I'm In My Element

For our fourth day in Paris I finally got to visit Verlet café, the oldest coffee shop in the city. This is where the famous Coco Chanel used to go to, and the shop is known for its rare Indonesian coffee. According to my professor, a cup of this espresso would be triple the price in the United States, but in Paris it's only three euros. The coffee beans used for this drink are actually collected after cats poop them out because they can't digest them. I wanted to be adventurous and try this rare coffee, regardless of the nasty story behind it. It tasted slightly sweeter than regular espressos. I normally never go for espressos, since I love sweet and sugary iced coffees, but new things are always worth trying.

After visiting the coffee shop we went shopping at a flea market called the Porte de Clignancourt. I'm so glad my professor took us here because we would have never discovered it otherwise. Flea markets like these are located in the more ghetto areas of Paris, so it's definitely far from being a tourist attraction. However, once you walk past these areas you'll enter a world full of the finest vintage and antique treasures. Within this flea market are numerous vintage costume and furniture stores that many people from the fashion industry visit. Here, they search for inspirations or props and costumes for movies. This was basically like heaven for me because I grew up on thrift shopping and love searching through piles and racks of old rubbish for cheap but high quality products. This was a place where we were supposed to bargain so we got a lot of really good deals. I actually bought a vintage paisley Vogue tie for my boyfriend at five euros and a vintage fashion illustration for my best friend at twelve euros. Inside the flea market we even saw a mini fashion exhibit filled with the most beautiful lingerie displays. Pink, red, white and black lacey and sheer pieces were hung in different romantic settings. For lunch I had a really good arugula, mozzarella and tomato salad. It also came with fresh melon and cold soup, which was so refreshing. Overall, I loved this flea market so much, and wished I had more time to explore it. Five hours is definitely not sufficient, and I think next time I'll need the entire day.

So Much to Do, So Little Time

Today was by far the most exhausting day I've had in Paris since my arrival. We walked all day starting from 9:30am until 7pm. For breakfast, I ate a raspberry croissant from a popular bakery around the corner from my hotel. After that we went to the Louvre, where we walked through the surrounding garden. The weather was hot today, so it was so relaxing sitting beside the garden's water fountain. Our first stop was at the Orangerie, where we got to see Claude Monet's Water Lilies. My personal favorite was definitely the day version, since it had more colors and details.

As a quick snack we stopped by a macaroon shop, called Pierre Herme, afterwards. They had so many colorful and unique flavors, and I ended up getting the apricot and pistachio flavor and the lychee, rose and passion fruit flavor. Along the way we walked throughout the Palais Royal area, where we saw so many luxury department stores, like Chanel. My professor also introduced us to the oldest coffee shop in Paris where Coco Chanel used to go to. There, they have a very rare Indonesian coffee for the cheapest price, so I plan on trying that one of these days. 

Once we got free time the girls and I went back to the Louvre garden to grab some flower-shaped gelato. I treated myself to the grapefruit, passion fruit and cherry flavors. The highlight of my day was when we visited a carnival in the garden, which had several fun rides. Because the prices were so expensive, we decided to only pay 5 euros to go on the swing carousel, which was so much fun. From up there, we got to see a spectacular view of Paris and some of its most popular monuments, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. 

At 4:30 we had to visit our professor at the Moulin Rouge stadium, and from there we walked to Montemartre, which is the highest hill in Paris. It had the most beautiful view I've ever seen, and there, I got to see a skyscraper view of the city. All I could make out were thousands of white rooftop buildings. At the very top of the hill was a gorgeous bleach white church that was surrounded by many cute little shops. I had the chance to try a chocolate and banana crepe, which was my very last activity for the day. As much as I loved this area I was so exhausted by that time that I just wanted to go home. I wanted so badly to have enough energy to further explore the area. However, I unfortunately have to visit again another time when my schedule isn't so jam-packed. So far, I can safely say that I love Paris so much, and it definitely stole my heart more than London!

Paris, je ta'ime

This past weekend I went to Paris and fell in love. I know that people overly refer to Paris as "the city of love" or "the city of lights," but in all honesty, it is true. It got me thinking about what it was exactly in Paris that I loved and I have yet to put my finger on it but the fact of the matter is I did not want to leave and I know that I will definitely be going back. I have always dreamt about going to Paris, every since seeing Passport to Pairs with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (for those of you who know me, you know that I am a little bit obsessed with the Olsens.) To put it simply, there is an essence of Paris that makes it just like you see in photos and movies, there is the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre as well as the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs de Elysee. It is pretty much impossible not to recognize the beauty in Paris.

Paris, I love you.

There I am, lusting over Hermes!

On our first night in Paris, Eliza and I went to dinner at a cute little place called Au Clair de luna. Contrary to my preconception of the French, they were all very nice. Even though there is a very apparent language barrier, I was able to understand what I needed to and everyone that we talked to was willing to help us. After dinner, we happened upon a night trolley that took us from our current location at the top of Montmarte where a beautiful church is to Moulin Rouge. The ride was so pleasant and we were able to enjoy our gelato as we rode down a beautiful mountain.

On Friday we decided to go shopping at Champs de Elysee. First we treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast where I got a crepe with ham and cheese. To accompany our food, we got ice coffees that tasted like melted coffee ice cream, I was in heaven…until we got the bill and they cost 7.80 euro, and we got TWO each! We didn’t dwell on it too long because right across the street, the Louis Vuitton flagship store was calling our name. We admired the beautifully designed window displays featuring dinosaurs along with Louis product such as trunks and bags. After standing in line just to get into the store, we went to the book section where most things appeared to be in our price range, even those were a little pricey. I ended up getting a book called Parisian Chic  as well as DVDs about Marc Jacobs influence in the company and two others about the days leading up to fashion week. At this point, it was time to get out of the store before we did any more damage so we headed to the Louvre.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, AKA Nike of Samothrace 

The Louvre is pretty much what I expected, a lot of tourists and not enough space. Everyone told me that the Mona Lisa was overrated, but of course I had to see for myself. I must say that pretty much everyone was right in telling me so, but I am happy that I got to see it in person. It is actually pretty funny how excited people get to see it; I can’t even explain the number of “selfies” were being taken with it! After the Louvre, we headed over to the Musee Decoratifs where there is an amazing exhibit going on about lingerie and its’ history. I am happy to say that after taking Costume History, most of the information acted as a refresher and it was nice to have prior knowledge and then actually see things that I have only heard about. There were even corsets and wire skirts that museum goers could try on in order to experience the feeling of wearing them firsthand.

Friday night may have been my favorite because we went to the Eiffel Tower to see it light up. With full stomachs of fondu, we took a bottle of wine to the tower and were able to relax and enjoy the beauty of Paris. Even with all of the different languages we heard and people trying to sell us stuff, the sheer magnificence of sitting in a place that I have only dreamed of was enough to be ingrained in my memory forever.

Breathtaking night view of the Eiffel Tower.

On Saturday, we went back to the Eiffel Tower to get a sense of how it looks during the day and I must say that it is just as beautiful. We took a boat ride from just near the tower that lasted about an hour and we were able to see Paris at a glance. We passed Notre Dame as well as the Ponts Des Arts bridge where lovers place a lock and throw the key into the river (we went back and did so the next day!) among other landmarks. The boat tour was a great way to still enjoy seeing sites without actually having to do anything other than sit and listen. Our last stop was La Duree for macaroons, believe it or not it was my first time trying them and I certainly was not disappointed! Now I must begin my detox from all carbs and sweets, the "baguette" stereotype of Paris is no joke, I must have consumed at least three whole ones during my four day stay, maybe even more!

Overall, Paris was beautiful and I can’t wait to go back some day! Between the fashion and the energy, I just can’t get enough!

Cheers!

