Let's not talk about Kevin

I had been meaning to read the book or watch the film for a while. So, when my book club picked 'We need to talk about Kevin', I was very happy with the choice. Until I started reading it.

Well, that's a bit harsh... I can't say that I 'enjoyed' the book. Given the topic, that probably wouldn't be right. for those who haven't heard about it: the book consists entirely of letters from Kevin's Mum to his Dad. Starting with her pregnancy until the current day, when her son is in prison for shooting a number of people at his high school, she reflects on her time with Kevin.

First of all, I found the book very difficult to read. Lionel Shriver writes in long sentences and uses lots of words, I don't know. And I am too lazy too look up words in a dictionary... It took me a while to get into the writing style. Secondly, it's of course not a happy story to read. Can children be born evil? And what do we do, if our child turns out to be evil? It's quite heart-breaking to read about her struggle to come to terms with motherhood and her failed attempt to build a relationship with her child.

The story finishes with a surprising twist (at least I didn't see it coming). Overall, I think it raises interesting questions. In parts I found the description of Kevin too exaggerated, especially when he is still a baby and toddler. I find it difficult to say I would recommend the book. I guess I would, if you know what it is about and want to read about that kind of stuff. I certainly do not want to watch the movie though. The pictures I have in my head from just reading it, are horrible enough.

Next up is Salman Rushdie's book Midnight's Children. I've never read anything by Rushdie, so I am looking forward to it.

Les soldes - shopping in French

Just like everywhere, sales (=les soldes) were on in Paris. When I told some Parisians that I was planning to hit the shops, they were rather surprised as London clearly is the shopping paradise for them!

Anyhow, already on my second day, my sandals fell completely apart.... Yes, they had been a super cheap purchase from Hong Kong and were over 4 years old, but still rather unfortunate that it had to happen while I was out and about. Fortunately, I found a reasonably priced pair to replace them with.

Another coral coloured addition to my wardrobe

The essentials out of the way, it was then time for more fun and definitely non-essential shopping (I can't lie: my wardrobe is already bursting with dresses and skirts...). But all at bargain prices, I just couldn't resist!

the dress looks much nicer when worn; and that pink - need I say more?

not exactly a summery dress - but autumn will come sooner or later
(and in this country probably sooner...)

Yes, the dress needs ironing; not the kind of skirts I usually go for,
but I loved the print/colours... and price!

Just some thoughts: How to improve your hotel...

... or rather: How to improve MY stay at hotels! :-)

With all the travelling that I've been doing for work this year, I think I've been to and stayed at a record (for me) number of hotels in 2013. 

And here are a few observations:

• Why do so many hotels still offer packed bars of soap? Would it not be more environmentally friendly and more economical to have refillable liquid soap dispensers?
• Toothpaste and cotton buds are sadly still not part of the standard basic offering
• Why are duvets tucked in? I hate it. Especially when you have to use actual force to yank them free
• Wifi should be free!!! It is in a lot of places; shame on the others
• Please invest in decent hairdressers. and those that don't switch themselves off due to overheating after a minute
• Breakfast should always be offered until at least 10:00 - let people have a lie in during their holidays
• Don't employ people who don't actually want to work in hospitality

Musee d'Orsay

The Musee d'Orsay is one of the few Parisian sites that I hadn't yet visited. And what's better than a cool museum on a hot day? Unfortunately, they have a no photography policy. Which really is a pity, as the building itself - a former railway station - is stunning!

The museum opened only in 1986 and primarily houses French art from 1848 to 1915. It's most famous for its impressionist and post-impressionist collections - and those are also the busiest areas of the museum. They also have a collection of furniture and sculptures on display and a terrace with views over Paris on the roof.

Entrance fee is €9 and if you book your ticket online (for a small additional fee), you can jump the queue. Which in this hot weather is highly advisable, as the queue is right in plain sunshine.

Outside the museum

Views from the roof - tiny Sacre Coeur in the far distance

Centre Pompidou from the inside and Paris from above

The Centre George Pompidou houses the Musee National d'Art Moderne - the largest museum for modern art in Europe. And with its terraces also offers great views over the city. For €13 you get access to the museum and all the exhibitions or for just €3 you can enjoy the views.

Joseph Beuys and another felt installation: Plight

Part of the temporary Roy Lichtenstein exhibition

Part of the temporary Simon Hantai exhibition

So little time...

