Ladurée

Louis-Ernest Ladurée, his name is so French, is one of my favourite dead people. I think he's my favourite French man (Marie Antoinette and Brigette Bardot tie first with Edith Piaf coming a close second and if Madeline were real she'd be up there too with my favourite French Madames.) This man created Ladurée, a cafe and tearoom. These Cafes can be found in London and a few places in France with the most popular being right in the heart of Paris on Champs Elysees. They are famous for their delicious, airy, light, crumbly macarons, of which they make about 15,000 of a day. It is hard to explain these things so when you go to Paris one day buy one and discover it all for yourself. I decided o getting the mint green box with the silver pattern and writing which matches my green Ladurée bag. These two items I will keep forever. As for the macarons I brought; chocolate, praline, vanilla, raspberry, caramel and pistachio. Favourite being Praline.

The other works of arts they call cakes and sweets are just beyond words. The inside of Ladurée gives you the feel that you shouldn't take photo's so I don't really have any. On one side is the cafe and on the other is the tearoom. We arrived at breakfast time and one must agree with Steffen when he says that the croissants here looked untouchable. That side, the right side, was fancy let me tell you. While walking towards one of Paris' many bridges we spotted the Ladurée truck which is the same colour as my bag and box. It was awesome.

Paris

After the Dawn Service Steffen and I headed south for Paris. The drive was short (2 hours) with a short nanny nap for Steffen half way. Like most cities do, as I've discovered, Paris just popped out of nowhere. We went across a bridge and suddenly without any warning the Eiffel Tower was standing above all other buildings (besides the CBD area with it's skyscrapers) as it has for many of years. I was so excited clapping my hands as if I were 5 and after a quick text to mum I put my ipod on to listen to La Vie En Rose by Edith Paif and Moi Je Jou by Brigette Bardot to get the Paris feel going. Plus I had to as I got them of Soph only the morning before because I refused to go to France let alone Paris without Edith and Brigette.

Then Navi directed us into an extremely long 'where's the light at the end?' tunnel. We had no idea where we were going but as soon as we went up the little hill out of the tunnel the Arc De Triomphe was right in front of us! Who knew we'd come out of Champs Elysees? From here on things got a little hectic and I got a little scared for my life. Paris has a problem. Many of the roads have no lines. Meaning when you go around the Arc De Triomphe it kind of becomes a free for all. You've got to get in, this is easy, but eventually (after a circle or two around the building) you've gotta get out. Navi was going mental, I wanted to make a movie, and Steffen wanted to get out of it. We were very lucky it was early Sunday morning. To show see the craziness of no lines in a few seconds watch the vids below, they are very bad but still, I will get better one's in July.


We drove around looking for parking for ages while I stared out the window at the patisseries who's cakes looked like inedible artworks. Finally we found an expensive parkhouse and began to explore Champs Elysees. After a short while I spotted Laduree, I was, in that moment, the happiest girl in Paris. Finally, finally, finally, I could buy my macarons. I love this shop so much that it shall have it's own blog post so I can continue on with Paris.

Moving on, we then strolled down the avenue with all the designer shops and I saw the Dior store from the Miss Dior Cheri ad. It was so pretty. We wanted to then ride bikes but they cost too much and we needed a credit card to use them as they didn't take cash. So we kept walking on and reached the Eiffel Tower. I think we spent about 5 minutes just evaluating it. It's fatter than we imagined, bigger than we thought but overall just as impressive as we ever dreamed. It's funny though because it pops out at you like this:

We walked underneath the tower and it became so windy which was a hassle because I was wearing a short black dress. The lines to go up the tower were enormous and this was also our first experience with the street sellers. Men would come up to you and try to sell you little Eiffel Towers non stop. And I really mean non stop. We experienced these people the whole time we were around the tower. Even in the section further away from the tower where you go to get a good photo. It was beyond annoying and in a way ruined my Eiffel Tower experience.

