When I travel to a new place, there are few things I make sure to look for and find (The rest I leave for serendipity): An area where I can find great graffiti and street Art, an area where I can find people hanging their laundry outdoors and the best view of the city.
There is nothing like walking all day in the streets of a new place and then (usually at the end of the day just before sunset) climbing up a mountain, a hill, a tall tower, a bridge, the 43rd floor (in case of Manhattan) the 6th floor (in case of Montmartre in Paris) or anything that helps you see the city in a whole new different perspective. When you are up, overlooking the city, you no longer hear the traffic in the streets (you just see the cars), you don’t see the people in eye level and you don’t smell the street vendor’s food, the smoke or anything else.
It is a sort of serenity. a state of mind. (and an important addition for a Travel Portfolio)
Here are some rooftops locations from Madrid, Barcelona, Bologna, Rome, Florence, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Paris and Manhattan. If you have more recommendations, please send me a message.
Few days after I wrote this post, I was chosen by Easy Jet Holidays as one of their Bloggers of the month as they chose to feature this post on their website. Check it out and some other great inspiring bloggers.
I can stare at the picture above for hours. In fact, I’ve been doing so for a while. In the same way I kept staring and reading Lindsey’s blog ‘Lost in Cheeseland’ when I first stumble upon it few months ago. I’ve been having this love affair with the French Capital for the last year or so and every creative blog or website or an image about this city grabbed my attention almost instantly. Same with ‘Lost in Cheeseland’. So one day, I think it was sometimes after my March visit to Paris, I did my ‘Israeli thing’ and contacted Lindsey herself, showing her my latest images of her city. I also wanted to take part in her blog somehow, and Lindsey, as a smart and well experienced blogger, waited for the right moment.
Few days later she contacted me back and offered me to be a guest blogger while she was exploring San Francisco and I jumped to the roof!
One thing led to another and I ended up in Paris in June and had the opportunity to meet the girl behind the name in person. But before I introduce you to Lindsey, I have a confession to make; If I ever thought my daily schedule is busy and hectic and I am juggling few things at the same time, that was BEFORE I met Lindsey. Not only does she hold that successful blog of hers that has a lot of avid followers, she also works for an international digital marketing and advertising agency, she is a freelance writer (her articles were published in the New York Times) and a cookie baker!
Who can beat that!?
I can’t wait to introduce you to Lindsey and hopefully next time I see her it will be longer than a glass of wine.
Thanks Lindsey!
Where are you from? Philadelphia but I’ve called Paris home for the last six years and it feels like a lifetime!
Where did you study Photography? I actually studied French and Communication. My passion for photography developed once I began blogging and realized how important strong, quality visuals were in creating a site readers would want to frequent. Content remains king but the photos go a long way in my storytelling. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by extraordinarily talented photographers who graciously helped me as I got started but I’m self-taught. A part of me wishes I had become a professional photographer – followed the necessary course of study, learned proper composition and technique – but overall it’s been a wonderful challenge to tackle it myself!
What made you want to learn it? Blogging and reading other blogs really drove my desire to learn. I found myself gravitating toward blogs with spectacular photography and realized I’d need to rise to the challenge for my own site. Almost instantly, I started seeing my surroundings in a different light and began to appreciate the derelict as much as the divine at home in Paris and in my travels.
If you weren’t a blogger/photographer what would you do? I already wear a number of different hats so I look at photography as an extension of the rest of my work. I work in social media for an international digital marketing and advertising agency, I’m a freelance writer and I’m a cookie baker – I co-founded an online American cookie company in Paris called Lola’s Cookies. It’s definitely tough to juggle all these passions but they seem to fit together naturally and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Where do you see your blog going next? I’m not sure, to be honest. It has been a catalyst for my writing and even my photography but that happened rather naturally over time. I try not to force anything, just wait and see where things take me and that’s the strategy I employ for the blog too.
What made you move to Paris? I moved to Paris after several stints studying abroad and after having met the Frenchman who is now my husband. I started studying French in middle school and kept with it through high school and college, never really thinking I would be able to make the jump to expat life. One fortuitous encounter changed my life and showed me what WAS possible. I didn’t necessarily foresee the challenges that awaited but I know that my resilience and work is stronger for the stones I had to doge and hoops I had to jump through to define my own place in a city fraught with talented and inspiring people.
