Learning how to cover an event.

So, for just under a year I've been blogging as DLP Town Square - and this post is no representation as to how I blog on there, this is much more conversational - the twitter account launched late June last year, and the website on July 4th (Almost a year ago now! How time flies!). Now, the first website was pretty rubbish - in fact, it still remains online here - but I wanted to write about something I enjoyed. I started a hobby, I could write and enjoy myself. Stats never mattered, and they still don't; although I am looking to increase numbers of visitors, again though, more of a hobby. I was inspired by the likes of Dedicated to DLP, Le Parcorama, DLP Guide, Photos Magiques and more! And on a twitter front, I was inspired by the likes of CafeFantasia, InsideDLParis and so on. I never imagined that I would ever call these guys friends one year on. Neither did I imagine that one year on, I'd have over 1,400 followers on twitter - talk about crazy!
Late last month I received an e-mail from Disneyland Paris inviting me to the Ratatouille Fan Press event.

What an achievement I thought- One year on and I've been officially recognised by those that I blog about. I never expect anything, I'm the first to criticize my own work - some of the stuff I've written on DLP Town Square I feel is complete rubbish - but this time, I had to get it right. So a nervous month wait began, amongst spiralling costs - the Eurostar alone was £129. The main thought on my mind? Don't mess it up. I've live tweeted from Disneyland Paris before, I've come back with content before. However this time, there was a level of expectation on my shoulders. So, lets run through it all. For those wondering how I approached this event, the lessons I've learnt and what I'd change next time; hopefully this blog post will leave you knowing more.

The Build-up

So, as I said - this invite came late. About a month to the day before the event itself. This left a heavy cost on our shoulders. Unlike the standard press, the fan press were expected to pay their way. I had no problem with this, and off I went on the hunt. First step, getting there. Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord (Where I usually get the train to) was insanely expensive. £70+ each way. Even the train to Marne-la-Vallée was expensive on the dates I initially looked at (Friday-Monday). So, I looked for the Thursday. I got a £64 train each way. It came to £129. Double what I usually pay, which is about £69 return. Next stop, a hotel. I wanted cheap - I had only been to Disneyland Paris in April. Hotel F1 in Noisy-le-Grand had served me well in November. Guess what? Fully booked for the first night of my stay.  So I booked the following 3 nights for £80. The first night I booked myself into Hotel B&B in Bussy-Saint-Georges for €66. I'll certainly stay there again, it was nice. 

Next stop was awaiting an agenda. It arrived the Monday before the event. A packed agenda including a presentation in which photos and videos were restricted. The kit I went with? Canon 550d with two lenses. Camcorder and a dictaphone. I also grabbed some reporters notepads from Tiger (which were useless - go with a larger notebook, these notepads were far too small). I also took my iPhone 5C for live-tweeting equipped with an Anker charger so that I could charge my phone on the go. To charge this all? I grabbed an extension lead with a continental adaptor plug that I could use in my hotel room. 

How to Live-Tweet from abroad.

Now, this is tough. I think I could go grey from the amount of stress live-tweeting puts me under. So why do I do it? Each time I do, I get lovely comments from people telling me it feels like they are there with me. That is a huge compliment, and I'm glad they appreciate it. When everything works well, I love doing it! So, why the stress? Disneyland Paris' mobile signal is terrible. Main Street USA is usually OK. But the busier it gets, the more stress the network is under and the more it breaks. Fancy live tweeting from a peak summer day? Forget it. This weekend was tough. The signal was the worst I've ever seen it. This added a real challenge to the weekend. 

Right, let's get down into costs. I'm on a 4G EE plan. Data Roaming abroad with them is pretty decent. When it works, I can use French 4G signal. A 100mb package which lasts 24 hours will cost £3. That's ample for a day in Disneyland Paris. I used to use Vodafone, which is also £3 a day to activate your UK contract. Any data you use will contribute against your data at home - with EE, this is not the case. 

Other options I've investigated? Get a Lebara mobile sim abroad and spend €8 on a top-up for a 1GB data pack. I'll be doing this next time. Data costs a lot. 

Now, when in Disneyland Paris - I usually stack up a few tweets. I vary between photo and text-only tweets reasonably often. Now, take photos on your phone often - then every so often post it. I actually posted my Place de Rémy stuff quite late on Sunday. Also, do take advantage of WiFi where possible. I posted a load of tweets on Saturday in King Ludwig's in Disney Village. 

Just plan your tweets a bit. And expect it to go all wrong. Because it will. 

In the parks

It's hard to get content. I always arrive home and look at my photos and regret not taking more. If you want to write about the castle, go with that in mind. But take photos of anything and everything relevant. You never know when you'll want to pull it out of your photobank. 

Oh, and have fun! You're on holiday. Put the camera away, put away your phone. You're in Europe's number one tourist destination - you need to enjoy it too! 

Press Event

Oh boy. Approaching this was brand new to me. I arrived knowing some of the biggest names in Disneyland Paris communities were going. How could I even get my word out amongst all these. I just didn't stress. Did I do the event right? Probably not. But I worked with what I had. I tweeted a bit, I took photos, I even made mental notes (which became paper notes a little later on) and I enjoyed the ride. 
My approach? Going into the day, I was going to voice record the presentation. This changed. I let others around me do that. I took out pen and paper and made notes. - And I didn't tweet. 
Arriving in La Place de Rémy, I wanted to tweet instantly. This didn't happen (Blame the network). Instead I posed in the group photo and then headed onto the ride. This first ride was sans photo, sans video. It was for me. I looked around, took it all in. I think this helped write my review. 
The dinner, again, I just enjoyed. I left photographing the restaurant until afterwards - and then I took photos of everything. Again, after the meal I photographed La Place de Rémy. Then did the ride.

What I did well?

I think my tweets went well. I spent enough time taking everything in meaning I can write decent reports. 

What can I change next time? 

Well, first of all we are assuming there will be a next time. This I doubt, it was an exceptional event. 

• Make a plan, then stick to it.  I improvised a lot. 
• Don't be timid. You want to say hello to somebody, or ask a question - just do it. (Easier said than done, I'm a reasonably timid person).
• Take more equipment, and yes - that does mean investing in more. 
• Stay closer to the parks. I was shattered by Sunday night - a Disney hotel would have allowed me to relax after the event much quicker.
• Don't rely on WiFi - but seek a hotel with much better WiFi. 
• Make a badge or something - stand out as DLP Town Square
• Photograph everything, and make videos too.
• Most importantly, do everything with your audience in mind. You have one, they have expectations on you when you've been invited to an event. Bring back what they want - not what you want. 

