How do I even begin to share with you the daily impressions we are taking in? 

C’est impossible.  Somewhat of a pet peeve of mine, when people casually throw around expressions in a language other than their own, especially when they’ve never even been to that country... but I figure, I’m allowed because right now I live in France. 

Even though it’s near impossible for me to photograph, let alone share all of the new, almost daily, impressions I’m taking in ~ just knowing that you might be anxiously awaiting  new glimpses of Paris, makes it so fun for me to share with you.

One week in? Are we getting our 'Paris legs'? you ask ...a little, yes, after Sean got his leg returned from the entrance to the Metro station door closing on him {he is ok!}. Deciding to live and work here with relatively minimal experience with this city has been a bit more challenging than we had anticipated, and also the reason we are taking some days just to be quiet, staying in to catch up on work and our breath. The beauty of having the time we have here, is that we can take our time. People who visit this city in mere days, or even a week or so~ how do you do it? Then again, by all means see Paris any way you can, but I recommend visiting Paris, taking some time. Even though the Parisians are in a hurry, we are not ~ which does annoy those Parisians who end up on the sidewalk behind us...

 
 1.  red window shutters on an apartment, only discovered because we were lost trying to find a restaurant in one of our guide books {being lost in Paris = new discoveries}

2. art work that lines that stairwells of the metro at Abbesses ~ different style of art going up than going down= smart so you won’t lose your way traveling stair after stair after stair in a circular staircase, if you don’t just take the elevator that is. {we have to walk off all the cheese we’ve been eating, so we opt for the stairs} I also appreciate the tiles that line the art. My design-ophiles are those considered art-deco or art nouveau? 

3. the entrance of the Metro at Abbesses, which up until last week I had only studied in my History of Art and Architecture class I took when I went back to school for interior design. I remember how enamored we were with the art nouveau styling of this metro entrance. {have to say I sort of loved it seeing it in person}
 

4. the outside of the bar that was in the opening scene{s} of Ronin, one of Sean’s all time favorite movies

5. bistro chairs. ah the colors of Paris ~ have I mentioned I adore the use of color in Paris? spots of bright color in unsuspecting places

6. and speaking of color, a group of tourists visiting Sacre Couer ~couldn’t miss them as they were all wearing orange hats. Brave, I tell you. I’m too busy trying to blend in all the time ~ I cannot seem like a tourist or a foreigner, so orange hats? I’d never be able to be so bold, especially considering I won’t even open my map in public ;) {why we got lost looking for a restaurant}

7. Sacre Couer ~ quite stunning inside minus all the tourists, not to mention the great view over Paris you get once you climb up all the steps to get there.

8. was enamored with this row of little kids on a field trip? maybe?! they were all filling out pages that had images of the church on them ~ something like they had to find certain architectural details on the church that corresponded with the image on their paper. It was a great activity for them because they all sat almost completely still taking in the church for at least 30 minutes or so. Cutest little fellow was in the sunglasses ~ do you see him?

9. pizza restaurant. have I also mentioned I’m a big fan of European pizzas?

10. tiniest, cutest cars ever = original minis and I see them everywhere here

11. little girl singing and dancing from one pole to the next on the Metro ride home. It was almost like a little Amelie in front of us ~ she had the same haircut

That’s all for now ~but more soon ~ a bientot! and happy Sunday xo