Where do you get your inspiration from? My surroundings, books, music, friends, blogs – but all of it depends on my mood and what I’m going through in life. I tend to pick out the darker underbellies of places I visit and focus on that but sometimes it’s the most beautifully mundane spots and moments that trigger an idea.
How do you usually approach a new project? Usually my photography projects are linked to a writing gig so first, I map out my approach and craft as much of the story as possible first and then I head out, away from the words, to see how best to incorporate photo.
What are you working on right now? I have a food writing project that will begin in July and last about 8 weeks (can’t share yet!) but the mental wheels are turning for some other stories as well- stories that will hopefully require a strong image to go with it!
Window or Aisle? Aisle ! I need to have the space to stretch out my leg and make sure I have quick access to the restroom !
I’ve been following ‘Carla Loves Photography’website for almost a month now. It was after Carla herself commented on one of my previous guest blogs for ‘Lost in Cheeseland’ (another great blog I am following) and I got intrigued. I just love how people connect with other inspiring and creative people through their blogs, thoughts and photos. It has been the THEME of my life recently. Seriously!
Carla’s website and facebook page are filled with inspiration. If you sign up for it, I can only guarantee some beautiful images and inspiring quotes on a daily basis. Oh, and of course, Carla’s Photography as well. She is an Ausie who lives in Paris and is married to an italian man. Sounds confusing? Not really when it has to do with such a creative and inspiring woman like her. I haven’t met Carla yet (and I say ‘yet’ because I really want to meet her) but something tells me she is very charismatic and energetic woman. She has been shooting Travel and Fashion stories for magazines such as Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue Entertaining and Traveling and more. When she is not traveling with her husband to Italy (one of her favorite destinations) she is shooting women in Paris. She has a series called ‘Midnight in Paris’ in which she offers a private shoot at night in Paris and another one ‘Paris Muse’, a private shoot in a chic hotel in Paris, including a hair and a make up artist which are part of Carla’s team. If I had known about it earlier, I would have booked a Paris Muse session myself, when I’ve celebrated my Birthday in Paris last month. (note to self for next time)
So without further ado, I’m really excited to have Carla as a guest blogger and sharing some of her travel images taken in her husband’s home town, Terlizzi in Puglia in the south of Italy, and share the little snaps of daily life in this untouristy town..
Thanks Carla!
Where are you from? I am from Sydney Australia although I grew up in the country of New South Wales and returned to the city as an adult.
Where did you photography? I studied photography in Florence Italy and loved it. I have since done further courses and workshops in Australia.
What made you want to learn it? It was the one thing I truly loved when I decided to leave my career behind. I felt as though photography was an accessible art and I didn’t realise at the time that it would be a great way to express my emotions. It taught me that what’s inside a photographer, comes out in their pictures.
If you weren’t a photographer what would you do? I think I would like to work in a garden. I am fascinated by nature and spend far too little time in natural surroundings (living in Paris) and now when I have the chance to get out of town I really feel the difference, it’s so soothing, beautiful, restorative and you can really feel the impact on your body and mind.
Where do you get your inspiration from? Inspiration comes from everything and anything, nature, old films, history, the seasons, a person, my mood, I think we just need to open our eyes and our hearts and inspiration is everywhere.
What do you mostly love shooting? I love shooting people and the little details of daily life. I have always had an obsession with washing, Madonnas and crinkly faces!! I never tire of the beauty of Italy.
How do you usually approach a new project? Sometimes I put a lot of research into it and others I just jump in and start shooting and see where it takes me.
What are you working on right now? I am usually working on different projects at a time, so right now I am finishing the images for a book and I have started shooting portraits at night in Paris. I have always loved Europe at night, in particular Paris and there is something about being photographed at night that makes us look like we are in a movie. I recently started doing night portraits and to my surprise everybody wants one!
Window or Aisle? Aisle always! After travelling backwards and forwards from Europe to Australia I have realised that the window seat is like a prison and you only get to see the world for about 10 mins during take-off and 10 mins when you land. I love the freedom of the aisle.
Before I start this post I have a confession to make: I don’t know how to cook.