Top 5 tips for a good event:

1. You need to find friends - chatting to people will help you form an opinion, and they'll give you tips on things you may have missed. You are one person - two minds is better than one. 
2. Make an effort - Live-Tweets don't come naturally, especially in Disneyland Paris where little changes. But people just want to feel part of something, or that they are there. 
3. Answer Questions - People will ask your opinion. Answer it, you've been placed in this position because of your followers/audience. Treat them with respect. 
4. Pack everything you'll need. - Anticipate anything and everything. In hindsight, I wish I took my tripod. It's a press event, why didn't I try to anticipate it? I'll never know. 
5. Expect the Unexpected - So many variables. Mobile signal, cameras, phone chargers not working. Everything could go wrong. Some stuff did go wrong for me (Guess what?). 

But, all in all - it was a successful weekend. I met a lot of Disneyland Paris fansite friends, and I really hope I meet more in the future. The event was great fun, and ever since I've been on a bit of a comedown. I've been fortunate over the year to have made some great friends, I count all my followers as friends and I would be delighted to meet them all - donc, à la prochaine!

Staying Connected

It's been a funny old weekend. I, like millions of others, have spent this month tuned into what is occurring on the roads of France in the Tour de France. France feels homely still. I have always felt a sense of allegiance to anywhere in which I have spent a great deal of time, be that here at home in Flitwick, or at University in Canterbury, or now indeed in France. When something happens in one place, I feel affected by it. I immensely enjoyed my year abroad, and I know that the same can be said for the large majority of those who have done the same experience. Yesterday was the 14th July, or Bastille Day; the French national day where everyone is 'en fete', they sing and dance and enjoy spectacular events.

However, the weekend began in tragedy. On Friday night a train crashed on the outskirts of Paris just as people were heading home to celebrate the holiday. This weekend I spent the weekend in Shropshire visiting a friend, but on the way I picked up a French newspaper 'Libération' which moved me to tears as I sat in Kings Cross station. I've translated the editorial from the newspaper:

A train accident as bad as the one at Brétigny, the day of the start of the holidays, represents a national tragedy. For their victims and their families, for the railway community but also for the entire country. We'll remember the emotion on Guilaume Pepy's the CEO of SNCF for a long time and his tears live on television as he visited the accident site. The train, more than any other form of transport, belongs to the history of the nation, and this tragedy touches all the French, who are all, one day or another passengers on the SNCF. The train is taken daily by tens of thousands of us without concern of its safety. And, in that aspect, the SNCF has an excellent record which it, and it's workers take in pride. Fatal accidents have been quite rare over recent years, which makes the exceptional accident at Brétigny even more tragic. At the moment it would be inappropriate to speculate what the cause of the accident was, and a full and transparent inquiry must be held, not to do so would be to damage the confidence of the SNCFs users.

The newspaper did not make for easy reading with headlines such as "Dans ce wagon, il y a surement des enfants". But major events, both good and bad rally a nation together and this was seen in France (in the negative event situation) and at the Olympic Games in London (in the positive aspect). It almost made the celebrations to come over the weekend much more poignant.

In truth, I've always liked France, their language and their culture (I'm in the wrong degree if I don't), and so have always tried to read French newspapers. But now I feel in a small way I share in their events both good and bad. On the night of the 14th July I watched a wonderful classical music concert at the base of the Eiffel Tower 'Le Concert de Paris' on TV5Monde which was followed by a wonderful firework display, despite feeling incredibly tired, I felt a feeling of joy.

I don't know if others feel a similar way, but perhaps once you've lived somewhere and you've moved away, you've never truly left. A piece of you remains, and a piece of it remains in you.

Wrapping up an extrodinary year

Well, I'm sat at home, in the United Kingdom. The adventure is over, well I guess if you look at it another way, the adventure is only just beginning.
First off, I had computer issues, but all good now (that stopped me from writing a blog sooner, then I had a busy last couple of weeks!)

First up, it was sunny towards the end of April/Early May in Paris, and I took the opportunity to go take photos in the city. Well, I say take photos, the plan was to go to the Eiffel Tower, then grab the RER further down the city to somewhere else. I ended up walking from the Eiffel tower to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand (10km apparently). It ended up being a lovely afternoon, I even managed to sneak in a museum where I saw the original ruins of Paris, then sat on the riverbanks of the Ile Saint-Louis. It was quite tiring towards the end, but a memorable day in which I saw practically all the main sights of the city.

I followed this up with a visit to the Chateau of Fontainbleau which was a bit of a long way and saw me going via Gare de Lyon. When I got there I was faced with a 15 minute bus ride, but wow was it worth it. I was faced with this massive palace filled with rooms that were so beautifully designed.

It was the way home though that gave me my strange story of the day. I got back to the Gare and the ticket inspector stood and watched me validate my NaviGo, it made the accepting ding noise and then, immediately. 'Monsieur, veuillez presenter votre titre de transport pour une inspection'. I obligied, but I wanted to say 'BUT YOU WATCHED ME VALIDATE IT!!!'. But onwards I went.
The next week or so was spent saying Goodbye to places and people, and then I ended up in a reflective mood of what a wonderful year I've had. I might even pop back and spend another year here after my final year of university.

Then came the big test, I had to pass an interview in French. I won't go into details of it (let's face it, it would bore you!) but I passed and ended up on what is essentially a waiting list for a contract to free itself up. What a fantastic end of year!

So, that's it, the year abroad is over. I've had a blast and would snap up the chance to do it again. Thank you for reading this throughout the year and I'd love to keep up the occasional blogging.  So, this isn't the end. It's just the end of the beginning. 

Hurray for Clichés.

A city of culture, still just waiting to be explored.

Take the average tourists Paris to do list. On it will be the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Sacré Coeur, then a little museum called the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay is likely to make an appearance and for very cultural tourists the Centre Pompidou is probably on there too. For the people who know Paris they're probably going to check out what's going on at the Hotel de Ville since they always seem to have an exhibition about something or other, there's the Espace Dali up in Montmartre, the Cité des Sciences seems to be up and coming these days. In short, in Paris there is lots to do.
Last week I decided to visit the Louvre, luckily so did a UKC friend Michael. So we went there, saw some sculptures, Napoleon III's apartments, the Mona Lisa etc etc. We also wanted to see Liberty leading the people, which I remember seeing when I went to the Louvre a while back. However the powers that be have moved it to the Louvre Lens, dommage.

