We won!! Les Bleus soundly defeated Croatia 4-2 in the admittedly somewhat-sloppy-but-definitely-dramatic World Cup final yesterday. And then Paris went absolutely nuts. Flags were waved; baguettes were waved (don't ask); beer and champagne were sprayed, sometimes accidentally and sometimes on purpose; and the whole city became a shouting, singing, car-horn-honking cacophony. The noise didn't even … Continue reading Victoire!
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Life lately
It's been a while since I scrolled through the photos on my phone, so it's time for another photo dump. Some of these are from a while ago! (Most are from Instagram.) Here's what we've been up to since, um, April:
Say what?
After being away from France for so long, my brain is having a hard time getting used to hearing and speaking French again. On my best days, my proficiency level could probably be described as "older toddler," and these certainly aren't my best days. (My twin niece and nephew are two, and I often think … Continue reading Say what?
Sur La Tour Eiffel
The biggest challenge with having visitors in Paris is tempering their expectations, because there’s never enough time to see everything they want to. On one tour I went on with my mom, the guide told us she’d moved here from Mississippi decades ago, and her family continues to ask when she’s coming home. “When I … Continue reading Sur La Tour Eiffel
Reptilian invasion
After three weeks of full-time lizard catching, I'm now seeing little lizards everywhere... including at the Louvre. I was extra pleased to see that this young herpetologist-in-training is female. 1822 must have been a good year for gender equality. Unfortunately the lizard she's holding is dead, but I like to think she's gazing at it … Continue reading Reptilian invasion
Touristing around
Ever since my mom landed in Paris, we've been running around trying to see and do all of the things. Well, not all - that would take at least two lifetimes - but several big-ticket-must-sees plus some of my favorite off-the-beaten-path places. And we're not the only ones! Since I left in early May, the … Continue reading Touristing around
Google Translate et moi, nous sommes fatigués
Yesterday, after a long day of flights and trains, I arrived back in Paris. Unfortunately I had one time-sensitive errand to run since Colin's collaborator Anthony needed a piece of research equipment for his own fieldwork starting today. So I dragged my suitcase up the four flights of stairs to our apartment, caught my breath, … Continue reading Google Translate et moi, nous sommes fatigués
Fête du Muguet
Happy belated Fête du Muguet! In addition to being France's Labor Day, May 1st is also Fête du Muguet, or Lily of the Valley Day, when people give small bouquets of Lily of the Valley to friends and family to show their love and appreciation and to wish them bonne chance for the year ahead. I love this! As … Continue reading Fête du Muguet
Mirror, mirror, on the wall
Most of the French I encounter on a daily basis is a little over my head, but this sweet sentiment truly was. "Mais oui, tu es belle!," the mirror reads. ("But yes, you are beautiful!") Non—I think it should say "mais oui, tu es petite!" instead.
Fit for a king
Last Friday, Colin skipped work to go with me to Versailles. We knew we wanted to avoid le week-end in hopes of it being slightly less crowded, and the grounds are closed on Mondays and there were transit strikes on Wednesday and Thursday, so Friday it was. Versailles is only about 12 miles outside of Paris on the RER, … Continue reading Fit for a king
Practice Makes Parfait 