At this point in my travels, I'm really looking forward to having a place to stop and settle in the same time zone for a while. The last four weeks of time-zone-hopping, EST-CST-SGT-CET, has made it difficult to focus on anything more than showing up and observing the present moment. Thank you to the people of Paris who are lending us their apartments, granting us reason for our residency, and for giving us a place to unfold and simply focus on creativity for a while.
The length of time we are able to stay anywhere is dependent on the VISA situation in each foreign country. While we are in France, and most of the EU, our length of stay needs to adhere to the Schengen Arrangement which currently allows US Passport holders to stay a maximum of 90 days in every 180 day period, unless we successfully petition for a longer working/living VISA.
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| Shengen Area Infographic Source: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ |
My last exit from the Schengen area was on June 30th leaving from Finland, so I've already reset my visitor clock by being out of the area long enough before returning. On this trip, we're making more use of the Schengen calculator in order to make sure we spend enough time out of the area before returning again later in the summer.
The primary reason we are living in Paris this winter is because Alex was selected for an Artistic Research Residency at IRCAM. This is a dream come true for him and I'm so happy that he gets to experience this. I'm grateful that I get to be here as well to explore my own curiosities and inspirations that come from the city, the people, and what it can offer in experiences.
I think we're off to a pretty good start for our first week here-attempting to make the most of it while setting up our apartment and battling jet lag from our last stop in Singapore. Alex did a lot of research about places to stay and hidden spots to visit by following a couple of Paris blogger/vloggers. Messy Nessy and Jay Swanson have covered a lot of ground in Paris over the last year. I tend not to do research and prefer to show up and see what happens in the moment, but Alex managed to get me to sit down and view quite a bit of content in advance. Unfortunately, I remember none of it and will still rely on my instincts in the moment and on his good memory when necessary. This is why we make a good team. He will remember a place he wants to visit, but if it happens to be closed, I will have noticed three other interesting spots to check out on the way to getting there. ;-)
His advance research led us to the Paris Flea Markets on our first day, where we wandered treasures of the past on display across hundreds of shops tucked into alley lanes...
Since it was the weekend, it was also prime time for a legendary restaurant that features passionate singers and performers, all singing out their 50+ year old hearts out to the locals and tourists who dare to enter and grab a meal at a shared table inside. If you find yourself here as well, settle in with a bucket of moules frites and a bottle of wine- and bring some cash to tip the singers who pass a hat.
On Sunday, I noticed an event posting for Traversée de Paris, a classic car ride on Sunday morning through the iconic sights and streets of Paris. We were already awake early and staying nearby, so it was easy to wander the streets as the cars rode through. I was actually a bit surprised by the lack of photographers for an event like this, but perhaps Parisians are not as enthusiastic about classic cars as the Detroiters that I grew up with.
Most of our mornings this week have started before the sunrise. Which also means that we've been discovering which cafés and brasseries offer an early opening or "continuous service" for people like us who wander the city in the early hours before commuters take over with a pace that rivals New Yorkers.
Speaking of the sunrise... we had an amazing one this week that made even the most hurried Parisians stop and take a photo...
If I join Alex for morning social coffee before he heads to IRCAM, this beautiful view of palatial buildings from the bridges is part of our walking commute, and it is quite lovely at all hours.
Speaking of hours... we discovered a sundial carved into the side of a building by Salvador Dali, and it's about as useless as all of the other clocks melting in his paintings. It has become my reminder to stop worrying about time or productivity and just enjoy what experiences unfold instead.
This week has also been one of the two main sales weeks in Paris, which resulted in a good deal for Alex when needing a coat to handle more wet winter weather, but does very little to entice me since I no longer have the desire to shop or add any more clothing to my luggage.
Instead, I'll stick with the same 15 outfits I have in my suitcase and settle for doing more laundry instead. Speaking of which, doing laundry here is a bit more expensive than doing laundry anywhere else we've been. We paid less in Massachusetts and New York to hire someone else to do the laundry for us! However, sandwiches, espresso, and wine are still much cheaper here, so perhaps Paris still wins in the end.
On top of orienting to our new neighborhood's scenery, the markets, laundry, and resources around us, we've also made time to connect with local colleagues and the expat community nearby. Staying awake after dark has been a challenge for me this week, but by planning an afternoon nap, I was finally able to stay up late into the evening to hang out with local colleagues. I discovered that the police department looks quite lovely when it's lit up at night...
We also discovered that one of the best English-speaking welcoming committees we could have hoped for can be found at Le Peloton Café in the 4th arr. Thankfully, this is walking distance from our apartment, so we've been able to enjoy it several times this week and take advantage of learning from the already established local community of expats who regular here.
Speaking of hours... we discovered a sundial carved into the side of a building by Salvador Dali, and it's about as useless as all of the other clocks melting in his paintings. It has become my reminder to stop worrying about time or productivity and just enjoy what experiences unfold instead.
This week has also been one of the two main sales weeks in Paris, which resulted in a good deal for Alex when needing a coat to handle more wet winter weather, but does very little to entice me since I no longer have the desire to shop or add any more clothing to my luggage.
Instead, I'll stick with the same 15 outfits I have in my suitcase and settle for doing more laundry instead. Speaking of which, doing laundry here is a bit more expensive than doing laundry anywhere else we've been. We paid less in Massachusetts and New York to hire someone else to do the laundry for us! However, sandwiches, espresso, and wine are still much cheaper here, so perhaps Paris still wins in the end.
On top of orienting to our new neighborhood's scenery, the markets, laundry, and resources around us, we've also made time to connect with local colleagues and the expat community nearby. Staying awake after dark has been a challenge for me this week, but by planning an afternoon nap, I was finally able to stay up late into the evening to hang out with local colleagues. I discovered that the police department looks quite lovely when it's lit up at night...
We also discovered that one of the best English-speaking welcoming committees we could have hoped for can be found at Le Peloton Café in the 4th arr. Thankfully, this is walking distance from our apartment, so we've been able to enjoy it several times this week and take advantage of learning from the already established local community of expats who regular here.
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