Following Amélie

I had intended to come to Paris after I had been to Iceland, but at the last minute decided to first visit Scandinavia and northern places before the days became too short (and cold!), and I am glad I did. I have loved my travels so far and being here now in December, the weather is not bad. Today was 7 degrees and sunny, and perfect for wandering. There is likely to be a large transport strike starting here in the next few days, which will cut off the metro/bus/airport indefinitely, but that is fine with me. I like to walk. And it will help off-set my consumption of pastries 🙂 Hopefully it will be resolved by later in the month so I can get to Switzerland in time for Christmas! If not, I will hire a car and drive. I want to spend a few weeks here, experiencing life as a Parisian (albeit not as stylish as I would like). So I have rented an apartment in the Bastille (11th) arrondissement, well out of the centre, in an old building that is oozing with beautiful charm and character. And it’s perfect 🙂 A few steps from my front door are cozy cafes, boulangeries (bakeries), boucheries (butchers), supermarches, and pretty much everything I need, without loads of tourists. I arrived late in the day yesterday so ventured out for food and supplies, and settled into my new temporary home, and UNPACKED my case! What a treat. There are loads of things I want to see and experience here. It’s a vibrant and cool city, and I can already tell I am going to love it.

For my first full day in the city I took myself on a walk around the sights and scenes from the French film Amélie, which is one of my all-time favourites. Set in Paris, it is a whimsical story of a shy and quirky but beautiful waitress, who decides to create joy for people around her. It is such a cool film, guaranteed to make you feel good. Watch it if you can 🙂 A quick Google search unearthed a few different blogs from people who have mapped out a self-guided tour and experiences to re-create. Most of it is set in the gorgeous bohemian Montmartre neighbourhood, which is a must-see anyway. It was so much fun seeing these places in person, and recreating moments from a film I love. Way cooler than just sightseeing 🙂 Soundtrack for today is of course from the film, you can find it on You Tube or Spotify.