Just back in London from three days in lovely York. When I was studying in (not so pretty Hull), York was always a nice place to visit. I hadn't been for more than 10 years... and I hardly recognized anything. And unfortunately, that must be down to be my bad memory - cause I somehow don't think that the city has changed all that much. At least not the historic centre...

Am still catching up with posts about Paris.
So much to write about, so little time and even less motivation. I might primarily stick to photos.

Hope you are also enjoying the summer!

Parlez-vous francais?

As part of my university studies, I spent about 10 months in France. At the end of that stay, I was relatively fluent in French. Unfortunately, in the 11 years since then, I never really got to use my French anymore. So, I was pleasantly surprised just how much I am still able to understand! And it was actually fun to listen to people speak French again. Speaking on the other hand, was much tougher. And since the French don't seem to have improved their foreign language skills in the last 11 years either, it was a little frustrating...

My cousin asked me whether I'd consider moving back to France. And I wouldn't. Not being able to properly communicate makes me feel really uncomfortable. I still sometimes get to my limits in the UK - so moving to a non-English and non-German speaking country is certainly not an option at the moment.

It's George!

Nice is famous for its annual Jazz Festival. And it was on during our stay in Nice. Too bad though that I don't like jazz... Having said that, I quite enjoyed the main act who was on Friday night: George Benson.
Admittedly, I had never heard of him before (my knowledge of music in general is pretty non-existant...)...

France - my food diary

Beach restaurant Beau Rivage in Nice

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (and no, I didn't have both desserts!)

Creperie near le Forum des Halles (which is still under construction)

I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the restaurant; somewhere near the Opera

And this was mine and it was delicious!!

Desserts at Le Reminet - if you don't have a voucher, it's very over-priced!
And I didn't get a warm welcome - so would not recommend!

Did you know?

That there are only pebble beaches in Nice? When I first came and found out about this more than 10 years ago, I was very surprised and disappointed. After all, Nice is famous as a seaside town! The beaches are packed nevertheless, but personally, I would always prefer to go a few km further east or west to enjoy the sandy beaches nearby.

 

We didn't have time for a swim, but it is of course obligatory for me to at least dip my feet in the sea, when I am at the seaside. Despite more than 30C, the water wasn't particularly warm...

Secondly (and I only found this out during this recent visit), the people of Nice have their own language: Niçard! It has strong Italian as well as Corsican influences. Even though it is only spoken by a small minority nowadays, all street signs are in both languages and announcements on the tram, for example, are also made in both languages:

In the footsteps of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille

For those who don't know: Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is the main character in Patrick Sueskind's book 'Perfume'. And no worries - I didn't kill anyone! But - and this definitely was the highlight of my Nice trip - I created my own scent!

Fragonard, named after the French painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806), and founded in 1926 by Eugène Fuchs, have a factory in Eze Village (between Nice and Monaco) where we attended a perfume workshop. Well, we created an eau de cologne. We were all using with the same fragrances but depending on our preference, the quantities used varied. We worked with:

• Orange from Brasil
• Lemon from Italy
• Bergamot from Italy
• Red Mandarine from Italy
• Neroli from Tunisia
• Petit Grain from Paraguay
• Vervain
• Rosemary
• Lavender

It's quite fascinating how little we really use our sense of smell in every day life. All the fragrances change with time, as described by the top, middle and base note of a perfume. And when overwhelmed by all the different smells, you can smell your own scent by sniffing the crook of your arm, which will 'neutralize' your nose again - much more effective than smelling coffee beans (as often offered in perfume shops).

100 ml of my self-created eau de cologne

(And we got to keep the apron, too! Which will come in very handy in this heat as it means, I can now cook in my underwear without the risk of getting burnt ;-))

Le Negresco - sleeping in style

The 5* Le Negresco hotel is located on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, overlooking the sea. It is now owned by Madame Jeanne Augier and has a museum-like atmosphere with pieces of art everywhere. Even if you are not staying at the place, it's well worth a visit!

The Royal Lounge was originally a ballroom. It is nowadays classified as a Historical Monument. With its large glass dome, it's bright and airy and is often used for wedding receptions and other events. It's at the heart of the hotel.

La Rotonde Brasserie is one of 4 restaurants at the hotel and entirely dedicated to the theme of an 18th century carousel. I love the pastel colours and of course the wooden carousel horses!

outside the restaurant

Just a few examples of the pieces of art to be found in the hotel

Amongst others famous for its pink dome

Wine-tasting for teetotals

Well, I am not actually teetotal. I very occasionally drink, but I don't drink wine. I would love to love wine because it seems like a nice thing to enjoy, but I just don't like the taste.

