What's She Up to Now? Jody's Life Blog

Last Day in Paris and Writing Updates (AKA Real Life)

Howdy Readers!

This is our last day in Paris so possibly my last day of using blue for the prompt and red for my response as statistically the next flag probably won't be blue, white, and red. lol

Last Day in Paris

Aug 26th Paris and your tour guides 60th Birthday!

I'm super excited! It's Lyn's a Witchy Woman's birthday today!!! I love birthday surprises and making people feel special on that day...especially if I can do it in real life!

I had gotten her a birthday card, or at least I think it's a birthday card. It's in French, so I can't be 100% sure, but it LOOKED like a birthday card. I figured it would be a great way to celebrate and help her remember this trip. I went around to everyone and got them all to sign it. Some folks like NaNoKit and Fran 🌈🧜‍♀️ really took their time and composed something truly worthy of a writer! Others of us just wrote a compliment or two and told her happy birthday--hey, don't judge! I'm the one who thought to get the card!

Next I had the hotel call her in the morning and ask her what she'd like for breakfast, telling her it was already paid for. They also delivered a beautiful bouquet of flowers for her to enjoy with her breakfast. For dinner, we've all decided to take her out to a place recommended by the concierge. That should be fun. I also had them call and make arrangements for her to get the starring role in the movie we are shooting this afternoon. That should be fun for her!

I've always been fascinated with the movie scene so today we're going to have an insiders view.

Explore Montmartre, the Parisian neighborhood adored by filmmakers, movie stars, locals and tourists alike, on this 2.5-hour walking tour. Journey through Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ with a stroll around the Sacré Coeur Basilica; visit the real Moulin Rouge, where Christian and Satine fell in love in the movie of the same name; and see Café des 2 Moulins, which featured in ‘Amelie.' Numbers are limited to just eight people on this small-group tour.

Highlights: Paris movie sites walking tour. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the artsy Montmartre district. Visit major filming locations featured in Moulin Rouge, Amelie and Midnight in Paris. Stop at a local café and enjoy a drink while on your movie tour. Small-group tour limited to eight people ensures a more intimate experience. Why Our Insiders Chose This Tour: Imagine you are the star of your very own film on this movie-themed walking tour around the Montmartre district. Find out why Paris is so popular with film-makers and while we can't guarantee you a leading role, you'll definitely come away full of knowledge to impress people back home with!

What You Can Expect: See famous film locations on your movie sites walking tour. Meet at the Blanche metro station in northern Paris for your morning or evening tour of the district of Montmartre. Following your expert guide on a walk up the hill, you’ll be greeted by an impressive view of towering Sacré Coeur Basilica at the summit. This quaint, historic neighborhood is a haven for artists, making it the perfect setting for films. Learn about the history of cinema and discover why so many directors have chosen this pocket of Paris as their backdrop. In fact, one year, Paris was the setting for more than 900 shoots across film, TV, documentaries and ad campaigns, making it one of the most popular choices for film locations!

As you stroll down cobblestone streets past centuries-old churches, charming shops and creperies, and compact apartment buildings adorned with flower pots and rod-iron balconies, you may recognize this setting from scenes of a popular modern-day film, Midnight in Paris, staring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams. Director Woody Allen used these streets as a backdrop for this 1920s period piece, and featured iconic Sacré Coeur Basilica in some of the scenes. Discover Café des 2 Moulins, the bar and restaurant where many scenes from the movie Amelie, starring French actress Audrey Tautou, were shot. You’ll feel as though you’re a part of the movie as you see this place in real life! Remember Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge? The real Moulin Rouge cabaret is tucked away in Montmartre! You’ll recognize this must-see attraction by the red windmill on the roof. Listen as your guide describes scenes from the movie and explains how Moulin Rouge became the spiritual birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance.Sometime during your tour, pop into a local café for a soft drink, cup of coffee or cup of hot chocolate to enjoy as part of your Montmartre film experience. Your Paris movie sites tour ends back at the Blanche metro station.

Read more about Paris Movie Tour of Montmartre - Paris | Viator at: https://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Paris-Movie-Tour-of-Montmartre/d479-3234CINEM...

I'll be honest, I hadn't seen any of the movies that were referenced in the tour, but it was interesting nonetheless. I think I might go back and rent "Midnight in Paris." I like Owen Wilson. It was a lot more interesting than I'd expected. SB Musing had asked if I wanted to go with her to the Rodin museum, but I declined. I'm glad I did.

I've arranged for us all to star in a movie...we're going to be in a horror flick so be prepared to take advantage of the moment and prank us

Hmmm...well, we were told to prank during the movie filming, but I'm not much of a prankster. But I did find some other folks pranks pretty funny. Sally pulled off an especially elaborate one!

Staring in the movie was fun, but I'm no Meryl Streep. We got to pick our role and it was pretty cool that everyone wanted something different so there wasn't anyone who had their feelings hurt. I'd always been interested in lighting and such for some reason, so I actually asked to help with that instead of being in the movie. They seemed a little surprised, but happily complied. I learned a lot in that short period of time and think I can actually even go back and apply some of the principles I learned when it comes to lighting my home. Cool!

Celebrate your last night in Paris, any way you want, we don't leave until 9 am.

After we took Lyn's a Witchy Woman out for her birthday dinner, I opted to head to the spa again. I wanted to try one of their massages I'd never heard of. It was sort of weirdly tickly/painful in the beginning, then suddenly that part just completely relaxes. It was awesome. That's the first time I ever fell asleep during a massage. They were kind enough to let me keep sleeping so I had quite a long nap and didn't want to get up and go back to my room. But I certainly will sleep well tonight!


Writing Updates (AKA Real Life)

Well, I finished my challenges for "Invalid Item"  I got to say, though, it was tough. The primary sticky point was the 18th century British Prime Minister essay. I don't really know a ton about American politics (nor does it interest me), so I know less about (and am interested less in) British politics. I didn't understand most of the positions held or even some of the vocabulary with them. I chose Spencer Perceval. He's the only PM to ever be assassinated. It was interesting, though, that in the 1980's a descendant of the assassin, John Bellingham, became a Member of Parliament. Then later, he narrowly lost his seat, in part due to another person from a 3rd party who didn't stand a chance of winning, getting votes he needed. Who was that other person? A descendant of Spencer Perceval. Cool!

I encourage everyone to run over to A Very British Challenge to check out the videos on the challenge. They are only 2-3 minutes each, but one is Americans trying to pronounce traditional Irish names and the other is Americans trying to pronounce Welsh town names. It's not only funny, it's really interesting. One town literally had like 60 letters. I tried to count, but lost exact count in the 50's, but I'd estimate it had about 60 letters. CRAZY!!!

Okay, tomorrow I'm on "The Challenge" ! If I complete that, it will be 3 months for both The Challenge and A Very British Challenge and I'm done. Whew! No more pressure...from that, at least. But I will, naturally, find other things to apply pressure. I still have to do my "I Write Romantic in Winter"  for this week. And I need to get around to doing my last entry for "CLASH! " . Thankfully, my only competitor left also hasn't submitted hers, so I feel like I can wait a few more days. I'm also almost done with "30-Day Bloggers Group"  Whew!