Sunday 30th July 2017: Travelling to Paris
Leaving a great city like London is always difficult, but when we’re travelling onwards to Paris the sadness is lighter than when we have to go home to work and the daily grind of ‘real life’.
We gathered our things and made our way to Cafe du Coin for coffee, then Ed’s Diner at Euston for something to eat before arriving at St Pancras to catch the 15:31 Eurostar to Paris where we’ll be based for the next 2 weeks. It’s always a delight to be in our favourite city and having a nice apartment in Belleville waiting for us makes the travelling worthwhile.
Belleville is the neighborhood that once provided “wine and weekend escapes to Parisians before Paris expanded it’s northern boundaries in the 1860s. Famous singers like Edith Piaf, and artist used to live in Belleville. Today, it is home to foreigners, expats, artists, and professionals alike.”
Arriving in Paris at 7:30pm (local time) we dropped off our luggage and headed straight out for an early evening walk; watched the sunset behind the tour Eiffel from the local resteraunt and then it was time for bed.
Tomorrow is a new day, our first in Paris this year and we fully intend to make the most of our time here.
Monday 31st July 2017: Spoken Word Paris
Nupur Saraswat and Kate Black-Regan were the special guests at the final Spoken Word Paris before the summer holidays and with a suggested theme of ‘Sisters/Brothers’ the whole evening was filled with intense and emotional readings, poetry and drama.
SpokenWord is an open mic night and writers’ community founded in 2006 by David Barnes and is held at one of our favourite cafe/bars in the city, Au Chat Noir.
The wonderful Antonia Alexandra Klimenko, with whom we collaborated last year, is their writer in residence & in charge of guest poets and our introduction to many of Paris’s other fine artists, namely David Leo Sirois the host of Open Secret, Follow That Muse and many other fantastic regular events in the city. David has been kind enough to arrange some shows for us this year at La Cave Café and Les Bistrot des Artistes and we’re so thankful to have been welcomed into their community with warm open arms.
My favourite act of the evening was Bruce Sherfield (who also plays in the band The Sophia Lorenians) with his dramatic delivery and commitment to every word, he really is one to watch out for.
Tuesday 1st August 2017: Surprise acoustic show at La Cave Cafe
with Hex System, Moe Seager, Ciarri Winter and more
We arranged to play a little secret show as part of Follow that Muse alongside featured act Hex System and many other local artists including the inimitable Moe Seager. A native of East Liberty, Pittsburgh, Moe Seager now lives in Paris where he publishes poetry and records / performs with his band the Blue Note Metaphor Ensemble. By Moe’s side was experienced singer/songwriter, performer and Cocktail pianist Ciarri Winter. A fellow Scot with an amazing voice and some serious piano skills, we were in good company for the evening.
This basement bar is super-cool and we’re really looking forward to our own show there next week.
Wednesday 2nd August 2017: Day off in Paris
A rare day off in Paris, we walked by the Seine, drank coffee in many of the sidewalk cafe and made a special stop at Pierre Hermé’s original boutique on rue Bonaparte for some of the world’s finest PÂTISSERIES, MACARONS & CHOCOLATS. The service is exceptional, the flavours are magical and everything you’ve heard about this rock and roll “Picasso of Pastry” is probably true.
“Heir to four generations of Alsatian bakery and pastry-making tradition, Pierre Hermé began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice to Gaston Lenôtre.” – READ MORE HERE
COMING UP
Thursday 3rd August 2017: Sacre Noir live at Paris Lit Up Open Mic / Culture Rapide
sacrenoir 