Cheers, Madame! Reflections

  Today is the last day of our Cheers, Madame! series.  I'm so sad that it's coming to an end.

Amy from Créatrice Mondial and I have had a blast with this series.

We are both Americans that have adopted another city as our own.

Amy lived in Paris for several years and I'm currently in London.

So, we wanted to spend some time comparing and sharing the two sister cities.

We started the series in week one talking about our first impressions.

London      Paris

During week two, we described the perfect day in our favorite city.

London    Paris

Week three, we switched it up.  I shared special memories in Paris and Amy shared about London. 

London   Paris

And through it all, you've been participating by joining our twitter chats and the link up.

Okay.  So, this is NOT me doing the duck face.

Well, it is me doing the duck face, but I'm not trying to do the duck face.

I'm trying to make the flag all flat and pretty for the camera.

And in the process, making my face not so flat and pretty for the camera.

(Aaaaand making the duck face. 

But, not really.  Let's move on.)

This week, we're wrapping up the Cheers, Madame! series (for now) with reflections on London and Paris

and how living in these cities has changed us.

I can't believe that I've been in London for almost two years now.
Some days it feels like it's just flown by and other days it seems like I've been here forever.

What parts of the UK culture have I absorbed?
How has London gone from feeling foreign to feeling like home?
How has living in London changed me?

During the early stages of this move, I read as many expat blogs as I could find.

And they all experienced the same thing.
Eventually, they got to a point where they were no longer an expat learning
their way around and figuring things out, but they were just living a normal, everyday life.

I often wondered if living this life would ever feel normal.
 (Let's face it.  For me "normal" is a sliding scale.)
 But, they were right.  Somewhere along the way, I just started living a "normal" life.


Oh, things are different.  Very different.

Flip flops and high heels have been replaced with flats and boots.
 Dangly earrings are gone and now I have dozens of scarves.

Sunkissed skin is now a shade of white that is almost translucent.

No more fresh Texas air and wide open spaces.
Now I play Frogger on a daily basis dodging cars and buses.
I might even occasionally use the phrase "smog boogies."
 
I said goodbye to my full-size washer and tumble dryer and 
the bakers rack in my kitchen has been replaced with drying rack.
(Don't even get me started.)

Open floor plans are a thing of the past and every room has a door
that is closed to keep in the warmth.
Apparently, window screens and central air have not yet been invented.

I used to walk down the street...
Actually, who am I kidding?  I never walked anywhere.
But, I used to make eye contact throughout my daily existence.

Now, I avoid eye contact when walking down the street.
I learned quickly that making eye contact implies that you actually see someone coming
and will get out of their way.  You will never get anywhere like that.

I haven't driven a car or had decent Tex Mex in two years.  Two years!
(I'm so ready for a trip home.)

Life is different and I am different.

I think I'm a little bit braver.  My comfort zone has grown much bigger.
I hope that I'm more open minded, accepting of things that are unfamiliar and different.

I'd like to think that I'm much stronger.  As great as this move has been, it's also been really hard.
I've spent a lot of time alone and I'm learning how to be more independent and self-reliant.

I've been exposed to some fascinating people and places.
Someday, I'll look back on my years (however many) in London with a deep fondness.
As well as pride and joy that I was able to make this place my home.

With my second Christmas in London looming
(yeah, I admit I'm struggling a bit with that) and my two year anniversary as a Londoner coming up,
I've been reflecting quite a bit on the new me.
I don't think I'm fully aware of exactly how I've changed.  But, I know that I have.
And for now, I call London home.  And mean it.

I have had such a great time hosting this series with Amy from Créatrice Mondial.

She is just amazing and I'm so glad that she invited me to join her in this project.
You must read her reflections on Paris.

And you!  Thank so much for joining in all of the fun.
I've loved reading about your London and Paris.

If you'd like to participate, the Cheers, Madame! Link Up is still open.
While you're there, check out some of the other terrific posts.

We also have one more Cheers, Madame! Twitter Chat happening today.

Hosted by Amy (@creatricemonde) and me (@SelenaThePlaces)

at 12 Noon EST/5pm GMT.

I hope to see you there!

We'd also love to have your feedback on this series.  What do you think? 

Cheers, Madame!

What parts of your new culture have you absorbed?
How has your new city gone from feeling foreign to feeling like home?
How has living in your new home changed you?

