On a Whim

A few years ago, when I was living in Baltimore, sitting at my desk at my day job, I got an idea in my head. I should go to Paris. Now. I looked up airfares and, voila, got an excellent deal, and two weeks later, I was off to celebrate Nuit Blanche with the Parisians. It was liberating, it was spontaneous, and it really wasn't that hard to do.

So for a girl now living it Paris, you'd thing I'd never want to leave or go the other direction. But I had the idea to return for my favorite day of the year in Baltimore awhile ago, but lately I've had a couple extra signs that I should just get up and do it. So I did. On Sunday (yes, just a few days ago), I bought a last minute ticket back to the states (kayak.com - more affordable than expected, and my plane was half empty). The only people I told were my parents and the rest was a big surprise.

The theme of surprise started on Wednesday when I had a 4 hour layover in Philly. A couple kind Americans lent me their cell phones (funny, I'm that disconnected from my homeland that I can't even make a phone call myself), and I pulled my good friend Lauren out of work long enough to grab a quick coffee before heading back to the airport and home to DC. Surprise!

Today marked the biggest of them all as I surprised my best friend in the world - and lots of other great ones too - for one of my favorite days in the world which happens tomorrow. All I can say was a great moment with lots of surprise and shock. Hooray!
So if anyone is looking for anything fun to do tomorrow - check out the Kinetic Sculpture Race in Baltimore. After my posts the past two years about it, hopefully a trip back from Paris on a whim proves to you that it's worth every second!

Click HERE to download the official Spectator's Guide!

P.S. Ha! That's me in the pink dress and blue hair in the poster! (via AVAM)

Around the World in 80 Seconds

Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Secondes is an 80 second trip around the world as created with a Sony Cybershot camera. The film by two Frenchmen, Alex Profit and Romain Pergeaux, does an amazing job of blurring boundaries and makes the world seem like one seamless adventure. Click here to learn more about this impressive project (en francais). {Thanks, Landon!}

The Art of Living {in 10m2}

I've found myself talking about the differences between France and America a lot lately. I know I've mentioned my apartment on several occasions. And for some reason, when I tell people that my apartment is 10m2 (aka, 110sf, or about the size of a shoebox), people think I'm joking/sarcastic. While I do love sarcasm, I thought perhaps a diagram may help remedy the situation.

[Technically my apartment is a "chambre de bonne" or former maid's quarters on the top floor of a nice apartment building off the Champs de Mars. not pictured: the 6 flights of stairs up to the apartment, the toilette down the hall (hey, it gives me more space!!), and the giant suitcase hidden under a pretty table cloth next to my shower/sink (the reality is that no French apartment has space to hide big luggage)].

When I say there's enough room for a yoga mat on my floor between my bed and my desk, I mean it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (I'm just not going to do the math to convert how much I'm paying for 10m2 in dollars!). Really, it's become a wonderful exercise in minimalism and empowering me in downsizing my life. Before I buy anything, I ask myself 2 questions: 1) is there actually room for it in my apartment? and 2) do I want to carry it up 6 flights of stairs? You save a lot of money and energy with this! My minimalist wardrobe - of only black, brown, blue, gray, and my accent color of yellow (which I just noticed matches my door and stairway!) - has proven to be more than I need, and I still haven't gotten bored by my clothes or reinventing outfits. In the US, my wardrobe was at least 3 times the size as it is here, but less is more is a good tip I've learned from the French. While I'm not a messy person, I'm more of "pile" than "organized" person. Let me tell you, 10m2 helps teach you some lessons in that too. Or if I ever lose track of time, all I need to do is look out my window to see the top of the Eiffel Tower twinkling, and know another hour has passed.

