Proposal in Paris! OMG!

Bonjour! Crepes mademoiselle?” The kebab-guy smiled wide when we decided to go to his shop and order breakfast. Pancakes with nutella. I’m so healthy. “Where are you from? Russia?”

I shook my head.

“Korea?” I laughed. “Norvege,” I said and he smiled. “And do you like Paris?” He liked to small talk. “I love Paris,” I said.

“Then I love you!” I laughed more. Speechless.

“Does Norway love me?”

“Sure!” And then a high-five. The food was delicious and when we went to pay he said: “You’re very beautiful. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Awwwf.” His face went sad, then he lit up again. “You can marry me!” And then there were a whole lot of kidding about him coming home with us and so on and then we left Paris for the eight time. And the last time in a long time. Depressing times.

-Mari Clémentine

The Last Supper - Paris

Another beautiful day in the city. It was still cold, freezing as a matter of fact and we decided to visit the Notre Dame after a quick stop at Les Halles where I bought a lovely summerdress. Well, there’s not much to say, or much to do about nothing, because I went straight to Pont de l'Archevêché to look for my padlock, but never found it. The bridge is overflowing with locks now, even more than the first time I was there, it’s packed! So we went out for lunch at Café Dante in the Latin Quarter and then went to the (very boring, no offence art lovers) Museum of Modern Art.

I know this blogging is all bad, but after I went home I lost all the touch with my stress.

We also went out to eat that evening. The Last Supper. At our place, Bistro Duplex where we have eaten at least one dinner every time in Paris for the last 5 years or something. It was sad, so sad to know that the day after we would go home…

Mari Clémentine

Crazy Wild: SISTER ACT - Paris

No blogging! I've had such a busy weekend, so I haven't had time to post the end of our trip, but I promise you I'll post tomorrow, ttyl! But thought I could put up the sister act vid:

-Mari Clémentine

Vintage Shopping in Paris!

So as for Paris, fashion will always be linked to it when you talk about it you will always say something about fashion, and maybe vintage. Well, yesterday we went to the market at Duplex where they have everything from food to socks, makeup, DVDs and iPhone covers. “Scarfs! All colours! Red, blue, green, beautiful, ugly. Scarfs!” I don’t know what you can’t buy at the market, I don’t know what you can’t get to half the price at the market, but I love it. I almost love it as much as I love Marias!

Lalala, didn't take many pictures, but here's a YouTube vid about the district!

Marais is the one place in Paris where you can find high-end designers for less if you are patient and not claustrophobic, it’s many vintage stores out there. So yesterday we went out shopping as for myself I found a lovely denim shirt from Levis, a fur- to only 15 euro and yesterday’s treasure a denim shirt from BOSS to my father, what did I pay? 10 euro. At the (possibly) best vintage store in town: Free P Star! 

Mari Clémentine 

My name - Paris

After many years of loving chocolate, Starbucks’ chocolate chaud has become a dear love of mine and yesterday we went to our usual place to sit down and drink and write. “You name?” the man asked me after my order. “Clémentine!”

“Ah Clémentine! Un classic pour Clémentine! Did you know your name is French?”

“Oui.”

“I’m so proud!” I laughed and went on to the cashier. When I picked up my chocolate he was there again. “Le classic est pour  Clémentine!” He said to the barrista. “There you go! Merci, Clémentine!”

    Yep. A French name was a good idea after all.

Mari Clémentine

Boating around Louvre!

I don’t know why I put this song here, oh! Because today I bought Les Mis at my favourite bookstore here in Paris, Galignani, in Rue de Rivoli. Enjoy it! And go see the movie if you haven’t yet, it’s amazing!

Tuesday was another fine, sunny day in Montmartre, did I mention we live in Montmartre. Did I mention the breakfast in front of Sacre Coeur every day? It’s rather beautiful. We spent the day around Louvre and Tuileries, renting a little sailboat to play like the seven year old French boy by the fountain. I think it amused people.

