May 14, 2020
Aww, I decided to watch the video I made of our vacation in Paris earlier. We had such a great time, we saw so many things during our four day trip. Jim and I are a good team when traveling, or, ok, we are a good team always:) Since we can’t travel anywhere these days, I like that I have my videos to look back at.
May 14, 2020
Last May, we finally went on a romantic trip to Paris. The day before our vacation, my gynecologist called me and told me that I will have treatment once we’re back. I wasn’t worried about the treatment itself really – even though my doctor only used the word chemo and kept telling us that I could probably vomit, feel dizzy and experience hair loss so it would be smarter to wait til after so that I don’t ruin our trip – I was more worried that I would feel like shit when I had to go into Manhattan for my appointment at the Swedish consulate the following day, an appointment I had scheduled months in advanced and couldn’t really reschedule since I needed my passport to be valid. I didn’t know that I was going to feel ok after (there is of course a chance that you can experience these side effects, everyone experience unknown things coming into our bodies differently, but most people probably wont, I felt a little tired and had sore legs), so not only was I jetlagged, I also didn’t sleep for more than maybe 3 hours a night during our trip cause my head was spinning with a million thoughts and questions. It was an amazing trip and I am so happy we finally decided to go, but oh my, I feel bad for my dear husband who had to deal with me being a total wreck at times. He deserves a medal:)
May 14, 2019, I went in for my first treatment. One year later, I’m still not cleared. My blood test last Saturday showed a different number than the previous few, still a good number but because it looked different my oncologist wants me to go in next month again. At this point I barely even care anymore, as long as I feel healthy and my number is down, what’s another test or two or five.. There are other concerns in the world right now. Fingers crossed I’ll be cleared next month though.
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Here are some random pictures I took in Paris:
June 8, 2019
Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera House, was by far the most interesting thing that we saw on our trip to Paris. Of course I wanted to go there since I’m interested in ballet but I didn’t do much research on it actually. I had read that you can go in but I didn’t know if it was going to be worth paying for. And then I saw a picture on instagram when I was scrolling around on Paris stuff the day before our trip. A picture of a spectacular golden room and I looked it up and it was the opera house. I told Jim that I definitely wanted to go to this without actually showing him the picture I had found, I did not care if he wanted to go or not, we were going! He said ok and afterwards he also said that this was a very interesting place that he was glad that he had seen:)
Last week, the day after my treatment, I felt that I had to do something since I had been resting at home all day. So I decided to go see a movie at the Avon Theater. The White Crow, a movie about Rudolf Nureyev and how he ended up in France. I don’t know anyone interested in dance in Stamford so I went by myself. The movie was kinda eeh, but ok for someone like myself who likes dance and for someone that knows who he was. I’m glad that I saw this movie after I had been to Paris and after visiting Palais Garnier cause when he walks up to the opera house or when he is performing on that stage I could really picture it. It is so different to experience a movie if you know the places they show. Movies filmed in NYC that I saw when I was a kid is just so much more fun to watch now again when I know the city.
We did not have to stand in line for too long to go in and this was in the busy afternoon. It was $24 for two people. Definitely worth it especially because of the golden room. I liked to see the stage of course (which was a lot smaller than other stages I’ve been on or seen) where all the amazing dancers have performed at over time.
This is Fanny 🙂
Wikipedia: Francesca “Fanny” Cerrito was an Italian ballet dancer and choreographer. She was a ballerina noted for the brilliance, strength, and vivacity of her dancing. She was also one of few women in the 19th century to be recognized for her talent as a choreographer.
June 5, 2019
Here’s our Paris video. I have tried and tried to shorten it down, hahaha, but it was tough:) I hope you like it, and if you do, please give it a thumbs up over at YouTube and don’t forget to subscribe.
Have an awesome day!
May 18, 2019
The famous pyramids at the Louvre in Paris was designed by architect Ieoh Ming Pei who also designed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland that my husband and I visited two years ago. I.m Pei died this week at age 102. Both designs are beautiful and I’m glad I have seen both of these in person.
I have always been interested in architecture. If you have followed my blog for a longer time, you may have noticed that I often post pictures of buildings I like. New York is a great place to find many fine treasures. The Upper West Side is very interesting for example.
The Louvre was an interesting museum with some old cool art, but I was mostly interested in the different rooms – the walls and the ceilings – rather than the pieces of sculptures and paintings displayed. Ok, all of it is part of the museum, but I think you understand what I mean. I kinda rushed through rooms with only art displayed (while J also wanted to see the art and took his time there). That’s why the Opera, Palais Garnier, was so much more of my interest (a separate post will come). I love to walk into a room or stand in front of a building and just stare at the details.
The Louvre had some really cool details as well. The art pieces, ya, there was some nice stuff there and it’s definitely worth going to, and if you don’t mind a big crowd you can see the Mona Lisa painting. The line to go in isn’t too bad so unless it’s pouring down, definitely go check it out. And while you are in the line you get a great chance to look at the building and the pyramids, so win win:)
You’d think when they have seen the painting up front they would move, but nope,
people just hung out in front of it which made it impossible for anyone else to see it up close
This is a ceiling painting photographed in a mirror, so much easier to look at it that way than straight up
This to me is really cool, it’s the size of a pocket watch. Look at all those details carved out!
This was one of my favorites, and it was relatively new.
Large stone painting, 10 meters high, by Anselm Kiefer