Since arriving in London, it has become abundantly clear that the term "cheers" is not just said when clinking drink glasses for luck. I have heard cheers as a greeting, in terms of saying thanks and even in saying goodbye to someone. At first I thought that it was only certain people who used cheers in other ways, but the other day I was shopping at Urban Outfitters and after I made my purchase and signed my receipt, the cashier said cheers. I must have looked up questioningly because then the cashier laughed and said "thank you." I can only imagine what he was thinking, he probably thought I couldn't even speak English. Since that happened, I have noticed cheers used in different contexts. I held the door for someone at Harrod's and they responded with cheers. Now that I know that it can be used in so many different ways, there's no stopping me from using the term more often. Cheers definitely has a happier ring to it than thanks.

Cheers, mate!

Michaela and I at Bluebird.

This past weekend one of my very best friends from high school came to visit me. I was so excited for Michaela's arrival that I made a reservation for us to have lunch at Chelsea's infamous Bluebird Cafe (a frequented location by the Made in Chelsea crew). To my surprise, Bluebird not only has a restaurant but also a cafe, a boutique, a spa and a food shop! Bluebird is situated on Kings Rd. not too far from my flat. It was a beautiful day that we went and some of London's most chic were dining and shopping at the establishment. I had to refrain from buying absolutely everything at the boutique; they had a whole table displaying the September issues of Vogue UK, LOVE Magazine and many more!

Michaela had studied here in London from January to May and so she had a few places of her own that she wanted to show me. The first place was Hersheson's, a blow dry bar. I am always one to divulge in beauty treatments, but when she told me that she would get her hair blown out once a week while she was here, I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. We went to the Hersheson's located in the Oxford Street Topshop where I have had that horror of getting lost in a few times...that place is huge! Hersheson's is located on the bottom floor and they specialize in a thirty minute blow out; there are photos on the wall showing the options of hairstyling they offer. I chose to get the "wavy gravy," it is their take on beachy waves. They don't lie when they say it takes only a half hour, when I was finished I was quite impressed with my hair and now I just may have to go back and have my hair done again. (I apologized to Michaela for judging her habit of going weekly after I saw how amazing it was!)

Hershesons hair salon in Topshop in Oxford Circus.

I just had to take a bathroom selfie of my freshly blown out locks. Here is the "wavy gravy" style!

Camden Market

On Saturday, we walked around a lot and I saw much more of London than I even realized was here. We went to Sloane Square to shop and it was like a whole new world had been revealed to me. Stores like Brandy Melville and Anthropologie call this area home. Because it was such a beautiful day, there were many restaurants with outdoor seating and even a market was going on in an open space. After walking around and once again refraining from buying anything, we were famished. We chose to go to a restaurant called Bumpkin which prides itself on serving traditional British dishes. The restaurant was quaint and homey; we even discussed the decor in terms of we wouldn't mind decorating our future homes that way.

"Philly Boyz"

On Sunday, we started our day early and went for breakfast near my flat. Afterwards, we ventured off to Camden Market. Many of my flat mates have already explored the market in Camden, but this was my first time. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to encounter. There were two large markets, one was mostly clothes and souvenirs and the other had food and many other unique stands. The one market is a converted horse stable! There is even a club in that market and although it wasn't open for business on a Sunday, it was still open to go into and impressively enough, there were still horse stalls only now they have been converted into areas with tables in them for clubgoers to sit in. One part of the market that had all of the food stands sold Philly cheese steaks and claimed to be "Philly Boyz," Michaela told me to ask them if they were actually from there and upon closer examination I saw that one guy was wearing a Yankee hat, not further inquiry was necessary because if they actually were from Philadelphia, there is no way that he would be sporting a Yankee hat!

Overall, I had a very successful weekend and if it made me realize anything, it is that I do miss home. I will be home three weeks from today and even though I know I am going to be sad leaving this beautiful place, I have learned so much here that I will be able to take those memories home with me and always think about my time here very fondly. I plan to take full advantage of my time left here. On Thursday I will be going to Paris, so my next blog post will be covering my Parisian adventures!

My London Excursions + Paris

Over the 2 weeks I have been here in London I've been filling my free time with touristy things: the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Big Ben. They were all nice places, but they didn't "wow" like over landmarks in other cities in Europe. To the cities I've been to throughout Europe, they are gorgeous compared to London. Even though, New York was based on London, it is still better and prettier. You just can't beat the city that never sleeps! What I miss the most is having 24/7 running subways. I spent about 200 Euros on taxi's in Barcelona because the concierge at the hotel told us to avoid the subway because it is notorious for pick-pocketers.

