I step into the metro carriage. It is quiet, as expected on a cold November afternoon. I ride the line 11 almost all the way to the ring road surrounding the city, which squeezes its 2.1 million inhabitants into a space suited for half that number. The metro line is faster than those I’m used to; the carriage sways uncertainly, as if it could topple at any moment. There’s a woman sitting opposite eating chicken wings from a grease-stained bag and the man perched next to me is watching an American sitcom with French subtitles, smiling slightly at his large phone screen.

The Vélib’ beeps, confirming my departure. I mount the bike and pedal slowly down Avenue René-Coty. I want to savour this moment: the slight chill of the breeze and my relative anonymity compared to the couples chatting in the bars along my route; a quiet period of self-reflection before the night begins.

Culkin on Carrer de Viladomat, right next to Sant Antoni’s most popular street, Carrer del Parlament, encapsulates, in just a small space, the unique beauties of this neighbourhood. Named after Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin, the gastro wine and cocktail bar pays homage to adolescence and the mischievous dreams we all once had to embark on Kevin McCallister-style adventures.

In a third instalment of her column Le Vendôme, Jasmine Eden Gray gives an overview of the Year Abroad experience, how things may not always go to plan but how that’s all part of the experience.

In the second instalment of her column about her Year Abroad in Paris, Jasmine Eden Gray explores the dangers and delights of the Paris Metro.

In the first installment of her column ‘Le Vendôme’, Jasmine Eden Gray recounts some of the many humorous interactions with the local Parisians that she has experienced on her year abroad in the city of lights.

Ama Otuo gives us a poetic insight into the challenges of living abroad

Jasmine Eden Gray recounts her experience of how music can be important on your Year Abroad.

Middle East and Africa Editor Josh Moreton reflects on a year spent in Egypt and the lessons he’s learnt.

Writer Amy Reid and Middle East and Africa Editor, Josh Moreton, bring us an evocative recollection of their jaunt across Upper Egypt. Dive into the ancient world through the eyes of a modern tourist.

MEA columnist Florence Coumbe explores the social and literary nuances of poetry in Arab societies through the lens of a student of the Arabic language whilst on her year abroad in Amman, Jordan.

Harriet Gilbert Savage reminisces on her time in Florence, where an Italian nonna taught her the delight found in savouring the sweetness within every ritual

Anna Whitehead discusses returning to Cambridge after a year in Vienna.