Paris Resolutions

Sir Robyn prepares for a NYE night out.

A happy and prosperous New Year to you, my friends and readers!

I’ve lived in Paris about 11 months now… oh 8 months in a straight line and I’m coming up on a pair of interesting anniversaries.  How has Paris affected me?  How have I affected Paris in my first year in the city?  I’m sure that somewhere there is a great cosmic tally, but lacking this, I can only strive to get the most out of and put the most back into this city that I love.

Every year I make a bold collection of New Year’s resolutions and I have done so this year as well.  The difference is that this year, many of my resolutions are related directly to my new home and not just to my own person.  How does that work?  Well without further gilding the lily, let me show you. 

Paris Resolutions (with possible observations)

Language:  The French language has proved difficult for me; surprisingly difficult.  To improve my social standing, increase my number of friends, reduce difficulties with various negotiations, etc., I must improve my French greatly.  Rosetta Stone just hasn’t done the trick and I get weary of it now.  Therefore, I resolve, for 2012 to:

• Take an official classroom-based French course.

• Improve my French to a conversational level.

• Watch more French films (or films dubbed into French).

• Read at least one adult book in French.

Cecelia - Crayon (original) - Sir Robyn - Paris 2012

Art:  If you’ve followed my blog you know that art has recently become an important part of my day to day life, not just in the observance of it in museums, but in the creation of it as well.  Last year I began taking “life classes” in which I attempt to create the likeness of a nude model in various poses from one week to the next.  For this year:

• I resolve to continue my art classes and master the pencil and try my hand at pastels and paints before the end of the year.

• I resolve to become a “Friend of the Louvre” and visit at least once a month.

• I resolve to see another gallery or special exhibit at least once a month.

Society:  To truly be part of any place, one must have friends.  I’ve been fortunate since moving to Paris in that I have made a few good friends in a hurry.  I long to make more Parisian friends of course, since my social life is a very important part of my overall life.  Improving my French language skills will help, but truly the bull must be taken by the horns to have a social life and I will be very proactive this year.  I resolve to:

• Host a collection of parties and/or gatherings at my home or other arranged venues.

• I will say at least one time this year (possibly in French), “Open another magnum.”

The pyramid at the Louvre glows on NYE
in anticipation of the New Year.

Paperwork:  New residents of France have one year to get a French driver’s license and then I’m told that they have great difficulties if they let this year pass.  Also approaching is the time where I must perform my first annual renewal of my Carte de Sejour (my resident card) to continue to live in Paris for another year.  I will:

• Acquire a French driver’s licence.

• Renew my Carte de Sejour.

Miscellaneous:  The following are Paris life related… and will make sense as you read them.  Lastly, I resolve to:

• Enter myself  in a local fencing competition.

• Eat in a Michelin rated restaurant (maybe the Tour D’argent across the river from me?).

• Take a bus tour into the Champagne region and taste all that I can taste.

Well that is all my friends.  It is a lot for one year, but I think I can do it all and a few other things.  My the rest of the year bring you happiness and prosperity.  Thank you for looking in.  Please post any questions in the comments box below and Please Please Please, if you have a click in your mouse that you can spare, share or like this post!

Your friend and humble blogger,

Sir Robyn

Noël à Paris

The Christmas lighting on the Champs Elysee.
Modern or silly?  Personally, I think they are
pretty darned cool.

Merry Christmas and Joyeux Noël my most excellent friends,

It is Christmas time in Paris and regardless of your religious, cultural or personal convictions, Christmas is as ubiquitous as winter air this time of year.  Paris has a long tradition of lighting up the city without Christmas, but during the Yuletide season the lights are especially bright.  I’ve taken a brief break from blogging and observing as I had to make yet another trip to Canada.

Many friends and readers would wonder why I did not stay in Canada to celebrate Christmas with friends and relatives.  I decided, for better or worse, that I would spend my first Christmas in Paris as let the cards fall where they may.  Hopefully I won’t spend Christmas cold and alone… <sniff>  :)






Audrey Tautou illumine les Champs Elysées par mairiedeparis

Here is my latest set of Parisian observations:

Culture:  It seems that Paris society operates between vacations and there are many.  After taking time off in October for no reason I’ve been able to understand, all of Paris will be going on Vacation for the week or so between Christmas and New Years.  I will probably stick to my North American roots and do some work during this period, but I WON’T be fencing or attending art class since those are closed for the season.

An advert for an exhibit at the Musee D'Orsay.
Do check it out!

Commerce:  I’ve noticed something missing.  I was in the Metro waiting for a train and looking at a sign for some exhibit at the Musee D’Orsay when I noticed… I was looking at an ad for a museum exhibit.  I was NOT looking at an ad for fast food.  I did a quick scan and noticed that none of the ads in the Metro featured food.  In America (or possibly Canada) the subway would be choked with Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Subway and Burger King ads. I haven’t noticed one such ad since making this observation.

Transportation:  The Metro has changed.  There are new cars on the #1 line that operate without a driver.  They seem to stop for no reason more often and start and stop a little more abruptly than the ones with a driver, but they do the job.  Another change is that the announcements are in four languages rather than just French.  You’ll also hear Metro announcements both in the stations and on the new trains in English, German and Spanish.

• I’ve talked a lot about musicians jumping on trains and playing in the tunnels of the metro, but lately at the Chatelet station I’ve had the pleasure to hear a large string ensemble on regular occasions.  I managed to snap a picture while racing to get to art class.

A string ensemble who happen to be very good, entertains passersby
at the Chatelet Metro station.