In the evening we ate on a restaurant by Moulin Rouge and saw three VIP guests arrive, five cute little ponies! Some cities never cease to surprise and Paris must be one of them!

-Mari Clémentine 

Nutella, Wine, Pizza and more Wine...

Paris was a fresh breath, it was home and when I more or less fell down on my chair after ordering my Starbucks in half French, half English (something that soon became way to usual that evening) it felt like all the times before. Relaxing and calming.

    I don’t know if it was good or bad luck that we ended up walking from the Tour Eiffel to Amalfi in the Duplex-area, but Italian pizza and wine did not hurt. After having the waiter call me the “baby” and “dolly” for the entire evening, saying “I love you” in Norwegian and ending it all by giving me a lollypop we went laughing back to metro where a puppet-man entertained us half the way back to Montmartre ( I may upload the vid later!) where a lovely man sold us Crepe Nutella and Warm Wine.

   Paris’ food and people are way too easy to enjoy and already when we arrived at the metro station a very cute French guy, came over to carry my suitcase down the stairs. Why would I ever wanna leave here?

-Mari Clémentine

If you're tired of Paris, you're tired of life!

“To say that one is tired of Paris, is in fact to say that one is tired of life!"  – Savage Grace. It was actually originally said about London, I think, but who cares when it’s true! I know I sound like a dumb American richbitch, but I think I have fallen in love with the city, as so many others and saying goodbye to her for a year won’t be easy, but at least I’m going for winter break. So TOMORROW Paris will be mine again.

    And now a lot of people might ask: What do you do there? You must have seen everything, sweet Jeez it’s the 8^th time! Well, firstly, I haven’t seen everything, I’ve never been on top of the Eiffel Tower, I’ve never been to Versailles or Musee Carnavalet. So what do I do?
    I live.

\

    Every day in Paris is like the day after you’ve been magically cured for pneumonia, finally being able to breathe again. I often go out walking, writing in parks or taking photos. When I get really tired I go to Starbucks or other cafes to sit down for hot chocolate. Sometimes I eat crepes de nutella for lunch. I visit museums, churches, bridges and statues. This year I’ve promised myself to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery which I’m really looking forward to.

     You see, my dear readers and friends, Paris is a dance. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but it’s always moving on. Touching, or not touching. Fancy old-fashioned or dirty and in-time. It will be whatever you want it to be and who can resist that?

-Mari Clémentine

    

Favorite Destinations 2013: Paris (part II)

My favorite place in Paris is located on the top of Montmartre, yes, I you’ve been visiting this blog before, you already know, Sacre Coeur. I didn’t come there until 2010, and then I had already been to Paris 3 or 4 times. It’s this white “castle” raving over the dusty and grey part of the city. High over the rooftops, suddenly it pops up like a little part of heaven. There sure was a stairway to heaven, and we had to climb it. It was a long way up, but at last we reached the top and the view was stunning. It could rain, snow, be full storm, it wouldn’t matter, the view will always be beautiful. It’s the top of the city, but feels like the top of the world and the cozy streets of Monmartre behind it will always be enough for me while in town. I could stay there forever, and now we always stay in the area and we always visit Montmartre. 

-Mari Clémentine

Favorite Destinations 2013: Paris (part I)

Paris has become a second home to me, visiting the city at least every year it’s a highlight, a delicious break, it’s like dessert. I first saw Paris at the age of 11, sick and tired I spent way too much time in Disneyland, but we came back. Again and again and I fell in love, again and again all the way from the Eiffel Tower, to Sacre Coeur, down to the Statue of Liberty and the Montparnasse tower.

    Sitting down at the steps of Sacre Coeur I know I’m at home and in the right place. From there you can spot the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse, Notre Dame, Les Halles, all of Paris at your feet. “Elle est tres belle,” a man said to me. My French had always been bad so I just smiled at him and agreed. Paris sure was beautiful. It would always be, cause it made me feel peaceful and in place. At home. 

