Return to New York

Salut, tout le monde! C'est Sabine!

I don't even have an excuse for not blogging, so I'm not going to give one. However, we hope to back to blogging regularly, and although Sandrine hasn't finished talking about her NYC trip, I'm going to blog about mine. I just got back from the city on Sunday. I'm still feeling jet-lagged, but all is well.

So, what would any trip to NYC be without the obligatory Times Square photos? I might look like a tacky tourist, but I can be one since I'm from France.

Inky was out of town, but I got to hang out with her cool friend Sol in SoHo. SoHo is one of the coolest places in the city; it almost reminds me of my own hometown, Lille.

Here I am with Sol. Isn't her coat so pretty? I'd love to own one in black.

I had a great short visit, though I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked! Maybe next time! For now, stay tuned to see the rest of Sandrine's NYC trip photos as well as Aurélie's.

Bisous,

Sabine

AGPNY!

Salut, tous ceux qui lisent ce blog! C'est Sandrine!

In May, I went to NYC for ballet-related reasons, but I also had some fun. I'm just getting to this now because I've had a lot going on. I basically came back to France with a suitcase full of makeup from MAC and Sephora. I did a lot on this trip, but I thought AGPNY should get its own post.

Of course, we had to stop at AGPNY. I didn't get any clothes because all their clothes are ugly. I almost got a new ballet leotard, but I decided to spend my money on makeup.

I should've had my hair done, but of course, I didn't because I styled it so nicely myself. I'm not the kind of person to put my good work to waste.

I should really be a star, OK? I've considered creating my own YouTube account for hair and makeup before, but ballet takes up most of my time. Wouldn't have it any other way, though.

This display was cool, but Lea's clothes are so ugly. They are too bright and not edgy enough for my taste.

AG thinks girls only like pastel shades of pink and purple. Purple is my favorite color, but AG purple usually makes me gag.

American history...something I don't know too much about. I can tell you all the presidents of France's Fifth Republic and random stuff about our revolution.

Yeah, well, that was AGPNY. Same old, same old. Been there, done that. I can't wait for the new store to open. It looks really freaking cool. 

I didn't get anything, but wait until you see what Inky's friends got in my next post!

Have you ever been to AGPNY?

Bisous,

Sandrine

Let the Storm Rage On!

Salut, tout le monde! C'est Sabine!

This is so embarrassing to admit, but I'm just now posting about the massive snowstorm that struck when I visited Inky in NYC! With the bac and other obligations, I've been so busy!

So, when I visited in January, Elsa decided to cover NYC in way to much snow. Fortunately, Inky had some snow clothes that fit me, so we decided to go out in that disaster. I don't like the snow or anything about winter, but I wanted to experience this storm that blanketed the East Cost.

First off, it was really deep.

I'm not going to lie; the snow was kind-of pretty.

I took this cute photo of Inky, who is way more outdoorsy than I'll ever be!

I was going to take a WARM shower when I went inside, so I decided to just go for it and make a snow angel!

That was quite the experience. Because of it, my flight back to France was delayed, and I had to miss school. I really hope Elsa doesn't come to town again if I visit NYC in the winter.

What are your thoughts on snow?

A tout!

~Sabine

Calm Before The Storm

Salut, tout le monde! C'est Sabine, et j'avais toute de la chance. En janvier, j'ai rendu visite à Inky. Oui, je suis allée à New York! J'avais aussi un entretien parce que je voudrais peut-être étudier à NYU.

So, what did I do while I visited Inky for the second time? Before Elsa blanketed the East Coast in snow, I had a great day. I first had my interview, which I think went well. I had a couple of English fails, but I still did well. We did plenty of walking around the city, and we did make that obligatory AGPNY stop. I saw this model who looked just like my best American friend, Lilly. It was the creepiest thing ever. She didn't seem too creeped out when I pulled out my phone and showed her a photo of Lilly.

I also explored Lea's (the GOTY 2016) world. Her rainforest house was cool. Inky told me it reminded her on a place her moms stayed when they went to Costa Rica. Now I want to go to Costa Rica...and practice my Spanish.

One of Inky's friends was getting her hair done, so we took this photo while we waited. Yeah, I'm not one who likes getting my hair done. That's Sandrine's territory. She got hers done when we visited in September.

Inky's mom and her mom's friend were celebrating their birthdays, so we got to eat in the cafe. This strange girl named Toni joined us. She seemed similar to this girl named Lorraine we met in September.

I look so exhausted. It's called jet lag. I was having so much fun that I forgot how tired I was until I sat down.

As obnoxious as Toni was, I did love her dress.

After dinner, I went to a Broadway show- An American in Paris! Weird Toni went to see Jersey Boys and wanted me to go with her. No thanks! The snow started coming down lightly after the show let out, so I took some quick selfies in Times Square, America's Number One Tourist Trap. I still love it, though!

Just wait until you see what Elsa did! Post coming soon!

~Sabine

Birthday Disappointments

Salut, tout le monde! C'est moi, Sabine! ...et c/est moi, Sandrine...

So let me start off by saying that we did not abandon this blog! Things got busy, so we haven't had time to write. We're going to play catch-up in chronological order, starting with our birthday on December 19.

Don't remind me. Worst birthday ever.

It really wasn't that bad. Ignore her. 

