Two nights in Paris...

Last night at two am I finally got back from a weekend in Paris.

Don't get me wrong I loved it, however, we only had three days in the City of Love but seemed to cram a lot in.

Me, Denis and his two friends left at 6am on Saturday arriving in Paris at 9am. The main reason we went to Paris was due to the boys taking part in the Paris marathon on the Sunday.

Saturday was spent getting the boys registered at the marathon expo and catching up on some much needed sleep.

We took the metro quite a few times and I will say it was really good. The map was a little confusing as at times the lines cross over. So a couple of times we got on the wrong line thinking we were going the right way.
The door were a little scary you open your by pulling a handle upwards. It flings back and makes a racket and they open it as the tube is still moving.

What is good is that the drivers can see down the platform so if they can see that no one has got off or on they carry on. It makes the journey go so quickly.

I have been to Paris a few times, with school doing a couple of touristy things, and then about six years ago my boyfriend took me for my birthday. Again we did some touristy things.

This time I did get to see the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe, this time however, I came back as a bit of a foodie. The patisseries in Paris are full of colour and food. It is just a feast for the eyes. It does make you wonder how they keep so skinny. So many cakes, pastries and tarts, full of fruit and cream...

I tried a pan au chocolat, the pastry was buttery and crispy and the chocolate was bitter but melt in the mouth.

Another one of the delectable treats I decided to try were macaroons, something I have always wanted to try but never had the chance to so I thought 'When in Paris'. We had vanilla, pistachio, chocolate and strawberry.

They weren't really what I was expecting, they were crunchy with a soft centre with an almond filling and a cream centre - a delicious filling and only bite sized. They were heaven, small and perfect, I loved them.


On marathon day the boys set off at 8.45am so we had to be there for 8am, it was freezing but I will say I love watching marathons it may seem boring but you get caught up in the moment. I saw my boyfriend at 18 mile mark as well which was really good, getting to cheer him up.

He found it hard. This was his fourth marathon, his first in Paris, the other three were in Stockholm.


Now I haved watched the boys in the three other marathons in Stockholm. In comparison I found watching in Stockholm better then Paris. The atmosphere was just not there. In Stockholm the people of the city came out to celebrate, in Paris the shops were all shut and the only people watching seemed to be the ones who had people competing and once they saw their person they left.

Another thing the Stockholm marathon ends in the Olympic stadium so you get to see your person running through the stadium and after it is so much easier to find them after. I never got to see the boys finish, and it was hard after trying to find them.

I was a little disappointed and I know the boys were. My boyfriend said the two parks and lack of sights made it harder to run round.

We found out later as well that two of the French President candidates were holding rallys at the same time.

Nicolas Sarkozy at the Concorde and Francois Hollande in East Paris, we saw on the news they had a big turn out if this had an impact on the marathon crowds, especially as Paris is one of the big ones to do.



At the end of the weekend I fell in love with Paris, it isn't quite up there with Rome and New York but I can't wait to go back again and get to have a foodie experience.

January means a new start

It is January 1st and usually I shy away from news years resolutions.

I don't see the point of setting yourself up for a fall on the first day of a new year, however, this year I have changed my mind.

For some unknown reason I have agreed to do a marathon this year...I know! I really don't know what came over me.

This year my boyfriend will be doing his fourth marathon, his first in Paris (the other three were in Stockholm). His fifth will be the Portsmouth Coastal waterside marathon, along the Eastern Road:
'Start time 9am from South Parade Pier Speakers Corner, turn at the end of the Hayling Billy Line theatre.'

I am beyond nervous, although I do have a year to train but I am worried that it will kill me! But then I suppose as long as I finish it in six hours I would be very happy.

26.2 miles! What was I thinking!

The thing is once I set my mind to it I am pretty determined but I know many people won't think I will be able to do it, which makes me want to do it more.

I'm just being stubborn.

As well I am not going to the gym any more as it has got too expensive so I will need something to keep the weight off and my boyfriend lost loads of weight when he started running.

