life is real

I miss Paris.

lifeisreal — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:31:06 +0000

I can’t believe it’s almost a year ago I took my first trip to Paris. In some ways it feels like yesterday, and in other ways it feels like forever. There are so many things I wish I could have done. I wanted to see Parc Monceau, but couldn’t find the time.

Parc Monceau Autumn

I miss my little studio on Rue Amelie too.

Rue Amelie 7eme

Restaurant close to the studio taken by another photographer.

until next time

lifeisreal — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:40:26 +0000

Well, in just a couple of hours I will be checking out and heading back to the states. I’m still busy trying to squeeze in all the things I forgot to do, or was too jet lagged to do earlier in my trip.

Being here has been so interesting. I did many things I always wanted to, but there is so much more to do in Paris! It’s a huge city and has activities for all ages and interests.

I will see you all very soon! :0) I can share all of my photos and more stories…until then…see you later.

Jardin des Tuileries & Musee de L’Orangerie

lifeisreal — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:34:09 +0000

Today started off with a visit to Place de la Concorde where I saw the Obelisk, the Jardin des Tuileries and the Musee de L’Orangerie. I almost skipped out on these, I would have been missing out on something really special. The museum was definitely worth the trip. It has just recently been reopened after a restoration. It holds panels of Monet’s water-lily series, known as the Nympheas. The museum also has the Walter-Guillaume Collection of impressionist art. I was so excited to see an original Modigliani. He is one of my favorite artists and I was grateful to see his artwork up close. Although the museum was busy, it was very peaceful.

Portrait of Paul Guillaume by Modigliani:

Le Grand Louvre

lifeisreal — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:23:24 +0000

One of the most amazing museums I have ever seen. Le Grand Louvre has something interesting for everyone. The collection here is amazing. I had read about the Louvre and the museum collection, but reading about it does not come close to the reality. My favorite collections are the Egyptian antiquities and Near-eastern antiquities of Mesopotamian featuring the Code of Hammurabi and two winged bulls. I also saw the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo sculpture. I also tried to take time to view the not so famous sculptures, objects and paintings. I will take another trip and focus on the drawings held by the museum and definitely visit the Egyptian antiquities again.

Winged Bull (Mesopotamia):

Academy of Equestrian Arts – Chateau de Versailles

lifeisreal — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:18:15 +0000

Horses are among my favorite animals, so I was very excited to watch the performance of the Academy of Equestrian Arts at Versailles. The horses seemed to glide as they performed with the riders. The performances are theatrical, artistic, musical and entertaining for all ages.

I hope you take time to view the website for the academy:
http://www.acadequestre.fr/index-64-professeurs-en-7-15-0.htm?id_rubrique=3&modele=couverture〈=en
it contains information about the academy, the calvary, the riders, the public sessions and much more.

Chateau de Versailles

lifeisreal — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:17:42 +0000

Gold. If I described the Chateau de Versailles in one word, it would have to be gold. It was everywhere. As you walk up to the palace you know you are going back in time. There is an amazing entrance that takes your breath away. I kept thinking “I can’t believe this was someone’s home”; Ok, I know it was the royal family of the day, but I had never seen anything close to this in size or beauty. The audio guide tours help to put you back in the time of the kings, queens, princes and princesses. It is a great privilige to see the palace, which is only a small portion, if you can believe it, of the grounds. I then took a walk to the gardens, the grand canal and the petit canal. It was so calming and made me feel connected to nature. It seems to me these kings and queens had a true love of beauty and nature.

Since it was so chilly I decided to skip the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon which contain several gardens and a lake. If I ever have the chance to return I would love to see the Grand and Petit Trianons in full bloom.

Hall of Mirrors in the Chateau Versailles:

Life Is Real! – Ayo was fabulous

lifeisreal — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:05:26 +0000

The Ayo concert at Cabaret Sauvage in Parc de la Villette was so much fun. She played her hit many of her hit songs of course, but also some new music. She had many guest performers with her on stage that evening. I was so happy when she said “life is real” is her favorite song, because it’s my favorite song too. I managed to upload some clips from that night: Ayo 1 , Ayo 2, Ayo 3, Ayo 4, Ayo 5. It may seem like a lot, but they are short clips.

Ayo’s concert poster (click on the photo and it should play a video):

The lighting in the cabaret was so pretty (photo from another show):

Le Marais & Saint Germain-des-Pres

lifeisreal — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:31:45 +0000

So far, I have taken three guided walking tours of the city – Le Marais Circuit I, Le Marais Circuit II and Saint-Germain-des-Pres. My favorite part of the city so far is Le Marais. It has lots of shops, people and of course major historical sites. I also love the various art galleries in the area. Among all the excitement is Place des Vosges; the oldest square in Paris.

Place des Vosges:

to Rouen and back again

lifeisreal — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:30:17 +0000

Well, the day trip to Rouen went well. The best part is the city center. It has many historical sites, but many trendy stores like La Redoute, NafNaf, and Monoprix to name a few. Close to the center is a little pastry shop that sells Chausson aux Pomme, they are flaky pastries filled with apples. It’s so good!! On my trip back to the city I saw this little park and had to take a photo of the waterfall. It was so peaceful for a Saturday.

I had fun at the concert too. Before I left I was telling Ni. I wasn’t sure if I would have a good seat and she replied, “well, C, is right up there”. She was right; my seats were close to the front and near the center of the stage. The show was really fun to watch, I’m so glad I went.

I took a few photos yesterday. There were so many people out on the Esplanade at Hotel Invalides playing sports, studying or just chillin’.

There is also a spot close to the Esplanade with benches to sit and read or relax. It’s really pretty with the bright leaves filtering the light.

Until next time. XOX

rue Amelie

lifeisreal — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:51:56 +0000

I was very busy today. First, I was checked into my place on rue Amelie. It’s tiny, but cute. The street is quiet. I am in the area between Hotel Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. It was really cool seeing it today when I got off the metro.

After yesterday, I realized planning ahead is the best way to get around. It took me quite a while to figure out what I wanted to do and how to get there using the metro. I went to Gare St. Lazare to buy a ticket for my trip to Rouen, Normandy tomorrow. It’s just an hour away from the city. I will take a small tour, attend a show at Zenith-Rouen and head back to the city on Saturday afternoon.

Then, I went to a store called Monoprix to pick up a few things I needed. I went to the one on Champs Elysees, it’s huges…it’s like super Walmart except a little fancier. :0) Lots of people shop there…supposedly people don’t like to be known to shop there, but it seemed like everyone on Champs Elysees needed something tonight…they’ve blown their cover.

Well, that’s all for now. A bientot et bon soir.

Zenith-Rouen: