travel – Hello Hayley

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August 11, 2014

girls weekend in palm springs

for my friend kayla’s birthday, we spent the weekend at the ace hotel in palm springs. it was hot hot hot (like 105 degrees hot) but we spent lots of time sipping drinks by the pool and chilling wherever there was air conditioning to be found. we explored the downtown and some of the local hotels in the area but always ended up back at ace. we found a private pool in the back which was a nice way to stay away from the crowded and crazy atmosphere at the main pool. it was a nice time of getting to celebrate kayla in such a beautiful and fun place. it was so sad to leave but i’m looking forward to more girls weekends like this in the future.

hayley

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In eateries, food, travel on

July 10, 2014

le pure cafe

on our last night in paris, after a busy day of sightseeing and exploring, emily and i ate at le pure cafe in the 11th arrondissement. its adorable and quintessentially french but what makes it truly special is that it was the location of one of my favorite scenes in before sunset. i was so starstruck just by being there and i completely lived up to my expectations. it’s small and quaint but really comfortable and the food was so delicious! i had the most amazing crab cakes i have ever encountered. if i had to pick something for my last meal on earth, it would be those wonderful crab cakes. yum! emily and i really embraced the experience and stayed late into the night, drinking and eating and chatting. it was magical! and here ends my paris series. sorry it was so long but i really wanted to do justice to how wonderful of an experience it was.

hayley

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In travel on

July 8, 2014

monet’s garden

there are very few books I remember reading growing up but Linnea in Monet’s Garden is one of the ones I distinctly remember. even since reading that book, I always wanted to go there and wander around the grounds and stand on the famous bridge. so when I found out Emily’s class was going and I could tag along too, I was overjoyed! it was a grey, rainy day but that didn’t even deter from the beauty of the gardens. the gardens feel much more quaint and intimate that I imagined they would which made me like them even more. we wandered around and visited the gift shop, which used to be Monet’s studio, and took quintessential pictures on Monet’s green bridge. overall, Monet’s garden definitely lived up to my childhood expectations.

hayley

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In eateries, food, travel on

July 5, 2014

ten belles

while researching places to go in paris, ten belles came up again and again. everyone seemed to be raving about the adorable exterior, friendly service and most of all, the great coffee. the coffee truly was worth the hype. i still don’t think it was quite on pare with intellegensia and some of my other favorite los angeles joints but it was rich and delicious and just hit the spot after wandering around all day. the cafe is tiny inside but we were lucky enough to snag a seat upstairs to people watch and enjoy the environment. after our coffee break, we took advantage of the surrounding area and explored this hip, up and coming district. the people here were probably the most stylish i saw in all of paris! i will never forget the girl i saw wearing striped ankle socks with mens pants and tank top looking oh so stylish with a cropped parisian haircut or the guy who looked straight out of the 1900s with round glasses and a baguette under his arm. if i ever get the chance to live in paris, the tenth arrondissement is definitely where you’d find me.

//around the 10th arrondissement//

hayley

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In travel on

July 3, 2014

gardens of versailles

the gardens of versailles are absolutely amazing! they are huge and every area of the gardens is a little different, from manicured gardens to sleep fields to untamed woods. the day we went, it was torrentially raining on and off but we still got a explore a big chunk of the property. when i went to versailles when i was young, my biggest regret was not visiting marie antoinette’s farm. we were so close but got lost and never made it. so this trip, it was at the very top of my list of things to do. it ended up being everything i expected and more. there were no buildings you could actually go in but the gardens and farm were so quaint and cute and it was so worth the extra walk. on the walk back, we got stuck in a rain storm so bad that we were stuck under a tree for half an hour to try to stay dry (we failed). but even with the rain, it was a great day of exploring and oohing and aching over how beautiful versailles and its gardens are.

//marie antoinette’s farm//

hayley

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In art, travel on

July 1, 2014

chateau versailles

versailles is just so beautiful. though this is my second time visiting, i was still in awe of how grand and decadent and detailed it is. growing up, i was obsessed with all things 16th century french. i would read book upon book on louis XIV and marie antoinette and the french revolution. my dream was to marry a prince at versailles and have a fairytale wedding. so when i found out that kim kardashian was rumored to be married at versailles, my 10 year old self was quite jealous. they ended up only having the pre-wedding party at versailles and we just so happened to visit the morning after the big party. on top of the history of versailles, the fact that we were standing in the same room that lana del ray performed in the night before and the lawn where the huge fireworks occurred was pretty awesome as well. another highlight was the hall of mirrors, which was closed the last time i visited. the scale is so grand, with sparkling chandeliers and gold building everywhere and i spent over a half hour just walking the hall and taking pictures. i could go on and on about how beautiful versailles is but instead, i’ll just leave you with these photos so you can see for yourself. and stay tuned for the pictures of wonderful gardens i’ll post soon.