Summer writing...

What I'd rather be doing. 

Picnicing in Paris versus writing about Paris in an academic manner.

What can you do?

Keep on writing. I want to get this done before running away to Vancouver. Especially now that we've lengthened the trip to include an overnight trip to Seattle. Back to writing about the Carnavalet I go.

I'm Back!!!

I am back from Paris! The jet lag is over with, most of the pictures are on my computer and the suitcase has been more or less unpacked. My friends and family tell me that they did get their postcards, so most of them arrived before I actually came home! Also, one of the girls on the trip sent me one, so I had a lovely, vintage reminder about my trip waiting for me a few days after I got back.

Now all I have to do is go through the 2000+ photos and notes to write my journal for my final project!
*sigh

It's a lot of porn/art to sift through, but somebody has to do it. Here's a small selection for the great wide web.

This is a wonderful place called the Albert Khan Museum and Gardens. He was a pretty cool (and rich) guy that wanted a record of the world. As a result, he commissioned a little over 72,000 autochromes to be taken of people, places and things. Autochromes are some of the first colour photographs, and are unbelievably stunning to see in the flesh. They are also fairly hard to get a hold of in North America, so seeing as many as we did here, and at other collections is pretty insane.
The gardens at the museum are really beautiful, they're filled with ponds and little waterfalls that block out the noise and smell of downtown Paris.

These autochromes are from the Société Française de Photographie's collection. Note the early, colour "art" (ie porn) on the left. They've held up beautifully, especially being about 100 years old.

We lucked out while we were there, since not only was it International Museum Day, Paris was having a "Night at the Museum" evening, where admission was free to several museums and galleries! Most were also open later than usual, closer to midnight. The Paris Museum of Natural History was the one my buddy and I went to. They like their bugs and lack of decent lighting on their exhibit cases. Despite that, it was really cool!

This is the minor issue with glass plates, occasionally they don't make it from one place to the other very well.

Don't think we didn't go flea marketing! This is one of the many, many flea markets in the larger area of Saint-Ouen. We got some amazing photographs, including autochromes, and spent well too much money. So far as souvenirs go, they're pretty awesome. I have some great cabinet cards of the Arc de Triomphe and the Saint-Michel fountain.

We spent many an evening and afternoon picnicking on the Pont des Arts. Nice view eh? We had a picnic dinner on the lawn outside the Eiffel Tower one evening. As the evening goes along, the tower starts lighting up, and than at 10pm, the sparkly, twinkling lights turn on. A very nice backdrop for some cheap wine, smoked salmon and a lot of cheese and baguettes.

I have a lot of photos to go through, and I have every intention of posting some of the food pictures  I have of the picnics and escargots.

A few things.. mostly school

So... tired... more papers... to.. write.
The end is near. Or at least it better be if I plan to survive my first year of grad school.

On the food front. We went to One of  a Kind again! The spring show was last weekend, and my roommate and I loaded up of food, more so then any other year.

Me:
Asiago and garlic shortbread cookies by Coach House
Maple fudge by Bruce County Nut and Fudge Co.
Olive Hummus and herbed pita chips by Sun Sweet Catering
Salmon pate (sooooooooooooo good) by The Fishery

Her:
Garlic spread, also by Sun Sweet Catering. They do great stuff, 8 different kinds of hummus too.
Salmon pate, see above.
Hot pepper oil (which is actualy hot in Carribean standards) by the Wicked Gourmet
Mango salsa by I'll have to get to you on that one... sorry!

The lovely ladies from Bbj were there this year too! Got myself a lovely Greta Garbo magnet, one of Audrey Hepburn and my roommate got a unicorn dancing on a rainbow that says 'Super Gay!' It's pretty fabulous. I bought a beautiful screen print of antique cameras, and when I'm back at home with the thing in front of me, I'll tell you who made it. Sometime the OofaK website isn't as helpful as it needs to be.

I also pass by this booth every year, and have had to stop myself from buying her stuff recently. I have 4-5 books already that have nothing in them, so until I start writing in them, I can't buy anymore. We'll see how long that lasts. I have two plans for books that I already have of hers.
Plan a) a food journal. I eat fairly well health wise, but my portion control has never been good. Maybe the tedium of writing it all down might aid me in keeping track and realizing how much I put back.

Plan b), and very much actually going to happen is my journal for Paris. We are required to produce a journal of the happenings and trips we take on the Paris course, and for the rough notes I carry around with me, I'm thinking one of her journals would be perfect! They're spiral bound so I can roll them over to be just one side and are compact enough to be light in the purse, in which space will fast become a premium. I have one that's title is "Mutiny in the Bay." Seems perfect.

Speaking of Paris: 28 days to go!

On a separate note, April is National Grilled Cheese Month... sure, whatever, works for me! Need to get some stuff to celebrate with!

News update and countdown!!

I'M GOING TO PARIS!!!

Right.

So my program offers a yearly, intensive 3 week study abroad course in Paris, meeting archivists and curators, going into archives and repositories and generally gallivanting around Paris. The draw was today. I got picked. So happy. 

A bit sad for the people I know didn't get their names picked out of the hat, which sucks quite a bit. I will do my happy dance and screaming in private as a sign of respect.

However, I think I will celebrate further by having French Toast for breakfast over the weekend. It'll help my jaw too, I had a wisdom tooth come out a few days ago and while the surgery itself went beautifully and I don't really have any pain, my jaw's a bit stiff. It's given me a great excuse to have a lot of chocolate pudding, cherry jello and peach yogurt at all times.

I'M GOING TO PARIS!!    I'll stop now, however a countdown will start popping up as soon as the flight is booked and a set leaving day is picked. Tentatively speaking, May 8th-26th.