Un weekend à Paris: Canal Saint-Martin and Jim Broadbent

Canal Saint-Martin: the picnic and protest edition

 Les tous petits plaisirs. If you haven't seen Amélie, you need to correct that immediately and learn to enjoy the small pleasures in life. Such as skipping stones on Canal Saint-Martin. My classmate very wisely proposed a picnic by the canal last weekend and so we ate our Sésame bagels, chat about life and watched the world go by. A gorgeous afternoon, enjoyed with many Parisians. Protesters marched past, stylish kids scooted along and boats passed through the locks. Simply charming!

Popular with the locals, we searched for an empty spot

My weekend in Paris was finished with Roger Mitchell's Un week-end à Paris, newly released here in France but came out in the UK back in October as Le Week-End. I was completely enchanted by this film. Beautiful shots of Paris, a honest look at a long-term relationship, and quiet humour. I loved the throwback to Godard's Band à Part and I now dream of recreating the dance scene in a little bistro. It was a film that I wanted to instantly see again once the credits rolled and think if, like me, you enjoy New Wave films, Jim Broadbent or Jeff Goldblum do not miss this!

Studying French at the Sorbonne

The Sorbonne

My Language School

So I'm in Paris to brush up my French skills which have been unsurprisingly neglected since my graduation last July. Tempted by the prestigious name of the Sorbonne, I enrolled at the Cours de Civilisation Françaises de la Sorbonne to follow the 'Cours Complet with a specialisation in Business French' for the Spring Semester.

I was a little hesitant about signing up since I felt I'd been running on the educational hamster wheel long enough, however this seemed to be different enough to jump back on for a few more months. My decision was actually inspired by a British woman I met in India who, like me, studied French at university and worked as an au pair for a French family. Despite having had very similar experiences, I was jealous of her living in the capital during such an exciting period of history. She was an au pair in Paris in 1968 and enrolled in the CCFS. She said she was badly paid and so after strolling the baby up and down the Champs Elysées, her only treats were her trips the the cinema. Woman after my own heart! Whilst I can't relieve the excitement of the Cinémathèque Française in the 60s, I certainly can study French at the Sorbonne. And go to the cinema. A lot. Like, everyday for my first week.

After two weeks of classes, I couldn't be happier. My French teacher looks just like Frozone (including chic turtleneck) and today I had a lecture from a man in a cravat who, whilst the students were filing in, played harpsichord music. En plus, the French practice is pretty great too.

Lunchbreak in the Jardin du Luxembourg