One of the most exciting places for any Harry Potter fan is to go to the studio tour in London, which is approximately 30 minutes away from the city. It was just a great experience! There were a bunch of people there, therefore, the crowds of people made the process rush a little more. I was there for a total of 3 hours. It may seem like a lot of time spent on a movie set, but it was well worth it! Here is a video of my Harry Potter adventure (Click Here).

Just this past weekend, I venture out of the UK, and went to Paris! With the short amount of time to spend in Paris, it seemed like I accomplished a lot! I went to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Llouvre, Notre Dame, and the Palace of Versailles. I somehow found a way to pack all these places within 2 days. When I first arrived, I went straight to the Eiffel Tower, and managed to get tickets to go up the elevator to the top. As a heads up, there were these women carrying "petitions", where they would ask you to sign and give money or possible steal your stuff while signing. It has happened to a fellow Drexel student, so beware when you go to very touristy destinations. Even though, it was entertaining while waiting in line, it was so sad how people who couldn't speak english or french very well were taking advantaged of. So I had to choose to go in the Llourve or Notre Dame, and I choose the Llourve. There were lines, everywhere I went, but this designation wasn't that bad. The last day (which took all day), was the Palace of Versailles. When getting there around 11am and not purchasing tickets/tour beforehand, I was able to get in around 1:30pm. The line for the tickets, and the line to get in were very long. The wait was well worth it!. Paris was worth running around, and cramming it in a weekend.

Paris, the other city of Love

Finally I made it to the magnificent Paris!  Yes, after having a Paris themed bedroom growing up this has been a dream of mine.  Every time someone I know goes there, I always get a little gift but finally I got a taste of my own!  Four of us from Drexel went for the weekend with a student tours program which included a cheap bundled package of hotel, transportation and tour guide.  Since, our trip was by a bus, (yes we went over the water in a bus that was inside of a train!), we had an overnight ride arriving at the Arc de Triomphe for sunrise!  Surprisingly, I was somewhat alert, maybe more or less just excited to get off the bus and be in Paris.  No other time would we be able to take such great pictures and without all of the crowds.  Our tour continued on the coach around famous streets such as Champs Elysees where you will find all the major retailers and designers.  We made a stop outside of Musee de l'Armee with an opportunity to just take in the morning air.  We began to see the Eiffel Tower and everyone rose out of their seats.

Arc de Triomphe

Musee de l'Armee garden

After our overview of the area, we were able to split off and go to the places we were most interested in visiting.  We stopped just along the river Seine in front the Eiffel Tower.  After gazing in amusement at Eiffel Tower we had some authentic French treats for breakfast and headed off.  First to Musee du Lourve where the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting, the Mona Lisa,  is located.  The museum holds a lot of Renaissance art including huge collection of religious paintings.  Unlike other museums, the Lourve was quite full of other tourists so you cannot look at art with the ease one my typically have.  The Mona Lisa hung on a wall alone with crows of people, we patiently just waited till we made it to the front.  Even from there we were several yards apart.  Many of the paintings were recognizable from previous art history classes which made it very exciting to see them in such proximity.  After we were off to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  This is another huge tourist attraction for the beautiful architecture and exquisite stained class windows.  One of my favorite parts of the day was the love lock bridge because it's not as well known.  There are many different bridges across the Seine, each unique in their own way but this one was just a plain fenced rail. Lovers in Paris have given the bridge new meaning by securing their locks of love all along the fence, some written on with marker, others engraved, each its own.  I must say, I'm a sucker for love.

Eiffel Tower at night

Our day ended with a tour along the river Seine where we were able to see all of the beauty Paris is known for from a better perspective.  However, after returning to our hotel we said we have to go back and see the tower at night!  If you were curious why people fall in love, see the Eiffel Tower at night.  It is lit up until about 12:30 pm and something you must see for yourself! Amazing experience and I really cannot wait to go back soon!