The point in this is, I hadn't really once thought of visiting the Louvre whilst I'd been here this year, and then I got thinking; what else is there to explore? Paris is one of the cultural capitals of the world, I've always loved the place. Whenever the question came up where I wanted to go on holiday, it was Paris. I'd holiday-ed in Paris a fair few times and not seen it all, I've spent a good 7 months here now and I've still not seen it all. There's so much waiting to be seen, and not long to do it in. Time to get to it. But I know I won't see it all, it's impossible, Paris is a city that is constantly changing, perhaps that's what I find so exciting about it, and perhaps that's why I'll always keep coming back.

So, that's my short blog. I don't know why I felt the need to write this, perhaps to motivate me to go out and do more things!

Marching into Spring.

It's been an entire month since I wrote a blog! Yikes!  I've just been so busy I've forgotten. I'm just going to give an account of what I've done this month... so here we go!

March is the traditional start of the cycling season in Europe with one of the best (in my opinion) races of the year. The 'Course au Soleil', the Paris-Nice.   I went down to see the Prologue in Houilles which is a nice little town in the Yvelines departement. I arrived in the town, not knowing where the heck I was going.  I ended up walking about 2,5km of the course.  It was a cold day, but an exciting one where I got to see many of the riders close up, one by one.
The stage was won by a young Europcar rider Damien Gaudin who has basically come out of nowhere to win.  But it was a French win so the local crowd was (obviously) delighted.

The next day I took the long trip to a town called Nemours in the Seine-et-Marne departement, this town is some 100km outside of Paris, a town that has inspired writers such as Honoré de Balzac and Victor Hugo.  It's not too hard to see why, the town has a beautiful river, church and small chateau, it was a ideal setting for the finish of the first road stage. Again, this one was won by a French man, Nacer Bouhami (who went and crashed out the next day) in a sprint finish.Those of you reading who may follow cycling will know of a man named Jean-Francois Pescheux who is the route director of the Tour de France and other cycling races owned by the ASO, the Paris-Nice being one. As he was born in Nemours, there was a small presentation to him on the podium after the stage.
Then I had visitors for an entire week, we went to Disneyland, The Eiffel Tower, Versailles amongst other things.It was lovely seeing some friends from Canterbury and doing some very touristy things during my Vacances d'Hiver. Though I felt exhausted at the end of the week.  We were blessed with beautiful weather, even going as far as not taking a coat out!  (This however, would not last the two weeks of my holiday).
Once they had left, I took a few days to rest up, boy oh boy did I need it. Almost 8 full days of walking around had taken their toll, I was exhausted! Then came Tuesday. By far the most eventful day of the holiday.  It snowed. Again.

It wasn't too bad actually, we've had worse snow.  However, I got stranded. And had to go from Marne-la-Vallee to Paris, Paris to Meaux to get home! And I was on one of the last trains to make it out of Paris.  Lucky me huh?
The rest of the week, I devoted to getting my year abroad essay research into a 800 word summary to submit.  Whilst I think my research is at an 'ok' level, my summary was pretty poor and I'm not expecting a good feedback piece on it.  But I write my essays by doing all my research first, then all my writing. It's how I work best, I'm not changing it for this piece of work.  Especially this piece of work.
Then came the weekend, on Saturday I was visited by my Grandma and Auntie who I met at Gare du Nord at lunchtime, we had lunch, saw the Waterlilies painting at the Orangerie gallery at the Jardin des Tuileries, then had dinner.  The next bit is sort of strange, we went to the Moulin Rouge. This was something I'd never really considered doing, but turned out to be pretty great actually.  Once you look past the obvious, the costumes and the choreography were top notch. As was the atmosphere. Would I go again? Yes! I laughed, was amazed and entertained for a few hours.  It was a great night, ruined by surprise engineering works on my line. It seemed to caught us all out as I went from Paris to Marne-la-Vallée and then caught the 01:20 bus with a full bus of other people. (No photos, sorry folks. Cameras are banned from the Moulin Rouge).

The next day was St. Patricks day, now me not being Irish, I don't really care too much for it. But upon hearing their were some Irish cultural performances and fireworks at Disney, I decided to pop along. I was not disappointed. Well, if you were Irish you'd have noticed their 'pipe band' were actually Scottish, but let's look beyond that! I saw some Irish dancing and stuff like that. I was very entertained by their Leprechauns (who were French of course) who went and turned a mans jacket the wrong way round as his lining was green. 'C'est vert, C'EST SAINT PATRICK HEIN?'. The day had a sour note when I had to argue with a person (in French), as I had to tell them off for pushing in front of me who had been waiting for something for 25 mins, as opposed to their turn up half way through tactic. I had a lovely meal in a restaurant

In short, I had a brilliant day, topped off with some amazing fireworks, followed immediately after by even more amazing fireworks.

The next week, I was back at work having a busy week, but I managed to see two movies during the 'Printemps du Cinéma' (Which is basically where every single cinema place is €3,50). Jappeloup and 20 ans d'écart.  I wanted to see French movies to see how much I understood.  A good amount, I came out satisfied with my understanding in each film.  Jappeloup was very good though, if you are in France, try and see it! I also saw The Place beyond the Pines with my extension vouchers I won through the BNP Paribas facebook page.

A busy, busy month. I'll post more hopefully very soon, as there is always much more to tell. I'll leave you with a photo of me meeting Irish Mickey and Minnie (I couldn't resist).

Vive la France! Vive l'humour!

Laughter is the greatest gift you could possibly give. So said Kermit the frog in the 2012 film 'The Muppets'. But I believe that laughing is something you should do everyday, laughing is happiness. Happiness is healthy. Now learning to laugh at yourself, that's something equally as important, you don't take yourself too seriously.

So today, I went to see a film called 'Vive la France', totally in French which was daunting in it's own right. When one of the opening lines (translated obviously) is: God created the most beautiful place in the world: France. But that was balanced out as God also created: The French'.  That got a huge laugh. Vive la France was a hilarious film that focused not so much on French stereotypes, but instead  on things that I could relate to. Without giving anything away, our central two characters are foreigners, there was a section of the film where the characters were in an office. The woman was asking for so many documents before she could do anything, and then it could take '4 or 5 years for a response'.

