Our flight from Paris landed on Sunday afternoon and upon arriving home, Joe immediately took the Christmas decorations down. Like, walked in the door, put our bags down, and then grabbed the boxes of ornaments from their top shelf location.
We had both been excited to start the holiday season but I was adamant on holding off until Thanksgiving evening. I love Autumn and like to make sure it gets it’s fair share of love. Heck, we held on to our pumpkins until the day we left for our trip (because let’s be real – no one wants to come home to rotten pumpkins). And maybe it’s because Thanksgiving was late this year but for me, it had been very difficult to hold off on the Christmas spirit. I may or may not have broken down and watched Elf… and I may or may not have purchased a faux tree from IKEA in November*.
Since this is our first Christmas in this apartment, we’re been trying to figure out where to place everything. Some things, like wreathes and bows, have obvious places, but some things, like certain elves and stockings, are just floating around now. Our apartment looks like Christmas exploded in it, but in a good way.
I can say that because Christmas everywhere is the opposite of a bad thing.
Pantone has announced that the ‘Color of the Year -2014′ is radiant orchid. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet (I neither love it or hate it) but I do know I am going to miss emerald.
Things to look forward to in the future: Amazon Prime Air. A droid will deliver your Amazon order in 30 minutes or less.
A woman, who was topless, chased a peeping-tom after he filmed her in a store’s dressing room (cops later caught him).
As for the nice story of the week: a man was caught stealing from a coffee place’s tip jar. Instead of calling the police, the coffee shop is holding a food drive for the thief.
After a full eight hours of sleep on Thursday night, we woke up ready to explore Paris. Friday was our big free-day and we intended to make good use of it. We quickly got ready and ate a hearty breakfast of a pain au chocolat (me) and cheese crepes (Joe and my sister). With our bellies full, we hopped on the Metro and headed towards the Tuileries stop. Once there, walked through the Jardin des Tuileries on our way to the Musée d’Orsay!
Guys- the Musée d’Orsay is my favorite museum in the entire world. In my ideal world, where I had clearly won the lottery or come into a large sum of money, I’d have an apartment that’s a short walk away from the museum and a yearly membership so I could just hang out in the museum all day every day. I would also fabulous piece of art by Degas (I’ve already mentioned how crazy I am over this guy).
Okay, I’ve gotten off topic.
Our first stop was the Impressionist Gallery on the 5th floor and included Degas, Monet, Manet, Renoir, and Cézanne, among others. I’ve always been a fan of impressionist art because I find it interesting to see the world through someone else’s eyes. It all feels very romantic, if that makes sense. While we were up on the 5th floor, we also got a great view of Paris through the clock. Before leaving, we made sure to browse through the sculptures on the second floor (Rodin!) and then a Van Gogh and Gauguin exhibit. I always like to buy a print after visiting a museum so Joe and I decided to take a copy of Van Gogh’s L’église d’Auvers-sur-Oise, vue du chevet back with us (bonus points because it was featured in a Doctor Who episode).
Next stop on our walking tour of Paris was the Eiffel Tower. My sister and I had both been before but Joe hadn’t. It was pretty grey out and the line was a little on the long side so we decided not to go up, but it was still nice to stand at the base. I had forgotten how tall it was!
Up next was the Arc de Triomphe – a site none of us had really been to before. It was a bit of a hike, but well worth the trip. There are arches in New York (Washington Square Park, Grand Army Plaza) but they pale in comparison to this one. It’s very impressive with all of the intricate details in the arch.
There are also some great views from the top. It had started drizzling at this point in the day but it actually worked to our advantage since few people wanted to go up in the rain. Their loss!
That evening, we went out again with my uncle and Steve but this time, we were accompanied by two of his friends. They brought us to a club in the 20th where we got to listen to an Argentinian band. By 11pm, we were all pretty hungry so we went to a cute little restaurant and had a very late (but amazingly delicious) dinner.
By Saturday, the three of us were all all pretty exhausted. Instead of trying to overload our schedules, we decided to sleep in a little late and then go do some shopping. Joe found a scarf, I grabbed a hat, and my sister got a purse. We also stumbled upon the National Archives, which have beautiful gardens. Definitely a fun surprise for us.
After a relaxing day, we opted to walk back to the apartment. On the way, we got to visit Bastille and jump on the Metro there. Joe was excited about the history of the area while I was excited to finally get a good look at the tile in the Metro station.
Since my uncle’s birthday wasn’t starting until 8pm, we decided to eat some sandwiches while getting ready. We also made sure to pack up everything we wouldn’t need before heading out.
At 7:30pm, we headed out to Café Barge where the party was being held (we had the downstairs room for about 30-40 people). It was so nice being able to meet all of my uncle’s friends (some of them I had already met when I was a baby). Almost everyone was bilingual so it was easy to mingle. There was also a ton of food – tuna tartar, sushi, some avocado/cheese mouse thing, salmon with truffled pasta, chicken and potatoes, cakes, fruit salads – so we were all pretty happy.
The appetizers and desserts came in little containers that fit in the glasses which was the coolest thing ever.
The party ended at 2:00am, but we didn’t get back to the apartment until 2:30am. My uncle stopped by on his way back to say goodbye to us so we didn’t start getting ready for bed until 3:00am. Since my plan was to wake up at 5:30am, I got very little sleep our last night. By 6:30am, we were all out on the street, waiting for our cab to the airport. The trip was only about 30 minutes and since it was so early, we were some of the only people going through security. The airport and the flight were painless and before we knew it, we were back home (just kidding, I watched about 3-4 movies on the flight). Thank goodness Joe and I both took Monday off because we were exhausted. Heck, I still am and it’s Thursday!
Now we just need to figure out a way to go back ASAP!