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Cheers, Madame! Special Memories

It's now week three of Cheers, Madame!, a new month-long series with me and Amy from Créatrice Mondial

We're paying tribute to two amazing cities that have captured our hearts.

So far, Amy has been writing about Paris.  I've been writing about London.

Today we're going to mix it up a bit and reverse that.

I'm definitely Team London.  I love this city.

But, Paris also has a very special place in my heart.

Each time I've been to Paris, I was with the most important people in my life.

And that means I have some very special memories of Paris.

 

 Why Paris is my City of Love.

My first visit to Paris was in 1983 at the age of 16.  I visited with my younger brother and my dad.  I have the worst memory in the world, but luckily there is a scrapbook back in storage in Texas that tells the story.  I wish I had it with me.  I love the photos of Philip and me exploring Paris together as teenagers.

A few moments stand out for me.  One of them still makes me the butt of family jokes.  See, I like my cheeseburgers with pickles only and I might be a bit stubborn.  This proved quite a challenge when we visited a Burger King in Paris.  I can still picture my dad trying to act out "pickles only" in charades before just losing it his cool and throwing a tray of french fries down in front of me.  I also remember riding the metro and it not being nearly as glamorous as I expected.  I'd been listening to that Berlin song "Riding on the Metro" for weeks up until our trip and insisted that we all take the metro even though is was 100 degrees down there.  Uhm.  It was not the same but don't you love this video?

My favorite memory from that trip was getting my picture drawn in Montmartre.  I felt so worldly and fancy.  And grown up.  Montmartre is still my favorite spot in Paris.  I remember walking up that hill at the age of sixteen.  Every time I walk up that hill now, I'm that young eighties baby again with a mall perm and a stubborn streak.

 

My second trip to Paris was with my Englishman, Matthew.  It was actually a really rough time.  We had just arrived from the US to the UK for our big move.  Two days later, Matt and I headed to Paris.  It was a great idea in theory, but probably not the best timing.  I was a hot mess with everything that was going on.  Not to mention still jet lagged.  It was my first trip back to Paris in twenty years.  We arrived at the train station, pushed through the crowds and dragged our luggage through the tunnels of the metro.  We climbed the stairs and I vividly remember stepping out on to that bright sidewalk.  I was in Paris again.  Everyone was rushing by.  Tourists were taking pictures to try to capture the magic. That's when it really hit me.  This was the beginning of a wonderful new chapter in my life with this wonderful man.  

 

My next trip was with my mom, Linda and her husband, Bob.  They travel all of the time, but my mom had never been to Paris.  We arrived at night on the Eurostar and took the metro to our hotel.  After a bit of time to refresh, we went out in search of dinner just after sunset.  I will never forget as long as I live, watching my momma see the Eiffel Tower for the very first time.  We were strolling along chattering and I said "Mom, look over there" and pointed to the Eiffel Tower all sparkling at the end of the park.  She gasped and a huge smile lit up her face brighter than that tower.  It was such a special moment.

And just a few months ago, I returned to Paris with my sweet daughter, Jessica.  We were both a bit nervous traveling without the security of Matthew and we didn't have great weather.  But, it was the experience of a lifetime to be there with her.  I took her to my favorite restaurant but the line was so long.  We were about ready to just give up and go back to the hotel, when the hostess came up and asked if it was just us two.  Yes!  We were seated immediately.  On my 47th birthday, I celebrated in Paris with my favorite meal seated across from my beautiful grown up daughter, toasting with champagne.  Best birthday ever!   

So while I declare my love of London,
I've experienced so much love in Paris

that it will always have a very special place in my heart.


City of Love is the perfect name for Paris.

Now check out Amy's special memories of London.

Be sure to join us again on twitter today to support your favorite city.

Last week was so much fun.  Thanks to everyone who participated.

Hosted by Amy (@creatricemonde) and me (@SelenaThePlaces)

at 12 Noon EST/5pm GMT.

Now it's your turn!  Join the Cheers, Madame! Link Up.
 
 Just write a post about London or Paris,
attach one of the buttons you will find on our sidebars
and then link it below.  

Be sure to visit some of the other links and share the Cheers, Madame! love.

Cheers, Madame!  

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Cheers, Madame! The Perfect Day

It's week two in the new series Cheers, Madame! with me and Amy from Créatrice Mondial.

We are spending the month comparing two of the most amazing cities in the world.

London and Paris

Everyone seems to have a favorite, even if they haven't yet visited.