Vive la France was basically a comedic love letter to France, but wasn't afraid to make things (that are true) look silly. Yes all the montages featured the more beautiful parts of France. (Think helicopter shots during the Tour de France). Yes, the plot was basically two foreigners falling in love with the country.  But I related to many aspects. Not being 100% sure of the French language so not understanding when things were said sometimes, to which the characters responded with 'Comprend pas'. But would it work to a foreign audience? Well, to some point yes. I'd show this to British friends and they'd get 85% of the jokes. But a guy wearing a PSG shirt in Marseille and being assaulted for it. No, most British wouldn't understand that.

I loved the film, I will buy it on Blu-ray for sure, and if you are reading this in France, make the effort to go see it.

I was nervous about seeing a French film in a cinema, without English subtitles. But at the same time, I wanted to do it, to see how my French had progressed. I knew I wouldn't understand all the film, but I understood possibly 90%, came out feeling very pleased with myself. So, si vous etes en France. Pensez a aller au cinema pour une séance en VF.  Go aaaan, go annn.

French basketball is actually pretty good.

In the newspaper a while back there was an advert for the Disneyland Paris leaders cup. What is the Leaders Cup I hear you ask? It's a mid-season basketball tournament organised by the LNB (Ligue nationale de Basket) replacing the semaine des As. So I grabbed a ticket for the final, and thought it would be something quite fun to go see.  Turns out, I was hooked throughout the entire 3 day competition.  So essentially it's a tournament which begins on Friday with quarter finals, then on sunday moves to a semi-final stage before the final on the sunday. It's pretty intense and lends itself to who is the best at recovering after a game.

Upon discovering the teams invited (Le Mans, Roanne, Gravelines-Dunkerque, Lyon-Villeurbanne, Strasbourg, Orléans, Paris-Levallois and Chalon-Saone) I took to Paris being a local team. They did pretty well but got knocked out in the semi-final round. The matchup I would be seeing was Gravelines-Dunkerque vs Strasbourg.

I arrived nice and early to the Disney Event Arena (where the competition would be taking place), and pretty quickly discovered that directly behind my seat was the buzzer. Everytime it went off, I would be getting gradually going deaf. Hurray! Second thing I noticed, the angle of seating was very strange. If the person in front of you stood up, you'd be seeing diddly squat.

I then happened to be sat behind Strasbourg supporters, who had those wacky party hooter things. 40-50 of those going off near you hurts your ears. To be honest, I wasn't cheering for anyone especially, but I went for the slight connection of Dunkerque being the closest team to where I am from.

A few notes about the event: Whilst it was being held at Disneyland, it wasn't overly Disney. They played the parade music a little bit, and the half time show was High School Musical dance troops.  But other than that, pretty normal. The match was not as competitive as the final scoreline would suggest. Dunkerque was always the better side, at half time it was already looking like the result was decided. Credit to Strasbourg for never giving up, or their supporters (Ear ache). Dunkerque took the early points, extended an early lead and then whenever Strasbourg scored a point, Dunkerque reacted with the same.


Conclusion: French basketball is highly competitive with an enthusiastic crowd. I had a great time and I reckon I'll probably attempt to go see a Paris-Levallois game before the end of the year.

Parlez-vous Anglais?

I like France, I like the country and the language. But living here is something very different. I still like France, I've learnt that sometimes, they do things better than we do. But the opposite is also true. Living abroad opens your eyes to differences both the good and the bad. I've been learning French since I was 11 years old. I remember starting with the simple 'Je m'appelle Geoff, j'ai vingt ans' etc etc. Then we moved. Where I moved to, they had been learning French since they were 9 years old. They were already pros at the introducing yourself business. They had already moved onto 'Je voudrais un hotdog' and that sort of stuff. All of a sudden there was a significant gap between my ability and there abilities. In Year 8 (my second year of learning French) I was in the top set.  How strange, I was in a top set with people who I was supposed to be as good as, but there was a gap.

 Then in Year 9 (a new school) came a bizarre experience where I could say very very basic stuff, and then a series of slightly more complex stuff but missing out on a few in between bits. To be honest with you, I don't think I've ever made up that gap. Yeah, I know how to use the stuff they learnt, but not in the same way. I've not had that extra 2 years of practise and so I find myself in a situation where I still make silly little mistakes.

Now, moving to France and speaking every day in their language. There are barriers to overcome. Confidence being one, I was always afraid of making mistakes. My French is decent, but you don't want a situation where you speak the language, and a French person looks at you and says 'Eh?'.  But, I've learnt that that is exactly what you need! You just need to try.

You are not always going to be able to say everything. Academic French and practical French are two very different things. I was told to keep something 'branché'.  My first reaction was 'WTF does that mean?'.  It means keep it plugged in.  So, every when living here, you are going to struggle. Fact.  (Future year abroaders, get ready for this.  You're not going to know things, but not knowing things is actually how you learn things).

The biggest thing I've learnt though is that living totally in French is out of the question.  I tried not phoning home for a while at the start of the year. But then, one day I broke. My mum said to me 'Why did you phone, it'll cost a fortune?'.  My answer: 'I don't even care, I just need to speak English to someone'.  That's going to happen. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You can't turn your back on your mother tongue. I read BBC News more than I read French news. Just because you are abroad, doesn't mean you turn your back on the UK. Just take that chance to embrace a new culture as well as your own.

Have a good week folks! 

Snow in France, Round 2!

Last term it snowed in France, I even blogged about it. Then last week, it happened again. When it snows, they don't really shut the school. But hardly any of the students bother going in. This leads to me turning up to a class and get told 'You know what? There's like 5 of them, you don't need to stay'. Then I wait for the next lesson. It happens again. It's not all bad, in theory I'm getting paid for doing very little. But I'd rather be doing something rather than reading a book I'm not really enjoying. Most of the students have the excuse of busses not running though, so I shouldn't complain really.

So, it did snow. And it snowed a lot.  I woke up on Saturday and the ground was just covered in white. But that's nothing compared to Sunday. On Saturday at about 22:00 it started again, Sunday became a nightmare of a day. Busses got cancelled, trains broke down. But I give the French this, when it comes to gritting the main roads, they do it much better than the UK.

There's not too much to say from the last week or so, I've been inside a lot due to the snow. This weekend I'm seeing some friends from University, so I'm sure there'll be something to talk about there.

 On Saturday I made it to Disneyland Paris to take some photos, you can check them out on my flickr

I met the mouse.

Creating unexpected magical memories

It's rare that something happens and I feel the need to write it down right away, but tonight that happened. I realise that this little story might not interest anyone but me, but it's my blog.

