Teeny Bop Direction

I'm glad One Direction has made such a splash on the top music charts.  This world is in need of some boy band action.  I mean, N*Sync? Hanson? Backstreet Boys? 98*?  They totally made my teenage years.  I couldn't have imagined my life without them.  This generation of teeny boppers needs some cute boy group to crush on.   Mmmbop ba duba dop....Hanson made an entire chorus out of just mindless noises.  But it was on repeat every day in my Sony Walkman.  Their music is terrible, but come on now, is it really about the music?  

Opéra Garnier

Well, this post has taken several visits to put together, and I'm happy to say that Tuesday night I put the finishing touches on some photos and experiences.  

On the balcony outside overlooking Place de l'Opéra.

The outside balconies.  During our twenty minute intermission Chloé and I took a stroll here with our glass of champagne to enjoy a warm evening at the Opéra Garnier....my life is so hard, no?

I met Chloé at 7 pm Tuesday evening in front of the grand staircase to the Opéra.  (Well, I was there at 7, she arrived around 7:25.)  I was dressed to the nines in the fanciest outfit I could find in my wardrobe here in Paris, which in fact, wasn't too fancy.  It was a bit too "spring-y" for this time of year....but it would have to do as I had no other options.  I donned my classic Cole Haan heels and Michael Kors clutch and hoped I would be okay.  I was nonetheless appalled to find people walking into the Opéra in JEANS and Converse.  I was absolutely astonished.  Even if I was on vacation in Paris I am certain I could come up with something better than jeans!  I could tell the French citizens that were in attendance didn't approve either, for they were scoffing at each American walking by so casually...as if it were just another evening.  

As you walk in you are greeted by men dressed in fancy suits, women in evening gowns and of course,  the grand staircase.  Just up above are the balconies where 50 years ago you could stand upon to "see and be seen."  Charles Garnier did an excellent job designing the layout so that a lot of "seeing and being seen" could go on.  There are open spaces, long, beautiful hallways, a balcony that overlooks Place de l'Opéra, and different levels of seating (1,979 to be exact) so as to prioritize your financial status.  It is the inspiration for The Phantom of the Opera and the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall is yet another French artistic stamp on the world.    

The Grand Staircase is made of different colors of marble, towering statues, oversized chandeliers, and balconies that pour out over the foyer.  

Entrance to orchestra seating.

Ceiling of the Grand Staircase

The beautiful Grand Foyer/reception hall.  Belongs in Versailles.  

Yes, that's me.  Can't you just imagine women prancing around in big, beautiful dresses....their biggest worry being what kind of champagne to drink that night? 

The clock in the grand hallway. 

The Opéra was inaugurated on 1875 with a performance and lavish gala to follow.  Garnier also designed the grand chandelier that is hanging from the ceiling.  It cost 30,000 francs and weighs a total of 7 tons.  In 1896, a piece fell from the chandelier onto a member of the audience causing their death...which then inspired the scene from The Phantom of the Opera.  It originally caused problems for 4th and 5th floor balcony audience members, but the chandelier has since been raised to avoid controversy.  

The ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall and completed in 1963.  Some objected having a Russian Jew paint the ceiling of such a recognized symbol of French history, some disliked his modernism.  His response to a newspaper article written about him (about the French),

 "They really had it in for me... It is amazing the way the French resent foreigners. You live here most of your life. You become a naturalized French citizen... work for nothing decorating their cathedrals, and still they despise you. You are not one of them."

As a foreigner myself I thought this to be quite funny, and I can't say I find it completely false either!  The canvas Chagall painted took 440 pounds of paint and was created in 5 sections.  The paintings represent the works of Mozart, Wagner, Berlioz, Ravel, Tchaikovsky and other composers and dancers.  We were sitting down in the orchestra sections so I couldn't get a good photo of the entire spectrum of things.  Also, they are strict in their "no photo" policy so it was difficult to do it without someone catching me!  

Isn't the chandelier magnificent?  Good thing it didn't fall on my head...I would hate to cause Phantom of the Opera, Part 2.

It is so beautiful and colorful.  It's absolutely breathtaking.  

Taken from the blog, A Voyage Abroad, I can't seem to have good luck getting in during the days...but this is what it looks like from the stage.  

Amazingly, the Opéra is designed so that the flow of people in an out passes with ease.  People can socialize on different levels of the auditorium, without having to stray far away from your seat.  Rich red velvet on the seat coverings, bright, sparkling chandeliers, and gold leaf on every nook and cranny makes for an opulent setting for a night at the Opéra.  It's sumptuous, moving, and inspiring....no wonder so many artists have passed through its doors.  

The Opéra Garnier has been inspiration for many buildings around the world, including several museums in Poland, the opera house in Ukraine, theaters in Brazil, and even the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C...which I vaguely remember.  

