At one of our first ex-pat events, I sat on an unwelcoming green velvet chaise, suffering through a shaky rendition of “I Love Paris.” The nails on the chalkboard were both literal and figurative as my husband and I could only use “adore” to weepingly talk about the lives we had left behind. Paris was … Continued
“Café au lait?” asked the square, solid waitress in our Paris pensionne. “No, my wife won’t be coming down this morning” replied the American, firmly, trying to convey he understood what he was being asked, when clearly he didn’t. “Pardon, monsieur, café au lait?” repeated the puzzled waitress. “Yes, she was the one wearing a … Continued
Paris or London? How could I choose between two cities which attract millions of visitors annually ? London is four times as large as Paris and has 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. London has London Eye, Paris has Eiffel Tower, London has pub food, Paris has croissants – ok, I have to admit this one … Continued
I had to go to Paris because I’m going somewhere else. Yes, I needed a Schengen Visa and (they say,) the easiest way to get a multiple-entry visa is via the French embassy. And so the Paris trip happened. Honestly, I never really thought it would be a good idea to be roaming around Paris, … Continued
Paris is like a woman of a certain age, wholly unconcerned by the need to please and with every night we spend chasing the final train she seems to say “this is who I am, take me or leave me.” I choose to do the former. I escape from my apartment unto our tiny alley of … Continued
“We are going to die. We are going to slip off the road and die,” was the only thing that my friend Leland could say as he sat in the passenger seat of our rental car. Leland and I were traveling to Paris after several days in Barcelona. We decided that we would drive to … Continued
Paris as you all know is the Romance Capital, and the city of lovers. So, whenever you are next in Paris, this is not to be missed. I think you can just make it an ultimate gift for your loved one. How about an idea of locking your love forever at the Lover’s bridge. ‘Lover’s bridge’ this … Continued
The river Seine hides behind the next cobbled corner, only a minute’s stroll from the Right Bank atelier apartment where I am staying, off Rue de l’Hotel de Ville in Marais, Paris. The murky Seine is ever present, snaking its way rapidly around the Île Saint Louis and Île de la Cité, carrying centuries of … Continued
I remember it as if it were yesterday. Such an old saying yet no truer words have ever been spoken. Unless they were all lies. In this case the memories are fragments, growing shorter and shorter as years pass, but the happiness even in the crustiest corners of my mind remains true. It was an … Continued
This Panthéon is gratitude made stone. It started life as a church, built to honour St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, in thanksgiving for her intercession during Louis XV’s illness. Since then, the Panthéon has been the site of Foucault’s demonstration of his pendulum, which showed the rotation of the earth, and the home … Continued