During the year so far I've made plenty of memories.  Memories that will stick with me for a life time. Most of the things I do are planned, but today I didn't plan anything, and today perhaps I've made my favourite memory of the year. But what constitutes as a magical moment? That depends on the person I would say. To me, a magical moment is a feeling you get. Every magical moment may feel different, but when it happens you just know. I felt it during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. I felt it as Bradley Wiggins won his Tour de France, and I felt it at my first university summer ball. 

This afternoon I had planned an afternoon browsing the sales at the Val d'europe shopping centre, and that happened. Then I thought I'd browse the sales at Disney Village (they are pretty poor by the way!).  Then I randomly popped into the Walt Disney Studios park and got taught how to draw. I can't draw.



But, I did make this: 

I had dinner, then saw the time. 18:30. I had time to wait for the bus. So I thought at that moment I would go into Disneyland park and ride Big Thunder Mountain (One of my favourite rides). I arrived at the ride at 18:40 and saw a 15 minute queue sign. Perfect, enough time to ride it and get out the park and get the bus at just gone 7. The queue was not 15 minutes, they had begun the process of shutting down the ride. I eventually boarded at 19:02. Disney Dreams (the nighttime spectacular had already started). The train leaves the station. This is where it begins, I saw the fireworks coming from the castle in the distance as my train whirled around the mountain. Brilliant! We arrived back, there were people waiting for the front and back carriages only. 'Mesdames and monsieurs, vous pouvez faire une deuxieme tour'.
Lesson 1:  big thunder mountain is one of disneys most popular rides. It's fast, family friendly and beautifully themed.
Lesson 2: You NEVER get invited to go again on a Disney ride.

So the train left the station again. This time even more fireworks, the fireworks in Disney dreams are colourful and rather beautiful. So seeing these in the distance was a real treat. You may never experience this, so you'll have to trust me, it's an image ill never ever forget. As we arrived in the station people changed 'RETOUR RETOUR'. We didn't get a third go, but the woman came over the announcement system wishing us a 'très très Bon soirée'. I then walked down liberty arcade serenaded by a beautiful song from the film Tangled. I arrived at the bottom of a deserted Main Street and I didn't leave as intended. I stayed to watch the end of dreams. I was surrounded by about 15 other people all spaced out. And as I ended I just felt a strange feeling. I smiled and did that almost cry but not cry thing. It's a beautiful show, but nothing will compare to how I saw it tonight. Thank you Disney.

How do we mark memories? Since the Olympic Games got awarded to London I've been caught in the pin collection craze. I have all the x years to go countdown pins. But they say we can attach memories to pins. Indeed we can. About 70% of my Olympic pins have various memories of the games attached to them. Disney parks also have a pin collection craze. I can attach memories to all my pins. Tonight I bought a big thunder mountain pin badge. And the story you have just read is the memory attached to it.

Bon weekend!

La Rentrée

Bon Voyage!

Right then folks. Christmas is officially behind us (Sad times), we've enjoyed those first few days of a new year and it's back to reality. And my reality is a year abroad. So, on Sunday 6th January I boarded a Eurostar to head back to France. (Not such a bad reality really...). But before I tell you what I've been upto my first few days back, here is a quick rundown of how Christmas went.

I arrived back in the UK on the 22nd December and the first thing I did was grab a Nandos in Kings Cross. Not because I was hungry, but because there weren't going to be many chances over the next few weeks and I needed to take this one, I had missed it a little bit. I got home, and then slept. Oh boy did I sleep. Christmas itself was nice and quiet, just as usual and the way I like it. I didn't bother with the sales until the 27th December (and even then, I only really wanted the Michael McIntyre DVD). Then we went to York to see the grand parents for a couple of days. Not the most fun you can have, but it was nice to see them. New Year was another quiet affair with a bit of watching a DVD, then Jools Holland/Fireworks on TV (Never really made a big fuss over New Year). On Saturday 5th I saw some friends from Uni, which was great fun and I hope to see them again, in France real soon.

Packing to come back was a bit of a chore, that I left until last minute. Cramming all the stuff you got over xmas in a small case was a hard job, but luckily the security guys in London didn't want to have a look in. Taking it all out and repacking it would have been a nightmare. When I say things were crammed in, I mean it. It's amazing how returning with a few more t-shirts than you left with causes such problems.

Back in France and it all felt quite normal very quickly. I went straight to the Thistle pub to do their pub quiz, and a few minutes after seeing friends, doing the usual 'How was Christmas/New Year' catchup that we are all so familiar with as you tend to do it every year at Uni, it was just on to normal topics of coversation. It was like we never left, well aside from the fact that I had a few cases. I spent Monday in bed, only moving to go to a few shops in Val d'Europe. Tuesday I was back in the school. After doing my first two lessons, I wasn't needed for the rest of the day, so I went home and just chilled out watching TV. Imagine my delight at discovering a button on the TV that changes the language to English on dubbed shows. Wednesday was the first day of the French January sales, I'll check those out tomorrow (Friday 11th).

Not too much has happened this week, but I'll get around to getting something interesting to blog about soon, I promise.

But to everyone reading this, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Or as they say here in France, BONNE ANNEE!

Reflecting on the first three months

How lucky am I, to visit places like this when ever I want

Through a year abroad, we gain not just a greater knowledge of the language in which we study but we also gain a greater acceptance of the world. This is certainly true in my case. I will admit to grumbling about French ways of doing things during my first three months abroad. But since I've got back, I've also found myself saying 'Actually, the French do have that spot on'. There is no right or wrong way of doing something, we are told that everyone is different, this is also true for countries. Sometimes, as a people, the British are not tolerant of other nations. We see our ways of doing things, and everything else is wrong. We speak English, the most widely spoken language of the world, therefore we do not need to learn any other languages. See what I mean? So, acceptance of different cultures is a big thing that I have learnt.

I think back to September, a few days before I leave. I like to think that this blog has mainly been positive about the year. But it has not always been like that, sitting in the port of Dover, I was dreading leaving. I was to go, live in a studio apartment all alone. Throughout my life, I've always been surrounded by people. When I moved to university halls, I knew that I'd not really be 'alone'. This time though, totally alone. I arrived, got into my apartment. My Parents stayed for two nights, but then they left. I was alone, in a foreign country until Christmas. However, early that week I put a plea on the assistants page on facebook if anyone wanted to meet up in Paris. A response! On the Wednesday that week I met Kirsti. Then on the Friday, we had a picnic in the Parc Buttes Chaumont where I met lots of other assistants. Then again the next day, and the next etc etc. Basically, a friendship group was formed. I was not alone, I know I wasn't the only one who thought they would be alone. A number of great days/nights would be spent with these people, I know I probably wouldn't have enjoyed my time in Paris without them. In short, the reason I am enjoying my year abroad is because of them; and so a huge, massive THANK YOU goes to them. Without friends, I'd have been miserable in France, can't wait to see them again. I've also met up with University friends which has again been great. Thank you goes to you as well.