But don't worry, I'm still lazy sometimes - despite my desk being an arms reach away, I still will check my email from my iPhone in my bed. It's funny, my standard for "big" has completely changed. I'll walk into a Paris apartment, and say "wow, this is great, and big" and it's the size of my parent's dining and living room combined. But I think it's safe to say that anyone who lives in Paris sees this as charming rather than tiny. It adds a little spice to life and forces you to be a little extra creative at the end of the day. Welcome to la vie Parisienne!

Although, I must admit I even find myself relating to the advertisements in the metro for Fondation Abbe Pierre that often shows incredibly small spaces that people/families call home. I have a new appreciation for living, to say the least.


P.S. Sorry no pictures inside! The "big" apartment reveal will happen next winter when my apartment will be "featured" [in the editor's section] of Grace's new Design*Sponge book! I will definitely win the prize for smallest apartment!

Paris, Je T'aime {in the springtime}

Spring has sprung in Paris. The Parisians have a little bounce to their step and and their personalities have warmed up along side the temperatures. I'm not sure if it's written in a mandate or anything, but I'm convinced that picnic-ing is the official national past-time (and it's not even May yet!). The past week has been spectacular weather, and I've started bypassing the metro for long walks across the city. Join me on some of my recent adventures from my backyard, around the city and back again...

Boarding Pass - Terence Carter

Last week I had the pleasure of finally meeting Terence Carter and Lara Dunston, two professional world travelers who are currently visiting 24 countries in 12 months as part of their Grantourismo project. The two are authors of countless travel guides (which Terrence is the photographer behind many of them as well), but are on the current quest to explore and record the world in a way they never could through writing guidebooks. For this trip they have yet to pick up a single one (!), instead relying on maps, locals, twitter and the web for tips. Today's Boarding Pass column is all about a peek into the life of a traveler who has been living out of a suitcase for 4 1/2 years. {Thanks, Terry!}

{Terence, Wadi Rum}

home town:
Sydney, Australia.

{on location in Northern Territory, Australia}

where you live now:
Out of a suitcase for 4 1/2 years, but nominally the apparent ‘ghost town’ of Dubai.

{Paris in the spring}

last trip taken:
My life is one endless trip – literally!

next trip on deck:
Our Grantourismo project is taking us through to February 2011 to around 24 destinations around the globe staying in rental apartments and houses. Yes, it *is* a dream job.

{Bike Flowers, Paris}

one place you would go back to again and again:
Just one? That’s hard. I’d have to say Thailand – particularly the North for the food. But in a couple of months I’ll be dreaming of Argentina for steaks, wine and some snowboarding. But that’s two – I’ve cheated.

{Belly Dancer, Morocco}

place you'd most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Any friend of mine has to visit the Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech, Morocco, at least once and then they must go to Essaouira to chill. I practically demand that my friends do it once in their lives.

{Dhow Worker, Dubai}

preferred method of transportation:
Walking in cities. There is nothing quite like exploring on foot with a camera or two. But I have to confess that I love four-wheel-driving in the desert or along empty beaches. I enjoy trains too, particularly if they have power outlets so I can write or edit photos. Long-haul economy-class flights are my bête noire as I have long legs and the guy in front (and it’s always a guy!) inevitably puts his seat back before we even take off.

{somtam, Thailand}

place you've never been but dying to go:
Vietnam. Once again, food is the underlying reason. I love Gỏi cuốn and all the other variations of spring rolls so much so that I’ll probably resemble one after a couple of days there. Lara and I are dreaming of Vietnam for next year!

place you'd never go back:
I’d never say never, but someone would have to pay me handsomely for an assignment to get me back to mainland Greece or to Cyprus. I’ve done both several times and there are too many other places in the world I want to visit.

most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
A snowboarding trip to Lebanon: I used to watch the weather charts and take cheap flights there from Dubai when the winter snowstorms hit, and on the morning of 14 February 2005 I left my hotel in Beirut and headed for the snow. Several hours later the former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed around the corner from the hotel where I had stayed the night before and the mood of the whole country changed that day – grown men were openly weeping in the bar of the hotel. Ski lifts and runs were shut the next day so I hiked and snowboarded off piste – and out of sight of the army who had threatened to ‘blow up’ the ski lifts if they ran them!

