The Lake

The Lac du Castillion is one of our favourite mountain spots because the water is such a stunning colour blue and it's so clean and fresh to swim in that, with a pedalo, it makes for a perfect afternoon out. My mum always says that the colour takes your breath away and to an extent that's true. Even when the sky is cloudy it is still the deepest brightest blue. I think it must be to do with the depth as the lake is a flooded valley stopped by a huge damn which generates electricity from the water and must make the lake 200ft deep at least.

100

Since this is my 100th blog post since the start of my blog, nearly a year ago, I have decided to do a post which summarises the highlights of the past year. When you look back on it I have had a pretty awesome year and done some pretty amazing things. 

Summer 2012 in the South of France. Family friends from back home have a place in Antibes and a boat which we were lucky enough to go out on for the day. The most fun but this photo pretty much summarises a great 5 weeks sunning in the south. 

I then took off to Italy for a week of inter-railing with my best friends. We went from Genoa, down through the Cinque Terre villages to Florence and Lucca and then across to Venice. Met some awesome americans, ate pizza and had a generally bellisimo time. 

I started my art foundation at Ravensbourne in London in September and though I lived at home for the year I moved up to a hostel in Greenwich for freshers week with three guys who I hardly knew at the time. This was from the masked ball taken with my pal Joey, who has provided me with a home every night that i've gone out in London this year. Thanks, Joe. 

In November I turned 19. I felt so old. I can't believe that in a few months I am going to be 20 and next year I will be 21. Too crazy. But as long as I am with my best friends celebrating it will be ok. 

I went on the Ravensbourne ski trip in December, one of the best weeks of my life, ever. I took along a friend from home, and another friend happens to have an appartment in the resort we went to. Snowboarding, partying, great people, great memories, just the best week. 

Dreams came true at Easter when I went to the Carribbean with my family. 10 days in the Dominican Republic, perfect blue sea, sky and lush white sands, endless mojitos, zumba, and GOs that look like Leo DiCaprio; just take me back. 

In March I went to Berlin as research for my final major project as part of my art foundation course. Berlin is such a cool and inspirational city although it was freezing when I went and I don't like the cold. Finished the project and foundation with a merit. A great use of a year, lots of fun and hard work at the same time but completely worth it. 

My dad took my sisters and I to Glastonbury at the end of June. It is like no other place I have ever been. A completely crazy weekend with incredible music and the largest gathering of people I think I have ever been a part of. Truely unforgettable. I already can't wait to go next year. Hint hint, Dad. 

Whilst in Paris I hit Disneyland, twice, once with my fave boy and once with my sister. It was just as magical and incredible as I had remembered it from when I was little. I definitely think if all else fails in life then I am going to become a princess and live at Disneyland forever. 

I spent 5 weeks in Paris this summer doing an internship with a fashion buying office. The first step into the big wide world for me, living alone, living abroad, working 9-5, exploring the city where I was born. It was an amazing 5 weeks, I had my best friends come to visit, I lived like a true Parisien, and now i'm enjoying the sunshine in the south of France, just like I did one year ago. 

Here's to the next 100 blog posts!

P.S. I'm sorry if this is hugely cringey. 

La plage

One of our favourite beach spots on the coast is by the Marina Baie des Anges. Ok it's pebbly so it's not perfect but most of the beaches here are pebbly so you just have to deal. My sister says " beggars can't be choosers', fair point. The water is the beautiful blue renowned of the Cote d'Azur and the Pain Bagnat sandwiches are huge and delicious so it's always a good day out. 

Ma Petite Maison

This is our 9th summer in our little slice of rural french paradise. Our house, le Mazet, just outside of the pretty little medieval village of Entrevaux, nestled in the Alps about an hour from the coast, is where we migrate to for the summer. The sun is always shining, it's hot, the local produce is delicious, and the beautiful Cote d'Azur is less than an hour away by car. You can imagine why I was pretty excited to get down here and start tanning after weeks of hard work and exploring in Paris. 

This is our lovely little village. We live about a 15 minute walk from the village on a plot of eight acres and although we probably don't visit the village enough it is still beautiful architecturally. It used to be on the border between France and Italy in the medieval days and the Citadel sat on top of the hill basically used to protect France. Not bad for a small village, which thanks to its cathedral, is technically a city. 

I don't think I have ever appreciated our swimming pool as much as I do this year. Having been in Paris when it was 30 degrees and having no way to cool down it is so nice to be able to jump in the pool here  when I get hot sunbathing. 

Bonjour la Cote d'Azur

I absolutely love flying and whenever I fly with my family my sisters and I fight over who gets the window seat. Fortunately this time I was flying alone and with Air France, which let me give a seat preference when I booked, so I had a perfect window seat for watching the world below as I flew from Paris to Nice.

 It was pretty much clear skies the whole way across France so the views were incroyable. I was also a bit cheeky and kept my phone on during the descent to Nice so that I could take photos of the sun reflected on the ocean. I think flying into Nice on a clear day, which it nearly always is, has to be one of the most picturesque landings. You can see miles of beautiful blue sea, little yachts carrying very rich people, the mountains that pretty much roll into the sea. It always feels a bit like coming home. 