Great friends are hard to come by, but this bunch are amazing. It's missing Max and Hayley, downside. But I love this photo!

The work itself has been pretty simple mostly. Teaching English to people roughly my age is not the hardest job in the world if you teach them things that interest you and them equally. I like showing them movie clips and discussing them. Has my French improved? Almost certainly, I don't speak it as much as I want to, and perhaps this will become part of my new years resolutions. But I certainly understand more, when I'm being spoken to and watching television. I had a conversation with somebody recently, doing a study placement you learn academic French, doing an assistantship you learn the french the kids speak, but also the stuff printed on forms.

The first three months for me have more being about settling in, the next four months (and maybe even more), I would like to practise some French and visiting the sights and sounds of the city, but also of France itself. When I found out I was in the Parisian region, I wanted to travel a bit. Next term, even if it is just two or three times I hope to actually do that. I've enjoyed the experiences, and am really thankful to friends for making it an amazing experience.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012: What a year!

Oh my oh my! What a year. As we approach the end of it, I've got in a bit of a reflective mood, a mood not at all helped by my Christmas presents (Yes, Olympic themed. Last time I promise!). I think where I was a year ago, personally. The opportunities I've been given, and where I am now. 2012 has been kind to me.
I think back to July, August and September and I cannot help but have a massive grin on my face. My Games Maker journals are still in France (and I am at home in the UK), but I intend to read them again very soon.
I sit here now, watching the entire Frank Turner Olympic games opening ceremony performance, I'd give anything to be back sitting in that stadium once again. But whilst the event itself is over, and I've moved onto a most amazing year abroad, the memories remain and I am currently creating new memories.

January - June
These few months for me were very slow, not a lot significant happened. I basically went back to University and had a ball. I wrote essays, went out had fun. I miss that a fair bit I admit. University people reading this, come to Paris. Pleeeeaasseeee...
In February I had my first training session for my London 2012 games maker role at the Wembley Arena in London. Not a lot learnt I'll admit, but the hype for the games began there. We were basically given a few hours of games promo and learning a bit about security and being alert. Stuff we all needed to know really (not that there was lots of things everyone needed).

The flame arrived in the UK, and we got a glimpse of what was to come. Then the Jubilee. I get into this sort of thing, and I really did want to London to see the Thames pageant. But it rained and I decided that it really wasn't worth a day in the rain. But nonetheless I watched it on TV, and it was amazing. For me, it wasn't so much celebrating the 60 years of our Queen (Although I did feel that was a momentous occasion), but more the sense of the country coming together for something that is important. The concert was just amazing. When it comes to national events, we don't do them often. But when we do, we get em' right.

July - August (12th)

July was the month that the 99th Tour de France would take place, now me being a huge cycling fan knew that Wiggins had more than a good chance of winning it. So I actually found the race a tad dull. (I know, I know, but Britain won! It just wasn't a great race, sorry!). I almost booked a Eurostar to Paris for the final stage, but it was a tad expensive. One week later, I'd be donning the poppy and purple and be working on the cycling road races. But first, we had to get through that whole Opening Ceremony thing. For years people had been saying 'Oh, it'll never beat Beijing'. For me, it did. It was human. I was lucky enough to see it twice. On Monday 23rd I saw the rehearsal, and came away amazed. So I went online the next day, used a ticket checker. It went beep. Boom, got my ticket to the real thing. I was blown away, twice. I got away from the stadium really late, got into my hotel room at about 2:30 ish.  I turned on BBC News and got the reaction of it. Then 3 or 4 hours later I wore my games maker uniform for the first time. The cycling road races were just amazing. Excellent atmosphere from the Surrey locals, the Olympics came to their doorstep and they embraced it. Next stop, experiencing the games for myself at the Olympic park. The atmosphere was electric. The Park was stunningly beautiful. Everything was perfect. I couldn't fault the experience at all. I don't think I'll ever forget what it was like. I described it as a theme park for sport. Having being to Disneyland whilst on my year abroad, I'm spot on. 'Shall we go to the beatbox next?'. That type of idea. The cycling time trials was another unforgettable day. I was working on crossing points, and playing with spectators of guess what country is next. They loved it. Proper central location in Hampton Court too. I saw a few things, but the stand out for me was Beach Volleyball. (Go on, laugh...). But the atmosphere there was unbeatable. I'll never forget the stadium wide conga lines. It was a fun night, it was Super Saturday, everyone was happy. I had a Union Flag with me, and was getting high fives as I walked the streets of London afterwards. I had a front row seat in the velodrome, and then got back to work. This time in Hadleigh Farm for the Mountain bike events. I was on perhaps the most remote area of the track, blowing a whistle all day. But looking back, it was great fun. Even without spectators on training days (Yes, games makers were even where the sport isn't), it was quite fun. Race days were exhilarating though. To know you are a part of a team bring these massive events to the public, and that they are enjoyed around the world. That's what being apart of the Sport team gave me. A sense of pride. During the Paras, I was event services, a different sort of pride there. Sport team delivers a competition. What a thing to be able to say.
I remember the last day of the games (August 12th), we did a workforce competition. We got given a race number, if our number won, we won. I got #3. He won. I got a cuddly Wenlock and a pink foam finger. But, it was tinged with sadness. The games were over, one last thing remained. I took my seat in the Olympic Stadium, it was time to end the games. I left not feeling sad, it was a great day. I left tired, happy and proud.

August - September 10th
Paris bound.  My upcoming year abroad was approaching. It was time to find a place to live. Did that. Parfait.