We didn't get many gifts because going to NYC in September was our Christmas and birthday gift. Sabine got to go again last month. I'm not jealous because she was stuck in the blizzard, so don't even accuse me of being jealous. That's not why this birthday was the worst. I'm getting to that. Anyway, we got those cute Frozen stockings you see above, and we also got Frozen Tsum Tsums. I got Elsa.

I got Anna, and...

...THIS CUTE SHIRT THAT I HAVE BEEN WANTING FOREVER. IT'S SO PERFECT AND SO ME. Ugh, how perfect for NYC! (I did wear it there, just so you know.)

Yeah, Sabine got a cute top that I might just have to borrow from her. I got the most hideous top known to man. Maman failed. Awfully badly, may I add. I like edgy, I like leopard print. This is just atrocious. Yeah, I threw a fit about it, and then I returned it the next day. Bleh.

That top is pretty terrible, but you really didn't have to act like a spoiled brat about it. Anyway, here's where things really became bad for Sandrine. Aurélie came over because we were going to go to dinner and a play. Sandrine invited Coralie, and Coralie made an excuse as to why she couldn't come at the very last minute.

Yeah, and to make it worse, they wanted me to invite Axelle in Coralie's place. They don't seem to understand that I DO NOT LIKE AXELLE. Do I want to be annoyed on my birthday? NO. Ok, then why on earth would I invite her?

(Axelle is super nice, but I've only met her a few times after my sister and Aurélie's ballet stuff.) 

It's Coralie that I don't really like. I get a bad feeling from her, and I don't know what it is. There's just something not right. Her parents are okay, but her older sister Manon is pretty mean. She's also awful to Coralie. I've seen it, and Sandrine has told me stories. Coralie also has a history of bailing on my sister whenever they make plans, so I have no idea why she'd invite her, anyway.

I invited her because she's my best friend, Sabine...?! Yeah, okay. She is flaky and bails a lot. I know she's busy often, but still. She can't be busy every single time I invite her to do something. I chose this play because of her. I thought a play would make her come celebrate. She was thrilled about it, but then she decided not to show up. I hate how Axelle thinks I have issues and wants to always know what's wrong with me. Coralie is Axelle's former friend, too; why can't Axelle snoop around in Coralie's life? I'm so upset and tired of this.

Well, um, so...stay tuned for my posts about NYC!

Stay tuned for my posts about a confrontation with Coralie.

Snowpocalypse 2016 is more interesting, I promise!

Bisous,
Sabine et Sandrine

La Citadelle de Lille et le Jardin Vauban

Salut, tout le monde! C'est Sabine. Vous comprennez que je n'ai pas écrit depuis novembre. Alors, c'est la vie. J'étais occupée avec l'école et les autres choses.

So yeah, I've been a bad blogger. This school year has been difficult, and I haven't had much time for anything besides schoolwork. Oh, and I have big news that I'll reveal soon. I also need to do a birthday blog post and some more hometown blog posts. I'll catch up.

In this tour de Lille post, I'll be talking about le parc de la Citadelle- the largest park in Lille. In order to get to the park, you first pass the Quai du Wault. It's a pretty, historic grassy area surrounded by good (but pricey) restaurants.

The park is enclosed by the Deûle River. You can see the river in the background. In order to access the park, you obviously have to cross the bridge.

When I took these photos, there was a circus going on. I didn't get to go, though I saw it many times as a child.

Not only is this the biggest park in Lille, it is my favorite park. I love walking here with friends and exploring the hidden trails. 

Here's a nice view of one of the main paths:

On one of the walls, you can see a memorial to a French spy during WWI, Léon Trulin.

Now, let's go see the actual Citadelle!

 Here's the Citadelle itself! It dates back to 1670. Construction began in 1667 by Vauban as ordered by King Louis XIV. It was built shortly after Lille became a part of France.

What else is there to do in the park? Well, there is zoo. There is also a nice area for children to play. Here is a mini train ride, modeled after the Gare de Lille Flandres, the oldest train station in Lille.

Here you can see a playground and a carousel.

I rode the carousel. Why not?!

 Here's the entrance to the zoo:

Who wants to explore the park on an empty stomach? Not me. Guess what I got to eat!

That's right: fries. Lille is known for its frites.

 There was also a balloon vendor, and I had to take a pic of the Pinkie Pie balloons for my friend Lilly; Pinkie Pie is her favorite pony!

I had to photograph this Elsa balloon for Sandrine:

This bird costume is actually pretty creepy:

Near the Citadelle, there is the Jardin Vauban, which features a stunning grotto.

When my friends and I were little, we loved to play make-believe games here. Couldn't you imagine pretending to be a mermaid in here?

There are steps that lead to the top of the grotto, which is a nice place to relax and read.

If you look down below, you can see a cute little cottage in the middle of the pond. Julien and I once jumped in and swam to it. Hey, we were 8 and didn't really know better.

As you leave the park down the Boulevard Vauban, you will find the Palais Rameau. It was designated as a historical landmark in 2002, but despite that, it's only partially renovated. It's a beautiful building, even if parts of it look like it was left to rot. The greenhouse in the back is stunning and hosted several expositions, 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Citadelle and Jardin Vauban. Do you have a favorite park?

A tout!

~Sabine