By this time we were dying for a croissant and frustratingly we could not find one bakery. Everything was more like an eat in cafe or restaurant. After walking down many streets, which are all very beautiful, we found Lenotre. This place was a bakery and patisserie and a wine store all in one and had really good chocolate croissants. We then made our way back to Champs Elysees so in a way we walked in a giant circle. We went under the giant round about in a tunnel and up and around the Arc De Triumphe.


On our way to Paris I said I will not buy Macca's in Paris but our location only offered high price ranges and we wanted something fast and to go because we were getting really tired. Soo embarrassingly we went to McDonald's but also brought more macarons at McCafe then walked down Champs Elysee's with a giant McDonald's bag. Not cool. However once in the car and eating, it was very satisfying. Driving out of Paris was like watching a movie and making a mental checklist of everything I must see in July with Mum and soph. The old building were beyond gorgeous and unbelievably large. Thank god Paris was never bombed, a reason for its beauty no doubt.

So our 3 hour stint in Paris was complete we got the things we wanted and were more than ready to leave due to our tiredness. On the way home (a 5-6hr drive) we came across one too many Peage's. These are tolls, to drive on any road in France you have to pay. The most expensive one we had was 13.60€! So it was a very expensive trip back, hence we drove through Belgium the first time. And that is my first trip to Paris done, cannot wait for number 2 which will be 4 days in July.

Amiens

Amiens is a really beautiful city, Steffen even likes it more than Paris but I don't think it's fair to compare. Amiens is the capital of the Somme region in France and it's quite weird as you drive into the 'city' it is all just brick apartments all lined up against each other and everything looks very old but then all of the sudden you reach the centre and there's a very tall and thin building along other very old buildings. Within the centre was also the Notre dame (yep, there's more than one in France) Cathedral which is surrounded by restaurants, small cafes, smaller bookshops, a really good shopping district, canals, a tiny amphitheatre and to add to the city's charm pretty much all the streets were cobblestone.

Steffen was on a mission here to find his beloved Panach', this is a French beer with a very low alcohol content. We asked this poor French 20 something guy who I think we scared more than anything but we did find the shopping centre, it's called 'Match', if you're ever in Amiens. So Steffen got his Panach' and while buying it there was a man just outside the counter with a snake acting like it was the norm. Me and the security guard just shared a worrisome glance. It was also here that I discovered that food in France is expensive. In fact most things in France are expensive, that or Germany is very cheap when it comes to confectionery and other things. For example a Bueno is 79 cents in Germany. In France its a grand 1.45€. No thank you. However France does sell chicken flavoured chips (poulet roti et thym, thats- roast chicken and thyme by the way) so that made everything okay.

After we brought the Panach' we found a restaurant along the river. There were Aussies everywhere again, even a cadet group. The 3 Aussies sitting at the table behind us though were embarrassing though. So arrogant. Anyway my dinner was great, just a chicken burger and chips but it was so good. Steffen's steak was unfortunately a bit raw. We had a wine to go with all of this and since Steffen had to drive I ended up drinking the most and didn't realise how much I had drank until I stood up. Well, let me tell you, cobble streets aren't as charming when you've had a bit like they are when you're sober but it was fun anyway. We walked around some more and ended up going to Macca's on the way home for a sundae. This, ladies and gentlemen, was the best sundae I have ever had. If you go to France get a sundae because they put crushed peanuts in it and it's just soo good.

Villers Bretonneux

On the 24th April Steffen and I drove through Germany, Belgium and France to reach Villers Bretonneux. I can only say that it was the most weirdest, unsettled feeling Ive had in a fair while. After four months of pure Germanisation I was surrounded by Australians and their accents again and in addition, the Australian flag was in every direction you looked. There was a game of rugby going on at the local oval and plastic kangaroo cut outs in peoples gardens.


We found the Victoria School after a long walk around with Steffen doing his best at French and me perfecting my 'Merci!'. In the courtyard was the 'Do not forget Australia' sign which almost brought tears to my eyes. It was surreal to see it after viewing the sign in newspapers, textbooks and on the Internet. We were asked if we were Australians and I quickly said yes before Steffen could answer. After a walk through the museum Steffen whispered that he really shouldn't say that he's German and realised why I claimed us both as Australians beforehand.

