunch on the outside, but as soon as I took the first bite the soft inside just melted in my mouth.  The raspberries added a nice, juicy punch and was worth all 5 euros.  

The selection of mini macarons wasn't quite as big as Ladurée, but still quite vast.  

Our tummies full of pretty French macarons we walked back to the château to tour the inside.  Pretty much the same as last time, except they are having an exhibition "Thrones of Majesty" from around the world.  Its a collection of about 25 different ancient thrones from countries everywhere which was pretty interesting.  

We got back on the RER to Paris and were going straight to Bercy Village to catch a film.  Learning we had a couple of hours before the film started we wandered around the nearest Monoprix and LOOK what I found!  Chocolate bunnies!!! I was beginning to think that they didn't have Easter bunnies and eggs and things but I suppose they do!! Wahoo!  Ashleigh and I were elated.  

We went ahead to the cinema and cleared out a spot on the floor to hang out for an hour before the movie.  Only we would be okay with doing that...as I know a couple of girls who would whinge at even the thought.  Although you know what I did learn during our floor chat?? Do you remember Fruit by the Foot?  They might even still sell it...I'm not sure.  Guess what they call it in Australia?  Fruity Meter!!! haha...I found this so interesting since the United States is so backwards from the rest of the world.  We measure food in cups not weight, feet not meters, inches not centimeters, fahrenheit not celsius, 12 hour time instead of 24 hour time.  Bahh.... its exhausting trying to convert everything.  I also learned that not everyone who lives in Australia can throw a boomerang.  Bam...total disappointment.  I assumed it was like some talent you learned as a wee child but no, Ashleigh can not...I repeat can NOT throw a boomerang.  There goes all hope of me learning....

This week is suppose to be very beautiful so hopefully I will spend it outside!  I officially changed my classes today so beginning of next week I will be at the next level of my French language courses.  And will also have 10:30 classes instead of 8:00 classes.  I liked getting up and getting them over with, but it will be nice not to have to get up so early!  Meeting Ashleigh tomorrow for some afternoon sun and babysitting tomorrow night while Chloé and Didou go see Mamma Mia!  I rather persuaded them into going because when I went in Nashville it was quite good!  Looking forward to a positive week!  

5 Museums In One Day? Yes, Please.

Woke up bright and early Saturday morning hoping to get a full day in.  We started at Le Musée de la Vie Romantique....all things lovely and romantic.  Seems like a strange thing to do with your two best friends but hey, who else was I going to do it with?  :)

The museum is just around the corner from Chloé and Franck's, so we met at Blanche and went from there.  We passed through a long hall with flowers and vines to a small house with green shutters, in the middle of a very small courtyard.  Quaint...but very......romantic.  How fitting.  We were the minority of age there as we were surrounded my mostly older people.  But Kerry and Ashleigh don't really care how much we stand out or how strange something is that we're doing...and that's why we are such good friends!  Inside the house were small rooms, each one of a certain color filled with all things old and romantic.  Including works from Delacroix, Chopin, and most importantly George Sand.  There are all sorts of things from the romantic period including literary, musical, and artistic works.  Beautiful furniture and gorgeous jewelry.  There is also a nice tea room in the garden that is open in the summer but unfortunately we didn't get to experience that! 

Still needing to find a costume, we wandered down to the only costume shops I know of it Paris just south of Pigalle...Au Clown de Montmartre.  They were little tiny shops filled with basically anything you could need for building a clown, princess, or pirate.  If one shop didn't have it, the next one was sure to.  Ashleigh chose a pair of suspenders to match her nerdy glasses at home, and I chose some butterfly wings, a glittery mask, and a pair of antennas.  I figured once I was finished with it I could give it to Marie-Césare and she would love it.  

With my huge orange bag of butterfly wings, we went on to Rue de Rivoli to the Musée de la Mode.   Probably one of the best museums I've been to so far.  The people selling tickets are not so friendly, but as soon as you walk through the doors to the dark rooms with excellent spotlighted mannequins you are transported to a runway.  Everything was black and white except for the clothes, which were displayed very well behind glass cases.   Clothes from Dolce and Gabbana, Vivienne Westwood, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen....oh the list could go on!  

Some were strange, like this dress with what I'm sure is a fashionable butt pad...And I'm sure this costs thousands of dollars, but one I won't be spending any of my money on.  

Upstairs was the gallery of jewelry which of course we had to pop in.  Goodness only knows how much money was in this one little room alone.  

Upstairs was the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée de Publicité, which were interesting but we breezed right through.  Needing a coffee break, neither Kerry or I had had Angelina's hot chocolate yet, so Ashleigh took us down to the tea room for a cup.  It's about a 10 minute walk from the Louvre, and worth every step.   The line was ridiculously long for a table, so we decided just to get our 5 euro cup of chocolat chaud to go.  We stepped out onto the sidewalk and I took the first sip.  I practically choked it was so thick.  I mean, it was seriously just like melted chocolate.  After I got over the shock factor, it was absolutely delicious....although there is no way I could have finished the entire thing.  It was like eating 3 melted chocolate bars in one cup.  

We walked down Rue de Rivoli to Le Marais to the Museum of European photography.  There was an exhibition going on with photographs of the war in Vietnam that were better than the actual museum.  The photos were heartbreaking and so surreal that afterwards we need a little pick me up.  Lunch always does the trick so we stopped in a little place just off the main road.  We sat in the window and watched the busy Parisians passing by with handfuls of baguettes, fresh vegetables, and children.  I ordered my first Croque Madame and this was a good place to choose to do so!  It was served on fresh whole grain bread, loads of delicious emmental cheese and thinly sliced, salty ham.  On top, smack dab in the middle was a perfectly fried egg.  As I always say...what doesn't get better with a runny egg on top?!  

The bread was crunchy and crispy, but the cheese was still perfectly melted on the inside.  Yummy!  Saint Sulpice was on Kerry's list and since we are trying to tick things off on her list since she only has 3 weekends left we went down near Montparnasse.  Saint Sulpice is a beautiful old church with an even more gorgeous plaza.  In the middle there is a huge fountain, the Fountain of the Four Bishops, is appropriately named.  

No, you are not suppose to throw coins in this fountain and make a wish....but, we all thought it would be an excellent idea.  

Ashleigh and I had to go home around 6 and get ready for Rhea's costume party.  As I started to put on my fly butterfly déguisement, I kept thinking what a crazy person I am going to look like on the metro.  I stuck my ensemble in a bag, stopped by Monoprix for a bottle of wine (you never go empty handed) and ran to meet Ashleigh.  She had been to Rhea's before, so thought it was best to go with someone who knew where they were going!  She lives in the 20th, which is somewhat of a trek, but not unbearably bad.  The other girls' costumes were good, and I do like hanging out with them.  I didn't take any photos, but once some get posted on facebook I'll put them on the blog.  These will have to do for now!  

At Rhea's apartment

On the metro

We had a fun Sunday in Versailles too which I will post later!  The weather was beautiful and Versailles is much more enjoyable in the sun!