A Place of My Own

My first big girl purchase, and it's this giant [relatively speaking here] penthouse apartment in the Historic District of Blois, France.

Four treacherous and windy flights of stairs later and these are the views you get.

View from the dining room:

View from the kitchen:

View from the office nook:

Views from my bedroom (on the 5th floor---my poor calves):
Looking left:

Looking straight out:

Looking right:

Oh you want to see pictures of my actual apartment?  I need to clean my room first...

Little Towwwn

I'm walking to school this morning and I can't get this song out of my head!

I never realized it was in a French town, which happens to be exactly like mine---I wonder if a Beast-Prince lives in our castle??

Foire aux Pommes

As you now know, there is nothing to do in Blois on Sunday.

Except this weekend.

In a little town near here, it was the 27th Annual Foire aux Pommes (Apple Festival)!

Eric's family (Pri's school contact) took us.  Here we all are in front of a giant apple statue:

Some shots from the festival.

 Fromage et saucisson.

 Des pommes.

 Brazillian dancers, why not?

 That is some bread, there.

 Literally squeezing apples for juice.

The most delicious apple juice I have ever tasted in my life.

Needless to say I returned home with some delicous treats.  What a successful (and yummy!) Sunday.

La Marche du Samedi

Rain or shine, this is Blois' Saturday Market where we stock up on fresh, locally grown veggies, cheeses, flowers and other random knick-knacks.

Not only is it all delicious, but it's oh so fun.  Today, I learned that carrots will last for much longer with the stalk on and how to eat a fresh fig.  Valuable life lessons.

La Fourrure

La Fourrure is:
1)  The most difficult word for non-native French speakers to pronounce.
      -Click here to hear it pronounced and good luck trying to make the proper "oue" sound.
2)  Means fur, i.e. fur vest, i.e. something which I now possess and frequently wear.  WHO AM I?

 

Obviously in front of my favorite place.  [La Tour Eiffel]  In my fur vest.

I found a mini-me.  Rocking her fourrure.  She even has her eyes closed in this picture, just like I usually do.

Madrid

Hola!

Street dancers to greet us!

Madrid was a wonderful city full of charm, history and sweet (and some crazy) people.  Emily and I loved getting to know Madrid and experiencing so many new things...

Plaza Mayor (while they were putting up a Ham Festival haha, oh Madrid!)

Calle Toledo

Super cool Flea Market

Fan Stand (Will be coming home with one, useless, I know...)

Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas (Yes, I ordered a hunk of lamb, and yes, it was beyond delicious.)

Chocolateria San Gines (Literally melted chocolate in a cup, obviously I'm a huge fan.)

Museo Reina Sophia (Guernica de Picasso, yes I illegally took a picture.)

Mercado de San Miguel (Puts Central Market and Whole Foods to shaaame.)

Mercado de San Miguel (Can you say, "fresh?")

Museo el Prado (That is someone painting inside the museum, and yes this is another illegal picture.)

Retiro Parque (Quite possibly the most beautiful park I've ever seen, sorry Central Park!)

Paddleboating at Retiro Parque!

 Literally the best meal we ate.

Despite my total inability to speak Spanish (being from Texas did not prepare me well...), we still managed to get through daily life and enjoy the magic of Madrid.  All in all, it was a blast and I am so glad that Em and I were able to go and see pretty much everything in the city...thank you to all of my fabulous friends who sent me recommendations, if it weren't for you we would have been floundering around, trying to speak French and Arabic with those poor Spaniards, attempting to locate cool Madridian things.

Until next time, Spain!

 Mariachi Band to send us home.

P.S.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!

Lazy Day Coma

You know how you always need a vacation after your vacation?  That is me right now.  Luckily I had all day to lounge around in my pajamas and watch the Disney Channel, eating Nutella and drinking cappuccinos.

Tomorrow it's back to the daily grind.

In honor of the Toussaint holiday yesterday, I went to Notre Dame in Paris and witnessed this spectacle.  [My video is not attaching but fast forward to 0:51 and just imagine sitting in this 850 year old cathedral with these sounds swallowing you.]  Isn't it chilling?

Don't worry though, Madrid post coming tomorrow!