Au revoir Paris

Having packed up my life in Paris into one very heavy suitcase and said goodbye to my little studio appartment I had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport to fly to Nice. I decided to wander around the district that I had come to call home for the last five weeks, the belle Montmartre. From the Moulin Rouge, to the cemetery and the Sacre Coeur this beautiful, if a little hilly, district of Paris has lots of tourists and lots of Parisien character to it.

Au revoir Paris. Thank you for having me for five weeks, it has been a pleasure. It has been great to be home but it's time for me to head to my other home in the south of France, where my mummy is waiting for me with lots of lovely cooking and where I can sit and sunbathe all day. Until next time... 

L'art du Rosanjin

I went to the Musee de Guimet, a museum in Paris entirely dedicated to Asian art and history, to see an exhibition of the works of Rosanijin, a Japenese chef, ceramic artist and poet. I have to say Japanese tableware is not something I know much about but the works of Rosanjin had a unique, rough but beautiful quality which contrasts the precise and intricate nature of other japanese art I have seen.

As he was also a chef the exhibition touched on the art of Japenese food with tables that you could sit around on which a projection of a japanese meal was played, almost as if you were sat at the table yourself, watching the sushi being prepared. Very nicely done and enough to make you hungry for Japenese food. 

The Louvre

So I have a confession to make... I am no longer in Paris. I have left the capital city for the sunny south where i'm enjoying time with my family. My last few days in Paris I didn't have internet so I have a couple of belated posts before I move on to sharing my fun in the sun with you all.

My sister and I went to the Louvre in Paris to see the Mona Lisa, one of those things that just has to be done. I have to say I wasn't hugely impressed with it, but maybe that was because it was so busy I could barely get anywhere near it to have a proper look and to actually appreciate the art. The whole museum was so busy with tourists it was difficult to see anything properly. Maybe on a quieter day or off-peak from tourist season one can better appreciate such old and famous works of art.

Whilst outside the Louvre we spotted this man, who I have aptly name the pied piper of birds, due to the fact that the birds literally followed him wherever he went. He's not the first person I saw in Paris who seemed in control of the pigeons, maybe I am missing something... 

Meeting Mickey

We queued for nearly an hour to meet Mickey Mouse but since I didn't do it last time and I probably wasn't going to be at Disneyland again for a long time I insisted. 100% don't regret it. Ok maybe I felt a little old, and Mickey Mouse seems a lot less real than he did when I was little but I was still beaming when he signed my autograph book (that makes two signatures now, yes!)

There was a little girl in front of us meeting Mickey who literally epitomised the spirit of Disney, the joy, the excitment, the magic, and her little giggle and giant beaming smile when she got to hug Mickey Mouse made the hour wait completely worth it. Makes me excited to have children and take them to meet Mickey Mouse.

Disney Take 2

Thanks to the Disneyland Paris 'Il était deux fois' (once upon two times) campaign this summer when I bought my ticket to go 3 weeks ago it meant I could go again for free any time more than a week later. With my sister in Paris who better to re-revisit my childhood with.

Eiffel Tower Encore

My sister was in Paris this weekend and so she wanted to do what all foreign people in Paris want to do and go and see the Eiffel Tower. So we went, we took photos and we avoided pickpocketing gypsies. 

 I take credit for the 'hugging the eiffel tower' idea. I don't think i've seen anyone else do it before and think it could rival the classic holding up the leaning tower of Pisa. Aaaw, BFFs. 

Musée d'Orsay

Being the artiste that I am I decided it was time to check out some more art galleries/museums so I chose the Musée d'Orsay, just across the river from the Louvre. Housed in an old train station the museum is an impressive building in its own right featuring huge arched ceilings and giant clocks through which the river and the rest of Paris can be seen. It also boasts an impressive collection of art works, in particular it's impressionist floor, featuring famous works by Degas, Renoir, Cezanne and Monet, amongst others. Only complaint was that the air conditioning was very strong and I actually got cold so if you're going take a jumper.

I didn't want to get in trouble for taking photos so I wrote down the names of a few paintings that really caught my eye and have googled them and included pictures below for your convenience. 

 

L'absinthe and Danseuses Bleues by Edgar Degas. Alcohol and Ballet, two of my favourite things.  

Baigneurs by Paul Cezanne. Who doesn't love a group of buff naked men about to take a bath? 

Danse a la Ville and Le Garcon au Chat by Auguste Renoir. Dancing, naked men (ok it's a boy, shhh) and cats. Even better. 

Bal du Moulin de la Galette by August Renoir. 

This painting is set in Montmartre where I am living so it is just parfait. I love the way the light has been captured and I love a party. 

La rue Montorgeuil by Claude Monet.

When I was in New York we went to the MoMA and all I was interested in was the free wifi and not Monet's water lilies. My mum told me I would regret that I hadn't paid any attention (she was right) so seeing some Monet in the Musee d'Orsay lifted a bit of my guilty conscience. I just love how perfectly french and patriotic this painting is. Vive la France!