List of All Articles with Tag 'i'

Renowned for exuding romance with tens of thousands of proposals happening at the Eiffel Tower each year, it's no wonder Paris is branded the City of Love. The French capital first got its reputation in the 19th century, when artists and writers including Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac banded together for what we now know as the Romantic period. The movement rebelled against the formalities of neo-classicism, through a newfound interest in the expression of personal feeling. It was a time when literary evenings were a big hit among the bourgeoisie, later introducing words to European vocabulary such as "rendez-vous" and "je t’aime". Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Fast forward to 2023, and Paris' ties to romance are still going strong with its elegant buildings, charming streets, sultry bars and love for the arts. Given the unwritten pressures of visiting with special someone, Paris may not initially spring to mind as a solo travel destination. I've visited the famed city many times, but never alone. I too, felt the need to string someone along so I didn't feel out of place. Instead, I romanticised my solo life and headed to the city to explore through a different lens – and ironically, I fell in love, but not how you might expect. Nestled in the 15th arrondissement resides Hôtel Beauregard, a six-storey Haussmann building home to 38 rooms. Designed by Chloé Nègre, an India Mahdavi alum and one of this year’s AD 100, the hotel marries classic and contemporary features with a seventies retro twist. Complete with Eiffel Tower views and a Wes Anderson-esque restaurant, Hôtel Beauregard is the newest addition to hipster hotel company Touriste. The chain is passionate about guests "stepping outside of their comfort zone" to discover other lives, and "being comfortable with occasionally finding yourself off-centre before reclaiming parts of yourself you sometimes didn’t think were there". And, that's exactly what I did. The idea that Paris is exclusive to lovers is far from reality. It's quite the opposite: Parisians are experts at being by themselves. I read in cafes, dined al fresco, drank wine, visited galleries, and smashed my step goal. This led me to an epiphany that consciously dating yourself is one of the most romantic gestures. Even with public displays of affection in every corner, there wasn't once a feeling of missing out. While that may sound slightly self-absorbed, solitude has almost become a lost art. We spend most of our 'free time' booking in social plans, fighting dating app fatigue and desperately trying to stay busy. But, when you cut all attachment to the things you think you need, you learn to love your own company, time and freedom. It almost becomes addictive. Being alone also pushes you outside of your comfort zone. I found myself putting the world to rights with locals, discussing everything from French culture, politics, to their hate for Emily in Paris and exaggerated stereotypes – one of which being the French are rude. They're some of the friendliest people I've ever met. There's something poetic about being in the City of Love solo. Some friends, partners and family members come and go but you will always have yourself – which poses the question: Why do we struggle to value ourselves and cherish our time as much as we do with others? While I didn't find love in another person, nor did I intend to, it brings me to believe that solo travel life epitomises self-love. For more information, visit Touriste here. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

WARSAW Poland plans to raise the minimum wage twice in 2024 to help people cope with high inflation,

Twitter exited the voluntary European Union’s Code of Practice on Disinformation, the bloc’s Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton

As extreme weather wreaks havoc on crops in the Americas and North Africa, Europe’s breadbasket is thriving, with

'Citadel' aired its season finale on Friday, May 26, and fans are really disappointed with the way Season 1 ended

It feels like every day there’s a science story that comes along ready to blow our tiny minds, and today is no exception. A series of ancient interconnected cities have been discovered in the remote El Mirador jungle Guatemala, and it’s changing our entire understanding of the ancient civilisation. More than 400 settlements have been uncovered with some dating back as far as 1,000 BC. They’re linked by roads too, and it’s led them to be described as “the first freeway system in the world”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Richard Hansen, a research professor at the University of Idaho, is an expert on the project and he’d called the findings a “game-changer”. It was previously thought that the Mayan peoples were nomadic, but these cities have changed the scientific community’s understanding. Speaking to the Washington Post, Hansen said: "We now know that the Preclassic period was one of extraordinary complexity and architectural sophistication, with some of the largest buildings in world history being constructed during this time.” On top of the 110 miles of interconnected roads, the discoveries also showed evidence of organised agriculture and even hydraulic systems. The findings are the result of work which first began in 2015, which saw lidar technology uncovered signs of ancient structures below the surface. Archaeologist Enrique Hernández, from San Carlos University said about the findings: “Now there are more than 900 [settlements]… We [couldn’t] see that before. It was impossible,” he said. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ukraine’s bid to retake occupied territory in the nation’s east and southeast is “ready to begin” and could

Fans of the actress Jenna Ortega have been left upset after footage emerged that appeared to show her smoking. The 20-year-old is well-known for her role portraying gothic teen Wednesday in the Netflix series of the same name, gaining a large and passionate fanbase online. But, some of her fans were left saddened when a video began circulating online showing Ortega smoking a cigarette, sparking a debate among Twitter users. The clip was shared by @wstgoat7 and appeared to show Ortega leaning against a wall and smoking while in conversation with someone. She had her hair tied back and sunglasses on her head while also clutching a handbag. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It has been viewed almost 30 million times and ignited some strong feelings among her fans, many of whom have grown up with the former child actress on their screens in shows such as the Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle. One disappointed person replied to the video: “Yeah she’s off the roster.” Another said: “Major turn off.” But, others were more concerned by the fact that people were so shocked and concerned that a grown adult woman was doing something totally legal. Someone urged: “Stop infantilizing Jenna, anyways is that the Miu Miu Nappa leather pocket bag? She has good taste.” “Twitter users when their fav actor, who is an adult, does an adult thing,” pointed out someone else. For others, the Ortega smoking discourse reminded them of the moment One Direction fans discovered band member Zayn Malik smoked and launched a campaign in 2012 to urge him to quit. Amid the Ortega controversy, fans urged others not to put public figures and celebrities on a pedestal that they never asked to be on. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Halle Bailey's portrayal of Ariel received praise but critics questioned the changes made to the original story

Anthony Ramos’ clothes caught fire “a little bit” while filming ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ as he reveals the "crazy" day on set of the action movie.

Fans question Kody Brown's presence at Savanah Brown's graduation, suspecting that he chose to attend only because of cameras

Elizabeth Olsen has warned actors to only sign up for one Marvel movie at a time, in order to retain creative control.