So alongside my quest to be a domestic goddess this blog will also track my marathon training. I am mental!!

To add to my new years resolution obviously baking queen quest is still ongoing.

I guess what I am trying to say is I will be making cakes and running them off.

Wish me luck I think I am going to need it.

Crazy, crazy, crazy!

Since I started my new job I have had a busy few weeks. On my first day I saw The Rifles at Southampton, not ideal when you have a two hour commute, they were really good though.

It was fairly quiet for a bit then I had my friends hen weekend, cocktail making, clubbing and dinner at Jamie's Italian. For the first time I had a Cosmo and it was really tasty. We had a competition, racing how to make a cocktail, I raced the hen to make a 'woo woo' fairly easy vodka, schnapps and cranberry juice. I got very nervous and got most of the vodka on my hands, but we drew so I had to drink a flatliner... Tabasco, sambuca and tequila AWFUL! My mouth burnt. It was a really good weekend though.

Then the weekend after it was my birthday and Denis did the Stockholm marathon again, then it was my birthday and I spent the day with Denis just chilling.

It's been fairly quiet but last Wednesday I went to a gig at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth. I saw Warpaint, a four piece girl band from America who I first heard on Fearne Cotton's show as part of the Music Generator. They played most of the songs from Fool album including Warpaint and Undertow, they were just beautiful live, such a harmony to their voices. They are not big at the moment but they will be. I could imagine them maybe being on a Twilight soundtrack some of their songs have a tortured quality to their songs that would fit perfectly alongside Paramore and Anya Marina. They are playing a lot of festivals so if you can go see them live make sure you do.

Then on Saturday I went and saw the matinee performance of Glee at the O2. I will admit I am a gleek! They played for about an hour and fifteen minutes which was a bit of a disappointment but overall they were really good. Amber Riley who plays Mercedes has a phenomenal voice and Santana (Naya Rivera) was exceptional, especially when they sung River Deep Mountain High. Lea Michelle was also amazing, her voice would not be out of place in Wicked, I really think she could play Elphaba in Wicked and be just a good as Idina Menzel. A bit different from Warpaint but more of a show than a gig and they were all really good.

On Sunday it was my friend's wedding but there will be a separate post on that.

Holiday!

Everyone loves a holiday, luckily this year I am going away twice. A couple of weeks ago I went away with my boyfriend for a long weekend in Stockholm, one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.

My boyfriend and his friends had the bright idea of doing the marathon there... again! Something I have no desire to do, but they are amazing to watch. The crowd really get behind the runners and I can’t explain the feeling of pride and excitement when you see the people you know running past you or crossing the finish line.

I have been to Stockholm twice and it is just amazing, the architecture, the people and the Swedish meatballs with lingon berry sauce are enough to make me want to go there again, however, there is one drawback it is so expensive. I think I heard someone say the tax is quite high, which is one of the reasons why it is so clean but as a tourist you can’t believe how much stuff is over there, and alcohol has a very high tax.

I would recommend that everyone visit Stockholm at some point and make sure you do the following:

• Fly to Stockholm Arlanda airport it is 20-35 minutes from the city centre, whereas the other airport is a hour and a half coach trip (on a good day)

• If you are not a veggie try the meatballs, with mash and lingon berries it is delicious! So much so I am no desperate to get some lingon berry jam, apparently you can get it from Ikea

• Visit the old town, lovely restaurants and modestly priced

• For beer drinkers they don’t serve pints the most they serve is 44cl, and if you ask for a small beer be careful my boyfriend asked for one and it was tiny, less than half a pint

• In June take your sun cream as it gets hot!

• If you can afford it stay at the Story Hotel (www.storyhotels.com), a gorgeous boutique hotel with a shabby chic feel to it

• Get the tube, if you are under 20 than you get it cheaper.

Not a definitive travel guide but some things I have picked up on and if it helps one person than I’m happy.

My second holiday is to Menorca, and is at the beginning of July. I cannot wait; our hotel is on the beach and away from the touristy hustle and bustle, pure bliss!