BACK AT IT

It has been a bit of an accidental hiatus in terms of updating the blog. I’ve been fighting off colds and trying to look after myself a little better, as well as having some fun too… such is life. I still feel very much in this hiatus mode, life is enjoyable and I want to be present in it, especially as I am now relishing in some time at home with the parents, and dear friends who warm my heart with their smiles. The onset of winter weather, grey looming days and a bitter wind has made me fall in to hibernation mode. I too easily become a bit of a recluse, paving out time in poems and sketches, short stories I only wish I could turn in to a novel. Being home has brought me back out my shell as we while away evenings in the bar, eating dinner with friends who now feel more like family. 

Before I came home, Mum visited for a long weekend and I had been saving the Musee de Montmartre for us visit together - only hoping Mum would be equally as excited as I was once we stepped inside. The museum itself was founded in the 60s, however the house and surrounding buildings date back to the 17th century. It’s seeping with history, stories of artists in all forms pore out the stonework. The studio perched at the back, is a giveaway to the buildings past, where artists such as Auguste Renoir, Suzanne Valadon and Émile Bernard worked all hours. I tiptoed up each set of stairs, not quite ready for what I was about to see, soon I would gasp and Mum would usher me in each room saying, “just go on Lydia”. One thing I could not be prepared for was the studio, it smacked me straight in the heart... I daydream about these places maybe far too regularly, along with beautiful kitchens, cafes and restaurants. Moments like this are all too precious, places that excite you yet also comfort you, places you step in to and think I could set up home here. The light poured in to each and every room beautifully, particularly on a bright autumn day with the sun sitting low and heavy in the sky. Mum and I meandered from room to room, taking in the imagery, art, tales and history... it was the perfect way to while away a few hours.

Now, I am feeling content and relaxed, glad of the time away from the big city. I have rebooted and want to dive back in to unearthing more hidden gems in Paris - but by no means does that imply I am wishing my time away at home, because I'm most certainly not. There are three days left of this break and I plan on just simply enjoying this time. I shall be lunching with friends, topping up my red wine levels at the bar, hopefully brunching and spending Sunday afternoon listening to a swing jazz band. For now, I'll leave this blog until next week when cafe hopping and winter coat hunting will be my main priorities...