Oh yea...the ballet?  ha!  The ballet was wonderful.  I was so in awe of the ceiling and my surroundings that if they hadn't turned off the lights for the performance, I might not have even cared.  The first act was a more classical ballet and the second certainly more modern.  The choreographers were Jerome Robbins and Mats Ek.  The first, Dances at a Gathering, was simple and wistful.  It was performed with a piano accompaniment, to which 18 of Chopin's most colorful compositions were chosen.  The sky blue background created a flowery contrast with their chiffon costumes of pink, purple, and green.  Although it was an absolutely beautiful ballet, I found my mind wandering at times onto other things....like my dancing days.  I knew I would never be a prima ballerina....but I always did enjoy dance.  Wonder why I quit?  

The second, Apartment, was much more modern and began with a woman dancing around what looked like a toilet bowl.  It was a ballet about the difference phases of life, human interaction, and self realization.  Full of life and changing paces, Flashquartet kept the audience on their feet with their modern use of electrical sounds.  A mix between Save the Last Dance and Swan Lake.  

You have no idea how satisfying it was to come home and completely check off "Opéra Garnier" from my Paris Bucket List.  A night to be remembered that is for certain...one I will never forget.  I've had so many of those while in France....I'm scared if I come home they will stop.  I never ever want nights like these to stop....

Going to the Opéra!

Chloé and Didou were due for their yearly "girls night out" tonight but due to an unfortunate situation with Padi (he recently broke his foot!) Didou has graciously given me her ticket.  So, I am going to the Opéra Garnier tonight with Chloé to see a ballet.  I have no idea what to wear, I don't even think I have anything to wear to the Opéra de Paris.  I have been in the building to see the grand staircase...and have been back 6 or 7 times just to see the grand auditorium with no luck.  So tonight, I will be able to catch a glimpse!  Although I heard the no photo policy was pretty strict....I could only be so fortunate to actually see an opera or ballet there.  Can't wait!!! 

Getting Up Close And Personal...With The Alps

The weekend spent in the French Alps was a smashing success.  Sometimes, almost literally....smashing.  I have flown over those beautiful snow capped mountains several times on my way to and from Italy, and have always wanted to get a little "up close and personal" with them.  To my surprise I only wiped out on my skis 3 times, one time to avoid hitting a small child.  (Keep in mind it was my first time to ski...ever.)  We were always more of a "beach" vacation family than a "ski" vacation family.  My mom is not much up for massive amounts of snow, or cold.  I remember a few years ago my dad wanting to take us to Beech Mountain in North Carolina but it fell through for some reason and we never went.  

I was so happy to be greeted at the bus stop by Kerry...and it was so surreal that I was with her for the weekend.  I told her she is going to have to keep moving to awesome locations so I can continue to visit her!  Have now visited her in Cannes and Courchevel!  However, it made me miss Ashleigh on an entirely different level.  

We put our stuff in Kerry's chalet, met a couple of her roommates and went immediately to be fitted for some boots and skis.  Laura has skied before, so she had all the gear necessary to get going.  I just rocked up in my leggings and waterproof North Face shell and hoped for the best.  Ski boots are undoubtedly the most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn in my life.  I suppose if you are a pro, you are either use to them or you have dropped enough money to get some that conform to your foot.  They are tight, there are so many straps and buckles, not to mention they weigh a ton.  By the time we got to the practice slope on Saturday, I was already exhausted just from carrying my gear.  

We stayed in Le Praz, where Kerry lives, and practiced there...which was nice because we didn't have to buy a lift pass for Saturday.  It was apparently a very small hill, but to me, a beginner, it looked like a giant mountain.  They both sort of chuckled when I said, "You want me to start on that?"  I guess you have to be on some sort of slope or you will have no momentum but I'll have to tell you my wheels were turning to what all kinds of bad stuff could happen if I wiped out.  

I got a few "skiing 101" lessons from Kerry and Laura both, and then sort of pushed my way down the hill.  I ended up going way faster than intended as my "pie" shaped stance just wasn't wide enough to stop me.  Luckily, there was no one else where we were so the risk of running into anyone else was rather low.  The bad part?  The button lifts weren't running so we had to take our skis off and hike back up the hill every time.  

Kerry!!!

Check me out!  I did even better on day 2! 

Hiking back up.

It was really warm....between the sun and the exercise we were hot!

We headed in around 5:30 for tea and a snack.  Of course, when I'm with 2 Brits naturally tea was always in our near future...no matter what time of day it was.  We then decided to hit the luge up before dinner in Courchevel 1850, one of the resorts.  It ran from 1850 to Courchevel 1550 then we got the bus back down to Le Praz.  We rented these small sleds, with metal handles on the sides for about 4 euros a person from a nearby shop.  I had no idea what to expect from this "luge" but I could tell from the amounts of people running by that this was going to be exciting.  I'm not much of a thrill-seeker, although I love adventure.  I hate roller coasters, and I hate going fast at super high speeds.  Well, the luge combined all three.  Luckily, the handles provided a way for me to slow myself down.  People passed me with no hands on their brakes, no control and I just cringed.  In two seconds, you could have been thrown over the edge down the side of the mountain because there were no barriers of any sort.  It was 2 kilometers long with a 15% incline and a 300 meter drop.  

