La Maison Natale de Charles de Gaulle

Salut! C'est Sabine!
Have you ever liked to play tourist in your hometown sometimes? It's nothing I do often, but I want to give you another glimpse of my beautiful city of Lille. This time, it's to la maison natale de Charles de Gaulle, Charles de Gaulle's birth home.

Who is Charles de Gaulle? To sum it up: general, leader of the French Resistance in WWII, first president and founder of the Fifth Republic, and most importantly, lillois. His birth home was transformed into a museum that showcases his history and accomplishments. If you ever find yourself in Lille and want to visit, it's located on Rue Princesse. Fun fact: the home actually dates back to his maternal grandparents.

The living room actually reminds me of my own!

The antique piano in the living room is gorgeous.

I took some photos on the stairs. No special reason.

The room in which he slept as a baby...you can even see his bassinet:

This green bedroom had the most gorgeous natural lighting:

I didn't want to take too many photos and seem like a tourist, but it was fun to see the house again. I hadn't been since I was a little girl!

~Sabine

Mes vacances

Salut, tout le monde! C'est Sabine!

Long time, no post! Before I share photos of my vacation, I figure I should give you dear readers some life updates:

1. Julien and I are, in fact, an actual couple. He's my "true love".
2. I'm going to be studying abroad in the United States next year. I'm torn between the University of Wisconsin-Madison where my best American friend Lilly goes and Wake Forest University where my friend Ava goes.
3. Sandrine is doing well. She now lives in Paris and dances for the ballet de l'Opéra National de Paris. She's spent everyday of her life waiting for this moment. I'm so proud of my sister.
4. One of my American friends is coming to France next summer, and I'm planning on taking her around the country!
5. Sébastien now lives in New York City for work! That's where I spent part one of my vacation (and what this post is about).
6. LES BLEUS ARE 2018 WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS! VIVE LES BLEUS! Julien and Delphine are huge soccer fanatics, so I got roped in.

I spent a great deal of time by myself in the city while my brother was at work, but I also got to hang out with Inky and make some new friends.

My first day in the city was a blast, despite suffering from some jet lag! I'm pretty sure I went almost 36 hours without sleep. I started my trip off with a delicious smoothie bowl and people watching in Bryant Park.

While my brother was working, I spent a girls' day with Inky and met some new friends. Our first stop was lunch and shopping. Next to me is Orianne Diouf, a franco-sénégalaise girl from Lyon. She's my age, and she's studying in the US for the summer. She loves ballet and all things pink and girly, just like my best friend Aurélie. Next to Inky is her friend Athénaïs, who is super sweet.

I purchased a new black dress. It ended up being a little too glittery for my taste, but the cut and fit is cute.

I also got to see Frozen on Broadway! It was SUPER HOT in the city--just as bad as the heat wave that's in France. Seeing such a "cold" show was refreshing. Patti Murin was a fantastic Anna; she played the part so well. After the show, I took some pictures in Times Square with Orianne.

I spent my last day in NYC with Inky. The day was packed, and we started off with pastries and coffee in the cutest coffee shop in Brooklyn. We took photos by the giant globe they had since we're both world travelers. Inky is going on a fun trip this summer, and I'm so envious!

After breakfast, we took some photos in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It has the most spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline.

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I also took this photo of Orianne:

After Brooklyn Bridge Park, Inky and I headed down to Brighton Beach. We walked along the boardwalk and then grabbed lunch at a Russian cafe.

I had a wonderful vacation. I always enjoy traveling to New York City. It's such a wonderful place. However, I'm back to reality and schoolwork. Ugh. I hope to post more frequently. I've missed blogging!

À tout!

Sabine

New York, je t'aime!

Salut! C'est Sandrine.

Long time, no post, right? Well, I have a life, so I can't always post frequently. However, I still have pictures from my NYC adventure to share.

I spent a morning in Brooklyn and took a walk in a park.

As fun as Brooklyn is, I wanted to head to Manhattan and do one of the things I do best (other than ballet and makeup): shopping! My first destination was the iconic Macy's department store. It's got nothing on Galeries Lafayette, but they have an amazing makeup section.

They had some designer boutiques inside, similar to those found in luxury Parisian department stores. It's my dream to own a Louis bag someday. My mom has one, but she's too selfish to let me borrow it. Whatever.

I had to take some cute pics in Herald Square.

I also saw the Empire State Building up close.

I then headed to 5th Ave. to do some more shopping! Topshop is the greatest.

Did you really think I wouldn't buy anything? I got the cutest shorts.

My last stop was the World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial. I am definitely not one to cry, but this made me break down. It was so upsetting. I can't even imagine.

Whats your favorite thing to do in NYC? My favorite thing would be to see a ballet, but hopefully, I'll do that in the future.

~Sandrine