Un dimanche à Paris.

T'was pretty perfect! Hope you all had a fun-filled weekend and are ready for another busy week ahead!

ps: although I fear I'm a helpless cause, I have activated the 'reply option' in the comments as an attempt to be more organised, and reply to your comments and emails more promptly. Please forgive me if still owe you an answer -  I know, I am embarrasingly running behind...boo hoo. :(

Soldes.

Some bargains found in the sales over the weekend : 1) one pink knit and one starry jumper from my favourite clothes shop, Vicxite.A; 2) a set of Marimekko bowls from the new 1962 shop (these were really "fake bargains" since they were only 10% off, mais bon!); 3) Smiling Planet bear sweater from Smallable; 3) Cushion from Petit Pan (originally for the little man, but his mama keeps pinching it from him).

Vicxhite.A
47, rue des Abbesses
75018 Paris

Boutique 1962
4, rue Tholoze
75018 Paris

Petit Pan
10, rue Yvonne Letac
75018 Paris

I'm at home sick today, getting lots of sleep and drinking heaps of herbal tea (thanks Jocelyn!) to be back on track tomorrow.I hope you are all having a good week so far!

L'hiver est là.

Bonjour! A few random photos from our weekend. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, the air was freezing, and we the light was... dear (for the sake of rhyming, eh). First time this year it actually felt like winter. We hung out in our neighbourhood all weekend which was delightfully relaxing. I know we aren't moving into our new place until another couple of months, but I am already starting to feel nostalgic of our vie de quartier. I suppose it's normal though, right? After almost six years (blimey, six years!)...time flies.

ps: 1. Pompom garland (which I've finally hung) from this lady (whom I hope is having a baby right now!); 2. Dried bouquet I received when L. was born; 3. Blanca Gomez's city prints (I've got Paris & London).

Quartier latin: The great escape.

Hello! How have you been? Are you getting into the holiday mood? It's bloody madness over here. Every other person is out shopping and walking around the streets with more goodie bags than their little hands can carry. I tried going into a toy shop on Saturday to have a "look around" and walked straight out. I didn't see much other than hasty people and tempted kids. Not for me. Thank you, but no thank you. I'll be doing all my shopping on line from the comfort of my couch and maybe taking a day off for the remaining bits & bobs. The pressies this year are also going to be simple and useful. I read this quote on Claudia's blog the other day which gave me food for thought: "A good friend told me that they just focus on four gifts for their children: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read"... the best gift guide, don't you think?

I woke up on Sunday craving for a trip to a museum or an exhibition - something I use to do lots of in my pre-baby life. So we jumped in the car and drove off to the Latin quarter to visit the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution at Paris' Natural History Museum. The little man was euphoric. Animals + space to run + others kiddies = hours of fun! It was such a fascinating and timeless museum. A true getaway for the mind. We came back to the reality just long enough to cross the street (literally) before entering a whole new world as we stepped foot inside the restaurant of Paris' mosque. In a traditional North African decor, we had the most exquisite lunch which brought back fond memories my frequent travels to Morocco when I'd visit my parents were living in Tangier. On the menu: tagine for me, couscous for the Mr. and a bit of both for the little man; followed by mint tea and pastries, which we weren't able to finish so a little birdie came and helped us. How very nice of her.

Restaurant de la Mosquée de Paris
39, rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire
75005 Paris

Muséum national de l'histoire naturelle
Grande galerie de l'évolution
Jardin des Plantes
36, rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire
75005 Paris

M&S.

At the risk of sounding totally materialistic: today, my life in Paris reached a whole new level of greatness.

Marks & Spencer
100 avenue des Champs Elysees (oui, oui!)
75008 Paris

{image from here. See some photos here and read the article here}

Normandy: Rouen.

Our little family headed to Normandy this weekend to visit friends of ours living in Rouen. It was where Joan of Arc was burnt in 1431 and where Monet painted his famous series of Rouen’s Notre Dame cathedral (you can see these paintings at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris). Our friends live in a beautiful house outside of the city just minutes away from the forest and, to L.’s delight, within (toddler) walking distance from a farm. We spent two lazy days drinking delicious wine, eating too much cheese (two raclette meals in two days…*gulp*), going for walks, and catching up on sleep with afternoon naps. Another delightful mini-break* from Paris' hustle and bustle.

*Rouen is 1h10 train ride from Paris Saint-Lazare train station and 1h40 min drive on the motorway by car. Easy peezy!

Ps: thank you for all your kind comments on my previous post – I am glad to hear I am not boring you (I can totally bore myself sometimes, hence my asking!).

Promenades automnales.

Some more photos from last weekend: A romantic stroll by Samoreau lake and a family walk in the Chateau de Fontainebleau gardens. I do apologize for boring you with so many photos of late, but I am uncontrollably clicking away. Blame the new lens and the fact that Mr. Franglais bought me an 16 GB SD card to go with it and there you it: photo frenzy! Hope you are all having a good week. It's another busy one around here so I'm signing off until Monday.  Here's wishing you a relaxing weekend! Bye for now x