Rouge

When I look down during a bike ride.

Sequin Cat loves

This stuff is AMAZING

Seeing swans everyday on my commute

Being paid in €. BOOYAH!

Daily Outfit: Late night in Lyon

Met up with the amazing Amelia (seriously, check out her blog!) for some Indian, beers, dancing to Prince and chatting up pilots.

It's starting to get cold in France...

Checking for traffic..

TA DA!

Wednesday Wrap-up

Wow. What a week.

The Alps haven't seen snow since last Winter

Crazy little trip sideways from Lyon to Grenoble. Hot chocolate in a bohemian cafe. Long exposure photography of the sublime town square. Cheeky photobooth snaps. Student night out in the mud, celebrating the Australian tradition of scamming. Hilarious morning. Homemade tarts in the sunshine. Catching a bubble up the hill to observe the town from a 19th century fortress. Snow-capped alps.

The view over Grenoble from la Bastille

Late night train back to Lyon. Saying goodbyes (have I mentioned how I'm an expert now? They still hurt though.) Another train, this time South to Avignon. A new kitten in a new apartment. Haunting contemporary art installations. My friend's bar (I am so proud!) Apero hour hijinks. Daytrip to La Camargue. Randomly coming across a Camargue bull competition. Seeing wild horses, bulls and flamingos. Gorgeous sunsets.

La Course Camargue. These dudes were fit.

Have I mentioned how amazing life is lately?

Power reading. Homemade, delicious food. Spectacular lenticular clouds and pointing them out to my (not so geeky) friends. An intimate jazz concert. Naps. A sunset stroll through Avignon. Beautiful Autumnal colours. Seeing so many cities embrace bike-sharing. Cultural enlightenment at the Palais des Papes. Perfect sunny days. Chatting with the chef at a welcoming wine bar. Peering into bookshop windows. Lying in the sunshine at the Pont d'Avignon and dreaming. Filling everyone's world with flowers.



Learning the dance to "Beat it" with two French women. Delicious Belgian beer. Eating cheese on toast at a fancy restaurant, and it counting as dinner. Chocolate cake with a side of lollies. Saying goodbye.





And finally, making it all the way back home safe to Paris. And sleeping in my own bed.

Bedtime stories

Whenever I think I'm "good in bed", I just have to remember that it means that I'm a really good sleeper.

Dès que je pense que je suis "forte au lit", il faut que je m'en souvienne que ça veut juste dire que je dors bien.

A new necklace

I'm not a massive jewellery person. I was discussing this in New York with a flea market stall owner: my style philosophy is generally to wear louder items of clothing and no jewellery rather than the more common formula of more conservative clothing spiced up with exciting accessories.

With that said, I do crack for a giant flower brooch or some kind of crazy belt action.

I was thrilled to receive this little parcel in the post from my sister. A birthday necklace! I even wore it to bed the other night (but that may have been due to beer consumption...)

Aren't the owl and cat hanging out in their rowboat adorable?

So my cats and owls, are you jewellery people?

Daily Outfit: Drinks at Bastille

Oh, I do like to have fun.

Wednesday Wrap-up

A change of scenery for this week. Feeling some serious Paris ennui, I got myself onto a train down to Lyon.

All week I've been riding bikes in crisp Autumn air, strolling down cobblestone streets in the old town, meeting up with friends for dinner dates, staying out late drinking beers and filling my world with dance and laughter. I haven't felt this relaxed for a long time.

There's a giant park with a big lake, greenhouses, a rose garden and even a zoo! It's bizarre to ride your bike past elephants and giraffes. There's a basilica at the top of a big hill next to the most stunning view of the city's glittering lights. There's the second biggest square in Europe, with a statue of Louis XIV presiding.

But the most important thing, is that Lyon has my friends. I haven't felt this happy for a while.

Saturday night we hosted a rather massive house party in the share house. Awesome night. Especially with boys who ask if they can brush their teeth with you. Hehe.

So my friends, please excuse me if I'm not in touch much over the next week also. I'm not sure where I'm going next, or when I'll be back to Paris. I'm simply enjoying life.

Regrets

Someone asked me tonight if I'd do anything differently a second time round. I replied that I'd change nothing; that I had no regrets.

How do you feel? Are there things that you'd change?

Autumn

Something about the bright, crisp days and early evenings make Autumn perfect for reflection.


Gorgeous sunsets. Sleepy train travel. Windy bike rides.

Dotty

Before everybody gets up in arms over how NSFW this is, it's my foot.

I just thought it looked funny when I took my polka-dot stockings off.

Daily Outfit: Special guest

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Jack Skellington!



He asked if my toffee apple tasted like worms. I told him it tasted of sunshine.

Danger at Disney

Eurodisney seems to have been taken over by orange people...

This is my slightly concerned face

Daily Outfit: An adventurous Thursday

Travelled back and forth across Paris.

Loving the new Alannah Hill cardigan sent over by my mom, and the snowing effect

Let me just loosen those buttons...

Daily Outfit: Orchestra rehearsal

Them's be my jocks drying on the radiator. And you are?

Daily Outfit: Quiet day at the library

Photographic proof that I have jeans.

My facial expression says, "Oh dear, my heels are stuck in this hill and I'm about to fa.."

What do you get when you cross Inspector Gadget with Minnie Mouse?

Answer:








me!

Could I be anymore of a cartoon character? Daily outfit for a Monday night meet-up: Indian and red wine.

Wednesday Wrap-up

This week's been all about dating: magic meet-up with a girl with flame hair, afternoon kir, cobbled courtyards, a walk along the Seine, the most excellent apartment location in Paris, spontaneous art show, racing through the metro, beer and crêpes, Notre Dame at night, strolling through the latin quarter, glowsticks in mint, wet hair from running through a downpour, nervous laughter, cosy bars, baked potato skins, dancing to Flashdance with applause from the potato shop owner, trying on glasses, pulling faces, tornado stories, John Williams, haikus, waking up in Beijing, the birth of gunpowder, honey-drenched toast, a quaint toy shop, a Saturday stroll through the Marais with delicious felafel, stunning sunsets, barhopping at Bastille, so much laughter, Snow White dreams

I've also read a lot and made some interesting salads. Written postcards, emails and received parcels in the post. Attempts at op-shopping that have resulted in strawberry tarts at sunset and no purchases made. The usual orchestra rehearsal on Wednesday nights with tympani solos. Friday I wore a suit to Disneyland because I was serious about having fun. It was a good solo mission. Skype catch-ups and flirtatious phone calls. Ticking things off my to-do list and making things happen.

Rocket, chickpeas, beetroot, goat's cheese, cracked pepper and good French bread

Paris is making me crack up a little bit (and I'm not even sure why) so I think I might put my travelling shoes back on (those red high heels.)

Daily Outfit: Simple Sunday

After recovering from the nuit blanche (read: sleeping the day away) I took myself out for some Japanese in the 1é, tea in the 7é and wine in the 18é.

Daily Outfit: Nuit blanche

Despite feeling like death on Saturday I got dressed again and out into the nippy night air to enjoy the public art on display for nuit blanche in Paris. Our motley crew picnicked on the edge of the Seine before moving on to the Marais for more beers. Last stop was Cafe Oz to farewell one buddy back to Australia.

Still looking fresh as a daisy at 7.45am after a sweaty night of dancing

Daily Outfit: Friday of Paris Fashion Week

Very image heavy today! Much fun was had.

A moment of peace outside Dior at the Tuileries

En route to the next show

Hanging outside Vivien Westwood

Streetstyle photography

And the evening's festivities were pretty crazy too.

Daily Outfit: lacking computer skills

Wish I had the skills to make these into a little gif... admittedly it looks not so hard.

Ladies and gents, I think we've discovered my "pose".

Sequin Cat loves

Rose gardens. I fricking love them.

Sequin Cat loves

Watching your friend try on a mad ethnic headpiece