C'est la vie!

 

My time in France is slowly but surely coming to an end, but I can't leave without a little stop in my spiritual home, Paris.  I've organised through the invaluable BlaBlaCar, to hitch a ride from Limoges to Paris, on Tuesday morning, arriving around two o'clock.  I'll only be in town for one precious night, before heading to Berlin on Wednesday, in order to arrive in time for Labor Day celebrations with my new friend Lilly, from In A Pavilion.

It's been such a long time since I was last in Paris, that I feel a mix of excitement & nervousness, mostly, I think, because, for the first time, I will be there alone.  I can only cross my fingers that the weather will be kind, as I think I'd like to spend the majority of my time strolling through the Tuileries, day dreaming of owning an apartment in Saint-Germain-des-Prés & wheezing my way up the endless steps to the Sacré Cœur, in order to snap a pic of the city.

Another very important thing I would like to squeeze in, whilst I'm there, is shopping!  The holes in my black skinny jeans have increased to unmanageable sizes & they're now fading more to grey.  I cannot lie, I have grown increasingly resentful of the small capsule wardrobe I have with me & would quite like to burn 90% of it, maybe toasting some smores over the flames, whilst I do so!  No doubt I will run into & Other Stories, Cos & Zara & attempt not to hyperventilate at all the purchasing possibilities, but I must keep calm & remind myself I still don't have an income!

It's probably asking too much to find time for a mani/pedi too, but I am so desperately in need.  Being in possession of French Vogue is making me miss a lot of things.  This entire journey, the past ten months since I started my travels(!), has really reinforced my sense of self.  Which I am so thankful for.  However, I am now desperate to embody those ideals, which is why I am so excited & so ready to stop & put down some (temporary) roots in Berlin.

I will have all of May to source some writing work & find an apartment, whilst my friend & fellow Berlin resident, Katie & I work on becoming hipster vegan yogis, who spend their days cycling round parks, fumbling through flea markets, drinking (no doubt) alcoholic beverages on cold corners & oggling ridiculously attractive bearded, skinny-jean wearing men.  Perfekt!

What's your favorite thing to do in Paris/Berlin?

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{RECIPE} Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers

The Easter weekend has come to an end at last & I have to say, I think I fully over did it on the sugar binge.  I managed to annihilate an entire chocolate fudge cake, several bunny biscuits & a few hot cross buns, all in a matter of days.  I haven't even touched my Easter egg yet!

Attempting to salvage my health & my thighs, I decided to make something healthy for dinner last night.  Scrolling through my Pinterest boards, I managed to find this recipe for Black Bean Burgers, from a great site called Love and Lemons.  Very simple & easy to make (just how I like it), packed full of much needed protein from a mix of beans, quinoa & walnuts & thankfully, as it turned out, seriously delicious!

I substituted the black beans for kidney beans, simply because I didn't have any on hand & served them with roasted baby potatoes & steamed greens, rather than in a bun.  Although, those parsnip fries do look good & I have to say, burgers are my favourite indulgence, especially when washed down with a nice thick shake.

I have three patties left, so I might throw one in a wholemeal bun, snuggle it up on a bed of lettuce, with a few slices of red onion for friends & a pillow of crushed avocado dolloped on top, serve it with a few fries on the side & a nice thick almond milk raspberry shake.  The perfect guilt-free indulgence.

How do you like your burgers?

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Easter Greetings

 
easter

Easter greetings from France!

I would like to say that it is beautifully warm & sunny here in the Dordogne, but alas, it is fairly grim & we are all huddling round the Aga for dear warmth.  I have therefore been taking comfort in filling my stomach with slices of homemade chocolate fudge cake & plenty of bunny-shaped biscuits.  Healthy living this is not, but hey, it's Easter & what better excuse to indulge than the holiday season!

I think the rest of today shall mostly consist of snuggling up on the sofa, with a sleeping dog to cuddle, an Easter egg & a good film. 

What are you up to this Easter weekend?

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