Blank space

Hi folks,

I've said it far too often but I can't believe we're already in December. We put the Christmas tree up this week - our plan was temporarily thwarted by an electricity cut which meant we ate our dinner by candlelight #soromantic Once we were back up and running however, we blasted the Christmas songs on Spotify and decorated the tree. I really annoyed JB by singing along to every song, whether the lyrics were correct or not. Just call me Nat King Lou from now on. There's always a mad scramble to see everyone before they go away for the holidays: I'm hanging around until the 24th. The only travel I have is a 2 hour train ride to Lyon which I'm happy about because it's nice and simple. 

This post is just to check in with you all, as I haven't been able to finalise any "serious" posts that I hope to publish over the next few weeks. Here is a little round up of what I have been doing/eating/listening to recently:

The Hunger Games - Mockingjay

I've already read the book, so am therefore fully prepared for what happens which meant I could just enjoy giving my full attention to Katniss, who I love (mostly because she is played by Jennifer Lawrence). The soundtrack is also not bad, I've been listening to these two songs pretty much on repeat.

Carette

'Tis the season to drink lots of hot chocolate tra la la la la, la la la la! As you can see from the photo above, I have been indulging in hot chocolate and sweet treats recently whilst simultaneously catching up with friends.

Apples under my bed

I've been following Heidi on Instagram for a while now and am a big fan of her photos. If you like good writing, lovely food photography and recipes then I highly recommend you visit her blog. I'm really excited as she will be part of the LouLou meets series in 2015.

The Mindy Project, Parks and Recreation, Veep

Whenever I have a bit of down time alone (pretty rare at the moment) I love to catch up with one of these shows. They have me laughing from the pit of my stomach and I obviously love supporting females who are writing/producing/starring in a show.

We're off to the countryside with French friends this weekend - I hope you are all looking forward to the break from the office.

Lou xx

August/Instagram

Social media, Instagram in particular, keeps me on my toes. I don't know about you but I tend to use all of my social media accounts slightly differently. Facebook is really just for my friends - it's  a useful way of staying in touch with those who live across the Channel. Pinterest has very little interaction, even though you can leave comments on pins and tag people and their recent messaging function - the majority of people I follow there are strangers. I like Twitter, it holds so much information and news is disseminated as it happens but I still don't feel like I have cracked it yet. Instagram is probably my current favourite. I love seeing other people's beautiful photos, watching trends, spotting creative hashtags and I consider it useful as a microblogging platform. Every now and then I go back through my feed and chart my evolution (this is also to verify that I'm not posting too much of the same thing). So doing nothing innovative whatsoever here, I'm going to share some of my key moments from August, some of which you can find on my Instagram account.

I'm a terrible loser when it comes to playing games, but I've recently been making huge efforts to have fun and not be so worried whether I win or not. It's all linked to my self-confidence, which I'm constantly improving, so maybe one day I'll actually be able to have a real laugh when playing a game : ) Elferhaus is a game introduced to me by JB's German side of the family. You have to get rid of your numbered cards as quickly as possible, and there is some strategy involved as the aim is to keep others from winning by blocking their numbers.

There was a new LouLou meets featuring The Accidental Londoner. I really enjoyed updating my questions and so look forward to bringing you more in this series, introducing you to bloggers from both Paris and elsewhere. Flora was a brilliant interviewee and I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. Above is one of her photos and you can find her here on Instagram.

August included one week of holiday (Stuttgart followed by Lyon) and the break was welcomed by both JB and I. The holiday was an opportunity to catch up with all of JB's family, as none of them live in Paris. I spoke about it a little on Instagram, but I felt a huge shift during this visit: it's normally a bit stressful for me as I'm navigating both German and French, neither of which are my native language, so I tire quicker than usual and when I'm tired I'm usually a little grumpy. This time however, I could see how my French had improved and that all the stress was coming from me, therefore it was my responsibility alone to alleviate it and I did. With more energy, I could enjoy catching up with everyone and hearing their news as well as meeting our 2-month-old nephew, Timour (very cute, very chubby, very cuddly). This snap was taken in the old quarter of Lyon, when JB and I had a few hours to ourselves.