We then made our way out to the memorial site where a rehearsal for the dawn service was in place. It was pretty impressive the white building and the graves which belonged to more than just Australian soldiers. I couldn't wait for the Dawn Service. After this we drove to our hotel in Longueau and then onto Amiens for a sticky beak.

3am came upon us and we could hear doors opening and people already walking down the hallway making their way out. We rolled out of bed and I, at least, rugged up as if it were January again. The Australian Gov. website suggested to wear warm clothing as it gets very cold and in 2009 it was freezing. So I wore my snow boots and 2 jackets with my layers. Along with a Topdeck tour group we left the hotel, passed through numerous police and parked at the specifically designated spot. It was all planned to a T. We were in at least the first 200 to arrive so we got really good seats. Some Australian soldiers gave us a programme and a pin with an Australian and French flag which was pretty good. After ages of waiting the ceremony finally started. Steffen was amazed at how bright everything was becoming so quickly which made me think that at least he will be amused by the sunrise if he finds the ceremony boring ( I was proud though when later on in the day he said the service was really cool). I thought it was very well done and I'm really happy that my first Dawn Service was the one at Villers Bretonneux.

Au Revoir

Au Revoir ma Chérie's! I'm off to play Mademoiselle Simone with my leading partner Monsieur Steffen for the weekend in the Northern part of France. All ready and packed now just waiting till tomorrow morning. So incredibly excited!

Bicycle love

Last Monday I bought a new city bike since Marco had to take his bike back. Sadly when we got it home the brakes would make such a loud noise that I didn't want to ride it. Now steffen has fixed the noise on the bike and I absolutely love it! It's got a basket, a light and a little back part where I can sit and eat ice cream when Steffen drives and eats his ice cream. The basket, as we discovered yesterday, is perfect for holding pizzas as they just fit in the handle so they stay secure as we ride down to the river for a picnic. My obsession with bikes has also lead me to suggesting to my cousin that we ride bikes during our stay in Amsterdam this summer. Very exciting plans happening! Can't wait.

Perfect Sunday

Yesterday, Sunday 19th, was nothing short of perfect. The weather was warm and sunny from the moment I woke up till I went to bed. First thing in the morning I went for a run and listened to the Sunday morning church bells going off then came back in for some AM Yoga. Then it was time for Steffen to wake up, later we walked to Frankfurt which took perhaps an hour. Once in Frankfurt we joined the 100's of other people and laid along the Main. Steffen even fell asleep it was so nice and relaxing. Then of course it wouldn't be a perfect day without ice cream so we went to an Eis Cafe. Next we walked over the bridge to the city side for a short walk around and watch the street shows. Slowly we walked home and had a picnic dinner in the garden of the apartment building. After this we got on the bike and rode down to the Offenbach part of the Main and up. Once the sun began to set we headed home to end the perfect Sunday. And now I'm off to have a pizza picnic down at the river. Bis bald.

Work.

from Weheartit.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I'm currently spending my days as an assistant English teacher at a school for children that have been kicked out of every other school or have another reason not to go to another school. I thought I would jot down some facts about my German work life instead of boring paragraphs.

• There's about 70 kids aged 12 to 20. About 5 are girls. There's 3 dogs as well, those students can't part from them.
• The school is the only one of its kind in Germany and has a sister school in Melbourne.
  
• Many students are... 'feral' is the polite word to use here. Believe me.
  
• There are a couple students that actually scare me a little.
  
• The students are very interested in my personal life. One said he was going to kill Steffen and another asked me at what age did I learn about the birds and the bee's.
  
• Some days I go home super happy that I taught something and laughed and had fun with the students. Other day's I just never want to return due to frustration.
• To the students I'm more of a friend than a teacher which makes it more fun. Though they are wild they are really great interesting people (most) and they are always wanting to talk.
  
