{tinza's tiny good things #6}

Today's #tinygoodthings is: plan a trip! 
If you know me well, you'll know I grew up on a boat sailing around the world. If you know me at all, you'll know that I love to travel and can't stay put long. Both those things are making this time hard, but also have provided me with life lessons that I am taking with me during this 'travel ban' time.

{us on Pitcairn island in the '90s. Photo: from my sister Rachel's archive. I'm third from left}

Growing up on a boat meant that we were weeks out at sea: these were the days of no internet and the era of mixed tapes. I learned to keep myself occupied by reading (I read the Hobbit in one day when I was 12), being creative (I wrote stories and drew), and finding new skills (like learning how to play the guitar). I learned to find beauty in nature around me, which on first glance didn't seem like it changed much: horizon, clouds, sun, and waves. But taking note of a small change in the weather, the change in colour of the ocean, the change of wind... these become observable and enjoyable. And you look for the exceptional, such as when dolphins decide to play with the haul and swim beside the boat and do flips.
and I learned to plan for the future: to get excited about what I'd do when we got into port, or when we lived on land for a while. 
So, I'm trying to do the same. I'm planning for future trips and looking back on amazing trips I have taken. Last spring I was away almost every week: Amiens, Barcelona, New York & lots of travel within the UK...and I spent a fellowship in May in Lisbon. Those were good times.
So here are some pics of travel planning, packing, and reflecting on the good times of travels of the past.
x
L

 & some of my faves from my instagram account: 

{I'm in love with this cross stitch façade in Valencia}

{Golconda Fort, India}

{streets of Lisbon}

{celebrating my birthday in Nice}

{the streets of Mumbai}

{off to Nice...}

I know it's been a long time since I posted and I have so much to catch up on, such as my book launch. But tomorrow is my B-day and I'm headed to Southern France!
When I was 17, I moved to France to start my undergraduate studies...I absolutely loved the Midi, and in particular, Montpellier, but I didn't like the approach to Art History, and so I abandoned my French education and moved back to Canada to start a BA at UBC. But it was when I was living in the South of France that I took a trip to Florence, where my love for Italian Renaissance Art History started....and set me on a very particular career path!

{me at 17 on the balcony of my flat in Montpellier}

Here I am 20 years later, headed back to the Midi, an author of a book on Italian Renaissance court collecting, a lot of degrees and experience under my belt, although I don't feel much different than that 17 year old, to be honest. On reflection, it's sometimes the risks we take, the things that don't completely work out as we thought they were going to, that are the making of us.
So with that, I shall remember to take risks & remind myself that mistakes are never 'fails' but simply part of the journey of life-long learning.

I'm off to stay in the Le Beau Rivage, a 19th-century hotel, which was one of the first seaside hotels in Nice in the continuation of Promenade des Anglais. It became a favourite of artists and intellectuals such as Matisse, Fitzgerald, Nietzsche and Chekhov. so I'll be in good company.

{Matisse's Nice}

A bientôt, & bises,
L

{birthday weekend in Paris}

Did you have a fabulous Christmas? I'm spending a few days off to get caught up on loading pictures and blogging!
In November, I spent a wonderful weekend in Paris--I gave a paper and then I was joined by my lovely friends from bookclub and we had a smashing time!
We went to Versailles, stayed in a gorgeous flat, drank lots of vino, ate delicious meals, and also fit in the fabulous Dior Exhibition--one of the most magical exhibitions I have ever seen! Christian Dior, really is a couturier du rêve--it was like walking into a girl's dream, with beautiful dresses and the grand finale was exceptional!

{Notre Dame}

{Versailles!}

{the group at Versailles}

{Hall of Mirrors}

if Versailles wasn't enough...
...it was then on to Dior:

{Dior!}

{I couldn't get enough of these gorgeous paper flowers in this room!}

with the last room simply *magical*: 

lots more to blog on, including Christmas!
xo
L

{PARIS!}

hello blog readers!
Finally getting caught up! It's been a busy few weeks with work and social engagements. two weekends ago I went to Paris with my good friend, Melissa. We spent most of the time just wandering, shopping & eating! The pics say it all!

Amazing first lunch at Le Barav, an excellent little wine bar on rue de la corderie in the Marais: 

{lovely shops in the Marais}

{everywhere you look in Paris there's just gorgeous details, even if it's just a menu, or a door knocker!}

{les archives, Hotel de Soubise}

{an amazing pop up carpet shop in a cloister!}

A highlight this trip was the Marché aux Puces...absolutely fantastic! It's very overwhelming though! the flea market is essentially numerous markets in one. For a good guide (you need one as it goes on for miles so we decided which markets we wanted to go to first) consult the website which lists them all. Get off at the metro Garibaldi.

{note the LV luggage}

more parisien sights...

We treated ourselves to the lovely Angelina, where Coco Chanel herself used to frequent--the best place in Paris to get a hot chocolate (& anything sweet really!):

{a pot of pure hot chocolate accompanied by little 'pot de chantilly'}

{liquid chocolate!}

We stayed at the Hotel Bradford, a fantastic 4* near the Champs Elysées. We got a very good deal on the room which included a fantastic breakfast (normally 18 Euros):

{fantastic cage lift}

{gorgeous breakfast room!}

We also enjoyed some really fun girly times, and also managed to see a good friend of mine who was also visiting Paris at the same time: 

{ P A R I S }

à bientôt!

xo

L