We are thrilled with your response to the series and are having fun with a little friendly rivalry.

Be sure to join us on twitter today to support your favorite.

Hosted by Amy (@creatricemonde) and me (@SelenaThePlaces)

at 12 Noon EST/5pm GMT

We have some fun questions for you to answer.

Are you Team London or Team Paris?

On our blogs today we're going to share the perfect day in our chosen city.

Pop over to Amy's blog to see how she would spend her perfect day in Paris.

I'm going to talk about my perfect day in London.

First off, the perfect day in London would have to be at least 72 hours long.

There is so very much that I would want to squeeze into that day.

  My perfect day in London would start at "our bridge".  That's what we lovingly call the Tower Bridge.

It's such an iconic site and my heart swells every time I see it.

It's my favorite spot in London.

 So, we would have to start south of the river and east of Tower Bridge

in an area call Shad Thames and Butler's Wharf.  It's lovely, historical area that not too many tourists know about.  There are few little cafes where we can find a quick and light breakfast.

Many Brits would recommend a Full English Breakfast, but I prefer to save my calories for later in the day.

After stopping to take a dozen more photos of "our bridge", we head east along the southern bank of the Thames.  This was our favorite thing to do on a Sunday when we lived in Jacob's Island.  We would walk all the way to Westminster Bridge.  There are so many amazing things to enjoy along the way.  I've written about it several times before (here and here).

But here is a list of just some of the things that you will experience taking this route.

City Hall, More London Place, Hays Galleria, HMS Belfast

London Bridge, Borough Market, Southwark Cathedral

Shakespeare's Globe, lots of Pubs

The Millennium Bridge, views of St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern

Restaurants, street performers, South Bank Book Market

British Film Institute, National Theatre

tons of restaurants, markets and festivals

The London Eye, fabulous views of Big Ben and Parliament

 It's the perfect way to spend most of the day and there are some great options for lunch.

But as the sun is starting to set, let's hop into a black cab.

You can't visit London and not ride in one of these iconic taxis.

If you're lucky, your driver will be a storyteller and will entertain you along the way.

As far as I'm concerned, the perfect evening in London involves dinner and the theatre.

I've tried and tried to come up with one amazing restaurant to recommend.

But, I can't come up with just one favorite.  London is full of incredible food options.

Just find one close to your venue and enjoy the pre-theatre menu.

The live theatre in London is some of the best in the world.

You can select a musical, Comedy or drama, so many choices.

There is just something about live theatre that is magical.

And the historical theatres in London are all just beautiful.

Prepare to be completely transported.

 After the theatre, we would stop into our local pub for a nightcap

before ending our perfect day.

I can think of many other perfect days in London.

 You can read about how we've been spending our time in London on our

London Attraction Guide.  We are adding to it each week.

I absolutely love exploring this city.

It always inspires, excites and surprises me.

I never knew what it meant before to really love a city.

But, now I absolutely do know.

I love London.

Next Tuesday, it's your turn!

Prepare a post about your favorite of the two.

Which one has stolen your heart?  Which one do you dream of visiting someday?

Attach either the Paris badge or the London badge that you will find on our sidebars.

Then add your post to our joint linkup.  We can't wait to read what you have to say.

 

 Cheers, Madame!

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Cheers, Madame! First Impressions

We've all heard the term "sister cities" before.
Sharing similar qualities, a comparable history, yet maintaining individual identity.
It would be natural to assume that inherent within this relationship there lies an element of rivalry. 

Point in case: London, and Paris. While both certainly have their appeal,
one can't help but line them up side by side for comparison.
There seems to be a line drawn - either you are more attracted to London, or to Paris.

I've often thought that you could base a personality test on this one choice
and tell quite a bit about someone.   Why do we seem to choose one or the other? 
What factors influence that decision?

When Amy from Créatrice Mondial shared with me her idea for us to do a series on this very topic,
I was thrilled.  We are both Americans, both expats (or formerly in Amy's case),
and both chose a city to be our "home away from home." She in Paris, I in London.

Welcome to our new month long series "Cheers, Madame!"

Each Tuesday during the month of November, Amy and I will tackle a different aspect of these two cities.
As our introductory joint post, we thought there would be no better place to start
than at the beginning: our first impressions.

Here are the stories of our first dates with these two amazing cities. 


Cheers to London.

 Selena of Oh, The Places We Will Go!

