Paris Week 4: A weekend away

Allergy season is in full motion here! I’ve spent a good portion of this week being in nature which has brought on the worst runny nose, but it was so worth it! We were able to visit a really special place, enjoy lots of good food, and capture lots of images.

Give me all the flowers!

The flowers here… sigh! I’ve been so inspired by the blooms here and have been itching (partially due to my pollen allergy) to photograph some, so hopefully that is content to look forward to in future posts. We went to the Marché aux Fleurs which had some pretty booths of florals. Smelled the yummiest candles! And of course wandered until I found some table linens from Provence.

Céline and I went out for a creative shoot at Bois de Vincennes! We brought along some items, shot what was inspiring to us, enjoyed the most beautiful tall field of Queen Anne’s lace, and brought back a whole armful to create a floral arch. I’ve never met someone who loves foraging, finding flowers, smelling like flowers and eating flowers as much as (if not more??) than I do!

A Personal Paris Guide

The following day the three of us had a Paris day. Céline took us to Kitchen Galerie Bis, which had probably the best food I’ve ever had… in my life. It was incredible! Some items on the menu were surprises, so you didn’t know what you’d get. It was really fun to see a different form of art, one where you trust completely the reputation of the chef, and are blown away.

We went to L’Atelier des Lumières where a moving show on Cezanne’s paintings was being shown. The room was massive with various little areas that you could walk around, and projectors were displaying the images (most were animated) to music. It was incredible to see so much art, and to realize that great artists had to take their time creating their best work. It seemed like Cezanne would paint the same objects over and over again. Flowers, mountains, people. Artists used to be taught to nail down the principles and basics, now our education and society pushes for portfolio buildling and creating new unique work often. I’m curious how it would feel to dive back into some basics, to photograph tens of florals and see what I discover.

Rennes

What an adventure this was. Alex and I hopped a train to go to Rennes, a city where I lived for 8 months while I was a missionary. It was my favorite city I lived in. Rennes is part of the Bretagne region of France. It’s the Northwest coast of France, known for its beaches, sailing and proud history! Across from the English Channel, it has a rich history of Celtic influence that you can still see in the language, buildings, flag and structure of many of the cities in the region.

Arriving at the gare was the most surreal moment of my life. I remembered the day I left 4 years ago as if it was yesterday. Having Alex there with me was so beyond trippy and awesome. We got to our Airbnb which was the cutest studio in the center of Rennes.

The Rennes To-Do List

• Get galettes (These are a regional cuisine. A savory crêpe made from buckwheat flour, filled with yummy savory foods).
• Go to the Antique shop where I bought my now wedding band
• Explore the old downtown
• Stop by It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere
• Get Bouvier Macarons
• Parc du Thabor

The next day we caught a train to Saint Malo, another coastal town that I visited frequently when I lived in Rennes. Some of my favorite memories were there. I remember a few days before I had to leave Rennes, I went to Saint Malo one last time and as I looked out to the Ocean I decided that the next time I’d go there would be with my husband. It was so special sharing this memory with Alex.

Saint Malo

Some of my to-do’s in Saint Malo included:

• Eat Kouign-amann (This is a sweet, sugary, buttery pastry that originates from the region)
• Get Moules-Frites (Mussels and fries! With a lot of cream.)
• Walk the inner town
• Get Sanchez’s ice cream and walk the ramparts!

After we had lunch I saw some kites in a little shop. They only had a unicorn or Cars kite, so turning to Alex before he saw, I asked “unicorns or cars?” Cars… obviously! We had fun flying the kite around the beach, and gave it to a little family to use when we left. It was cute seeing it fly above the ramparts.

---

Sunday was the best day of the entire trip, and I’ll share about it when I cover the next week’s happenings!! Until then mes amis,

Alexa 🙂