Sport:  Fencing.  Oh, man!  Things have changed at fencing class.  I’ve advanced beyond the “noob” level and now fight with the advanced students.  This is often a painful experience.  A fencing bout goes for 5 points and the advanced class uses only the large epee.  This means that I get hit 5 times for every match and… sometimes with impunity as I am unable to hit the very, very good fencers back.  The result was a week of painful breathing with a bruised rib.  I’m getting a little more confident in my strokes but wow… This has been a tough transition.

• I now have all the fencing equipment that I need for the sport.  I mentioned once before that a true hobby requires the expenditure of about $10,000… or 7,000€.  So far, with lessons, club membership and equipment I’m at about the… oooh… 1,200€ mark.  My equipment is very good, so I expect that it will take a long time for me to get to 7,000€…. a very long time.
• For those concerned, I have won a match in the advanced class.  I attributed the win to blind luck, but my instructor says that “In combat, there is no such thing as luck.”  I may have mistranslated this. 

Art:  It’s the last week for art class and then I have 2 weeks to study on my own.  If you’ve ever wanted to be immortalized in a sketch, please look me up over the holidays!  I need models badly!  To be an art model, you require two simple abilities.  The first is to be naked and the second is to stay still for 20 minutes… and I mean completely still.  All models will be provided with the best possible champagne for their efforts.  :)

L'Hommage Veronese - Pencil (original) - Robyn Blaber - 2011
My latest effort in art class. 

Entertainment:  Lastly, my friends, I will be hosting a Christmas soiree at my home on December 22nd.  I hope it to be the best party in all of Paris.  Please RSVP with me if you are a friend on facebook or leave your email if you are in Paris and would like to visit/meet me and share a glass of holiday cheer.

Bon journee and have a great holiday season.

Your true friend,
Sir Robyn

Bonus Picture!
Sir Robyn makes an appearance at an
Eyes Wide Shut party at an undisclosed
location in the heart of Paris.

Bath Time!

Bath Abbey, situated immediately to the right of a
place where you can get ice cream and champagne.

Allo lads and lasses,

Welcome to a very special edition of my observations.  You see since moving to Paris, I’ve really not travelled a lot.  Some might say that I’m paying too much rent, others that my champagne bills are too high.  The fact of the matter is, that I’ve been so engrossed in the city that I really haven’t thought too look around too much.  Well, that doesn’t mean that I’m incapable and I’ll tell you what I did. 

I went to Bath… the legendary city with the endlessly flowing natural hot springs.  It was built up by the Romans way back in the day, though legend has it that people have been taking baths there for thousands and thousands of years.  I enjoyed such a bath a few weeks ago. 

Here’s what I observed:

Transportation:  The most amazing thing about getting to Bath is that I left at about 8am and arrived a little after noon.  I caught the metro to Gare du Nord and from there it was a 2.5 hour ride to London through the famed Chunnel.  I did not try to send any secret codes to anyone at the instant we were going through the Chunnel and to be honest, had I not been watching, I wouldn’t have noticed when we went into it.

This lady was the first historical
thing I saw in bath while walking
to the hotel.

• Another tube ride from London’s St. Pancras took me to Paddington Station where I caught the train to Bath.  This train seemed slower than the French trains…. but really, it was only an hour or so and there I was.  Getting off the train, I found a visitor’s bureau right there in the station.
• The Visitor’s Bureau directed me to the hotel with a map, suggesting I should walk.  Walk???  Yes ,my hotel was less than 3 blocks away.  We stowed our gear and were in the center of the city in no time.

Tourist Sites:  OK, Bath is not a big place.  In the center of town near the Roman bath ruins they do free city-walk tours.  It lasts a little over an hour and you get to see the main sites of the city with a friendly explanation.  It’s a bit of a snoozefest, but I learned a lot about the economy of a town with a hot spring.

The Roman Baths.  This building is of course
not even sort of Roman, but trust me,
there's Roman stuff inside.

• The Roman baths themselves are housed in a Victorian brick building.  They are kind of nifty and feature several interactive displays, that explain what light was probably like in Roman occupied times.  You can’t actually use the baths, however, this is expressly for Romans. 

• If you want to take a bath yourself, there is the Thermae Bath Spa.  It’s a very modern facility fed by the natural spa waters.  They have a rooftop pool, a basement grotto pool, steam rooms, foot-baths, a restaurant and a treatment center for massages and all manner of lotion rubbing.  You have to book ahead for massages as you’d be very lucky to get that just as a walk-in.  The pools and baths and steam rooms are super-cool, however and if I lived near Bath, I could go there every day, I’m sure.

Inside the Roman Baths.  I detected a few Roman accents while
investigating... I kid you not!

This is a cool display inside the Roman Baths explaining the layout.

Vampires:  Vampires don’t like water.  The spa is the safest place in the world that you could be.

City Life:  The rest of Bath is very village-like.  The center of town is closed to vehicle traffic and there are a lot of interesting one-of-a-kind shops.  My favourite had champagne and ice-cream.

A gorgeous river scene.  I was lucky to get very good weather.

This is the 18th century Pulteny Bridge.  It's a favourite site for painters and
gives spectators something to google if they haven't googled in a while.

• Because the whole town is a UNESCO heritage site, the buildings and apartments there are rather expensive to own and maintain.  The populace is therefore somewhat more… well-kept than you’d normally see in a village this size.

Perhaps the second most famous structure in Bath is the Royal Crescent.
Don't even ask how much an apartment is to rent here.

Well that's all from Bath and that's all from me.  Don't forget to share or comment or click on my poll.  See you all back real soon!

Sir Robyn