Brunch - it's one of my passions. Whenever I know we are going away for the weekend I immediately start searching for brunch places (a close second is cute cafés). Recently, I've been sending Paris suggestions to people and have noticed they're always food and drink heavy (sorry!) This is brunch from the past weekend at Le Pavillon des Canaux with some of my lovely French friends. I can handle both savoury and sweet at brunch just fine - how about you?

Putting myself out there and meeting friendly expats in Paris. This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Emily, from Ever After Press, who has just moved here from London. We had breakfast at Ten Belles and exchanged our stories of how we ended up in Paris. I'm always a little surprised at the ease with which I can open myself up to new people, I know I'm not the only one, but you find yourself in this "expat in Paris" boat with others and it's just comforting to reach out and establish connections. I think another part of it is that when I first arrived in Paris, I would have loved an old hand to be there and tell me that most of what I was experiencing was totally normal and there was no need to be worried. If I can help someone ease into their Paris experience with a little less stress then it's not a bad thing is it? We all ultimately have to set the direction of our path and find our people but friendly faces along the way can surely do no harm.

So there we have it. My Instagram August. Now September is upon us and I'm very much looking forward to our holiday in 2 weeks.

Lou xxxxx

Monday, a.k.a. that day I got caught in a surprise downpour

 

Paris in August is peaceful - everyone goes on holiday and everything becomes less crowded. If you like dining out however, it can be a bit of a kerfuffle. You can never wing it, restaurant wise, in Paris during the month of August because a lot of them close for the month.

Work is also quiet - I’m contemplating working from home for the rest of the week because honestly, it is like a ghost town in the office and I feel like I’d get more done from my lovely apartment with no distractions. It would also cut out the 1 hour commute each way.

JB and I have booked our holiday for the end of September and I'm really looking forward to setting my out of office. I’ve decided to get a Kindle, as I don’t feel like lugging a ton of books with me (we’re going to Mauritius, so there will be lots of down time and reading on the beach with a cocktail beside me). I’ve just finished Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Do any of you have any book suggestions for me? I’m all ears.

I’ve recently found some time to read some of the blogs I follow. I don’t think I’m the only one who doesn’t have time to properly sit down and read things because…life! Here is what I have enjoyed recently and would like to share with you:

- Women Who are Ambivalent about Women Against Women Against Feminism by The Bloggess

- What are your weekend morning rituals? I like to catch up on TV shows, whilst JB is sleeping next to me in bed. Then I’ll either head out before midday to meet a friend for coffee or do brunch in the apartment with Jon. We’re also getting much better at waking up on either Saturday or Sunday and heading out for a run before breakfast.

- Flora wrote a lovely post about her recent trip to France which made me want to rent a car with JB and book some time off work

- Freya wrote a great post about yoga which introduced me to Bad Yogi, Erin Motz and I’ve just started her 10 day yoga challenge. I found that fitting in 1 hour of yoga everyday was becoming a bit impossible for me. I’m only on day 3 but the good thing is that I can do one, or two ,or even three of the videos and feel like I have achieved something, feeling good in both my body and my mind : )

- I successfully baked some banana bread  but then unsuccessfully baked Lisette’s peanut butter brownies, so I’ll give those another try this week and hopefully get it right!

- I always make sure to catch Laura Bates’ articles on The Guardian. I shared this article, highlighting some sexist scenarios that women have to deal with in the workplace, with a friend and it was disheartening to share our own experiences but I’m glad that at least we’re having these conversations.

I hope you’ve all had a good start to the week, if you’re not already out of the office on holiday.