-Mari Clémentine

BENELUX-autumn

Okey, so I've been knowing for a couple of weeks now that we'll be going some were this autumn, but I didn't bother writing to much about in case I choose to go to Paris again, as that would probably mean no blogging, but! As we absolutley can't aford going to Paris for autumn-break, and I absolutley can't stand having people speaking my own language louder than any other in the halls of Louvre, we choose to go somewhere new and unexplored: Brussels! They speak french, have the best chocolate in the world and belgian waffels! We're also taking a trip to Amsterdam while we're there and we might also go to Tilburg to visit a friend of mine! I've never been to either before, so I am superexcited!  Unfortunatley we don't have the time to go to Luxembourg, but it's still a benelux adventure, isn't it? So right now I'm spending my free minutes looking through guidebooks trying to decide wether to go to the Chocolate Museum or the Royal Palace first and should we eat at "La Tour d'y Voir" or spend all our money buying chocolate at "Mary"?  I hope you all will join me for my adventure in the capital of Europe this october!

Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris - Autumn 2011

Sunflowers

Ah, the train. The air-condition. Love. We even had our compartment for ourselves most of the way. It was two years earlier, on a 7-hour long trip from Rome to Milan, I first saw the sunflower fields. I don’t think I’ve passed anything more beautiful during a train ride. So ever since that day I’ve had a thing for the sunflowers.

   As many of you may know I’m a writer. I write. I’ve written four books and writing in general is a great part of my life. It was only months after my trip to Italy I wrote a chapter called Grand Soleil (which means sunflower in French) where one of my characters gives a sunflower to my main person. It was set in the city of Paris.

 Sunflower fields of Tuscany

    Paris is one of my favorite places. I’ve visited the city several times and the autumn of 2011 we went there again. The first thing I see when we arrive in the city: A market where they sell flowers. Sunflowers.

    It wasn’t until this summer my passion for the flower started blooming again as I was walking the streets of Oslo with my boyfriend. We went cross a square where they always sell flowers out in the open, and there they were. Pretty, yellow sunflowers in a pot. And now not my home nor my hotels rooms are complete without a bouquet of sunflowers. So if anyone wonders where I am headed tomorrow, you’ll find me at the flower shop.

   Being back in Italy, on the very same track (from Rome to Milan) is kinda wonderful, kinda weird, but when it comes to seeing the sunflower fields again, I do not regret taking the train this time either. Florence, here I come.

Like a 14-year old in Paris

Mari Clémentine

Welcome, welcome!

Sorry for about no pictures and bad quality, talking 'bout old times now and digital cameras did not exist back then, but I promise it will get much better from now on!

The first time I was travelling anywhere my parents and I went to Copenhagen in Denmark for a couple of days in the summer holiday. I was six years old and we took the boat. While there we went to the zoo, the Tivoli, up and down the main street many times a day and we ate red hot dogs.

A six-year-old me getting my picture taken at some fun Tivoli-shop

The first time I was travelling by plane we, my mom and I, were going to Gran Canaria. I was 10, the five hour flight was terribly long, but I was so excited I didn’t care. It was supposed to be a typical beach holiday, just chillin’ on the beach, but even though my mom was sure to keep me active in the child-care-fun-club-thing (Bamseklubben ayeee!) where I made a bunch of friends, one that I still have, I was set to explore the island. Therefor we went on a bus trip around half of the island, we went dolphin-watching and camel riding in the dessert. I also had an adventure on a donkey, but that’s another story… This anyway is where my obsession with travelling started and even though I’m still in school I drag my mom around the world every now and then.

At a banana plantation at Gran Canaria

So join me as I climb and camp on the Great Wall of China, try to have full conversations in French at the steps of Sacre Ceour, go to school in Brighton, hang out with old friends in Italy, get mistaken for being French in Hong Kong, meet the whole world on a boat in Halong Bay and sing karaoke in a bar in Bugibba.

Mari Clémentine. –tine like in sin, not time.