Do you find it shocking? Not really. For someone who was born into a family where the men love to cook and even do it better than the women, my lacking in cooking skills is quite understandable. In fact, I am quite lucky to be surrounded with men who know how to cook, do it well and actually love doing it. Most of the guys I’ve dated belong to that category. The truth need to be told that I might be creative in other rooms in my apartment, but I am not creative in the kitchen.
Therefore, I was quite excited to take part in a real authentic French cooking class while visiting Paris early June. Cook’n with Classis the name of this fine school, located in 21, rue Custine in Montmartre. I am a true believer that Once in Paris, act and cook like Parisians do, I have joined a Morning Market class, which took place in one of Montmartre’s outdoors markets, in order to shop for the meal’s ingredients first and then learn how to cook them. We met with the wonderful super nice chef, Constance, who was extremely patient and answered every question we asked. She took us to various vendors in which we could find top quality products such as cheese, bread, fruit and meat. The local merchants were actually quite familiar with the school’s activity and were willing to answer our questions. Constance explained us on how to choose cheese, what is considered a good cheese and how to match its kind with other ingredients of the meal, for example. After that we walked to the school, where aprons, chopping boards and chef’s knives were waiting for us, ready to be used. We learned how to cook from scratch a starter, main course and even a dessert. It was all very inspiring! In the room next door, there was a baking class in progress and I could only hoped I had extra time in Paris so I could attend this class too. I have counted at least three people who got inside the school just to inhale the warm sweet smell of the buttery brioche.
Since it was a rainy day in Paris, especially quite unusual for June, Constance suggested we cook something with Spring seasoned vegetables such as potatoes, chanterelle mushrooms in a chicken stock. We also cooked meat with potatoes and pears (perfect for the weather) and the highlight (at least for me) was the fruit tart with roasted apples and caramel salted butter. And in case you missed something or want to try it at home, or maybe try something that was taught in a different class, I highly recommend to check the recipes section on line.
At the end of the hands-on cooking session, we sat down around the dining table (we could also invite a guest for lunch) and enjoyed the four-course meal. Everything was accompanied with various kinds of cheese we bought previously and wine. together with a fine selection of cheeses from the market and some great wine. The school has a quite busy schedule, diverse classes and an international staff of chefs, all speak English very fluent.
I don’t remember when was the last time I was almost four to five hours straight in the kitchen, but I was so intrigued and interested in the French ways of cooking that I didn’t even noticed the time.
It was one of my best experiences in Paris. In fact, I was quite surprised by myself as I usually lose track or anything. This cooking class was something quite a complimentary to all my Parisian experiences this visit.
There is a big difference between visiting a place as a tourist and visiting a place, but feel like a real local there; feel like you are at home. This is mainly the reason why I prefer staying in a real local apartment and not in a hotel, as fancy as the later can be when I am traveling. (and I travel quite often). I’ve been to Paris a few times recently but in my latest visit I really felt like home there. Maybe because I can already find my way around in the Metro, I already recognize streets and locations, but it may also be because I stayed in one of the great apartments of Feels like Home in Paris, Fleur du Petit Thouars, to be more exact. I’ve heard about the company through a local friend who was following my Paris’s photos, and the company’s motto Hotels give you a Room, We give you a Home, really hit what I was looking for.
Beside the fact that the apartment is located in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Paris in the Northern Marais (NoMa) it is also located in a street named after a well known vineyard, Chateau du Petit Thouars. Where else in the world could I live in a street with a name like that? Here is more information about it from FLHP’s blog. Not to mention that a bottle of wine from the winery was awaiting for me when I stepped into the apartment! I loved it from the first moment! On a side note; the apartment has great big windows overlooking the inside court yard of the building, and the view of Parisian rooftops was a perfect view for me when I was sipping my morning coffee, sitting on the roof.
Staying at the Northern Marais, which is a bit quieter than the Marais area itself, but still, buzzing with so many cafes, boutiques and galleries, was ideal. I think it is the equivalent to what Nolita in Manhattan used to be when it was just ‘re-discovered’ a few years ago; Hype, Fashionable, Trendy and the place to be seen. I loved walking around this vibrant neighborhood and photograph its different characters; from the Jewish crowd rushing in or out from one of the synagogues in the area around rue des Rosier, or the Gay crowd who was filling the streets with vivid colors.