I first came to London as a tourist during the summer of 2011. My new British husband was bringing me to his home. We arrived for a short three day stay in London before exploring more of the countryside. We stayed right smack in the middle of it all near Trafalgar Square. Oh my goodness, the people. So many people. I’m used to the wide open spaces of Texas. This place was madness. I was completely overwhelmed.

We toured the city on an open top bus with my mouth agape. I hopped into a black taxi cab with a thrill. We explored many famous places in this historical city. It rained one of the days, but I didn’t mind at all because I’d brought a brand new pair of wellies with me for just such an occurrence. I couldn’t wait to wear them even though they glaringly branded me a tourist with the huge monarch butterflies splayed across them.

One evening on our way to a show, we stumbled upon the movie opening for a new Harry Potter movie at Leicester Square. Drowning in a sea of people, I told Matthew emphatically “I do not ever want to live here.” But in those three days I saw places that I’d only ever dreamed of. Westminster Abbey, West End, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Tower of London and so much more. I had to pinch myself. I was in London.

Little did I know, six months later, London would be my new home. I know, I can’t believe it either. That initial impression scared me to death. But, it also excited me so much. What an amazing city? And once we moved here, it didn’t take long to fall completely in love. I’m so glad I gave London a second chance.

 Bonjour, Paris!

Amy of Créatrice Mondial

Oh Paris… my first impression of this city was decidedly not romantic unfortunately. Whether you take any international train or fly in Charles de Gaulle airport, the first place to disembark in the city is the far less than glamorous Gare du Nord. What is it about train station neighborhoods anyways? It was also snowing, as I landed in February of 2009… the exact time of one the largest blizzards to have hit the area in recent history. Yay. Made lugging my suitcases fun.

Look at me, already complaining. How Parisian is that? But there I was, taking a taxi to the doors of my new school, without knowing a soul in a city where I barely spoke the language. Luckily I had spent the previous year also living in Europe. so I was somewhat accustomed to being an expat, and how to handle myself in unfamiliar situations. As my ride crawled through city traffic, the vibe of the neighborhood changed dramatically, and for the better. My school is located in the 5^th arrondissement, the famous Latin Quarter. Leaving the train station in the rear view mirror, the beauty of Paris unfolded before my eyes. Under a blanket of snow, no less.

While it was certainly interesting, and often exhausting, trying to communicate, you can’t help but be charmed by Paris. The tiny streets, the manicured gardens, the uniform building facades: this was going to be my home for the next 4 months. Little did I know then that I would end up staying 3 years. Paris is like that. It gets under your skin, takes hold and absolutely refuses to let go. And with seemingly very little effort. What can I say, it has that certain je ne sais quoi.

 For those of you who have not yet been to either city, or are just curious to know

a bit more of what each has to offer, we have put together this infographic for you.
(And by we, I mean Amy.  So talented!)   Consider it an "at first glance" guide to the two cities.

 

 

And we are curious… if you have been to either, what were your first impressions?  Immediate likes? Dislikes?

If you haven't, I'm sure you've dreamed of visiting one or both.  What draws you to them?
Do you have a favorite between the two?

We like being social, so we've created several ways for you to get involved.

1. The hashtag for this series is  #CheersMadame.  Please use it so we can keep up with your tweets on this subject.  And we are very happy to announce that next Tuesday, November 12 will be the first #CheersMadame twitter chat! Hosted by Amy (@creatricemonde) and me (@SelenaThePlace) at 11am EST/5pm GMT.  Follow us on Twitter to keep up with the details.

2. You'll also see the snazzy new buttons on our sidebars, designed by Amy just for this series. Which city is your favorite?  Grab a button - Bonjour on top if you're a "Parisian," Hello on top if you're a "Londoner."  Tweet about it, or comment to let us know your vote!

3. Comment on the posts! We love to hear your thoughts and feedback! There will be a Cheers, Madame! link up available for week 3 of this series, so start getting ready for that as well!  It's your chance to write a post about London or Paris to let us know which one you prefer and why.

We're so excited about this new series and hope you will all get involved.

Cheers, Madame!  

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How not to behave at the British Museum

Since we had several weekends ahead of us with no travel plans,

we wanted to make an effort to visit some London sites that are on our To Do List.

And since I just started a new series with Amy about London and Paris (Cheers, Madame!)

I thought it was the perfect time to add a few more stops to my London Attraction Guide.

London is full of wonderful (and free) museums.