(Rather than make this the longest post ever, there will be another post tomorrow)
Mid-October, my uncle emailed my sister and me to ask if we would like to join him in Paris to celebrate his 50th birthday over Thanksgiving weekend. He would be covering our flights and had lodging set up for us (his friends’ apartment), so all of the major components were taken care of. All we had to do was say yes or no. When I got the email, my jaw literally fell to the floor because this is not something that normally happens. When I told Joe, we tried to be practical and discuss if we should go to Paris or not.
Basically, every argument for not going was defeated by “…but it’s Paris…” so ultimately, we decided to go (because, like I said, it’s Paris - and who turns down a free trip to Paris?). Clearly, we are not as practical as we’d like to think.
The only thing stopping us was that I needed to renew my passport. It had expired earlier this year, and I had yet to change my name on it (the shame – two years of marriage and I hadn’t finished updating my name). The government was still shut down at this point so it was a bit stressful for me. Let’s just say that my uncle had emailed us on a Monday evening, I got my photo and application all squared away on Tuesday, and by Wednesday I had gotten everything sent away. Since we were sort of under a time crunch, I opted to expedite it – and somehow got my passport by the following Tuesday. Go figure.
With my passport in hand, all we had to do was wait for Thanksgiving weekend. For the next couple of weeks, we sort of just continued on as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Aside from discussing what we’d like to see in Paris, we didn’t really talk about it (it felt surreal). Few people outside of our families knew about the trip either because it felt like we were making it up. Seriously – how often do you get to go to Paris for the weekend because you’re going to a party? That’s something celebrities do and to be blunt, Joe and I are not in the 1%.
Since this was only a short trip, I was able to pack everything (clothes, boots, my camera, etc) in two small bags. Joe had a carry on as well and that helped speed along our travels.
Upon landing, we grabbed a cab and headed out to the apartment (we didn’t check any luggage so we got through the airport quickly). When we arrived at the apartment, we were greeted by my uncle, his boyfriend (Steve), and their friend Joan (whose apartment it was). We were able to drop off our stuff and all go out for a quick tea/coffee. We were then left to our own devices so we decided to explore Paris.
Our first stop was Notre Dame. We walked around back, sat in the garden for a while – which was wonderful since we were running on very little sleep. The three of us then opted to go inside. We wanted to go up to the top but someone had forgotten their bag in the cathedral so the police arrived and taped off the area, keeping us from getting anywhere close. That will have to be left for another trip :)
One of my favorite things about Notre Dame (or old architecture in general) is the amount care taken during construction. These details are amazing and they get me every time.
Since we couldn’t go up, we opted to continue walking along the Seine towards the Louvre. My sister and I had both been before, but Joe hadn’t. The Louvre itself is a bit overwhelming so I thought it would be best to spare Joe from the experience while going on 2ish hours of sleep on a plane. We ended up just walking around outside and exploring the exterior’s details.
We had clearly exhausted ourselves, so the three of us went back to the apartment to freshen up. Later in the evening, we got to enjoy Thanksgiving (a real Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and a ton of sides) with my uncle, Steve, Joan, and her family. It was very low-key and perfect for us since we were basically running off fumes at that point. It was a wonderful meal and the company was fabulous. All in all, a good start to Paris.
What did you all do for this past weekend? Any fellow travelers or did you enjoy being at home??
Woo hoo for Friday! And it’s Black Friday (which is my favorite Friday of the year)! Not only does this mean awesome sales, but it also means I can officially start enjoying the Christmas music and decorate for the holiday season! Let’s just say I’m pretty darn excited about all of this (it’s been incredibly difficult trying to fight off the Christmas cheer thus far). Below are some fun links for you to enjoy – whether you’re taking a break from decorating or recovering from early AM shopping.
This Doctor Who mashup. It’s a bit long (about 40 minutes) but pretty fun to listen to.
Anyone else find it ironic that the frog named after Charles Darwin has most likely gone extinct?
Duncan Lou Who – a two-legged dog who is absolutely amazing.
Jimmy Kimmel pranked John Krasinski… though I sort of wish our apartment looked this festive.
Joe and I picked these pumpkins up last month. While there, we had a less than wonderful corn maze experience (the entrance and exit were the same – which caused much confusion to patrons within the maze), we did enjoy the Fall weather. These guys have been hanging out on our dining table since we brought them home and I’ll be sad to see them go. Joe opted to get a perfectly round pumpkin while I stuck with my typical short and fat pumpkin. I thought it was only right to share them with the world before we transition to all things Christmas (which will be happening in exactly one week for me).
Along with the season change, it’s time for me to get a new phone. While I’m not exactly thrilled about having to make the decision, I know it’s highly overdue (I currently have a Droid 3). I’ll also be removing myself from my parents’ family plan (so sad) and switching to T-Mobile like Joe. Since I’m not getting a contract, I need to buy the phone outright – ouch financially, but yay for no weird apps I can’t delete – and have narrowed my choices down to two: the Moto X and the Nexus 5. The Nexus 5 is probably the smarter option but the Moto X lets you personalize your phone and let’s be honest, I am totally loving that gimmick. The iPhone isn’t even on my radar because $700 for a phone is ridiculous.
So, which option would you get? Have another recommendation for a phone? How will you be enjoying this last week of Fall?
I love this ad for GoldieBlox (a construction-themed board game which combines young girls’ love of reading and characters with engineering themes). As a girl who played with Legos, I very much wish that this was around back in my day.
A ‘nap’ cafe for women just opened up in Tokyo. I’m hoping that this idea catches on and I will soon be able to nap mid-day, too. Here’s their site if you’re in Tokyo and need to take a snooze or relax.
British Airways has launched an ad campaign where (videos of) children are pointing at planes that are actually in the air. That explanation does not justify how cool this is.
