Joie de Vivre - A mini guide - Day 2 - all the Ms, Montmatre, Marais and 1st ever escargots!

A little know fact is that in 2005 I studied in Melbourne as part of my University media course. Living with new people from many different countries, Australia, France, America, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Colombia. The lucky thing for me is that lots of the people I've met, I'm still friends with 8 years later!

Including my beautiful French friend and her hubby who runs Cantine California (www.cantinecalifornia.com)  who live in old gay Paris and who I now get to see every 6 months! More on this later!

With time off on a Friday evening, I braved the crazy Parisian snow in a taxi to head to the North of Paris, to Montmatre, near the Sacre Couer (must see for a tourist). After abandoning the taxi at the bottom of rue de Trois Freres, I met my friends in La Famille. A super cool restaurant/come bar with a crazy mojito menu! I had the Framboise Menthe Poivre - or in English, Raspberry, mint & chilli. Sounds strange but it was lush! Its in the detail at La Famille, the drinks were served with dry ice and a mint flavoured sweety teddy. I also tried the Peche, Gingerembre - Peach and Ginger beer which came avec flying saucers! I could not choose between the two.

Vive le Paris Mini Guide! Day One - Tour de Eiffel, Bastille & The Islands

Paris, the city of romance, Fashion capital of the world, known for Le Tour de France and amazing food and wine.

Le Tour de Eiffel - View from Trocadero

Due to my job, this was my third visit to Paris in a year, for an international exhibition. Lucky for me we do get some free time in the late afternoon and evenings to explore what is fast becoming one of my favourite cities.

Happy New Year!

It's 2013! Crazy stuff, I feel like the past year has passed me by in the blink of an eye and yet, when I've been choosing my "Year of instagrams" I was spoilt for choice having crammed in a ridiculous amount of things.

So look back over 2012 then, firstly Happy New Year is in French because I started learning French again last year and went to Paris for the first time in January, hence January instragram, Tour de Eiffel! 

February - Birthday season, we hit Whitby in a cottage in the snow, had cocktails and meals. Then my sis and I went to Liverpool to see The Drums (02 academy - great venue).