I've often heard people tell me that the British Museum was their favorite and now I know why.

I have a slight confession.  You know when you have an idea in your head about something,

and then you realize that you were completely wrong.  Well, for some reason, I thought the "British" Museum,

was about all things British.  I expected to see bulldogs, the union jack, Beatles memorabilia and red phone booths.  Uhm, yeah.  That's not it.

One Sunday, we spent several hours exploring the halls of this museum that was founded in 1753.

The entire collection contains 8 million objects pillaged collected from all over the world.

But only about 800,000 or 1% are on display to the public.

It's a fascinating place and you could spend many hours exploring.

It was quite impressive to see the Rosetta Stone. 

 In spite of my husband leaning over to whisper,

"That's why that call that language software Rosetta Stone."

Well, thank you, Captain Obvious.  Does he think I don't know this?

(Although, I did inquire where the British teapot collection was.)

It was an extremely crowded day and the Princess Bubble may have been deployed.  Just a bit.

But, seriously.  Do people just not know how to act in a museum?  It was madness.

So while I share some photos of the wonderful sites in this museum,

I'm also going to share some rules about how not to behave in a museum.

Some of them may seem very basic, but you'd be surprised.

#1 - You do not have to take a ridiculous duck-faced selfie with your iphone in front of every single Roman statue.

#2 - Please don't hit me in the back of the legs with your scooter.   I'm trying to get out of your way, just give me a minute.

#3 - Do not go up to the Easter Island statue and yell "Dum Dum want Gum Gum!"

(I may or may not be guilty of this one.)

#4 - Do not giggle and talk in your Beevis & Butthead voice when visiting the Japanese Erotic Art exhibit.

 
#5 - Don't walk around backwards.  Or with your eyes closed.  Or while texting. 

#6 - Please don't race through the museum taking an up close photo of every single object with your iPad complete with a massive cover hanging off of it.

#7 - Please don't touch.  And don't lick the glass cases.  Certainly, don't breathe on them and draw a heart in the condensation.

#8 - Lastly, I realize that you are part of a fifty strong tour group aimlessly following the pink umbrella, but there are other people that are also trying to move through this space.

Let's commiserate.   What museum behavior drives you mad?

The British Museum is free to visit,although they do suggest a £5 donation.

It's open daily from 10am to 5:30pm (late on Fridays.)

Visit the British Museum Website for more information.

 

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You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide. 

Tower Bridge from the Inside Out

*I received two complimentary tickets from Tower Bridge Exhibition.

 

I mentioned in my post yesterday Cheers, Madame! how much we love the Tower Bridge.

Last week we decided to take a much closer look at the beautiful bridge by visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition.

It was fascinating and you should add it to your London To See List.

After getting our tickets, (only £8 for adults/£3.40 for children) an elevator took us right up to the top level.  We watched a short video, it was time to explore the two walkways.

There are exhibits in each but the real highlight is the views.  The Shard and the London Eye are great for views but this is a terrific option for much less money.

I'm very freaked out by heights so I was concerned that the East and West walkways were open air as they were originally.  But they are now completely enclosed with little windows that open for getting the perfect shot of those London views.

I still can't get over the fact... that is the Tower of London.  THE Tower of London!  Amazing.

This feat of Victorian Engineering opened to the public in 1892.  It's built of 11,000 tons of steel.  The stone and granite is just for looks.  It's so interesting to see how it was made.  It took 400 workers eight years to build the bridge.

Your visit will only take an hour or so, depending on how long you want to linger over those views.  It's great value for money and it's going on my list of things to do when we have visitors. 

 

 There is something so beautiful about this steel structure.  I love the steel beams and rivets and the power behind it.  But yet, it's just so pretty and graceful.  One of my favorite features is the blue with red and white accents.  The bridge was originally green and only painted with these festive colors in 1977 for Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee.

The final stop is the Engine Rooms.  This suspension/bascule bridge is the only one on the Thames that opens to let ships pass.  It was originally powered by steam and converted to electricity in the 70's.  The bridge is still raised about 1,000 times a year.  You can check the bridge lift times and coordinate your visit to see this amazing bridge in action.

The Tower Bridge is featured prominently in my blog  (here and  here specifically).

That 2nd link has my very favorite picture, can you guess which one?

I just love her, don't you?

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 *I received two complimentary tickets to Tower Bridge Exhibit for the purposes of review.
All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide.