France
Paris

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    • Day 25

      J26 Retour Servanac et bilan du voyage

      January 30 in France ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

      5 heures de train pour rentrer à la maison depuis Paris, j'ai le temps de faire le bilan de ces 4 semaines de voyage solo.
      Il y a 4 semaines, je me demandais bien dans quelle galère je m'étais fourré. Voyager seul en janvier, quelle idée ????

      BILAN PERSONNEL

      Je pensais vraiment me retrouver seul le soir à me morfondre.
      C'est tout le contraire qui s'est passé, du moins pour les Açores car en Islande, la solitude m'a pesé un peu.
      Ce voyage en solo m'a appris à aller plus vers les autres. Quand on voyage en famille ou en couple, c'est génial mais on fait moins de rencontre. Voyager seul n'est pas mieux mais c'est différent. C'est plus fatiguant aussi. 3 semaines sont suffisantes.
      Le choix des auberges de jeunesse était un super choix que je recommande vivement.
      Mais il faut choisir la bonne en épluchant les avis, en privilégiant la convivialité.
      Alors oui, on dors mal, on dort peu ( on s'en moque car on est en vacances), ça ronfle, ça pue ( les chaussures, ceux qui stockent de la bouffe), ça rentre tard, ça se lève tôt, ça ne lave pas la vaisselle, ça n'essuie pas la table, ça laisse trainer chaussettes et sous vêtements .......mais ça vit.
      Et mes enfants qui se moquent de moi quand je râle auraient été surpris par ma zenitude.
      On y fait des rencontres formidables, des gens qui ne se prennent pas la tête, des jeunes, des moins jeunes, de toute nationalité. Dans mon dortoir, il y avait même une russe et une ukrainienne qui semblait bien s'entendre.
      On a tous un point commun, on " ne se la joue pas ".
      Aux Açores, on formait comme une communauté (on cuisinait ensemble, on allait faire les courses ensemble, on visitaient, trinquait, mangeait ensemble).
      On était un petit groupe qui parlait en français, ce qui m'arrangeait beaucoup.
      En Islande, comme je changeais d'auberge tous les jours, j'ai noué moins de contact et n'ai pas rencontré de francophones. J' ai dû me remettre à l'anglais. J'ai bien progressé avec l'aide de l'application Duolingo que je recommande, et que beaucoup de routards rencontrés utilisent.

      LES AÇORES

      9 îles volcaniques peu touchées par le tourisme.
      Coût de la vie inférieur à la France d'environ 20%
      20 euros nuit en dortoir avec petit déjeuner.
      2 euros la bière en terrasse
      1 euro 30 l'essence
      8 euros par jour location de voiture

      Y faire quoi en janvier ??

      Randonner, découverte de points de vue magnifique accessibles en voiture,flâner, boire des coups en terrasse, se faire des petits resto, prendre le temps, bains chauds.

      ISLANDE

      Très très ( trop ?? ) touristique
      Coût de la vie 2 fois supérieur à la France
      40 à 60 euros nuit en dortoir sans petit déjeuner
      10 euros la bière au café
      2 euros 20 l'essence
      30 euros par jour location voiture

      Y faire quoi en janvier ??

      Quelques petites randonnées fréquentées sinon neige trop profonde.
      Visite de sites touristiques
      Road trip donc beaucoup de temps passé en voiture mais paysages de toute beauté.
      Piscine de préférence municipale car pas touristique

      REMERCIEMENTS

      Merci à ceux qui m'ont lu, à ma chérie qui m'a laissé partir en voyage et m'a soutenu dans mon projet pendant qu'elle travaille, à mes enfants que j'aime très forts, aux personnes rencontrées sur mon chemin.

      Par ordre : Dénes étudiant en pharmacie de Frankfort, Patrick altiste aux Canaries, Marianne de Rimouski Québec, la Québécoise Laurence, Katia d'Alaska, Erina d'Ukraine, David de Copenhague, Clara de Paris, Cathy infirmière anglaise, Yushong et Zhipeng étudiant chinois à Paris, Jo de Denver et Irène de Philadelphia.
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    • Day 4

      Day 3 Celebrating my birthday

      May 26, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      Woke to lots of lovely messages from home for my birthday and a sweet card from Janet and Chris. Another cool start to the day with glimpses of sunshine.
      We decided to walk to Roland Garros and see how far it was from our apartment. Breakfast was first stop at a cafe with outdoor seating. Shame about the smokers and vapers. Despite this we enjoyed our platters of orange juice, coffee, croissant and a piece of baguette with jam. At the same time we marvelled at the traffic and how the roundabout was negotiated by cars, bikes, trucks and pedestrians at once.
      Continuing down rue Victor Hugo we made it to Roland Garros. Tight security with areas cordoned off and long lines to get in. Discovered we need to be around the other side for our night ticket entry but our side for our day ticket.
      Heading home we stopped for a Panochet, shandy at home. Lunch and started watching the tennis on TV.
      Snoozes all round in readiness for the Moulin Rouge.
      On approach the outside was just how I remembered it from years ago. Sadly the windmill is not there. The path into the Moulin Rouge was lined with beautiful mosaic tiles showing the iconic windmill. Our table was close to the front and shared with another a group of Australians!! Champagne flowed as the cabaret style band played dinner music and sung. We had a yummy 3 course dinner, starting with prawns, then salmon with a red rice risotto and dessert was a mandarin jasmin tea ganache with crunchy rhubarb and almond crumble.
      The show went for 1.5 hours and was incredible. The combination of dancing and circus acts were amazing as was the iconic Can Can. It lived up to expectation and more. The costumes, music, choreography and dancing was entertaining and well performed. Lots of smiles, thrusting, gyrating and energetic dancing right up close and personal. To quote Chris, 'not a pimple in sight'!! Oh to be so fit and flexible.
      The end of a great day of birthday celebrations.
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    • Day 8

      Day 7 Roland Garros

      May 30, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      After a 130am bed time we had a lazy start to the day. The sun kinda came out and then it rained again. All matches on the outside courts were on hold as a result. 13 degrees and cold today with Roland Garros suggesting we dress warmly for the night session!!
      With a break in the weather we headed out for a coffee. Found a lovely cafe with outdoor seating and enjoyed a Cafe Gourmand. Espresso and 4 different sweet treats. They were fruit salad, chocolate mousse, pink panna cotta in gorgeous little pots and 2 Madeleines on the side. On the way home we bought paninis and wraps for dinner at the tennis tonight.
      Dressed in warm clothes and wet weather gear in the bag, we headed to RG by Uber. Gates opened at 630pm for the night session. Queues were already forming at 545pm when we arrived having already been through a bag check. 615pm they let us in which was exciting. We headed straight to the merchandise shop then saw that Alex DeMinaur was playing on court 6 so headed there instead! We were not the only Aussies cheering! Into the 2nd set it poured and poured....15mins later all over and the sun came out even though it was 730pm. Fascinating watching the process of mopping up the water, taking off the covers and readying the court for play. De Minaur won in 3 which was exciting. Court Philippe-Chatrier was our next stop to see Gael Monfils play Lorenzo Musetti. Our seats were considered restricted viewing but we were happy with the view of the court. Much better than our seats at the US Open! 3 sets and Musetti had won even with the very one sided crowd. Monfils was out played. Fun to have been in centre court and experience the vastness, noise and energy. All over by 11pm so we hit Le Grande Boutique to do our shopping. 2 storeys of merchandise...overwhelming! However, I did manage to buy a cap, keyring, towel and tshirt!!! Peter bought a cap.
      Uber home tired but happy and it had stopped raining!!!
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    • Day 50

      Toad’s tidbits debut!

