October 2024
Normally, I start writing a draft mid month, with an outline of what I’ve been up to so that I don’t forget anything. But this month hasn’t been at all like that. I’m writing this at 8:30pm on halloween from the comfort of my sofa while drinking an alcohol free beer - I try to limit my alcohol intake for social occasions. Only one group of kids came to the door while I was home, I guess some other kids came while I was still out.
All things Paris
I’ve really been enjoying Paris a lot recently, I feel inspiration strike every time I’m out. Whether that’s looking at a building, or learning more about who the street name is after. I love how Paris looks with the colours of autumn, the air is fresh, it’s not too cold yet and we’ve had days where it didn’t rain. We also had days where there was soooo much rain, it rained an entire day from morning till night. The streets of Paris were quiet, a bar I went to with a friend had an umbrella up inside because it was raining that much.
I’ve been able to catch up with a lot of friends this month which has been a lot of fun. An Indian friend cook dinner for me and my partner which was great. I got to meet her dogs (and one thing about me, is I love dogs). We also went on a day trip together with a few other friends. We went to Provins! I was last there last June for the medieval festival, so this was a very different vibe. The train there takes a while, but it went so fast as we were chatting away and playing card games. We made a table with a scarf over two seats with a bag on either side to keep the tension!
October is the month of Vendanges montmartre. I stopped by on a saturday afternoon alone, I got to see part of the parade which I’ve never seen before - the atmosphere was great! And I had my first cheese and potato dish of the season - potatoes with grilled cheese on top! I love potato and cheese dishes, it’s one of the things I enjoy about winter. I also went on the Sunday evening with my partner, we had a bottle of wine to share (which we took over half home with us) and had tartiflette! We probably would have stayed for longer, but they were beginning to close it off, so we headed home.
I invited a friend over to mine, and we had raclette! Winter food season is kicking off well! Some might say that it’s too early, but I disagree.
It was my partners birthday this month, and as part of his gift we did a cheese making class! We made burrata and stracciatella which was a fun experience. I think cheese making might turn into a winter hobby - we’ve been trying to find things to do in the evening. I don’t feel good if I’m just watching things in the evening, I need to move my body, use my mind and learning something is always fun. And with cheese, you get the reward of eating it at the end!
A friend recently moved close to where I live but I hadn’t had the chance to see her since she moved. Well, in October, with a few other people from the company we met at went to her place. It was so nice to catch up with her after months of not seeing each other. I got to meet her kids, including her 3 month old baby who’s so small and cute.
I got to attend one of my favourite events in Paris called Under the Umbrella which was so much fun. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it, so I didn’t prepare anything to read but I hope that next time I can find something to read. The whole idea of the event is to read things that aren’t usually public, think note app thoughts, journal entries and old messages. It’s a lot of fun, and I find inspiration in the people that I meet there. It’s a beautiful moment.
Books
This month has been a slump for reading, and that’s ok. I’ve been doing a lot of research so I’ve had less time to read. This month I read Girls of Riyadh which was so good! I’ve never read a book set in Saudi Arabia or the Arab world so this was a really interesting read. One of the things I love books is the ability to be entertained and learn at the same time - this book had a bunch of footnotes to explain some of the signification of words, places, items of clothing etc.
And I’ve almost finished reading Lord of the Flies. I’ve been thinking about reading this book for a while, well, technically rereading it. This is one of the books I ‘studied’ when I was 15 years old for an English Literature exam (which I got a D in, I really didn’t care for this subject). I really did not enjoy this, or any other book that I had to read while in school. Studying books killed my interest in books for a long time. And now, over a decade later I’ve decided to pick this up. It’s different to how I remember it, but I’m enjoying it. Is this going to be a book I recommend to friends? No. But I am happy to have read it.
Lord of the Flies, always reminds me of the song Hands Down but Funeral Suits. So it’s been fun getting to listen to that album again, it was one of my favourite albums for a while. Crazy that it came out in 2012!
Music
Orla Gartland’s new album Everybody Needs a Hero came out and it’s so so good. I’ve been a big fan of her music since 2015 when her first EP came out! Crazy that it’s been almost a decade of listening to her music! I’ll be going to see her next March when she comes to Paris on her EU tour and it’s going to be so much fun. Live music fills my soul.
A friend of mine in Paris is a classical music singer (amongst other things!), and this month I got to see her see her perform which was cool. I’ve been to two events related to classical music that she’s hosted, but I hadn’t heard her sing. Honestly it’s so impressive to hear her sing, because of the power that comes out of her. Truly impressive!
Travel
At the end of September and beginning of October I was on holiday in the south of France! I had a great time, and it did a lot for me to have some real time away from Paris and away from work. It really felt like a holiday which was great for my mind. I really enjoyed getting to cycle, and having low commitment things to do each day.
I wrote three blog posts about, the first about cycling the ViaRhona (amazing, would definitely recommend for those getting starting in bike packing), one about where we were based in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and the last one about travelling with a bike on a train.
French
I’ve been continuing my French classes with Babbel - my 3 month subscription expires towards the end of November. It’s been good for me to have some structure when it comes to learning French and it’s been good for me to practice. Since I no longer working in a French speaking company, I’ve really had to make the time to keep speaking French.
A month back (I think?) I created a whatsapp group for people of a similar French level so that we can meet up and practice French - this month I met someone from Ireland. We went to a cafe, and sat on the terrace. I had a lemonade because the weather was good and because I don’t like coffee. It was so nice to practice but it does always feel a little odd speaking French with someone who is also a native English speaking. We’ve only spoke French together, so it feels less weird, but still a little weird.
Work
I had a few tours this month, which all went well! I’m feeling more and more confident with the tours that I’m giving and found ways to give them more of my personality. I attended a walking tour on the French Revolution which was so so good. The guide was amazing! After the tour, I wrote down some notes on the things I’d like to research in further details. I spent the evening talking to my partner about what I learnt and trying to formulate my own thoughts on each topic. Talking things through really helps me learn.
And in other news, I’ve started putting together my own tour which hopefully I can launch in December! I’ve been busy researching away at my chosen topic, and I’ve been having a lot of fun trying to piece everything together - it really feels like a puzzle. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this much inspiration for a topic and I’m really excited to show the final product. It’s been fascinating reading into the lives of various people important in French history. It’s been good to use my brain!
Overall October was a busy month in a good way! I feel like I got a lot of things done, and I’m excited for what’s to come in November!