{Arnhem Land Local, Northern Territory}

how do you prepare for a trip?
Clean my cameras, lenses and charge batteries. Lara (my wife) does the planning, thankfully! She is an itinerary Goddess. I also try to read something connected to the country or city. For Italy last year I read a couple of biographies on Berlusconi, a book on the history of Italian cuisine, and a humorous tome on the nature of Italians. I used to get a haircut, but now I always get one on the road: barbers are a great source of collective wisdom of a place. If it’s a new country and a new language, I learn some key phrases.

{Abu Shadi, Damascus}

how do you record your travels when you're traveling?
To a bunch of digital cameras and scribbles in a notebook that I struggle to decipher months later. We – Lara and I – are dipping our toes in the water with video as well, as we both majored in film at university and were filmmakers in a former life.

{Pierre Gagnaire in the kitchen in Dubai}

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
Anything that’s not a church or cathedral. By the end of the last multi-month trip to Italy I swore that my head would spin around and I would projectile vomit green stuff (as in The Exorcist) if I stepped inside one more house of worship. I love photographing signs that have interesting typefaces and I have an odd obsession with shooting skateboarders because I used to be one. And just the streets, I love just shooting the day-to-day stuff.

{Sergio Rabentos portrait, Barcelona}

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
This is embarrassing. The last trip to Italy? 20,719. Number sent to publishers? Around 1000. But as my photography lecturer used to say, ‘if you want to print more than two shots per 36 shot roll, you’re a genius or a fool’. For Grantourismo, Apple’s Aperture is telling me I have about 13,000 images already from Morocco, Spain and France, the kind of places where you’re always pointing your camera at something.

what's in your "designer travel kit" ?
That would take too long to list! My kit is based around Nikon cameras and lenses and an Apple MacBook Pro with plenty of external hard drives and back-up drives. I also have an iPod Touch and noise-cancelling headphones – the iPod Touch is not just for enjoyment, I keep my portfolio on the iPod; it’s a great way to show people what kind of photography I do. Even though I used to design books and book covers, I’m the worst freehand artist to ever abuse a Rotring pen, so all that goes into my notebooks is notes on restaurants. You really don’t want to see one of my sketches. And for someone who worships typefaces and elegant typesetting, my handwriting is embarrassing. I’m making more notes with my iPod Touch these days, just so I can read back what I’ve written!

{Life on the road}

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
I like to have a break from the destination we’ve just been to for at least a few days. I eventually look at some photographs, but sometimes it’s months before the deadline for a set of photos if it’s for a book. Sometimes I see the proofs of a book and wonder why they’ve used someone else’s photo instead of mine for a destination. Then I look it up and realise it was mine, I just can’t even remember taking it. I don’t know whether that’s sad, odd, or my photos just aren’t memorable. This year, though, it’s all instant gratification – putting up stories and photographs within 48hrs of shooting and writing is constantly stimulating and challenging. I’m really enjoying the process of what we’re doing for Grantourismo – as well as the freedom to explore the best way to tell a story.

{Camels, Broome Western Australia}

[wild card] are you going to settle down and get a ‘real’ job?
No idea.


links:
portfolio: terencecarterphotography.com
project: grantourismotravels.com
blog: terencecarterphotography.com

Click HERE for all past Boarding Passes! (or check he links the right hand column).

Alternative City Guides

These days I find myself particularly interested in city guides and place branding (so much so that I'm currently working on a final paper based on the way images are used in guidebooks). I'm constantly in search of alternative guides that take an interesting look at a place, and of course I always love good design. So I was immediately struck by the just released GoGoParis.com guide. For only 8 Euros you can download it right here. And as an added bonus, it's updated every two months.
I've always been a fan of the Bugaboo Day Trips too. Do you have any favorite city guides?