I was only steps away from Centre Pompidou, where I met Fred le Chevalier, a local Graffiti Artist who took me on a private tour around the streets, following his art (He deserves a separate post)
I shopped for local cheese at Le Marché des Enfants Rouge, the oldest food market in Paris (1615) which has a great variety of local food and some side tables where people can eat, and I walked to the well-known Du Pain et Des Idées Boulangerie, mainly for the L’escargot chocolat pistache. (Thanks Anne!)
From there it was just a matter of minutes to get to Canal St. Martin just to have a picnic lunch on one of the benches with Anne, who knows Paris and blogs about it in so much grace and details.
I did my morning runs along the La Promenade Plantée thanks to a personal recommendation from Yetunde Oshodi, the owner of Feels Like Home in Paris. This made me even feel even more like a local in Paris, as it seemed to be a hidden gem off the beaten track. And even though I was trying to avoid the touristic destinations, I could easily walk to Hotel de Ville, cross Pont Louis-Philippe, then Pont Saint-Louis just to buy an ice cream at Ile de La Cite and from there to walk to Saint Germain. For someone who is always looking for the less touristic spots and for the less traveled paths, this new location and experience really worked out.
But wait, there is more! Feels Like Home in Paris has 17 properties. Most of them are located in the Montmartre, but also in the 9th, 10th and the 3rd (where I stayed). Rest assured to have a Welcome basket upon arrival including wine, coffee, tea and lots more, Wireless connection, Mac computer, unlimited phone calls to the US (was really useful for my work matters) and up to 50% off French cooking classes at one of the great schools in Montmartre, Cook’n With Class. (Delicious post is coming soon)
I’m not sure when will my next visit be, (Life can be so unplanned most of the time) but one thing I am sure of; I will feel like Home in Paris.
I’ve always wanted to follow a Street Artist. I mean, I follow quite a lot of them with my camera. Or when they come to New York, I do my best to follow them or even meet them, as it happened to me with Mr. Brainwash, JR, Shepard Fairey and Mr. Andre only recently. I’ve always wanted to follow a Street Artist in REAL time, when he sprays, pastes, colors or glues his Art on the walls.
I’ve been following Fred Le Chevalier for a few months now. I took a random picture of one of his characters in a previous visit to Paris and since then I got hooked. I started following him on his facebook page, just to realize how active he is and how the characters which he pastes on the walls of Paris (and recently Berlin) are cute and quirky at the same time. So I was very happy when Fred has agreed that I join him in one of his walks in Paris one afternoon of early June.
Here are a few facts about Fred Le Chevalier that you didn’t know:
* Le Chevalier is not his real name. It is just a nick name which means ‘The Knight’ in French
* He has a completely different day job than what people might expect of a Street Artist
* He adds poetry to his characters and glues it as a signature with his name
* He pastes his characters during day time
* He started drawing six years ago but he has been sticking and pasting the characters on the walls, only for the last three years
* He started drawing bigger characters in September 2011 and since then more people are noticing and discovering him (before that he was drawing smaller characters)
* His first exhibit was in March 2012 in a cafe in Paris where he invited most of his friends
* He claims to have two different lives
* He draws new characters every day but pastes them on walls only three times a week or when he has time
* He sees a wall and decides on the spot if he likes it or not
* He has a few favorite walls to put his Art on: Namely in Montmartre, and in Rue Saint Merri around Centre Pompidou
* Some characters he draws are based on people he knows (I’m still waiting to see a character with a camera)
* He sometimes tries to paste the character close to where his friends live, as a personal present
I was watching quite a lot of French movies recently. Was it because a conversation I had with one of my friends, as we were both evaluating the pros and cons of the French or was it due to the the fact that French movies are quite realistic and don’t necessarily have clear cut endings. One of the movies I watched the other day on my laptop was Paris. (I highly recommend to watch this trailer to understand what I am talking about)
The movie is about a young guy who is waiting for a heart transplant which may or may not save his life, and since he has nothing else to do but wait, he started looking at the people around him from the balcony of his Paris apartment. While I was sitting in my New Yorkish apartment watching this movie, I kept pausing on the scene where the guy was looking at other people’s apartments from his window. It fascinated me, maybe because whereever I travel, I keep wondering how does it feel for the people who REALLY live in that place. How do their lives look like.