As part of the trip to Nice, we visited a vineyard though: Domaine de Toasc. Located on the East hillside of the Plaine du Var, they have 7 hectares of vine and 2 hectares of olive trees - and beautiful views of the city. In addition to the wine tasting, they also offer event space for seminars and receptions. Scattered around are also a number of art pieces, most of them wonderfully eccentric!

I did give the wine a try, but to be honest, it went from bad (the rose) to worse (the white) to terrible (the red)... Just for me, I'd like to add. This is in no way an assessment of the quality of the wine and some of my fellow travelers bought a number of bottles, so I'm sure it is very nice for those who like wine.

the rose bushes are like a warning system of fungal diseases, as they are likely to catch them before the grapes do

turning the lovely sweet grapes into wine...

yes, it is a rollerblading chicken!

Beer, rosemary and tomato-basil

This is just a small selection of the rather weird ice cream flavors offered by Fenocchio, a family-owned business, which first opened in Nice in 1966. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to sample any of their 94 (!) different flavors, which of course also include classics such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. But with so many options, picking those would be rather boring, wouldn't it?

In order to taste most of them, I would probably have to stay in Nice for several weeks (and go on a strict diet afterwards...). Nowadays, they have two shops: one on place Rossetti and a second one on 6 rue de la Poissonerie. Both are open from 9am to midnight - go check them out!

I'm sure the rose, lavender and violet icecream are lovely.
Not so keen on avocado or thyme... But then, maybe I should give them a chance!

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A*M*A*Z*I*N*G!

Such a beautiful villa, gardens, views - and the dessert was great, too! :-)

The villa is located between Nice and Monaco. In addition to visiting the villa, they also offer event space. And in the summer, their numerous gardens will surely make for a great backdrop for weddings and other receptions. 

pretty in pink - exactly to my taste

the view...

the inner courtyard

Woody Allen and the observatory

The Nice observatory sits in the hill around the city. It was founded in 1879 and designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the one who did the Eiffel Tower) and the architect was Charles Garnier (who is also responsible for the Opera in Paris). The telescope was the largest in a privately funded observatory at the time and also placed at the highest altitude.

Nowadays, the space can be used for events and Elton John (who has a house nearby) has held a dinner there and we missed Woody Allen and his film crew by just a few days!

the roof opens up and can be moved around

Home, sweet and terribly hot home...

7 days down, 7 more to go!

After a very long wait, I FINALLY got my two week leave. And as usual, it coincided with good weather in London. For some reason, I always seem to be leaving the country, when the sun comes out over here.

But I mustn't grumble, as the weather was just as good where I went: after a weekend in Nice I spent a week in Paris. So, I think I'm 'done' with France for a little while...

Paris - just as London - is pretty unbearable in the heat though. Unless, you somehow manage to stay in the shade at all times. I certainly would not recommend a visit in the summer! You live and learn...

Anyhow, lots of photos to go through and blog entries to write. But for now, I'd like to say that already after the first weekend, I felt so much more relaxed which just proved the point that I urgently needed a break. And it's been so nice to not think about work (I wisely left my blackberry in my desk drawer at work!) and also to enjoy the change of scenery. I would highly recommend a holiday to anyone! :-)

While, the temperatures in London have taken a dip this weekend - just in time for my return, of course - it's still rather hot in my tiny flat. But while I enjoyed being away, it was also nice to come back home again.

blue sky, the sea = holiday feeling

More food

There certainly is no shortage of restaurants, bars and pubs in Edinburgh. I always find it difficult to pick one when I am traveling. What do you base your decision on? You can of course check the menu - but I am usually able to find something I'd eat in all/most places.

We picked Element Bar as we were getting quite hungry and tired of looking for a place. And we were lucky. Great food, great service, reasonable prices and cool decor. And Tripadvisor agrees. It's situated on Rose Street, where you can find loads of little shops and eateries and which runs in parallel to Princes Street.

Thai Beef Salad

Steak Sandwich (the chips went with the salad)

And onion rings with the sandwich

The Ballantrae Albany Hotel

I picked the Ballantrae Albany Hotel (4*) because of it's proximity to the venue where we held our event as well as the main train station. According to their website it is 'by far the most unique 4 star luxury hotel in Edinburgh'. I haven't been to enough hotels in Edinburgh to confirm this, but I did like the decor. The bed was comfortable and it is right in the city centre. I only stayed one night, so can't say too much else but I would return.

lots of velvet

and my favourite piece in the room!