This week is my first vacation from perfumery school at ISIPCA, and it feels somewhat undeserved but I’ll take it. Especially because Lily is visiting me from the states.
We’re back in Versailles now, but over the weekend we explored Normandy/the North coast of France.
Including: Rouen (with the cathedral made famous by Claude Monet, also location of the trial and execution of Jeanne d’Arc- did you know the tower where her trial was held is now an escape room?), Omaha Beach, Mont-St-Michel, and, on the way back, Giverny (absolutely beautiful in Autumn- we were lucky enough to get there during one of the last few days of the season, and the day before the first hard frost).
And I’m realizing I’m super into traveling. Because I’m in Europe and not only am I super close to Paris, but I’m also super close to all of these places I haven’t been before.
Also inspired by seeing the photos from the travels of my fellow students, who are spread around in the south of France (Marseille and elsewhere), Luxembourg, London, Burgundy, and Florence.
Destinations appealing to me?
- Morocco: Morocco (along with India) has been one of my top destinations for years. It’s particularly on my mind now because a) it’s closer and b) Hyun just visited and it’s beautiful with colors and camels and sand.
- So many more places in Italy: I would love to see Milan, Rome, Florence, Pisa, and more of Tuscany. Even in spite of the tourist-ness I fell in love with the magic that was Venice. Can you imagine staying in Tuscany and doing work during harvest time? I had a friend do that. So cool.
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Croatia
- Amsterdam, Netherlands: Because I need another association other than our luggage being lost there during a layover when I was eight. (We got it back eventually). Also the tulip fields, once the season is right.
- Portugal
- Switzerland: Particularly the Alps. Can I just say how into the Bernina Express train journey I would be? So into it.
- Spain: I may visit my grandparents soon, who live near Madrid. I haven’t visited them in Spain since I was seven. Other places in Spain I want to see? Barcelona, Valencia, and Andalusia. Also wherever it is that has the most dangerous hiking trail in the world.
- Malta: Warm-ish islands.
- Turkey
- Budapest, Hungary
- Galway, Ireland
- Elsewhere in France: The chateaux, Nice, Toulouse, Cannes, Grasse, Lyon, and Marseille.
List Mimsy 