Weekend discovery

This weekend, Paris is rainy, cold and somewhat depressing. I went out yesterday for La Nuit du Musée and end up going back early because all I could see was people, people and more people. Well, people do love free things.
I did not regret joining the museum crowd because otherwise I would not have shot this photo.

Discovery 1: Paris in rain

Before checking the museums, I went to Cos store for the first time and surprisingly found that it was completely MY wardrobe! I love the clean cut of the tops, the simple but edgy designs and the stunningly beautiful accessories! I couldn't help hopping around the store and brought as many clothes as possible to the fitting room. It's hard to find a brand with such a good price-quality ratio - jewelries around €10-30, tops €40-60, dresses €60-90, heels €150. After spending un hour in the store, I got some accessories since they are at the top of my desire list.

 Discovery 2: Cos store

Now is my biggest weekend discovery -the creative, inspiring, hard-woking and adorable couple Garance Doré and Scott Shuman! I spent the whole afternoon yesterday reading The Sartorialist, and then the whole day today checking Garance Doré's blog as well as her videos. I enjoyed the book a lot not only because of the nicely shot photos, but also the stories and philosophical thoughts, such as...

Taking the time to find a fashion role model based more on body type than number of Oscar nominations will put you on right track. 
and
It's always funny that we buy pre-washed, pre-ripped and pre-faded clothes. Yet we can achieve that look ourselves... If you want your clothes to age with that kind of grace then wear the clothes you have and stop always buying new ones.

These seemingly straightforward facts really take time for us to realize. And I hope to keep them in mind!

Discovery 3: Garance Doré and the Sartorialist

A visit to Musée du vin

Today I went to the Musée du vin with other students in the program and had the first wine class in my life! The class includes a brief introduction to the production of wine/fromage and the definition of some techinical terms such as AOC, croûte, etc. Then we tasted five different kind of wine and their corresponding fromage. The whole class lasted two hours and it was SO MUCH FUN! Here is the link to the museum: http://www.museeduvinparis.com/francais/

The museum situates in a cave close to the metro station Passy. After entering the cave, I was greeted by an aroma of wine and strong humidity. Then I took a quick tour in the museum and saw the ancient tools for wine-fabrication. They look no different from the weapons.. Andry and I made a conclusion that in the past people use these tools to work and protect family members. Assez economique, n'est-ce pas?

 

Then comes the main part - cours de dégustation!
Some basic knowledge: wines are classified according to the production area of the grapes, whereas cheese is classified by the type of milk and the production method. Generally speaking, white wine goes well with more kinds of cheese than red wine does; salty cheese goes with sweet wine. At this moment I would interpret the match as a balance of taste (beginner level..). There are eight categories of cheeses according to their degree of l'affinage (maturity). The longer the "affinage" lasts, the harder the cheese is. Below is a plate of five different cheeses that go with specific kinds of wine. The one in the round shape is chèvre (goat cheese), the one on the left is roquefort (blue cheese, strong smell), the little white soft piece is brie. I did not get the names of the other two, but I remember that the one on the right would turn orange as it's exposed in the air, and the triangular one is the softest among all.

Wine number one is white wine that has a fruity smell. It tastes acid and narrow (excuse me for this abstract word; my wine vocabulary definitely needs developing..). matches with goat cheese.
Wine number two, Arbois, is also white wine. It is a bit mature than the first one and therefore has a more sophisticated taste. It goes with the triangle shape cheese, which is my favorite combination. The cheese itself is not strong at all, but when you sip at the glass after having a piece of cheese, the taste of chees comes back to your mouth and becomes stronger. What a magic chemical reaction!

Wine number three is red wine. Fabricated in Château Labastidié, 2008. When paired with the brie cheese, they create dry feeling in the mouth.

Wine number four is another red wine, more ageing compared to the previous one. In terms of color, this glass looks a little bit more purple and is more transparent. Just a sip and you will feel the warmth coming through your body.

 Wine number five is a kind that I've never tasted before. Although it belongs to the white wine family, its flavour is unlike other white wines. Sweet, light, fresh, the Sauternes tastes more like juice than wine. This dessert-like white wine softens the flavor of blue cheese and creates a balance.

The end of the class.. Tout le monde était content!! Merci beaucoup musée du vin!!

Shakespeare and Company

The quietness of the Latin Quarter. Any street corner is natually a painting.

