Vivre Libre ou Mourir

As I come to the end of my fourteenth week in Paris, I've come to the conclusion that I am still crazily in love with the city despite its faults. As more people are starting their year abroad in Paris I've found myself getting back into doing more and more things in my free time and I am so glad I came here for my year abroad as there is always something to do.

Last weekend Matt and I decided to go crazy and do just about every tourist attraction going, starting with La Sainte Chapelle on the Île de la Cité, which has free entry for European citizens 18-26.

It really is such a beautiful little chapel, with stunning stained glass windows. Unfortunately it is under renovation but I really enjoyed it.

We then ambled along to the Pantheon, which is a mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens. After noticing they've got a few empty spaces in the crypt and a severe lack of women there (there are only two, in comparison to the 72 men) I've decided to do something really noteworthy in France so that one day they'll put me in there.

A few empty ones, complete with a window its nicer than some of the apartments I've seen in Paris.

"Vivre Libre ou Mourir" - French for Go Hard or Go Home

After getting soaked on the way home we woke up on Sunday ready for a day of yet more touristy things. I baked some Pain aux Raisins (okay, defrosted them, but it made the flat smell amazing) and headed out, onto the main road by my house to be greeted with a main road completely packed with empty cars. Not just any cars, but matte black Porsches and Mercedes', with chauffeurs standing around waiting. As I turned the corner, yes ladies and gentlemen, Paris Fashion Week had arrived. At the bottom of my road. Beyond surreal.

After fighting my way through hoards of photographers and women with clipboards I jumped on the metro ready to climb the Arc du Triomphe.

I'm preparing you now for the next photo, as this is the face I see if I start eating a Kinder Bueno on the metro or maybe if I pronounce the word "queue" wrong (sometimes I pronounce it so wrong, it sounds like I've just said wow that's a massive bum as the word for bum in french is "cul". Don't ask.) Basically, mesdames and messieurs, this photo sums up the Parisien look.

I've had a pretty calm week this week, and I can't believe it's nearly the weekend already. Coming back from work yesterday with the news that Benfica were staying in the hotel next to work was exciting, especially when PSG won 3-0. As I live about 5 minutes from the stadium, the main roads near mine were packed again, which I personally find hilarious. Only in France would they use the entrance to one of the busiest motorways in Europe as a car park.

Bonne soirée!

Sophie