The Paralympic games began on August 29th, August 28th I got an e-mail. I was asked to join the Event Services team at the Olympic Stadium. I accepted instantly. Sorted out my UDAC appointment (At LOCOG they love acronyms). Then, arrived at the Olympic Park. The day was a Wednesday. It was 5:30pm, time to re-enter the Olympic Park. I had a ticket to the opening ceremony of the games, and my word. We'd done it again. The lower budget show was just as impressive as the olympic equivalent. And left us all with the thought 'I am what I am'. The next 11 days would challenge the UK public perception of disability. Has society contiuned the thinking? It's too early to judge that. Thursday was one of my 2 days off of the games. Friday I was at UDAC. 'It's good to have you back, when do you start?' said the games maker. 'Tomorrow', I replied. Apparently some people go straight from UDAC to their first shift. Mental people. I then went to the park and used my Olympic park day pass to see some wheelchair basketball before the ticketed session of goalball. I have so much respect for these athletes. And then something happened, I've watched paralympics before. I always think how brave the athletes are. I appreciated in these Paralympics that bravery doesn't come into it, or shouldn't come into it. I started respecting the athletes for their athletic performances. I was hooked. As I got home that night, I pieced together my Paralympic conversion kit and the fiddly Velcro and got to bed. The next morning I needed that 5:34am train to get to the Park in time for that 6:30am shift, that I was always late for, but we weren't needed before 7:30. You arrive and the park is empty. It's perfect. Check in, go take my seat in the stand (or seating bowl), get the briefing. The park opens to guests and we prepare to greet our guests. That day I was on circulation. Making sure guests were ok. This was the day where I basically sat on info point and checked in prams, we had a massive pram issue. I ended up holding a baby at one point. But I left feeling so happy, I was doing a more spectator side job. It was only getting better.
Next day, I was in the velodrome in the morning, and doing the evening session in the stadium. That day I watched a doorway for hours. Missed Pistorius' 200m. But ended up getting into the media stands for David Weir's first gold medal. Result. Got home about midnight. I'd be up again the next morning for that 5:34am train. I was back on mornings.
Today it was spectator information point again. I decided to rejig our white board to include information we were always asked about. Arrows basically to various things. You know you've done a good job when on closing ceremony day, 7 days after you redid the board your writing still remained on the board.
Tuesday was a day off, and I slept in. Watched the games on TV. Wednesday, back again. This time ticket scanning. Ticket scanning sounds dull, but it's great fun. You compete with other games makers. On average we each scanned 1000 tickets. Afterwards I went to the pool and watched some swimming.
Thursday morning I turned up to the stadium. Not to work, but to watch. Some some great athletics. Thursday evening, T44 100m night. I was on circulation and queue management. But snuck in to see the big events.
Friday, day off. Went and saw table tennis.
Saturday night, was on seating bowl duties. Saw basically all the events.
Sunday night, was working. Supposed to watch a stair case. Went and watched the ceremony once our guests had entered.

The next day was the Athletes Parade in London. Once again I got very little sleep. Joined all the other games makers in trafalgar square, excellent atmosphere. Then went to the pub and casually met two GB handball olympians. Standard really.

September - December
You'd think after all that, it'd just go back to normal. What is normal anyway?  It was time to start that year abroad that I mentioned earlier. So, I was to spend the next year in Paris. I'm writing a proper reflection blog about this later, but I've been having a ball. I've met a great bunch of people and become friends with them. Enjoyed the city, made unforgettable memories. You'll read about that soon, maybe around New Year's when I get round to writing about it. But when they say the year abroad is the best time of your life. They do mean it. It's not what you do, but the people that make it. I can't wait to get back there. (Like I said, I'm not writing a lot about that now, there's a lot to say. I'll write about that in a separate post).

How do you pick a highlight of 2012? You just can't. So much has happened. When I look back on my life in however many years time, 2012 will have a ring around it. That year there, that was a good one where everything just seemed to go right. May 2013 follow on from that.

Joyeux Noël, Merry Christmas

Being wished Merry Christmas by a bus. Sweet.

I'll let the bus do the first part of the talking.  First of all MERRY CHRISTMAS - JOYEUX NOEL, thank you so much for reading my blog. It's not a huge readership, but it was never intended to be. But thank you! Now onwards with the post....

It's Christmas time. I'm getting lucky with the fact I'm getting to experience this 'French Christmas' before quickly darting home for the real thing. (Sorry France, your Christmas just isn't as good). But I thought, well, why not do a little blog post talking about what sort of things I've experienced in France during the festive period. First thing to note, it's a little bit different. They love markets.

A Market near Notre Dame de Paris

Look, there is a market! Next to Notre Dame. Actually this one was quite arty, and more unique. But you pay for that arty unique-ness. It was also one of the more expensive markets I went to. Now the Parisian markets aren't that great (Sorry Paris!). They are very same-y. Take the Champs-Elysées market, unfriendly store owners and the same things over and over again. Seriously, if you like Churros for you this place will be heaven. It was, however, quite festive. The one in La Défence (I know, I know, not Paris. But close enough) was just not festive. I went with my friends on the 1st December and I wanted to come away feeling really festive. I just didn't. I felt more festive on the train that at that market. So instead we went and saw Rise of the Guardians at the cinema. Lovely film, reasonably festive too. On Tuesday I visited the market at Trocadéro. This one was actually the best one in Paris. Every stall offered something unique, but still the usual Maple Syrup stand, and Churros (Seriously, they are obsessed with those things). But for gifts, this one was great (However, I had already bought presents at...). The Christmas market in the town I'm staying in, Meaux. 'La Foire Gourmand' was something quite special actually. A Christmas market that sold exactly what I wanted. Gifts! Split into two zones, the zone artisanale and the zone gourmand, the market sold everything. I visited the Gourmand section last Friday after work, and tried some delicious home made sweets in the Vosges (I regret not buying some), saw some lovely cheeses and wines. The thing that got me, was the British stand. I bought a nice big bar of Dairy Milk for €2, and a packet of salt and vinegar crisps for 35c. Parfait!

Trocadéro Christmas Market, not a bad background

The Zone Artisanale was equally as good providing me with a good chunk of presents. They sold everything from jewellery to wooden door plaques for kids. And at reasonably prices! You could go with a €20 note, and come back with a fair amount. Fair play, that doesn't happen too often in France. Also, I was asked each time I bought something if I wanted it gift wrapped. To which I replied yes. It was free, if it was rubbish I could just do it again myself. Luckily it was not rubbish, actually very good. Dear Meaux. I might possibly come back some day for this xmas market, it was seriously quite good. The best one I went to this year, hands down.

So what else happens in France? Well, Christmas trees go up, the kids get excited over the Pere Noel (Santa). But of course, mixed messages over what can and can't be said or celebrated in schools. I've met some assistants who've said that even putting a tree up would be seen as breaking that old rule of 'Laicité', the school reception doesn't care, and put one up anyway.