 The famous Shakespeare and Company - always crowded by tourists, true book lovers, and pretend-to-be book lovers. The first time I saw this shop, I was more excited than the first time I saw the Eiffell tower, no kidding.

The iron gate leads us to the poetry garden.

What I love most about this bookshop is actually the second floor. A free public space, it allows people to read all the books on the bookshelves. The interior is well preserved and one could imagine studying in his grandfather's studyroom.

Sacré-Coeur et Jardin du Luxembourg

I finally met with my group and moved in my host family. It's so good to settle down in a place and have a home. My host family is located in 18th arrondissement, which is also known as the district of Montmartre. The two most famous spots here are Sacré-coeur and Moulin Rouge. Montmartre was favored by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh. Well.. enough for background knowledge, let's take a closer look at this area!

Dining area of my host family. I love the wooden table, chairs and shelves because they are perfectly in accordance with the tone of the neighborhood.

On my way up to the Sacré-Coeur. Lots of studios of artists can be found here.

 

 The back of Sacré-Coeur

The detail of front exterior.

 Voila! The breath-taking view from the top of Montmartre. This is definitely a great place to look at the sunrise. Can you see the sacred light?

The next day, my friends and I took an experimental trip to hour school in order to get familiar with the route. We had lunch together and then took a walk in Jardin du Luxembourg, which is 200 meters away from my school.

 A typical french meal: tartine baked with goat cheese and honey + salad.

 

 Full view of the center of the garden. People relaxing around the pond.

The huge building is Palais du Luxembourg and the pond at the front is one of the famous places for the children- you can see small sailboats everywhere.

Another thing I noticed about Paris is that no matter what day it is, as long as the museums are open, they are always flooded with people who are eager to appreciate artworks. Today is the last day of Easter break (dete de Pâques), when most boutiques and boulangeries are closed. On my way home, I walked past Musée du Luxembourg and saw a long line outside the door, which reminded me of a similar scene at Musée d'art Naïf, a small museum for contemporary art in Montmartre.
The beauty of Paris comes from inside.

First Impression of Paris

 

The plane arrived at CDG on a chilly morning. Two hours later I finally found my living place on a quiet street Rue de Froment on the right bank. My dorm is a guest room in an apartment. The host is a journalist, originally from Italy but has been working and living in Paris for years. The clean and cozy bedroom immediately cheered me up. 

It was already 3pm and I decided to take a walk nearby. My lonely planet pocket book directed my to Maison de Victor Hugo, within walking distance from my place. The great writer Victor Hugo lived in this house and completed Les Misérable, but he definitely did more than that. Hugo has a great passion for chinese art, and designed a whole room called Le salon chinois. He collected a wall of china including plates, vases and other decorative objects. Even the light above was imitating that in the palace. The three most attracting things to me were wallpaper, lights and frames. I can see how much effort Hugo put in decorating this room- the choose of wallpaper and their corresponding lights all reflect his meticulous design. Coming out of the maison, I headed to Café des Phares, a famous philocafé where people engage in philosophical discussions. Apparently nobody would check the authenticity about its authenticity, since it does not look any different than other cafés. I ordered a tiramisu du jour, which is indicated specifically on the menu that the quality depends on the chef's mood. The tiramisu came in a jar and it was neither too greasy nor sweet - I guess Monsieur chef was in a good mood!

I went to bed super early that night due to the jetlag. Nine hours later I woke up freshly (the queen-size bed totally made me sleep like a rock)! I went to the two islands on the Seine, which are still within walking distance but a bit further. Île Saint-Louis is home to gourmand and art-lovers. There you can taste the famous Berthillon ice cream and the authentic foie gras. Craft shops dot the island, and you have to decide which side to walk along because you would miss the view of side anyway - a serious trade-off :/ I resolved this problem by walking back and forth, which worked out just fine! After a river-view lunch, I walked to île de la cité where the Cathedral de Notre Dame situates. Seeing the long line waiting outside, I decided to sit on the steps in front of the cathedral and look at this magnificent architecture with reverence.

On my way back home, I saw someone playing the piano on Pont Saint-Louis, the music pieces are those that you can think of without a think.

I was not as excited as I thought I would be. Maybe I still need some time to figure out how I am going to get around this city. The beauty of Paris is not only these tourist attractions, but also the visiting people and other intouchable things.

 

street corner

 

again, street corner