Sound like my cup of tea? Absolutely not.  

Did Kerry somehow get me to do it twice?  Absolutely.  

Kerry and Laura made it down to the bottom before me, obviously, and were patiently waiting on my cautiousness at the bottom.  It was really a lot of fun, and I'm glad we went twice!  And something I would have never done or even known about if I weren't with Kerry..so thanks Kerry!  Even though she had to work on Sunday, she was a big help in showing us where to go to get to ski passes and to certain areas and slopes.  It would have taken us hours to figure everything out.  

We started around 10:30 am on Sunday with a full day ski pass in our pockets and our skis loaded on our shoulders.  (I will admit we left the house in our boots with no skis and didn't realize it until we were a little bit down the road that, oh, hey...we might need our skis if we want to go skiing.)  We took a couple of different lifts up and finally reached our destination.  We stepped out of the lift and onto an absolutely breathtaking mountaintop view.  The sun was shining down on our faces, the white snow was glistening, and the silence, stillness and peacefulness of the mountain was humbling.  It was as if I was the only person in that moment.  

This is what we were skiing down?  No way.

Then, I looked down the mountain and my face flushed white and fear came over my eyes.  I looked at Laura and said, "You want me to go down that?"  No way, I thought to myself.  It was this ginormous mountain, much bigger than the day before with skiers passing by like lightning on either sides of me, with no end in sight.  My stomach churned.  I kept imagining all the bad things that could happen...which I believe is something else I picked up from my Granny.  My sister has always had a "no fear" kind of attitude and I am completely the opposite.  Laura reviewed "skiing 101" and was so patient to wait for me as I started to go, little by little.  We practiced turns which is suppose to make you go down the mountain faster, but I just end up spinning out of control.  Within the first 3 minutes I was on the ground.  I remember kind of rolling down sideways, my skis popping off and my ski poles flopping about behind me.  Laura was close, and came to my rescue....but I was quickly up on my feet and back at it again.  I got a little further and almost to the beginning of the run (yes, this was just the preface to the run...not even the actual green run...) couldn't stop myself and had to fall because I was about to run into a child.  I could damage myself, but certainly not a little child.  He was about 4 years old and certainly doing better than I was at this point.  It was more of a skid and fall so I only lost one ski..no harm done.  I looked over and a boy around 6 years old was crying to his mommy as he had fallen in the same spot.  He naturally didn't want to get up and start again, and I wanted to look over and explain to him that its best to learn now while you don't have far to fall!!!!  

The actual run was good.  There were parts of it that were a bit rough for me, but I didn't fall completely and actually enjoyed it.  Not to mention got an excellent workout.  I was able to practice my turns and stops, and balance.  I was certainly happy to see the end (30 minutes later) and decided it was time for a much needed lunch break.  We propped our skis up and hobbled our way over to a café for some nourishment.  

Crêpes and Limonade, and loads of water. The water in the mountains was incredibly delicious, ice cold, and fresh.

After a more-than-pricey déjeuner and well deserved rest we strapped on our skis again for another couple of runs.  We took a path that was a little less traveled, which turned out not to be a run at all and one of my worst topples of the day.  It was on ice, and I landed right on my tail.  Needless to say every time I sit down I am reminded of it.  

I will say I think I did pretty good for a first-timer!  (Better ask Laura...she might have a different opinion.)  By the end I was making turns and picking up a little speed!  And came out with no broken bones...success!  

By mid-afternoon I was shattered and knew if I didn't quit now while I was ahead I would never make it back down the mountain.  I left Laura to actually ski the runs without having to look behind her to be sure I'm alright and get the full use of her daily ski pass.  Besides, I was so anxious to get my good camera up on the slopes.  I went down the mountain by myself, was happy to give my rentals back to whom they belonged, changed clothes, grabbed my camera and headed back up.  I didn't have a backpack to bring during the day so it was really the only option if I wanted some non-iPhone photos of the world around me!

The flash didn't really work out well with this one, but the panoramic view is nice...no?  This was taken at the verrry tip top of the slope we were on.  

Sunshine!

A hotel/restaurant seen from the lifts...the chairs are enrobed with fur!

The resort town of Courchevel 1850.

Look at all that snow...

Seasons almost over...the snow is turning into rain!

Mmm...yummy après-ski snack.  Raspberry filling, with hazelnuts on top.  

Sunday night we went with Kerry and her roommates to play "Pub Quiz" at the local pub.  We didn't go to bed until around midnight, which made our train super early the next morning.  I'm certain we still haven't caught up on sleep and my muscles still ache.  I used muscles skiing that I never even knew existed.  And like I said, I'm still feeling that ice fall every time I sit down.  

Huge shout out to Kerry for being such a wonderful hostess!  She really made our weekend, and her roommates were all very welcoming.  I'm so glad we decided to spend the money and go, it is a trip I will remember for the rest of my life.  Not only was it my first time in the Alps, but my first skiing adventure!  Can't wait to go again...hopefully in the near future!