Lou xx

Champagne tasting at Radisson Blu

"Champagne tasting" is music to my ears, so I was very pleased to be invited, along with Aurélie, to Le Dokhan's for a dégustation de champagne as part of my 2014 Ambassador work with Radisson Blu. This boutique hotel, with 41 rooms in total, is my favourite of the 3 hotels based in Paris. It is charming, there are stripes everywhere (i.love.stripes.) and the design is incredibly cosy. The champagne bar itself is in the style of a Ladurée tea-room, with majestic arm-chairs, ornate mirrors and antique furniture. You can also choose from a range of champagne glasses to drink from, and the sommelier will patiently explain to you the taste obtained from each glass.

We learnt that the bar changes its champagne every week and favours more artisanal producers over the big-name brands, with a particular interest in bio-agriculture and organice products. We tested a Pierre Peters champagne, a family-run establishment who have been producing champagne for almost 100 years. It was the softest champagne I had ever tasted and by that I mean the bubbles were less vigorous than those of a Moët-Chandon or a Ruinart.

Before moving on to the Metropolitan for dinner, we were given a tour of one of the Eiffel suite, which,  as you probably  guessed, has a breathtaking view of La Tour Eiffel.

Once again, I must underline the excellent service provided by Radisson Blu. It is a recurring theme of my Radisson posts, because the service provided truly embraces the "Yes I Can" attitude that was presented to us all at our very first Radisson meeting. I find the service to be attentive, for example our sommelier left time in between each "coupe" of champagne - but not too much time that we noticed his absence. Similarly, there was no hovering. No-one likes hovering do they, as it's pretty unsettling for the clients.

I really enjoyed discovering a new champagne, as well as the charming surroundings, so would therefore visit the champagne bar again for a friend's birthday or with friends visiting from the UK. I would highly recommend Le Dokhan's if you have an occasion to celebrate, such as Mother's Day, or equally if you are visiting Paris and looking for something a little sophisticated. The hotel also rents out the bar for private cocktails /corporate events.

For more information, you can visit Le Dokhan's website.

Lou xx

Radisson Blu Le Dokhan's

117 rue de Lauriston

75116, Paris

Nightly room rates start from EUR 236

LouLou meets...Meg Gagnard

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Meg from De quelle planète es-tu? after she graciously accepted to be the second interviewee for my "LouLou meets..." series. I feel very excited to have discovered the extensive expat blogging community in Paris because I love being around all these positive, creative and friendly people. But let's get back to Meg...With her warm smile and enthusiastic outlook on Parisian life since moving here from Denver, Colorado, I found Meg to be such engaging company. I feel like I have only really touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of getting to know her so I'm looking forward to more hanging out and chats with this girl. Pull up a chair, get comfy, and let Meg tell you a little bit about herself...

Meg, how did you end up in Paris?
Paris intertwined with my Rocky Mountain lifestyle several times when I was younger, and finally after a six week immersion in Paris at the age of 14, I planned a study abroad trip to France for one year during high school. After becoming fluent in French (I was staying in Normandy, a town in which my only option was to speak French all the time), I knew I wanted to come back and use my French for my studies. I completed my Bachelor's degree at the American University of Paris,  which is also when I fell in love with the Parisian lifestyle. After that, everything just clicked into place...Oh, and I met a guy.

What do you do in Paris?
I am a digital project manager. I also daydream and put far too many holes in my walls to fill them up with picture frames.

Your Paris in 3 words.
Magic and eye candy.

Your idea of a perfect day in Paris?
My perfect day in Paris would be a weekend, one that involves a hefty sleep in (after a deep sleep of splendid dreams), finding fresh pastries that my boyfriend woke up earlier than me to go and buy. We'd eat them together over a coffee whilst listening to Fleetwood Mac and planning our day (which surprisingly enough would NOT yet have been filled up with random coffee dates and fun things to do!) This perfect day in Paris would also include some sunshine, for a stroll with no agenda - I don't care whether it is summer or winter so long as there's no rain! The day would unfold with wandering through one (or several) arrondissements, perhaps a few yummy snacks along the way, before finishing it all off with a trip to the cinema or hanging out on the quai with friends.