      February 25, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

      Hello!
      While on the phone yesterday with mother, I came up with a grand idea. In one of my favorite French movies, the main character Amelie kidnaps her father‘s beloved garden gnome and makes it appear as though it is traveling around the world, sending him commemorative postcards at each destination. I don’t have have a garden gnome, but I do have a small stuffed toad (from the frog and toad series) that my mother knitted for me. I figured might place him in silly destinations around Paris, with a snarky caption, as a small creative project.

      While taking this first series of pictures at my favorite local grocery store, Auchan, I noticed something peculiar. I often struggle with social anxiety in public places, particularly in Paris where it’s crowded and I don’t speak the language very well. But the act of doing something small and ridiculous (and ultimately harmless) in a public place, accompanied by my pet toad, made me feel strangely relaxed and unbothered by the prospect of being judged. It was really cool. I think I will take him to more places soon.
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    • Day 51

      Hoppy birthday Sigrid!

      February 26, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 6 °C

      Hi everyone! Nothing special on my end but certainly for my lovely mother, who is turning an undisclosed age today. How she has managed to keep it together for this long baffles me. Alas I do not have the funds to send her France‘s best wine, chocolate, macarons, and yarn, which is everything that this incredible woman deserves and more. My mother is the person who most encouraged me to come to Paris and to write a penguin post every week sharing my life. She’s the person I call when I’m sick, tired, lonely, and homesick. Her patience with my whining and petty problems is (almost) infinite. Without her it’s safe to say, I’d be very lost, and not the sort that google maps can help you with. So my trusty toad and I got together and decided to make her this little birthday card. We hope she likes it as much as we do. Happy birthday Sigrid! 🎉🎁🥂🐸Read more

    • Day 70

      Saturday stroll in le neighborhood

      March 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      I woke up this morning in a horrible state of anxiety. The kind where your lizard brain thinks your house is on fire and you need to flee immediately. Sometimes this happens to me during high-stress periods (applying to internships, planning travel, meeting school deadlines etc. etc), but I’ve recently been trying to put more of an effort into healthy coping. So instead of pulling the covers over my head and drawing my curtains to block any ray of sunshine from entering the room, I pulled myself together, got dressed, and took a walk outside.

      These are some of the pictures that resulted. Saturdays are a lively time in France where parents, kids, old couples, and randos who haven’t done their grocery shopping for the week emerge from their apartments and fill the streets with bustling activity. I love the 13th because of the endless number local businesses that line the narrow streets, affording it a delightfully crowded and communitarian vibe. The corner only a step away from my apartment represents a microcosm of the middle class arrondissement in Paris. We may all come from different walks of life, but we all need to grocery shop.

      France fact #1: France is the epitome of the phrase «parts sold separately ». French people are notoriously suspicious of big business, « la grande distribution », and supermarkets have only recently come into fashion because of their convenience. However, even convenience has its drawbacks. Who wants to buy imported pomegranates from India and ham packaged in plastic when you could get a juicy slab of « jambon de Paris » from your local butcher and cheap, delicious apples grown in the south of France at a market. In the second photo you can even see the business had won a gold medal for their sauerkraut in 2012, giving their products extra credibility.

      So instead, we have a poissonneries (seafood store), boucheries (butchers), fromageries (cheese shops), épiceries (local grocers), and traiteurs (vendors of cooked food). The traiteurs in the 13th are particularly diverse, encompassing Lebanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Greek, and Italian cuisine, to name a few. All of these stores are a bit more expensive than standard grocery prices but always come with the benefit of better quality and support for local businesses. I don’t shop there often, but when I do it’s worth it.

      Enjoy these pictures of my lovely neighborhood everyone. I hope you feel as charmed as I do, especially by the last photo of the lady in the blue coat with her husband. I tried extra hard not to violate their data privacy.

      A bientôt :)

      - Leah
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    • Day 6

      Pt. 3 of Paris

      May 30, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Part 3 Paris photos!

