My Absence!

Hi guys,

I just wanted to apologize for being so AWOL! I'm still hanging out in New York and enjoying some downtime. However, I've got something big planned for later this summer/fall. I really am looking forward to that. ;)

-Sophie

5th Avenue Fun!

Hi everyone,

When classes let out on Friday, I decided to visit the Central Park Zoo. I wanted to see if I could spot Amaya, the zoo's red panda. And, sure enough, there she was all nestled up in a tree! I was thrilled to finally be able to see the animal Inky has talked so fondly about.

At the zoo entrance, I happened upon a magnolia tree - isn't it beautiful? I love how magnolia blossoms make everything around them smell nice and sweet, even in such a big, crowded (and sometimes smelly) city like New York.

Next, I stopped by FAO Schwarz for a bit. I'm sure everyone - even if you've never been to New York - has heard of this store. It's only the greatest toy store ever! It's home to the infamous larger-than-life piano keyboard that you might've seen Tom Hanks play in the movie, Big. The store was established in 1862!!

The guard at the store entrance was kind enough to pose for a picture with me. Isn't he silly? The puppets on his hands reminded me a lot of life back at Fair Hollow since Fair Hollow has quite the collection of puppets. I was also reminded of all of the puppet shows Maman and Papa took Juliette and me to when we were little.

I walked several blocks more until I reached Rockefeller Center. Stopping to watch the ice skaters for a bit, I thought of my best friend from school, Nathalie. Nathalie is passionate about skating and is always trying to get me on the ice. Of course, I'm just as uncoordinated in ice skates as I am in ballet shoes, but I do appreciate others who actually can skate.

Finally, I stopped at AGPNY to meet Kanani Akina, our Girl of the Year for 2011. It's not a trip to New York City unless it includes a stop at AGPNY, now is it?

I really liked this neat photo op they had set up for Kanani. It makes me long to visit Hawaii for real (but I'd still choose to go back home to Paris over a trip to Hawaii!).

Kanani and I spent several minutes talking about France and Hawaii. I think I managed to convince her that she must visit France for herself one day. I also asked if she'd like to enroll at a school called Fair Hollow School for Girls, but she politely declined. She already missed Hawaii terribly and was anxious to go back. I can't say that I blame her!

~Sophie

Je me sens comme une princesse...

Salut mes amis,

Je me sens comme une princesse parce que j'ai visité un palais le dernier week-end.

I feel like a princess because I visit

ed a castle this past weekend - Belvedere Castle, that is! Belvedere Castle is located in Central Park. I've been wanting to see New York City's own castle since seeing several films in which it is featured in.

But, first, I wanted to stop by L'Ambassade de France Services Culturels; that is, the French embassy's cultural center.

Seeing the sign written in French, as well as le drapeau français, made me feel more homesick. Je me sens comme je veux rentrer en France! Anyone want to buy me a plane ticket?

Then, I started to head in the direction of Belvedere Castle. Passing the pretty cherry blossoms behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I lingered at Turtle Pond for a bit before proceeding on with my walk. Finally, I found Belvedere Castle! It's on top of the hill along the south shore of Turtle Pond.

It was, to say the least, a bit tricky to find, but it was well worth the effort. Isn't it a beautiful castle?

Belvedere Castle, meaning "lookout castle," is located on Vista Rock, overlooking Turtle Pond and the Great Lawn. It was designed in 1865 by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould to be a tourist attraction and nothing else. However, from 1919 to the present, it has been used to determine wind speed and direction and to record rainfall amounts.

It was restored in 1983, becoming the residence of the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. You can find skeletons and papier mâché birds inside the observatory, among other things, and the top of the castle is a favorite location among bird-watchers.

From the top of the castle, you can also see the skyline of the Upper East Side, the Great Lawn, and Turtle Pond:

After taking in the view from Belvedere Castle (and the gorgeous spring sun!), I walked south along the pat through the Ramble, a woodsy part of the park. Huge boulders are everywhere, and I discovered that they are rather fun to climb on. (You can see me climbing on a boulder in the top right corner of this blog entry.)

Coming out of the Ramble onto Bethesda Terrace, I found the Bethesda Fountain. Bethesda Fountain was constructed from 1859 - 1864. The focal point of the fountain is an 8 foot bronze angel, designed by Emma Stebbins in 1868 (and unveiled in 1873). Ms. Stebbins was actually the first woman to receive a public commission for a major work of art in New York City, something I later learned after a bit of internet research.

Leaving Bethesda Terrace, I crossed the Mall, a promenade featuring a beautiful lawn of trees. Reaching Balto, I stopped for a bit. The Balto statue has been a favorite of the city children since its unveiling in December 1925. I wanted take a photo with him, despite having to wait in line to do so.

The statue was created by Frederick George Richard Roth, a Brooklyn-born sculptor who wanted to create a tribute to the famous husky. Balto is famous because he was one of the dogs who traveled 674 miles through a 1925 Nome, Alaska blizzard to deliver medicine.

On the way home, I decided to stop at the Empire State Building. I thought about going up to the top to await the love of my life, but then I realized that neither Justin Bartha nor Guillaume Canet know I'm alive. So, I proceeded to do the next best thing - I headed back home to watch An Affair To Remember and Sleepless in Seattle!

Ton amie,

Sophie

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

We've been nominated!

Salut mes amis!

As I'm sure most of you are aware, the American Girl Playthings Message Board hosts an Academy Awards type event every year, and to my surprise, I was nominated this year! That's right - Le Fabuleux Destin de Sophie Amélie was nominated under the category of "Best Writing."

I just want to express my deepest gratitude to whomever nominated me! Or, rather, Merci Beaucoup! Grazie! Muchas Gracias! This means so much to me, even just being a nominee. I may not be the biggest star in the AG world, but I love knowing that there are people out there who really like reading my blog and following my travel adventures.

If you'd like to vote for me, that'd be nice. Of course, my fellow nominees are some of my greatest friends, so I understand how difficult voting might be.

Some of my classmates got nominated for awards, too. Miss Lindsey Anneliese Bergman is up for Best Actor after starring in her spring break album series last year. Want to read about her crazy antics?

Lindsey's Alternative Spring Break (Part 1)

The Glass Girl Speaks (Part 2)

Wrapping Up The Unexpected (Part 3)

Vote for Lindsey HERE, if you'd like.

And, finally, Becky Horowitz, Chiara Martini, and Traveling Ruthie acted out the fairy-tale "Snow White & Rose Red" last June. With a beautiful set and costumes, it's no surprise that it was nominated for 'Best Photo Story.'

Want to read it? Just click the link below:

Snow White & Rose Red [A Brothers Grimm Tale]

And you can always vote for it.

On behalf of all of us girls at Fair Hollow School for Girls, particularly Becky, Lindsey, and me, we'd like to thank all of you - all of you who read or follow this blog, read our Picasa albums, watch our Youtube videos, etc! We are very glad to know that we are loved and appreciated. :)

Sophie