megslogs :)

incoming (long) updates into your inbox from a cosy cafe (called kozy) in montemarte 🙂 I also added more photos to the l’etang-la-ville section!

the family I’m staying with left this morning for a 17 day holiday to cancun, so I’m feeling super lucky to have the whole beautiful house + dog solo for the next few weeks!! spending the day in paris today to try and recover from my last paris adventure, see below:

tragique saint valentin:

although I don’t suuper subscribe to valentines day, I am in the city of love and it was on a saturday, so I planned myself a bit of a solo love day. the plan: join a run club in paris and run along the seine in the morning, go to a nice cafe after with the run club, booked tickets to the louvre, then get myself a nice lunch in paris and head back home where the family are hosting a dinner party with friends. anyway, the universe was finally against me because this day was kind of comedically bad.

1. I lost the run club because I couldn’t keep up with them (I swear i’d just done a leg workout the day before and it was below freezing temp, my body crumbled)
2. since I was no longer running, i became painfully aware of how cold it was (snow was due) and so I wanted to find a warm place for a coffee. found a cute cafe on maps, walked 10 mins to get there and it ended up being a ‘mini cafe’ – basically, no place to sit, it was a hole in the wall. ordered a coffee anyway and it was genuinely awful. drank the whole thing for warmth and because 6 euros worth of coffee wasn’t going to be wasted.
3. found a new cafe, was warm inside, but every person who ordered a coffee in the line had their coffee made on the spot in front of them? so, after about 20 minutes, finally ordered and got a coffee and went to sit down. awkwardly walked my coffee down a tiny spiral staircase to a table, sat down, the table wobbled, and I spilt the coffee all over myself. it’s fine. I’m taking deep breaths :)) it’s only another sweet 6 euros. it always sounds better in euros.
4. i walk to the louvre for my timeslot. apparently i thought it would be a good idea to go to the louvre at midday on a saturday in paris that was also valentines day. i know it’s always busy, but when it’s 0 degrees and there’s a 500m line for my entry, i’m not sure I’m so keen anymore. anyway, i wait to get in for about 45 minutes because I’m not wasting my ticket. i finally get in, and I didn’t realise you have to actually line up to enter each wing as well. so once you’re in, you don’t even get to just peruse around freely. it’s so busy i’m brushing shoulder to shoulder with people, and every line to each wing is about 100m long and not moving very speedily.
5. i need to poop at this point, there’s a line for that too.
6. i wait patiently and and poop, then finally decide today is not my day, not enjoying, will come back to the louvre another time if i’m desperate. i leave and i forget to remove the audio guide device i’m wearing. the device starts to siren as i try to leave with it. have to walk through the crowded main hall while the device’s alarm rings to return it.
7. anyway after this saga i go to burger king because i’m just starving and have literally poured money down the drain. a nice luke warm burger with an old, firm bun was a treat at this point.
8. that’s pretty much it, I catch the train home, watch a movie and eat a pizza to seize the day.

ok that’s my rant about my tragic valentines day if you read it all ❤ thankfully that’s been an outlier, and on average, all is well and good. feeling grateful and very lucky here. here are some more little updates that come to mind:

• my manual driving is going better than ok! i’m way more confident and fluid. although i’m not super used to windy, up-hill, narrow roads, so it’s always a bit hairy and I’ve stalled climbing a few big hills.
• every now and then, I have a mini heart attack thinking I’m driving on the wrong side of the road, then realise I’m just driving on the right – which is right, it just feels wrong :’)
• my french is kind of sort of a little bit coming along? it’s a lot easier being here surrounded by the language. i started tutoring this week. hopefully the next update will surely be entirely in french.
• taking the dog for runs in the forest is really cool – he just runs beside you, explores, runs back, etc. though the forest is super wet at the moment, so it’s not ideal for running with the all mud. we still go for walks with him but have to essentially bath him every time when we come back, he loves to run in the mud.
• generally, i’ve just been hanging around the house and helping with tidying/school pickups/cooking. the house is so lovely, so just reading, using the home gym, learning french, trip planning, etc. is a really nice, cheap way to spend the week. the weather is nice next week, so i’ll probably head out a bit more – especially since the family is away for a while. we’re only about 20 minutes away from versailles so I’m going to head there, apparently you can run in the garden area for free, which sounds unreal – will try it out.
• canny think of anything else for now, but I’ll add pics to this post so I can give some more context to the pictures I put up 🙂
• sending love to you all!!

runs in saint-germain-en-laye are super lovely because there’s a big, beautiful castle right off the tram. the grounds are massive and gorgeous!! it’s been a bit too rainy to do recently. above was a beautiful day. great views of paris as you run as well.

my alternative to running: indoor cycle in the house overlooking the garden. these big windows slide open fully as well. kuro always sitting nearby, so sweet 😦

can’t get enough of how nice the kitchen is. cooking here is dreamy with the windows open. the floors are heated with water, so it stays really warm inside and lovely with a breeze. also pictured: the house has a third story, and I didn’t realise there’s a big alfresco area up there with a crazy view. it’s so nice !! I’ll be up here reading when the weather allows.

• some food – a big bulk shakshuka, chickpea/broccoli fritters, homemade ‘bread’ (bread alternative but it’s super yum, so simple and healthy, would keep making this) and cooked some tofu+bean meatballs with the youngest boy – he was so proud, it was very cute :’)
• cooking so many bean dishes lately, my insides are really copping it
• the farm where the mum gets all her fresh produce every week. she just picks a bunch of seasonal fruit and veg and that’s what i cook with.

• we play a lot of different card games. their fav seems to be skyjo.
• woke up to it snowing one morning, so lovely
• made a sweet little painting setup on a mini canvas
• very wet forest runs with kuro
• cheeze. I’m normally a bit hesitant with mouldy cheese, but you peel it off on this one and it was delish inside
• a super wholesome video call catch-up with perth angels 😦
• my daily whip -she’s very kind to me. I can pretty easily start it in 2nd gear. i don’t know if that’s a normal thing, but it’s very not sensitive, and I’m grateful

waking up like this is tooooo nice. beautiful sunrise and birds chirping. i do want to live here forever, sorry 😦

cut my hair off. it felt too appropriate, given I’ve just thrown caution to the wind and moved to france. i needed a french bob to align with the cliche. looks cute when tucked behind my ears and I’m loving it, but also definitely a bit like lord farquad when it’s untucked… but I can’t expect much when i cut it in a dim-lit room with kitchen scissors, and I saved at least 60 euros so i’m happy !!

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Ok wow, i think I’m done now. that was a big proper update. so sorry. I’m exhausted too. if you’ve read this far, I expect we’re probably related. love you and speak soon!! 🙂

bisous !!!!!! (French for kisses, the family always say this when saying goodbye)