Mother/Daughter time in Paris

I always knew that my Mum would be the first person to come visit me in Paris. In fact I should have bet on it to earn some money!! So when I found my new place she booked Eurostar tickets and came out just 5 weeks after I left London. (I realise it sounds like I'm moaning she came, I'm not - I love my Mum even if she is crazy sometimes).

We basically spent the weekend walking and drinking wine. It was brilliant. The first night she arrived and we got to mine about 8pm and we went straight to dinner near me. Spent the night chatting non stop!

Saturday we walked up to the Seine and had petit dejeuner near Notre Dame and overlooking the Seine. It was lovely and it was quite a nice day for the weather. We sat in a window and watched people go by. After we walked all the way along to the Eiffel Tower as my Mum said she wanted to see it. It was a long walk but I love walking round Paris. It might take longer but unless I'm in a rush I'll walk over using the Metro any day! Then we sat in the Champ de Mars and had an Ice Cream on the grass whilst looking at the Eiffel Tower. 
For the afternoon we went to Monmatre to see Sacre Couer (I've never been inside but the outside is very pretty.) We looked at the view and played 'Where's my house?' Then we went round near Place du Tetre and found an Irish bar to sit and have drinks and lunch. Well, it said it was Irish but other than serving Guiness it was the same as most other French pavement cafes/bars that I've been to! It was so hot and the wine was great, slightly too many street artists touting for work though. I mean, I know we're beautiful but you can't all have the pleasure of drawing us and charging 10-15 euros. For a start we watched a few and they weren't entirely accurate. I have a camera too so there was really no need!
Saturday night we went for dinner on Rue Mouffetard to a typical French place. I had my first try of snails! I have to say they weren't actually too bad. A bit like garlic mushrooms, but more rubbery, and you have to pull it out of the shell which was an odd experience. Almost like plucking a feather out of your Nandos before popping it in your mouth! After we went for more wine in a bar I like which opens onto a busy square. 

Sunday we went to the Tuilleries for Crepes. We sat in the sun round one of the ponds. Then we walked up the Champs Elysee and stared at all the shops. I love this mix of Louis Vuitton and H&M on one street. So busy there! Then we went to Saint Michel to find a spot in the sun for ... you guessed it! More wine and some salad. Once again very relaxing and beautiful. 
Sunday night we had dinner near Avenue Suffren and then went to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the park. Such a pretty view. As we walked through we saw the queue was almost non existent so decided to go up! (It was just after 10pm) Great night!!! Slightly too cold and windy for my floaty white dress but worth it.
Monday my Mum left in the afternoon after another obligatory walk and coffee in a brasserie near mine.

Perfect weekend visit for mother and daughter! Here are some pictures we took...

After our ice creams in Champ de Mars.

My Mum in front of the Eiffel Tower (yes it looks like her hat.)

House spotting from Sacre Couer. Can you see it?

In front of the Sacre Couer

Sunday night waiting for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle.

Me before it sparkled and before we went up.

Sparkle time!

Outfits from the past 6 weeks

Outfits from my time so far in Paris...

My 1st trip to the Eiffel Tower. Cold day so I needed something warm and comfortable. I also love to layer up!

A day on my course teaching followed by an interview. Smart casual, and I love this skirt. I want a maxi version but in bright yellow.

Feeling very tired and no where special to go means a long slouchy jumper.

Study in Starbucks day - Leopard dress, grey jumper. 
(Yes I realise it's not a great picture but I only have an iPhone to use.)

One of my favourite dresses and my pearl necklace.

BBQ day! Bright orange dress and a long gold necklace. Sadly not much sun until the day after!

White dress and black biker jacket for dinner near the Eiffel Tower and then my second trip up. Very cold but I had to grin and bear it!

Not my chicest outfit but I'm mostly in all day job hunting and blog writing so I've gone for casual!

More to follow (hopefully after some successful job applications)...
I love reading comments so let me know what you think.

Maria x

Paris so far...

Bonjour! Ca va? Je vais bien!
(see my french is improving!)

I know it's been a while but I have been trying to sort out wifi, finish a course, find a job, start a job and make friends. So the blog has kind of taken a back-seat (don't worry I have a free morning and have sorted the wifi thing for this month). I've now lived in my Parisian flat for about 3/4 weeks and it's going very well. 

I finished my course, albeit with some drama! For the last week we (the students) were given a tough time about our organisation when in fact it was our tutors who were poorly organised and unable to communicate with each other. Safe to say we were not impressed and glad when the course finished. We decided to celebrate with beaucoup verre vin rouge!

The next day we had a BBQ organised by one of my course friends at his house, he invited some of the students we taught so there were many French people so had to try and keep up or wait for a translation! After I ended up going out with some people from the BBQ and meeting some American girls. They were the whiniest people ever! They drove me crazy!

After was the first properly warm day we have had so far so I went to a picnic in the jardin de tuilleries. I definitely recommend this although it was jam packed and hard to find a spot. 

Since then I have met people for drinks/lunches, started work and explored Paris some more. I still love it and like meeting new people. I'm actually off to an art exhibition today with a girl I met last week. I hope it's good!

My mum also visited last weekend but I'll save that for another post. 

My job hunt continues as, although I have one, it's not nearly enough money for me to live so I need another and fast! Have sent out applications and CV's over the past few days so fingers crossed!!

Here are a few pics I've taken recently, enjoy and comment with any pic requests you might have.
xxx

The Paris Marathon

View from one of the many ponts one very warm evening!

Spring is here!!!
Printemps est la!!!

All moved in

Bonjour! Hope you are enjoying your weekend. I have no moved and I'm living in the centre of Paris. This makes me so happy! I moved last week and have loved being so close to the centre. My housemate is lovely and the flat is very cute, no state of the art modern flat but I love it. The kettle is even a metal one that we put on the gas stove. No washing machine either so I will have to get used to using a launderette! Not the worse thing in the world though. Compared to living on a sofa in the living room/kitchen this is a palace!

On the day I moved in I went to Pere Lachaise cemetery with my housemate and the girl that was moving out of my room. It was a little weird as I have never visited a cemetery for the hell of it but accoridng to my little guide book it's the most visited cemetery in the world and has over 1 million graves (I'm cheering you up aren't I). There are some famous people buried there though which is why its visited so much. It has Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison... (that's all I can remember for now). I didn't actually see any though but it was fairly pretty for a cemetery. It was nice to chat to my housemate though.

Yesterday (Friday) I had a really good teaching practice, an interview (I got the job) and then drinks and dinner with my course friends  I'm loving it here but need to start meeting some more people and earning some money. I've found a few fitness classes and obviously I now have a job too so I should start to meet a few people other than course friends and random people I talk to in Cafes. 

Tomorrow is the Paris Marathon which I will probably go and see, then maybe Sacre Couer for a bit before I start my mammoth amount of work for the last week on my course... wish me luck for the last week!

From A...

... to B

My new room in the centre of Paris