{images via gogoparis.com}

Butte aux Cailles {Paris}

Butte aux Cailles is one of those Paris neighborhoods tucked in the 13th arrondisement that you would never know was there unless someone told you it was there. I first heard about this area earlier this fall, and luckily I picked the perfect day to go visit. I must admit, I was even a little hesitant to post about this amazing little area, as I love how Parisian it is with its complete lack of tourists.
The area feels typically Parisian, but with pops of the urban landscape that have made their way in. It helped that the trees were in bloom - and that it was trash day - but I loved having the pops of green in contrast to the neutral facades. Turn the street and you'll find yourself in front of a few buildings that make you feel like you've traveled to Alsace.
In the center park, there's fountain linked to the spring below (which also fills the nearby swimming pool) where you can fill your water bottles or take a refreshing drink (or take funny photos, as my friend Marisa and I did).
But after a few hours of wandering the streets and checking every twist and turn of this little "village," nothing could have ended the outing better than lunch at Chez Gladine's. The little basque restaurant runs like a well oiled machine, and gets people in and out fast (without feeling rushed). The food is not only highly affordable (try the 2,50E sangria and the 11E cassolet), but delicious and satisfying. Even if the place looks packed, don't hesitate to check in at the bar. Despite lots of people waiting outside, our wait was only 10 minutes, and worth every second of it.
To get to Butte aux Cailles, take metro line 6 to Corvisart [not far from Place d'Italie] and head up the stairs underneath the apartment buildings at Rue Eugene Atget.

Click HERE for more pictures from my Saturday in Butte aux Cailles.

Boarding Pass - Kate Bingaman-Burt

Kate Bingaman-Burt has been all over the web lately with her awesome new book, Obsessive Consumption: What did you buy today?, making it an extra sweet honor to have her in today's edition of Boarding Pass. So often we think of recording our travels through the lens of our camera, but clearly Kate sees the world differently. I also love that she includes the date, making each drawing a true record and sign of the times. Makes me want to go out and doodle. {Thanks a million, Kate!}
home town:
Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and grew up in Vienna, Missouri
where you live now:
Portland, Oregon

last trip taken:
Chicago, Illinois to a conference
next trip on deck:
San Francisco at the end of the month, Savannah, GA in May and then Amsterdam in June!
one place you would go back to again and again:
I love New York.
place you'd most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Oxford, Mississippi
preferred method of transportation:
Usually time is an issue, so I always end up flying. I kind of hate flying. I DO love taking the train, but I wish it were faster.
place you've never been but dying to go:
Tokyo
place you'd never go back:
I don't have a terrible trip experience. I am usually always happy traveling. Discovering new places, watching people, walking around by myself. I am pretty self entertaining.
most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
Traveling to London to end 1999 and to say hello to 2000.
how do you prepare for a trip?
Usually last minute. I pack and then unpack and then pack again. My carry on bag is extremely important and usually way too full.
how do you record your travels when you're traveling?
The more I travel, the less I document. It is sad, really. I remember my first BIG trips and I would meticulously document the experience through photographs, writings, found ephemera, but now I am a lazy archivist. I am lucky to remember to snap a few iphone shots. I have to change this...
what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
See above. ack!
on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
See above. double ack! The last trip I took ONE picture. ONE.
what's in your "designer travel kit" ?
I always bring my laptop, sketchbooks and scanner (I have a small one). However, this is more for working on projects than for actually documenting my traveling experiences. Again, this needs to change!
what do you do after a trip? long after a trip does this happen?
I usually blog during the trip...I am caught up by the time I get back!
favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
Receipts! Transportation passes! Bits of papers!


links:
website: katebingamanburt.com
book: Obsessive Consumption: What did you buy today?
blog: obsessiveconsumption.typepad.com
on twitter
on flickr

Click HERE for more Boarding Pass features (or visit the complete list on the right hand side of the blog)!