Au Revoir, Paris.

"There are two kinds of travelers. There is the kind who goes to see what there is to see and sees it, and the kind who has an image in his head and goes out to accomplish it. The first visitor has an easier time, but I think the second visitor sees more. He is constantly comparing what he sees to what he wants, so he sees with his mind, maybe even his heart, or tries to. "  

Adam Gopnik, Paris to the Moon.

What does two months in Paris look like?

Well, from my point of view it looks like the above. It's my pin board on one wall of the studio illustrating our Parisian adventures (including visits to Venice and Amsterdam.) I'll be dismantling it this evening in preparation for our trip home. It's all boxes, suitcases and mess in our tiny apartment at the moment. 

But I think the last evening in Paris calls for a glass of champagne somewhere beautiful. 

Mooi.

Amsterdam was great. Perhaps because we met up with friends in the city, perhaps because I just happened to sleep in the best bed in a hotel room yet and definitely because the Dutch are the most wonderful gezellig mense.

Beautiful decay.

Some snapshots from our 'Venetian interlude'.  Oh, la bella Venizia! What a magical place, albeit touristy. The kind of place you have to see before you die - or it sinks!

Parisians ARE nice.

Today a stranger saw me standing in line to purchase a metro ticket and walked over to pass on the valid all-day 5 district metro card that she'd obviously finished with. As I was at least a 40 minute train trip outside of central Paris she saved me about €6 - which may not sound a lot - but equates to a decent bottle of wine. No prizes for guessing what I'd rather spend the money on.

I've also been (politely) asked for directions more than a few times (I obviously look like I know where I'm going) and had enough happy waiter experiences to dispute the fact that all French waiters are bastards. 

The severely reduced amount of French that I know seems to suffice most situations - a smile and the use of one or two of my well executed phrases seem to bypass any confusion.  And if not, no one is shaking their head or rolling their eyes. They've all been rather nice. 

We just spent a few days in Italy, and the Italians on a whole (mass generalisations here) seem to be a wonderfully emotional, effusive bunch. Which I loved. There's a certain passion that seems to radiate from them - whether they're discussing the weather, giving directions or recommending a dish at a restaurant. 

But I like the French. Despite reports to the contrary, they don't all behave as if they have a stick up their bum. 

And cheers to you, stranger lady, it was a good bottle of wine.

Reading matter.

I'm reading a lot a at the moment. Not just the books above although I've enjoyed immersing myself in all things French - I've also discovered some fantastic blogs about Paris. Some were in my reading list before, but most are new. Here are a few...

David Lebovitz

Food author, dessert king and renown blogger who I've followed ever since the purchase of the ice cream bowl of my KitchenAid..

God, I Love Paris

Great updates from a sweet-loving writer in Paris.

99daysinparis

A couple from Canada in Paris for 3 months - fun 'Wino Wednesday' posts and exploratory walks around Paris.

Unlock Paris

The editor of GoGoParis - great intro to interesting Cafés and so on.

HipParisBlog

Paris tips and insights into touring, renting, living in the city.

I'm now debating what reading material to take along on our trip. The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work by Alain de Botton and Affluenza by Oliver James are on my list. But I think definitely need something 'lighter' as well. Thanks to Candice for our guidebook and English/French dictionary. And to the others who have passed along novels they thought we'd enjoy. I'm sure I'll manage to pass the loooong flight with my nose firmly buried in a book, if not a blog!

Joie de vivre

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Joie de vivre can be expressed in English as an 'exultation of spirit which involves one's whole being'. This just about perfectly describes how I feel about our recent news.

We're off to Paris for a glorious two month sabbatical. Made possible by the the fact that DH has been granted an artists residency at the CIte des Arts. I am fortunate enough to be able to accompany him. We'll be staying in an apartment in the historic Marais area for the months of August and September, and will use each day to soak up all that the amazing city has to offer. We've only had a short visit to Paris in the past where we behaved as typical tourists - chalking up the quintessential visits to the Louve, Eiffel tower etc but this visit will be a chance to experience it all so differently.

We are so excited and grateful to be heading off to the most romantic city in the world for a sojourn that I'm sure will continue to inspire long after the trip is over.

All of this only slightly complicated by the paperwork (visa preparation) that has to be done before we go - and the fact that we can't communicate in French further than 'Salut' or 'Merci' ...

I've been scouring blog-land for suggestions on things not to miss in Paris, so please share if you have any recommendations.