      -The stairwell in our hotel
      -Our breakfast buffet (and fresh squeezed apple juice... I had 3 glasses.)
      -I found out that there was a train gate named after the Queer icon, Josephine Baker, just down the street so we visited (yes... I had to buy tickets just for this picture lol).
      -We went to the Catacombs and it was way more intense than I was expecting. Pictures to follow....
      -The RER we are on has cherubs on the roof.
      -Enjoy this video of the way the hallways are laid out in the hotel we stayed at and how the lights are at each door for you to turn on the lights in the hallways.
      -I have determined that everyone in Europe can either juggle, play the accordion, or both. I have yet to see someone do it simultaneously though. This was fantastic entertainment.
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    • Day 25

      Paris

      October 19, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      We're in Paris...on the backside of our vacation now. Experienced the traffic on the way from the airport but finally got to the hotel. We dropped our bags and headed out to see what was in our neighborhood and get some lunch.

      After lunch, we relaxed for a bit, then went to the catacombs. It's a little freaky to be that close to a million peoples bones. It was a great little tour to start our days in Paris.

      Over the last two days, we've been on the go seeing the sights of Paris. Yesterday, we rode the hop on hop off bus to get a view of the whole city. Once we made a full round on the bus, we hopped off at the Arc d Triumph. Walked on the Champs d and then walked over to the Eiffle Tower. After dinner, we walked toward the Louve to view the Eiffel Tower
      Then we walked to the Louve's pyramid to see it at night. A great night in Paris.
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    • Day 3

      Mit Madame Amy....

      October 24, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      ins Moulin Rouge 🥰

      Vorletzter Punkt auf Amys Liste ...abgehakt.✅️

      Amy hat sich richtig schick gemacht um mit ihrem, O-Ton "alten Vater der sich ganz gut gehalten hat", ins Mouling Rouge zu gehen.

      Bedauerlicherweise ist absoluter Film 🎥und Fotografierverbot 📸🚫während der Show aber....

      Es ist schrill, bunt, lustig und beeindruckend. Das Theater 🎭selbst hat genau den Charm den man erwartete. Umgeben von Sexshops👉👌 und Häusern mit Herzen ❤️auf den Wänden liegt es in einer Art Amüsiervietel voll mit Bars🥂🍹, Pups und Restaurants🍴🥘🥓🥗.

      Die Bühne wirkt total schlicht und alt und verwandelt💥 sich in der Show in ein farbenfrohes🎨 Kunstwerk in dem plötzlich ein Pool🏊‍♀️ steht.

      Faszinierend!

      Von überall kommen die halb nackten Frauen stolziert👯‍♂️👯🏼‍♀️👯 oder fliegen über dich hinweg. Es wird getanzt💃🏽🕺, gelacht😅 und gesungen🎤. Der Champagner 🍾fließt in strömen. Kein Tisch auf dem keine ganze Flasche steht und die Stimmung🥳 teilweise überkocht.

      Amys überraschtes Gesicht zeigte mir ihre Freude. Den Mund 🥹weit offen, suchte sie immer wieder Blickkontakt. Als wäre sie 3️⃣ Jahre alt und wolle mir einen besonderes Laubblatt😍🌿 beim spazieren zeigen.

      In ihren Blicken👀 war deutlich zu erkennen...

      Papa...schau mal! 😊😁
      Ihr war völlig entfallen das ic die Show doch auch sehe 😅

      Wunderschöner Abend mit meiner nicht mehr so kleinen Prinzessin👸🏼

      Aka Madame La Amy🥰
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    • Day 6

      Last day in Paris 🇫🇷

      November 9, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

      What a marvelous city, the culture the architecture, the food and yes ofc the public transport and Urbanism are all so lovely. Today I did a bunch of random stuff that doesn't deserve individual posts. I saw Napoleon's tomb, I roamed around the Le Marais District, did a canal cruise and had an excellent dinner at Le Relais de Venise.Read more

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