It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song

You can't believe it

You were always singing along

It was so easy and the words so sweet

You can't remember

You try to feel the beat

You spent half of your life trying to fall behind

You're using your headphones to drown out your mind

It was so easy, and the words so sweet

You can't remember

You try to move your feet

I want to be a paper swan.

Sorry, I've been away for a very long time. I still haven't decided whether to keep this blog as a holiday blog, or to blog continuously throughout the year. At the moment, I think I'm just going to update every so often until the holidays: I'm off to Mauritius in a month (exactly), so expect a lot of holiday posts very very soon.

I'm stuck indoors today, and here is the result:

In that moment I thought: how beautiful, my life, projected on these faded walls.

The quiet clink of keys, a slow turn, a muffled click.

Hush, hush.

Don't wake the moonlit trees.

so, um...

Being home alone sucks. I keep hearing funny noises. I freak out when the dishwasher chimes. And when a gunshot goes off on the TV. Ah. Looking at old photos to keep my mind off things.

These photos are from last semester, when my friend Michelle and I were about to leave to go to a show at Assembly. This is me posing at the bus stop in front of my old res.

bye bye france, thank you for being so nice

Tomorrow morning I get on the train back to Paris, and then I get on my flight back to SA. This is me looking sad because I swore not to eat McDonald's on this trip.

the spoils of yesterday

Okay... So. I have never actually owned a proper pair of Converse sneakers. Done laughing? I've always had knock-offs (Pep 'gold star', Soviet, etc.). Shocking, hey? Well, I was happy to find this pair, which I really love. I also found this great bowl. Got the shoes in Grasse, and the bowl in Vence.

...and this is the town of grasse

Grasse, according to many proud French people, is the perfume capital of the world, and is apparently known for its lavender fields (which, we discovered, are a total myth). It was a really pretty town nonetheless. Last time I was here, in 2005, I bought a perfume called Ile d'Amour at the perfumery Fragonard. It's my favourite perfume, so I was happy to be able to buy some more. Here are some pictures of the pretty village.

this is the town of vence

I have been a busy busy bee the past few days. On Monday we hired a car and have been driving around since, just seeing the area and enjoying the laid-back coastal life (which for me, consists of slushies, ice cream and awkward tan lines). On Tuesday I went to a tiiiiny little village called Eze, which is perched precariously on a mountain above the sea. The streets are so steep and narrow that you can't even ride a bicycle into the town, which is unfortunate for luggage porters who have to carry big bags to the hotel at the top of the hill. We saw one poor guy struggling under the bags of a humongous African-American woman. Shame.

Then on Wednesday, we went to another village called Vence and then Grasse, which is the world's perfume capital (post to follow). Here are some photos of Vence. Spot the giant pigeon statue.

round and round and round you go

Last night I was walking around the Old Town of Antibes, and I came across this carousel. I saw it last time I was here, four years ago, but it wasn't operational back then. I'm so happy that they got it going - it's so pretty. Can I please be four years old again?

I love leather handbags

Here are three leather bags that I have gotten on this trip. The first is one that I bought at a shop called Cuirs et Compagnie, that I got in the village of Eze today. The second is one that I bought at the Vintage Gallery in Antibes, where they sell tons and tons of gorgeous old vintage bags (the crocodile skin ones were around 250 euros!). The third bag is one that Sadie's mom gave me because she doesn't use it anymore. Score.