So when I stayed in a real Parisian apartment in my last visit to Paris, I could swear I was seeing almost the same view the guy from the movie saw from his window, or even a better view…
What is it in these apartments’ views that makes us so curious about the lives of others?
For three days and three nights in a row, I woke up and fell asleep to these views from the kitchen’s window and the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur views from the bedroom’s windows.
If I didn’t have work to do or meetings to attend, I would stay all day at the apartment, watching the breathtaking views from the windows, or just staring outside. However, I set my camera for that, and took some pictures at different times of the day and night.
Merci beaucoup PerfectlyParis for allowing me to see Paris from a different angle this time!
What a nice surprise to come back home after a week in Paris and get a Birthday gift in the mail from one of my friends. I guess some of my friends know me too well! My friend has ordered it in Amazon way before she knew I would actually be in Paris. I’ve been actually planning to buy this book awhile ago, after following its author, Nicole Robertson, from the blog Little Brown Pen.
So now I am unpacking my Parisian suitcase, putting away my new Les petites Parisiennes shoes, my new favorite perfume from Jovoy Paris, making myself a cup of coffee and slowly getting back to my New York’s routine.
Having the feeling of ‘Feels like home in Paris‘, living in a street that has the same name of a wine. Drinking my morning coffee on a typical French rooftop. Le Marais as the back yard, North of Le Marais as the hood. Getting off the Republique metro station or walking to Temple. Walking in a Parisian rain with no umbrella. Two chocolate mouse as a breakfast. Cute street names as Square Clignancourt, Rue Daru, or metro stop Poissionniere, just for the heck of saying it. Photography walk with local photographers, Birthday dinner with friends in a local place. Chocolate cake all for myself, Bon Anniversaire, Joyeux Anniversaire and a Happy Birthday song in French. Le Baron club. Miss “Queen Misterio” mask, original Photography prints rolled in two tubes. A 5-wine and cheese courses in one evening, Lunch in Collette. Having a private tour with Fred Le Chevalier the Street artist. Waking up to the view of the Sacre Coeur every morning and going to sleep with the same sight. Sundown around 10 in the evening, Sunrise even before 6. New friends, old friends, a friend’s photography exhibit at Village Royal. Buying cheese at Le Marche des Enfants Rouges, getting bread at Du Pain et des Idees and having lunch on a bench in Canal St. Martin with Anne Ditmeyer of Pret a Voyager. Teaching my sister the art of the dyptich, running into a private party in the middle of the day. Counting baguettes on a Sunday. Jam and Cheese in one spoon. Pink Ballerina shoes at Les Petites Parisiennes, Meeting Lindsey of Lost in Cheeseland. Merci Merci. H&M, Mama Shelter Hotel. Poiray rare perfume, Godiva Chocolate as a starter. My favorite cheese gorgonzola mascarpone. Running up in the streets of Montmartre, running down toward Pigalle or Jules Joffrin. Cooking class and a morning Parisian market. The smell of chocolate croissants in the morning. Recognizing some streets, finding my way around and having my sister with me on my Birthday…Priceless!
“If you fail the first time, consider yourself normal. if you fail a second time, consider yourself special for you have what it takes to succeed. If you fail a third time, consider yourself extraordinary, for many people would have already given up”
Montmartre, Paris April 2011
I couldn’t think of a better timing to post these words, as I am currently spending my last few days in the Montmartre in Paris. This picture was taken over a year ago on a weekend afternoon when the area was packed with people, mostly tourists and yet, the images and the words are still so relevant.
I was visiting Paris for few days last April and my friend took me to this area as he knew I would love the view. But not only did I LOVED the view, but also this amazing Street performer, Iya Traore, who is known as the soccer player of the Montmartre and is doing these courageous acrobatic moves while standing on a ledge, overlooking Paris. His performance was quite extreme and I was amazed by his energy and fearlessness. And yesterday, while I was running my morning run all the way to the Sacre -Coeur just to overlook the city and do my stretches, this guy’s presence was missing. And all I could think of was how far can someone go and how extraordinary he could be if he follows his courage.
