Beach Day.

Salut!

On Saturday, after stopping for a Starbucks iced coffee in Howard Beach, I went for a stroll along the beach at Jacob Riis Park in Rockaway, Queens. Named for the NYC journalist/photographer who captured photos of poor and working class families, the beach features a lovely Art Deco bathhouse that has been around since 1932. As of 1972, the park and its bathhouse have been been owned by the National Park Service.

It is known as "The People's Beach," likely in homage to the idea that it was originally designed for the poor, working class immigrants.

I spent my time strolling the shore and thinking about the times my family has ventured down to the beach. I think one of the last times was when my parents took Juliette and me down to the Côte d'Azur to celebrate our tenth birthday. We met our dear friend Élodie down there, and well, there was some drama involved. But, alas, that's a story for another time!

Also, I finally decided to set up a Facebook fan page, just for the heck of it. You can 'Like' me HERE, if you want.

~Sophie

Afternoons in the City

Hey, everyone!

While I've been living in New York City, I've been attending Le Lycée Français de New York (LFNY), the prestigious multilingual school in Manhattan that follows the French education system. I love it, but I think that's why I'm getting homesick! I'm so reminded of my Parisian middle school, Collège Antoine Coysevox.

The dress code at LFNY bums me out a bit. We girls must wear gray pants or a skirt, a white button-down shirt, a navy blue cardigan and dark colored shoes and coats, which means no Liberty Jane clothes can be worn to school. However, having a dress code means I can get ready faster in the morning. I know I usually have trouble deciding what to wear otherwise.

Otherwise, I really love LFNY, especially with its convenient location in Manhattan. Sometimes I'll visit the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art (or, as New Yorkers call it, the Met!) after school. The Met stays open late on Fridays, so that's usually when I go.

Here I am in front of the Met. Isn't it grand? According to the website, it's one of the largest and finest art museums in the world. It houses over 2 million works of art and has been open since 1870! I'm sure my Edwardian friends Samantha Parkington and Nellie O'Malley visited the Met with Cornelia and Gard.

It was really neat to see ancient history artifacts right before my very eyes. I much prefer to study history by going to museums rather than by reading some dry textbook.

From Egyptian sculptures...

...to this gorgeous ballerina sculpture, the Met has something for everyone!

"La Petite Danseuse de 14 Ans" by Degas

After I wander around the museum for a bit, sometimes I'll take the subway to another part of the city. My favorite train to ride is #7. Since it's above ground, I can look out the train's windows at the pretty lights of Manhattan as I'm riding.

I always love getting off at Times Square because the lighted advertisements are so picturesque. I had to get a photo of myself surrounded by the enchantment that is Times Square.

Do you see the Mamma Mia sign on the left side of this photo? Since the main character in that musical is a girl named Sophie, I always think of it as "my musical." Therefore, I had to pose by the sign, now didn't I?

~Sophie

Le New York City Ballet!

Salut, mes amies!

Dimanche, j'ai eu une occasion à voir une belle interprétation du ballet. Le New York City Ballet a eu sa dernière interprétation de la saison d'hiver, et j'ai acheté un billet à voir les danseurs. Juliette serait heureuse et fière de sa soeur jumelle!

I had the chance to see a beautiful ballet performance on Sunday. The New York City Ballet had its last performance of the winter season, and I bought a ticket to see the dancers. Juliette would be happy and proud of her twin sister!

I sat by la jolie fontaine at Lincoln Center while I waited for the theatre to open. I was to see a triple bill with Square Dance, Mirage, and The Four Seasons, and I couldn't wait! Ballet has been on my mind for these past couple of weeks in particular - maybe because Inky and Violet both dance or maybe because I'm still missing my sister? Either way, I was excited to see the show.

Here I am on le balcon that overlooks Lincoln Center Plaza. You can see the Metropolitan Opera House behind me:

When we were allowed inside, I strolled around the theatre promenade for a bit before heading into the theatre itself. Then, for the next hour or two, I sat mesmerized, watching the story unfold before my eyes as dancers twirled around en pointe. Having grown up in the theatre atmosphere, I felt very content. Et d'accord, I may have an urge to take ballet lessons again...

In other news, the girls of Fair Hollow are pretty ecstatic right now. Maybe I should redirect you here?

Ton amie,

Sophie