A bit of holiday consumerism. I bought the Diana Mini from the Lomo store in Le Marais, post-lover’s bridge, and pre-falafel feast. I also purchased some black and white film which I am very much looking forward to developing. The paper bag is from Merci, and contains a little Liberty x Merci trinket. Also from Merci, but not pictured – a wonderful travel notebook with large vellum pockets for storing leaves from Canal St Martin, used metro tickets, and hand drawn maps.
Oh and some $$$. I find foreign-to-me currency mesmerizing.
Food, food and more glorious food at a market in Bastille, Paris. It was very early in the morning (thanks jet-lag) and we got there just as all the vendors were setting up. There was nothing to do but buy a nutella crêpe and perch on a bench waiting for them to open. It was the first time I tried nutella. Or ‘noooo-tella’ as the girl making it said. (As she I couldn’t help but think of Amélie, imagining records being made with a crêpe rake.)
Eventually the market jolted to life, and we bought as much cheese, bread and fruit as we could carry. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the intoxicating scent of fresh yellow pears, stacked high to the stall roof.
Le Refuge des Fondues offers little choice, but a lot of fun. I have wanted to visit this quirky Parisian fondue joint ever since I heard about its choice of wine glass; the humble baby bottle.
We walked in and asked for a table – no problem – we were shown a seat immediately. Then the fun started… I was told to clamber over the table and wedge myself in between the other patrons. Ladies! If you’re in Paris good manners prevail, which means you’ll be seated on the banquette, so wear pants.
Post-acrobatics, the waiter asked for our order. There’s only two choices to make here – red or white wine, cheese or meat fondue? Vin blanc! Fromage! And away we went:
The other diners are merry, the graffiti is coarse, the service is efficiently French, and the food is filling. For 18 euro you’ll receive a baby’s bottle of wine, a fondue to share, a sweet apéritif, and a platter of bar snacks to nibble from.
Do go if you’re in Paris, it is a hilarious dining experience. Be warned though: it’s hotter than the sun in there. Don’t underestimate the power of 30 fondue pots filled with burbling cheese and oil – you may have to seek refuge in more than one baby bottle of wine!
Bonjour! After a car ride, 3 flights, one RER and a metro trip later, I arrived in Paris. All in all it was 28 hours of travel – and that’s doing it fast (just a brief touchdown in Kuala Lumpur).
Photos from: one of the Seine bridges, Port des Champs Elysées, Ladurée and life around the 10e. I think I’m almost fluent in breakfast French! Full reports on this aventure intéressante soon…
This time next week I’ll be in Paris. Eep. Clearly the best way to prepare is to learn choice French phrases from our two New Zealand friends in New York City.
Do you like Flight Of The Conchords? I was a bit dismissive at first but eventually on a flight to Europe, funnily enough, I watched every episode. Now I just wish there was more. MORE. Jacques Cousteau!
Look at these gorgeous infrared images of Paris! With infrared, it’s always springtime with ‘pink blossoms’ and ‘blue skies’…
From the top: A view of the Eiffel tower, the gently flowing Seine river, a Lion Statue at the Pont Alexandre III and finally, the ferris wheel – Grande Roue de Paris – right next to the Lourve.
Coincidentally, my litte brother has just set off on his first trip to Paris today, and I am so very excited for him. It brings back all my memories of last summer – the cheese, the bread, the phenomenal art and the sneaky antics of gypsies. Bon voyage James!
I’m a sucker for vintage book covers, and these hand embroidered clutches by Olympia Le-Tan make my heart go boom-a-boom-a-boom. They’re not cheap, but her miniaudieres and malettes (briefcases) from the collection You can’t judge a book by its cover are simply charming.
After 4 amazing nights in Copenhagen, I went back to Paris for the day, minus my luggage. It was kind of romantic to have all of one’s belongings in a Marché Franprix bag. Well, that’s what I kept telling myself – liberation!
That circle is freshly painted! I watched the artist finish his work, pack up his stencil and scurry away. I also witnessed the gallery owner arrive back from lunch and stamp her feet at the new addition to the pavement. There’s quite a few colourwheelsaround Paris.
Finally it was time to jump on the Eurostar and chug through the Chunnel back to London. For more travel photographs, check out my ’10 Euro’ set on Flickr.
This trip. Sensational. No, better. Sorta like a dream? I flew Air France from Paris to Copenhagen then back again. I listened to Air France on my headphones. They are Swedish and good. Air France (the airline) upgraded me to business class. I thought they were pretty good too. Then they lost my luggage and my worldly possessions. It was then I learnt the phrase, c’est la vie.
Croissants, space invaders, marvelling at the Lourve, remembering Amélie, cute puppies, giant salades at bistros, eating cheese on bread (and using my student ID card as a knife), spending hours people watching at Sacré-Cœur, the Dreamlands exhibition at Pompidou, descending into the catacombs, Palais de Tokyo, skinny pants/big hair, more falafel, a sun that never goes down.
Sony’s ‘Around The World In 80 Seconds’ video, directed Romain Pergeaux and Alex Profit, makes me want to pack my bags and get on a plane with a camera in hand. Right now.
I love how the globe spins as the action moves across the planet: London – Cairo – Mumbai – Hong Kong – Tokyo – San Francisco – New York – London. The route is a tribute to the famous Jules Verne book “Le Tour Du Monde En 80 Jours” and took 3 weeks to travel.
Lo fi, high impact advertising – over one million views already.
Nicolas Henry is a filmmaker, photographer and artist. Usually based in Paris/Marseilles, he is currently working on a major photographic series – Les Cabanes de nos Grands Parents. This has seen him traverse the world from Marrakech to Moscow, meeting and engaging with all sorts of grandparents.
Henry travels to the home of each of his subjects (he says a friendship is sealed when you visit a home) and invites them to make a hut or play-space with their personal belongings. Inspired by their childhoods, the resulting huts are intimate glimpses into their strikingly rich and diverse lives.
Delightfully, Henry had the good fortune to meet and photograph my wonderful grandmother in New Zealand. As I understand it they met while she was volunteering at the local visitors centre of her seaside village.
Here she is in her much beloved but wild sub-tropical garden – click for a larger view. The picture above Betty’s head is one of her crocheted woolen blankets and a portrait of her as a young girl. Note the teaspoon collection in the back! I love this photograph so much.
Enchanting! French designer Clémentine Henrion makes these fanciful eternal helium balloons. Never face the disappointment of your foil balloon deflating ever again. She explains the “illusion” of an helium balloon is entirely made from fancy fabrics.
“There is no helium in this Helium Eternal balloon : it is stuffed with kapok, like a soft pillow. A tiny flap fixed at the top of the balloon helps hanging it to your interior’s ceiling, hook it to a curtain rod, the top of a wall etc. The key thing is to hang it up as high as possible, in order to recreate the magic illusion of a real flying helium balloon!”
Hello! My name is Amber Parkin. I'm a New Zealander living in London. I'm a writer obsessed with fondue, chesterfield sofas, vintage dresses, foxes, and 35mm.
