First for Everything

Bonjour! C'est Aurélie! Ça va? Oui, c'est affreux que je n'ai pas écrit.

I hate to say it, but I have been busy, and that's why I haven't written. Furthering my ballet career has taken a lot of time and energy. Last year was rough. Between school and ballet and an argument with Sabine that almost destroyed our years-long friendship, I just haven't had the energy to blog.

In October, I went to NYC for the first time and had a blast. I went for ballet-related reasons, I was fortunate enough that Inky and her moms let me stay with them.

I had to be touristy and get my picture taken in Rockefeller Center.

When I went, it was the time of year when Inky takes her holiday photos at the Lincoln Center fountain. I didn't have any holiday wear with me, but I did have several pictures taken by the fountain,

I took some photos with Inky. I don't really fit in since I'm in my casual clothes!

Lincoln Center is probably my favorite place in the city since it's home of the NYC Ballet. This shouldn't shock anybody. 

You have no idea how badly I'd love to see a ballet by the NYC Ballet!!!! I'm going to try to go one this summer. 

It was a beautiful day, so we took a walk through Central Park. It was so relaxing and much prettier than Lille's Citadelle park, I love the Citadelle, but I walk there all the time with Sabine.

It was a wonderful trip, and I hope to return and visit Inky again. I also would love to meet her friend Coral, who is as obsessed with ballet as I am.

Bisous,

Aurélie

Around Toulouse in a Day

Bonjour, tout ! Finalement, c'est moi Aurélie qui vas vous montrer Toulouse. Mon amie Bénédicte habite à Toulouse. C'est toujours génial à la voir. Alors, voici Toulouse. Toulouse est une assez grande ville, mais je trouve que c'est possible à faire un petit tour...

Toulouse is one of France's larger cities. It is part of the fourth largest metropolitan area in France, and it is also capital of the région Midi-Pyrénées and the Haute-Garonne department.

Where does our tour of Toulouse begin? The Parc de Reynerie and the château de Reynerie!

The park, created by Guillaume du Barry, is divided into a lower and higher terrace. The château can be found on the higher terrace, which is where I spent most of my time.

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The staircase leading up to it is even beautiful.

Sadly, I couldn't go inside, so I settled for taking photos outside. If you're as curious about the interior as I was, definitely Google it!

Before leaving, I had my photo taken with Traveling Josefina.

Here's a photo from the lower terrace of the park, close to the metro stop;

Where was my next stop? The Capitole de Toulouse!

You can vaguely see it, but on the ground in front of the capital, there is the Occitan cross. It represents Occitania and the ancient province of Languedoc, now the Languedoc Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions. (Languedoc= langue d'oc= Occitan language). 

Close-up of the main entrance:

Here's what it looks like from the back:

After photographing the Place du Capitole, I headed over to Pont Neuf de Toulouse. This stone bridge, completed in 1632, is unique and known for its asymmetrical features. It crosses the Garonne River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux. 

I walked a little ways to the nearest B line metro stop and headed over to the Compans Cafferelli quartier to visit our next stop: le jardin japonais de Toulouse. This garden, inspired by Japan, is newer compared to most things in France. It was completed in 1981. It features Japanese plants, a red bridge, and a "pagoda". 

To end the day, I had a photo taken with Traveling Josefina in the non-Japanese portion of the park.

That concludes my tour of Toulouse in a day. There was a lot more I could've covered, but I chose my favorite things. I just love walking in unique parks and gardens; do you?

Bisous,

Aurélie

Oh, What a Night (in London)!

Coucou ! C'est Aurélie, et je suis allée à Londres avec mes parents. 

London isn't far from Lille if you take the Eurostar "Chunnel" train, so I've been several times to see ballets, plays, musicals, or just to do touristy things. This time, we went to see Jersey Boys, which was recommended to me by Sabine by her American friend, Liz. Liz's mom is from England, and Liz is obsessed with oldies music ranging from the '60s to the '80s, though the '80s is her favorite. I'm sure she's seen the Michael Jackson show that's playing in the West End. I'm going to be honest; I wasn't too thrilled about seeing Jersey Boys. Liz kind-of got Sabine hooked on the movie version, so I've seen it several times. It's a good story, but I'm just a little burnt out. Anybody who knows Sabine as well as I do knows that she kind-of gets hooked on movies that involve everyday people becoming famous singers. Because of Sabine, I've seen La Môme (La Vie en Rose) several times, too. She wants to relate to these films and be that "ordinary girl" who becomes a famous singer. Sabine dreams of becoming a famous singer, but she knows it'll never happen. We've kind-of created our own inside joke musical, Ordinary Girl: La vie rêvée de Sabine Bouchard (named after a Hannah Montana song and a movie, respectively) based on Sabine's hypothetical rise to fame. 

Before the show, we did some obligatory sightseeing. Here I am near Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster...aka the Houses of Parliament.

Situated on the Middlesex bank of the River Thames, the Palace of Westminster dates back to the Middle Ages, but it burned once in the 1500s and burned further in the mid-1800s. The Palace you see today was built from 1840-1870. Of course, Big Ben, the world's most famous four-faced clock steals all of the attention. Nobody is quite sure where the nickname of Big Ben originates from, but it's official name is the Elizabeth Tower, named after the Queen herself. 

Across the street from the Houses of Parliament, you will find Westminster Abbey, which dates back to the 10th century. The church, built in the Gothic style, reminds me of Notre Dame de Paris.

From this area, you can see the London Eye on the Thames' South Bank. It is one of the biggest Ferris wheels in the world as well as the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe. It was constructed in 1999, just in time for the new millennium.

I also saw Buckingham Palace for what seems like the thousandth time. It is home to Queen Elizabeth II (William and Kate live in Kensington Palace). Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there.

Aren't the gates gorgeous?

Here's one of the guards in the famous attire. I didn't try to make him laugh; I'm as quiet as he is!

The Palace:

This street reminds me of Paris's Champs-Elysées:

Isn't the fountain beautiful?

In the late afternoon and early evening, we stayed near the theater and explored Piccadilly, Coventry Street, and Leicester Square.

How neat is this tavern?

My favorite part of London: the Royal Opera House! I've seen several ballets there.

Finally, the whole reason behind this trip to London...

We had amazing seats! Musicals are always more fun the closer to the stage you are. 

It was actually a fantastic show, and I'm glad my parents let me come with them. Liz is going to be so happy once I have Sabine tell her that I enjoyed it. Granted, there were several pop culture and Space Race references that I didn't quite "get". Either that has to do with my age or me being French!

"Oh, what a night" it was. London just isn't London without a West End musical (or in my case, a ballet...).

Do you like musicals? What's your favorite? Have you seen Jersey Boys?

I hope you enjoyed my adventures in London.

Bisous,

Aurélie