2016: Year in Review
This past year was full of travels, old friends visiting and new friends made. Of course, we had a blast. Here are 8 things that were a ton of fun in 2016. (Please excuse the delay of this post)
Music festivals: We Love Green & Solidays
We went to two festivals this summer and both were located just outside Paris. The first We Love Green, had LCD Soundsystem as a headliner. We went just for Saturday with our friend Daniel. The second was Solidays. We only went on Friday night to see M83. I love that it’s super easy to attend a festival for only a day. It’s affordable and 100% worth it to see your favorite band and head back to your own bed at night.
Versailles All-Nighter
An all night party at the one and only Palace of Versailles. You have to get dressed up in costumes and masks are mandatory. We danced the night away with new friends and booze hidden under skirts.
Euro 2016
It was fun to be in Paris while France was hosting the Euro. We went to a game at Stade de France (Germany, Poland, ended 0-0) and watched a few others at couple different bars in the area. There were enormous amounts of energy at the games. One bar was particularly ecstatic when France won a big game; Rue de Lappe near Bastille was all kinds of chaotic.
14th of July
Known as Bastille Day to us Americans (the French don't call it that). We went with some friends to the Fireman’s Ball - a longstanding tradition in France - in the Marais. The line was insanely long, but we decided to wait it out. Luckily, we were able to buy drinks from nearby bars to keep us hydrated in line. And we spent the night of the 14th watching fireworks from our friends’ apartment. They had an amazing view. Unfortunately, the attacks on Nice happened that evening, so our celebration ended pretty somberly.
Top of the Eiffel Tower
One of our friends came to visit and insisted that he take us to the top of the Eiffel Tower. So up we went.
Ballet at Palais Garnier
On a whim, we decided to go to a ballet. We grabbed some of the cheap seats that were not comfortable at all, but had a great time watching. It was a modern ballet done by four choreographers, one which featured the music of James Blake. Since then, I can’t stop listening to Forest Fire…
A Day in the Country
Our friend Liz grew up outside of Paris and invited us over to the house she grew up in. We played outdoor games, drank champagne, made a fire and enjoyed an amazing dinner that her mom cooked for us.
Visitors
We had lots of family and friends come see us in 2016. We knew you couldn’t stay away for long. =) There were lots of metros rides, museums, picnics and wine. The doors are open for 2017 visitors!
Thanks for reading!
xo,
Whitney
