Failed right off the bat with the non-touristy shot

I’m recently back from an wonderful trip back home to England and then on to Chinon in France to attend a workshop with the ever-inspirational Ilva and Jamie. I have so many thoughts to process, ideas to hatch and plans to create – I think we’ll be making some significant changes as a result of this trip – but suffice it to say that going back to Europe in the spring was probably not a sensible thing to do from a homesickness point of view.

Paris in the Springtime. Not remotely a cliché

Before heading down to Chinon, I spent an afternoon in Paris with my friend Stacey who was accompanying me to the workshop. We walked our feet to bloody stumps from Place Vendôme through the Marais to the Rive Gauche and in between I tried to take non-clichéd, non-touristy photos of Paris. In the Springtime. Yeah, good luck with that.

I love how cool Parisians are.

As was she.

And as was he.

I’m sorry. I didn’t ask her to wear a beret. OK?

Nor did I arrange for a wedding to be taking place. Outside Notre Dame no less.

If only walls could talk. Yep, clichés a-gogo round here.

And she was just sitting there in her cute dress, in her cute hat, with her cute ray of sunshine artfully arranged. That’s Parisians for you.

Graffiti and padlocks.

Splodges

and stripes.

The stuffed rats of Les Halles hanging in the window of the ratcatchers shop Maison Aurouze

The most epic plate of charcuterie I’ve ever sampled (that terrine at bottom left will live on for ever in my memory).

And an amazing array of cakes that I did not.

Rive gauche

Rive droite

Paris by night

Paris without a tripod

OK, Paris in the Springtime. You win.