• It is extremely awkward to turn up to the same party as one of your students and being introduced to everyone as the Australian English teacher. This student was older than me too.
• I tutor one student who is separated from the rest. Normally these lessons go pretty well. Sometimes I just end it early due to the students unbelievable unwillingness to work or do anything for that matter.
• Some English teachers in the world are pretty cool, like the one's at this school. I love them!
• Macbeth can actually be incredibly funny. These students have a knack for getting into character.
  
• And lastly, it is so much more easier to wake up in the morning and go to school when you're being paid a generous amount for it.
  

Hat Head Memories

So at the momento everything is dark and smokey from Icelandic volcanic ash! No, not really, nothing is different here EXCEPT that there is not a cloud in the sky. Not a single trace of white can be observed. For the first and possibly the last time I looked up into the Offenbach sky and saw not a single plane. This is major. See, Offenbach is neighbours with Frankfurt and Frankfurt has an airport which is known to be the busiest in Germany, it's the "Gateway to Europe", and most of the flights go straight over little Offenbach. So as you can imagine the sky is always covered with planes (a plane lands every 60 seconds at the airport btw) but today it was like I was in Kempsey again. Sigh. However this isn't the topic of my post. I came across this clip on Youtube. Observe.

Oh man. Instantly all the Hat Head parties came rushing into my mind. I reckon we danced to about 95% of these songs between Brown Eyed girl, TNT and Khe Sanh. Such memories. Going for walks to the beach through the bush, playing on the park then being told to go away by the "security", the running so fast down the main road and Kizza or Calebs (can't remember) sunnies for the night getting run over by the police car. Sleeping under a pillow case, thanks Jono. The triangle house. The fire brigade coming to tell us to put out the fire we used to burn our school books. Serious conversations on the beach with Bryce. Chips from the first shop. Changing songs on itunes on Jono's laptop with his iPhone, so fun! Getting sand in my stockings. Cheri shots! The fool proof evacuation procedure of waking up packing everything in the car, then waking up kiz and driving back to our beds in kmc asap. Falling asleep on the back patio because no one in my family would wake up to let me in. And of course a very special mention to Bryces party where Kiz and I danced the night away in that shed with those killer dance moves and mine and sal's cocktails. Good times.

Just Another Kellogg's Crunchy Nut

This will be me when I'm in a nursing home. I have a new obsession, Kellogg's Crunchy Nut with yoghurt. Oh my God, soo good. I can't go a morning without it and if I have to because I'm running late I just have it later on when I get home. Two hand fulls of cereal with two tablespoons of plain yoghurt. You should all try it sometime. I for one, always laughed at those 'silly' ads with the 'nuts' but now, I understand. After all, they are irresistibly tasty.

10 Stories Up

Although in these pictures it looks quite ordinary, it is pretty spooky 10 sets of stairs up this apartment. Sadly my camera just doesn't capture it. I also was hoping there wouldn't be any clothes up there but anyway. You know when you walk into a room or a place and it just gives you that haunted feeling, or that someone is watching you? This room has that feel. Since the first time I went up here I was freaked out. I even asked Steffen if this is where the Jews hid but he said no. I'm not convinced. There is an eery feel up in this room that has seen it's way through two World Wars. The stairs, as you can see, are just an OHS disaster. Much like the ones going up to the year six classrooms at St Joey's on the oval side... Carrying a basket full of wet clothes up these tiny curvy stairs is no fun and going down isn't much better. As soon as I get eye level with the floor I always have to do a quick scan of the room, including behind me, it's the perfect position for murder from the behind. So for these reasons I avoid going up as much as possible and also because the key is a joke. Sorry but I was not born around the time these keys were in fashion therefore I have a lot of difficulty. And that's the attic for you.