The largest Christmas tree in Europe or something, well it's currently sat in Place de la Concorde. And I must say, it's rather beautiful

The Pere Noel magically flies over the Champs-Elysées

Now onto the more over the top Christmas approach offered at Disneyland. Whilst it may be over the top, one day there is enough to make you feel truly festive. You walk into the park, and they are playing Christmas Carols down Main Street in what sounds like 'Salvation Army' style. There's a giant Christmas tree (fake obviously), there are snowmen figures near the Castle. You can meet the characters in their Christmas outfits. Yeah, it snows too through the magic of foam type stuff. There is a 'Christmas Cavalcade' which is awesome, It's a Small World has had a festive makeover (Personal favourite is the mermaid singing Jingle Shells), Frontierland sees a Christmas village being set up. But the most magical things of all, the lighting up of the tree and the castle. Wow. As a Kid I always wanted to visit Disneyland at Christmas. My wish has been granted during the year abroad. How cool right?

Goofy and Pluto in front of the castle.. sort of.

Santa in the Cavalcade de Noel

Told you it was a big christmas tree

Castle at night

Santa in It's a Small World

Now I've experienced what Paris, and France is like at Christmas. Which is interesting (their Christmas Dinner is just odd to me), but I can't wait to get home and experience a home Christmas. It'll be nice to have some home comforts for two weeks too actually. I leave you with one more picture of Paris at Christmas. (I'm sure there'll be more next time).

Soyez poli

In the UK, from a very young age we are learnt to mind our P's and Q's, hold the door open for people when they are approaching, and to queue for the bus. If we skip a queue, we see the errors of our ways and allow the correct person to go first.
In France, sometimes manners aren't too high on the priority list. Much higher on the priority list is getting a seat on said bus.

It's a bizare thing you'll just have to witness, everyone is pleasant to each other, waiting at the bus stop.  You see the bus pull round the corner, and it becomes every man for himself. I always get to a bus stop early, I'm probably one of the first few there. In the UK, that means I'll be one of the first few on the bus at that stop. Here, the bus arrives, then all of a sudden everybody heads to where the door will be. Today I saw children actively go onto the road, just to get in front of the man who currently was first.  Me, I stood my ground. Some guy was trying to push in front, I was having none of it.

So there you have it, just one story from the week. The bus station battle ground.

Also this week:

You better watch out, you better not cry. I'm telling ya why...

• Tuesday: I turned up at school, had to speak to students about a topic (that I totally can't remember a thing about already) and had to mark them on various areas. Usually this is done in numbers, and I circle what bracket I think they fall under.  This time, it was :( :| and :).  This actually made it quite a bit easier. 
• Wednesday: Disneyland! A place I go to a fair amount, but it's always awesome seeing people from uni, we did the tower of terror, phantom manor and the labryinth. Also a little bit of Christmas shopping and saw the Cavalcade de Noel.  Can't wait to go again already.
• Friday: I took a class totally by myself and lived to tell the tale. Then went to the Christmas market it Meaux. Saw a stall selling British stuff. Turned out they were British, had a lovely little chat. Got a nice big Dairy Milk bar for €2, and a pack of McCoys Salt and Vinegar crisps for 35c. Lovely. 
• Saturday: Christmas shopping began. 

 In about a weeks time, I'll be sat at home, already reflecting on Part 1 of the year abroad. I'll write about that more next weekend for sure. But my opinions so far are very positive. I'll enjoy the rest, I've been looking forward to returning to the UK for a couple of weeks now. But I know that come the 6th January, I'll be ready to start Part 2.

That's it for this exciting installment, next week I think I have already decided to talk a little about how Christmas is celebrated in France. And trust me, their Christmas dinner is strange.
 

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

A few weeks ago, the newspaper weather page said it would snow in the region. It didn't. Then last week I woke up one morning to see facebook full of 'It's snowed in the UK' type posts. It didn't snow here, it wasn't even forecast. So imagine my surprise on Friday morning when I wake up to see the ground covered in white.

I was going to write about things I've found difficult with the French systems this week, but that post has been left half written and at some point I'll return to that. But this post always links in with that in a way.
France is known for skiing, hundreds of thousands of people come here every year to do just that. A country that has mountains, and snow. So forgive me for expecting that the country would know how to deal with snow. I've learnt now that regional differences are huge. The Ile-de-France cannot deal with it very well at all. The city of Paris itself did not see any snow, but the Seine et Marne department did, and it varied considerably from town to town. Take Meaux for example, we got a fair bit of snow, but not enough to stop daily life. Now take Val d'Europe (Serris) on top of a hill, they got a considerable amount. The difference? 10km!

Because the school I work in takes students from across the local region, it created difficulties. The bus companies were not willing to run buses to the outlying villages. The radio were telling people to be on 'orange alert'. I turn up to the school, my first class had just 4 students. This was because of the buses, the school in Meaux quite surprisingly doesn't have too many students from Meaux. Then at break time a teacher started talking to me about snow and France. Turns out that this region and home are very similar. The radio will become obsessed with it on a morning etc etc. He told me that where he comes from in France, it'd be dealt with. No problem. But here, life just comes to a halt.

I wait in the staff room two hours for my next class. However no students turn up, just as we realise this; the fire alarm sounds and we are off outside. Turns out someone activated it for fun. I then go home.

At least I finished the book 'Mockingjay' in the two hours.

Then I decided to go to Disneyland to take some snowy photos (as I can probably call photography a small hobby of mine). I didn't do any rides, just take photos. It was mid-afternoon and whilst a lot of snow had melted, enough remained to have a visible effect on my photos. I was there about an hour, but got what I needed. I'll do another blog soon! Christmas is round the corner, and so I'll be writing about Christmas in France before returning home to the UK, for the holidays!

 

The Photo Blog, Part 1.

I realise I don't really put up a load of pictures on facebook, or on my blog. Trust me, my photos will be appearing very soon on facebook.  But for a bit of fun, here is my 'best of...'. So, here we go.

Parc de Saint-Cloud

Parc de Saint-Cloud

Chateau de Versailles

Meaux - Cathedral

Eiffel Tower

Chateau de Belle au Bois Dormant - Disneyland Paris

Town Square - Disneyland Paris

Notre Dame de Paris

Toon Studio - Walt Disney Studios Park

Champs-Elysées Christmas Market

Grand Roue de Paris - Place de la Concorde