A love letter

Dear Paris,

Okay fine I admit it, you won me over. I wasn't even too bothered with coming to see you. All I really wanted to do was go to Versailles and recreate 'Marie Antoinette' there and attempt to somehow genetically transform myself into Sofia Coppola through the remnants of DNA that she left there after filming the movie. So that didnt exactly go according to plan but you, YOU, completely surpassed my expectations.

I was expecting angry, unfriendly, snobby Parisians that refuse to speak English and give you directions, ridiculously overpriced food with tiny portions, rude waiters, just another city with pretty buildings and really, just one big cliché because when you've heard so much about a city for your whole life and are constantly bombarded with slogans like 'Paris - the city of love' the city becomes a caricature of itself. But Paris you are so much more than that.

That moment when I first walked out of the Hotel du Ville Metro station and actually saw the city for the first time my heart actually skipped a few beats. I didnt even think that was possible and was only some stupid line that only exists in the universe of Sweet Valley High books. Even though it was still dark and the streets were almost completely empty and I'd had no sleep the night before and I was so worried about not being able to find my hostel, it was such an incredible sensation.

There is no use even trying to describe you to all my friends and family back home. There are no words to describe the way the light filters through the trees and makes the whole city glow or the smell of the hundreds of creperies, bakeries and patisseries  that line your streets or winding streets of Montmarte that form a beautiful maze to the Sacre Cour or the sight of the city glittering at night.

You simply just have to GO to Paris to experience it. Im gonna sound stupidly corny and pretty much like a big wanky cliché but Im just gonna type it anyway, Paris you aren't just a city, you're an experience.

Love always,
Tanya xx

ps. I left my heart in Montmarte. Please mail it back to me when you get a chance.
pps. Back in amsterdam for one night and flying out to Pisa, Italy tomorrow :):):)

France + Italy

Heading to Paris and Italy for mij Herfst vakantie so I'll be gone 'til the end of October.

Looking for tips on places to see and things to do in both countries, mainly in the bigger cities - Paris en Roma.
What should I eat?
Where should I go?
Where's the best place to go to get some cheap escargot?

France - mmm birthplace of beloved charty :D

Italia - Already got the important phrases downpat - Uno martini bianco per favore!!!


Am staying in the scummiest hostels - there have been reports of bed bugs. Looking forward to it :)

Also anybody know of any souvenirs I can get which aren't dinky little metal recreations of the Eiffel Tower/Colosseum. Looking for more unique keepsakes, tho am not really a souveniry person - just need to get summat nice for mum :)

One of my favourite clips ever.
Made right after the race riots in paris. So, so good (err the clip obvs not the riots).
Anybody have any thoughts on the video?


Am hoping all french people are this friendly.

Lol mum and dad you might want to turn the volume off. T'will probably assault your ears.

Deze mijn kinderen (Am totes fluent in Dutch already. Am pretty much Hollish now. Yes danudie i am one of THEM now :)

Brecht, Phenna and Stach REPREZENT

Grachtenfestival

From a while ago...

Free festival in Amsterdam aka. the canal festival where the stages are floating on the canals.

Tarantino eat your heart out.

(Haha only Hayley will understand this, if she reads my blog that is, can someone - Bez or Liv text message/call her and tell her about my blog - i dont think she ever checks her emails. Duuuuude I really wanted to watch Inglourious Basterds but it was only shown here with the French and German parts subtitled in Dutch rendering it useless for me to watch. How was it?)

(Gabi this song always reminds me of you, you festivalhead you! What festivals are you going to this year? Line up for BDO is one of the worst I've ever seen - such a hodgepodge of random acts - haha not that I've ever been!)

FOR ALL YOU NON-BELIEVERS (IM LOOKING AT YOU SHRISTI ARYAL)

The jumpers (l-r: France, Canada, Tanya, French-speaking part of Canada)

 

Dayyumm I look good in a harness

Should prits much make this my full-time look

 

 

 

 

 

Confession time:

Forgive me Father for I have sinned... ok so the pics I posted last time of bungee jumping were not actually of me. I'd given may camera to a friend to take a video but the stupid camera didnt work (anyone want to buy me a new camera? - an SLR would be preferable - I hear Christmas is around the corner, or better yet, it's currently Dasain :), so had to rely on getting pics off others and i finally got a hold of these.

Perhaps next time Jean Bob and Piccolo would care to join? LOL

(Hey Puj remember our prettymuchbestconcertever that we put on? Have been involved in similar events recently. Shall put up video evidence soon :) 

 So this happened on my first weekend here in Holland, wait that was a lie, it was actually my second weekend where i went to the beach at Den Haag (The Hague - for all those whose Dutch language skills are not as highly developed and sophisicated as mine :P) with a bunch of people, mostly au pairs. I knew there was a bungee jumping thing at the beach but i definitely hadnt planned on doing it. It was a more of a spur of the moment kinda thing - my reasoning was "the ABSOLUTE WORST thing that could happen is that I'd die" - you know which wouldnt be be such a bad thing as I'd drop into the ocean and be reunited with Our Lord Almighty, the Mighty Manitee.

So was up there on the crane and the guy who was talking me through it was said:

Guy: So I'll count to three and you can jump

Me: Okay

Guy: 1-2-3 -

Me: Wait, wait, WAIT! Do I jump ON the three or AFTER you say three?

Guy: Umm, well you can jump now if you want

And so I did.

The worst part was actually stepping off the metal cage/crane and plunging straight down towards the sea in a free fall thinking that i was going to die and then you bounce back and you actually start enjoying it. I LOVED it, would do it again in a heartbeat. Wanna try skydiving now, then perhaps base-jumping ;)

So i was bouncing and swinging in the air, loving it and feeling great, when i realise that the guy on the platform where i was meant to eventually land up was shouting at me in Dutch

Me (thinking): Shit, shit, SHIT!!!! Something's gone wrong!! Im gonna die!!! FAAAAAARRRRKKK!!!

So there I am swinging in mid-air above the North Sea and I shout back

"I DONT SPEAK DUTCH!!!!!!!"

 And he's just like, "Oh," and then he starts shouting in English, telling me to bend my upper body upwards, towards my toes, and grab on a rope so that they can start lowering me onto the platform

:| 

Den Haag is such a beautiful city, my photos do it no justice.

I used to be obsessed with this song as I'm sure Tav remembers. It always reminds me of a summery, beachy day, Love the video too - all the colours used to get me so excited as a child.

Ps. How good is the original?

PPS. By this time next week I'll have proper internetz! :):):) Took long enough, right? The following should expect replies soon: Mum, Dad, Tav, Big M, Shristos, Gabi, Lauren, Puj, NeighNeigh, Sexbud, Bez, Pali, Unky Ren, Schwets and others that i cant remember - thanks for writing to me y'all!