Dippemess

It's April and that means it's show time! On Sunday afternoon Steffen and I went via scoot in the cold to the same place we go ice skating but in the car park was a huge show. The whole time I was like 'oh we have that at the Kempsey one' and so on. We had a crepe that was just dripping with nutella, soo good. However we didn't go on any of the rides because one) they were expensive and two) we just couldn't bring ourselves to waste the money. Though we did spend a grand 3€ on one of those ticket things where you can win a huge stuffed toy. We won a tiny lego car. There was much more going on than in the Kempsey show and there wasn't that rural feel to it. As in, the was no coloured chickens, horses, cows, mud pathways, halls with knitted objects and giant pumpkins and no oval in the middle with dirt bikes. But then again that's all part of Kempsey's charm I suppose.

Grill Time!

Do we have these in Australia? It's a 3€ use-once-grill. Steffen and I just brought one randomly after having brunch with our friends Meli and Alex the other day. We brought it to the park and as soon as we did everything turned cloudy when it had been sunny all day. Though we got a tiny bit of sun it just wasn't the same. Anyway so we had a fun time with this grill that I believe had taken way too long to heat up. We mixed mayo, tomato sauce, some Mexican salsa sauce we put on our taco's and Tzaziki with the sausages and hot dog buns to make a scrumptious lunch. All the while watching parents keep their children out of the fountain. Ha ha to them.

My New Pet

Since being here I've wanted a pet. Something to look after. A Sookie, a Benji or a Molly. I was extremely close to getting a hamster but then everybody told me not to which annoyed me and I never brought a hamster. But now! I have a pet. He looks after himself, feeds himself and so on, though I only see him about once or twice everyday. I have claimed the squirrel that lives in my street. He's awesome, he can even climb up high walls like a ninja! He eats the nuts and seeds from the tree in the back and front yard and plays in the flowers in next doors yard. I claim him to be cooler than all the squirrels I saw in Yosemite National Park in America.

In other news Steffen and I went out to Velvet, a club in Frankfurt, for the Hotel Staff Party on Monday. It's a party for the staff of the numerous hotels in the Frankfurt area. I got in simply because I was Australian. A feature every Australian should abuse when overseas, your nationality can do a lot for you. It was a fun night but my feet were killing me after not having danced heels since graduation. Next time I'm taking my slippers to wear on scoot on the way home. The highlight of the night though was that they had Midori! Not many places here seem to hold it. But I'm so disappointed to see that the photo we had taken came out a bit blurry, damn photographer. Maybe next month and if it's better than this one I'll post it.
Bis Bald

Frohes Ostern!

Happy Easter!!! Last Easter I saw Shamu for the first time! In fact, it was the first time I'd seen a Killer Whale and the first time my family just didn't celebrate Easter. I remember not seeing anything to do with Easter, perhaps it was because of America's recession, I don't know. This definitely opposes Germany though. The Germans go all out for Easter. They even have Easter trees with eggs, some are just plain colours while others can be really fancy. In the shopping centre here are displays of mechanical rabbits and horses and eggs that move with the sound of birds and a little tune. I think it's the feeling of spring that makes Easter something special here, the wildflowers, daffodils which the Germans also call Easter Bells and the real bunnies running around in the city.

Steffen and I celebrated Easter last night (Saturday night) with mum on skype, so we had Easter in Australian time. This was good because Steffen had to leave for work early this morning and won't be back till about 5ish. It was so cute last night though. I was talking to mum, after watching Mary Poppins, then the door bell rang and when I opened it there was Steffen, hands full of flowers, and a Lindt egg and bunny. I then gave him my gifts which were a Lindt egg and a box in the shape of a rabbits head which was full of Toffifee (a German sweet with caramel, toffee and a nut). After we exchanged our gifts we both went straight for the two large Cadburry bunnies which we received from the family back home on Monday. As you can see Steffen's one may have been decapitated and eaten a little earlier.

Nevertheless, I hope you all have a fantastic Easter and don't get too fat. Easter doesn't really work with mine and Steffen's healthy food regime but I'm sure we'll survive ; ) Lots of love and I'll leave you with a video of my darling Steffen trying to catch the Easter Bunny in Frankfurt..