Happy New Year and sorry people! I haven't been able to update my blog because I've been snowed in with work, exams, stress, depression, home sickness etc. Life has thrown a lot of challenges my way lately. Let's retrace our steps to the very beginning.
Paris showcased the most pathetic of decorations this season. The City of Lights clearly didn't care to make an effort, and after watching the shabby decorations on television, I didn't even bother making a trip to the Champs-Elysées to voir les illuminations.
Christmas was strange, far away from home. My tree was up in the beginning of November to create a festive mood. It did help having a beautiful tree and I love how sweet Monsieur S. was, to buy matching blue and silver ornaments, including candles and lights, to match with the tree.
This is the first time in my life I spent xmas without any of my family. Monsieur S's family invited me to Blois to spend Christmas day with the grandparents.
Blois
That was really sweet of them but it didn't help me get over the homesickness. I'd choose a noisy-chaotic-over the top-hot-humid-beachy-Goan Christmas anytime over a subdued-freezing-classy-spiceless-French Christmas. I did like Blois though. It's in the centre of France, in the Loire valley. We were there just two days and managed to see almost everything in the city. The Castle is a must-visit, it doesn't hold a candle to the other castles in Paris but it has an interesting history and a guided tour is included in the price of your ticket.
In addition, there are interesting exhibits in the castle, eg. the display of eerily life-like gargoyles.
But you can see some beautiful motifs and a variety of architectural styles nestled under a single roof!
Reims
I'm so happy that Monsieur S. and me are one year old together :) Still feels so good and so new. He took me to Reims, the capital city of the Champagne region. We visited a bit and then he treated me to a fabulous French lunch at the Brasserie Flo in the city center. I must say, after this meal, I began reconsidering how I felt about French cuisine!! :)
Reims is a tiny city and the most beautiful thing to see here is the Cathedral. It's 800 years old and still so marvellous!! The kings of France were once crowned here.
Look how lovely these window panes are. Some of these patterns were created by Marc Chagall himself!
Over to the homefront now. I'm so thrilled that the Jaipur Literary Festival is finally being given such great importance. And Oprah Winfrey in here to give it the boost it needs! I'm so proud of India for having organized the biggest literary platform in Asia-Pacific. Kudos! This is a huge step for the nation and I'm bursting with pride :)
beautiful photos... loved the one of River Loire.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rajyalakshmi! :)
ReplyDeleteI think your life sounds wonderful. I would love to be teaching overseas. It sounds so glamorous. Do you know French and if so, did you know it before you went there to teach?
ReplyDeleteHi Elissa, Thanks for your kind comment. I did study French for a long time before I went to France. I did the English assistant program. do you know what that is? The French education board welcomes a large number of English and anglophone speakers to assist English teacher in french schools and you get to teach alongside your head teacher or you're expected to take class by yourself. Anybody from English speaking countries is welcome to apply and you don't necessarily have to know French to get in! hope this info. helps in your decision to teach abroad! I say go for it, life is full of great things to experience. I can't assure you that it will be glamourous, but I can guarantee you'll have interesting stories to tell! :) Take care
ReplyDeleteCaro x