Which French "quirks" put a smile on your face? And which make you frown?
One quirk which makes me laugh a little bit involves the grumpy old people on the metro. You know the ones who inhale very loudly whenever there are youngsters laughing out loud, or music playing or when it's crowded? It probably sounds like I'm a horrible person, but it really does make me giggle! Another French quirk which puts a smile on my face is when the French (more specifically my host family with whom I lived when I was 16, or my in-laws) clarify how to properly cut the different French cheeses. It is a serious matter!

As for things that make me frown, one will always and forever be having to vousvouyez. It's a delicate subject in the work environment when you least expect it... Other things that make me frown are stressed out employees at the boulangerie. Also the vendeuses in the stores who, should you forget to say "bonjour" to before addressing them with a question, smirk at you rudely with a very serious look on their face before saying "BONJOUR?" to you. So my final Parisian quirk which makes me frown is that I have to remember to ALWAYS say "bonjour" before making any inquiry!

What motivated you to start blogging?
I started my blog when I was studying abroad in Lebanon. I've always loved taking pictures, and I just wanted to share anything and everything. I wanted to know about snazzy places and I wanted friends to know about the places I found snazzy. It was a creative outlet for me really...and still is to this day.

What have you learnt since you started blogging (both about yourself and the blogging community in Paris in general)?
Blogging has given me a place where I can be creative, a place that is fully in my control, and is an extension of my crazy little brain. It's a place where I can share my obsession. It has given me motivation to learn a variety of things (from CSS to Adobe Illustrator) and also how to organise promotion of my blog across different social media platforms. It really is like a micro project management and I have loved every minute of it. In terms of the blogging community in Paris, my blog has really allowed me to meet some phenomenal people, who also have a joie de vivre and the motivation for sharing moments, places or any kind of experience with one another.

Where do you look for inspiration for your blog?
For inspiration I just like walking around wherever I happen to be. I like looking through magazines and surfing the web. Pinterest can be addictive (hear hear!) Anything and everything has the potential to inspire me.

If you could hope on a plane right now, which destination would you choose, and why?
I would go to Iceland, mostly because that's just the top of my travel list at the moment. I would be happy with most destinations, but Iceland is a landscape I hope to experience in the near future.

One thing on your bucket list?
To go on a hot air balloon ride in the U.S. Somewhere beautiful such as Bryce Canyon...

What's the one thing you really miss from home that Paris cannot replace?
I couldn't decide on just one, so I'm going with these three (excluding my family of course, that's the easy answer because it's the main thing missing in my Parisian life): many feet of snow, crisp air and a blue sky, breakfast burritos and the grocery stores.

What would you miss about Paris if you left it one day?
I imagine I'd miss the proximity of things, as Paris is quite a dense city. Not to mention the fantastic public transport! Gosh, Paris is so charming...

For all us foodies out there, please could you tell us a little bit about how you became a member of Yelp elite, and what it involves exactly?
I became a Yelp Elite member of the Paris group by writing tons of reviews on Yelp, haha! I don't do Foursquare check ins, I've always been exclusive to Yelp. Being an Elite member means you're part of a little community of people who write reviews regularly, and who all happen to check in and share favourite places excessively. Once a month we all go to a little event together to discover somewhere new. It's a hoot!

Quick Fire Questions

Favourite patisserie? Tarte au citron
Favourite metro line? Line 10
Rive gauche ou Rive droite (Left bank or right bank)? Right
Red, white or rosé? Red
Favourite Parisian café? Any corner café with a terrace that happens to  be where I am!
Favourite French film? Jeux d'enfants (Love me if you dare is the English title)
Favourite Parisian museum? Musée des Arts Forains

I hope you enjoyed discovering a little of Meg's planet as much as I did. You can also find Meg on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Go and say hello.

Lou
xxxx
P.S. All images belong to Meg!