Biiiiig announcement!!

Hey y'all!! I have a big announcement for you guys: I am temporarily moving this blog!! Sara may still post here, but for the next six months (from June to December), I will post in this blog instead as a motivation to document my study abroad experiences in France! So get excited, visit, subscribe, look at my pictures of macarons and cute French things!

Hope to see y'all there!

xx
Vanessa :]

an unforgettable city: Paris, Je t'aime (2006)

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Title: Paris, je t'aime
Language: French
Year: 2006
Directors: Olivier Assayas, Frédéric Auburtin, and 20 more credits
My Rating: 4.7/5

"Through the neighborhoods of Paris, love is veiled, revealed, imitated, sucked dry, reinvented and awakened." -imdb

After seeing this film last night, I couldn't fall asleep for a long time. The opening film at Cannes International Film Festival of 2006, this 20-segment film portrays the many facets of Paris that one least knows and/or expects. Although the plot summary above seems broad and over-generalizing, I assure you that it is not. It is accurately the impression that the film will leave you.

Each of the 20 segments in this film, directed by a different director, lasts 5 minutes and can be a standalone by itself. In one way or another, each segment tells a love story, no matter heartwarming, saddening, thoughtful, or bizarre: one talks about a young boy discovering the right way to treat a girl on the bank of the Seine; one deals with a grieving mother's recovery from having lost her son; one tells the story of a blind boy falling in and out of love with a foreign actress; one shows the audience the complicated breakup scene of an old couple... 

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Through these 20 mini films that together build the complex, interweaving structure that is not only the film Paris, Je t'aime but also the city Paris and its people, I constantly felt the enchantment as well as the cruelty of the society that we live in. The last segment of the end of the film sums it up for us really well: "Sitting there, alone in a foreign country, far from my job and everyone I know, a feeling came over me. It was like remembering something I'd never known before or had always been waiting for, but I didn't know what. Maybe it was something I'd forgotten or something I've been missing all my life. All I can say is that I felt, at the same time, joy and sadness. But not too much sadness, because I felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall in love with me." (source)

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In the last few minutes of the movie, the camera shifts from one protagonist's perspective to another, and through their eyes we realize that their lives, however unrelated as they seem, are ultimately connected to each other. And this is the wonder of the our lives, of the world we live in.

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xx
Vanessa :]

top ten tuesday: top 10 things I loved about Paris

I just had an ah-mazing week in Paris, and this post is kind of a sum-up of what I did (and loved!) :D

1.Point zéro

Point zero, like its name, is the starting point of not only the entire Paris but the entire France! All places in France are measured according to point zéro, this small, common-looking golden plate. It’s said that if you make a wish standing upon the star in the center of the plate, your wish will come true! (So of course I made one.)

2. Ladurée

Founded in 1862, ladurée offers fine dining and delicate desserts. The macarons there never fail to attract a line, especially the one on champs-élysées. When I was there I tried some summer special flavors, such as mint. The macaron itself was an icy blue, and the mint tasted cool yet with a hint of sweetness. (More simply put - I was in heaven.)

3.Sainte chapelle

This lesser known attraction is on ile de la cite, by the seine, not far from notre dame. The magnificent Rayonnant Gothic chapel features beautiful stained glass windows so tall that you mistake them for walls. Definitely worth a visit!

4. Panthéon

Based on the more famous Pantheon in Rome, the Pantheon of Paris is home to many famous people who have made extraordinary contributions to France during their lifetimes. In the crypt of the Pantheon you can find the graves of Voltaire, Victor Hugo, the Curies, among many others.

5.Champs-élysées

Need I say more? Dazzling array of stores + lovely cafes + the arc of triumph = perfect place for a casual stroll

6. métro

For some reason I find the Paris subway to be endlessly entertaining. The various subway lines take you to many places, including the suburban areas. In addition to the conveniency, I just love the musicians hopping on and off the trains and people-watching on the platform. 

7. Louvre

For art lovers, this is truly and absolutely heaven. Here you can see artworks from all time periods and all over the world! Moreover, the restaurant there (Angelina) is fantastic - they do serve a fine seafood risotto.

8. Towers of notre dame

Almost everyone know of the notre dame (and yes, it is just breathtaking). However, not that many people know that you can climb up to the towers of this ancient cathedral. There is usually a line, but the view up there is beautiful, plus you’ll get a chance to look at the architecture (the chimeries!) more closely.

9. 58 tour eiffel

A picnic-chic restaurant located on the first level of the Eiffel Tower, 58 tour eiffel offers quick (and good!) hunger fixes. A glass of champagne to accompany the killer view from the eiffel tower? Yes please!

10. Café des deux moulins

This cutesy cafe is where part of the famed french film Amelie is shot. The cafe is still kept the same way as in the film, so people who loved the film will definitely find this place interesting. There are some film posters and props on display in the cafe (don’t forget to check in the famous bathroom!). A few steps away is the carousel and the Sacre Coeur Cathedral which were also featured in the film.

If you ever get a chance to visit this enchanting city, be sure to try out at least a couple of those mentioned above!
happy Tuesday!
xx
Vanessa :]

I know it's not Monday but

I am tempted to share my latest playlist with you, so here goes. French themed, mes cheries!

Une Promenade à Champs-Élysées from ness428 on 8tracks Radio.

xx

Vanessa :]

Top Ten Tuesday: top 10 things I'm looking forward to in Europe

Since I will be embarking on my long journey to Europe in 5 days, I thought it's about time to post my top 10 list of things I can't wait to do and see in Europe! :)

1. drink champaign on the plane

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Did you know? Air France is the only airline in the world that offers free in-flight champaign. No way I'm passing up this lovely bonus!

2. see the wall of love (le mur des je t'aime) in Montmartre, Paris

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On the hill of Montmartre, there is this wall full of "I love you"s--what's more romantic than that? Definitely a must-see. Maybe one day I will get to write my very own "je t'aime" there too!

3. eat lots of macarons

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From the long post about macarons that I wrote a while ago, I believe my passion for these delicacies is pretty obvious... yum.

4. Climb up to the dome of Florence Cathedral

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Duomo's dome is spectacular not only from the inside but also from the outside! By climbing up to the dome one will be able to marvel at its special double-shell design more closely.

5. see the mosaics in San Vitale

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The picture above is a mosaic in this Early Christian into Byzantine church that depicts the emperor Justinian and his attendants. It's one of the most exquisite mosaics, being made as early as it was, in the 6th century!

6. eat pizza

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When in Rome...eat pizza!

7. Make a wish by Fontana di Trevi

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and make a wish! It's said that if one throws three coins into the fountain one wishes to stay in Rome forever!

8. eat lots of gelato

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need I say more?

9. Visit Mozart's grave

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It's not actually Mozart's grave, because no one really knows where the great musician was buried. But this beautiful place in Vienna forever holds a piece of his soul.

10. take a boat trip on the Danube

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My best friend who lives in Europe suggested that a boat trip on the Danube would be just gorgeous. After seeing some pictures on Google Image, oh my, I am so in!

xx
Vanessa :]