When you live in France, a sure bet that you are onto a good bakery is that there is a line outside the door everyday around seven in the morning, noontime, and again in the evening before dinner.
Since I started blogging the two most common questions I receive nearly every ten minutes are:
What are the best things to do in Paris?
Where can I meet a French Man?
I think I should be a tour guide, and a match maker. I wonder if there is a career for me in either of these possibilities?
1) Walk around Paris without a map. Get lost. Look around. Enjoy the scenery. When you see a line of people waiting to go inside a bakery, get into it. If there is a Frenchman ahead of you strike up a conversation.
If you have not been to Paris before then you must see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, have tea and a macaron at Laduree by the Opera, take the night night cruise along the Seine, visit Notre Dame, walk along the Champs Elysees, take the RER to Versailles, go to the top of Gallery Lafayette to see a free bird's eye view of Paris, and visit the area of Montmartre are a must.
If you have been to Paris and or you are looking to experience Paris on
a different beat then:
Wake up early and take a coffee near an open market watch the vendors set up their ware°
Find some fabric that has the colors of Paris stained upon its thread,
buy enough to spread out for a picnic° Take you time let your senses
lead you: A bottle of wine, a small selection of cheese, bread, fruit,
smoked salmon, a tart.. and head to Place des Vosges or Parc Montsouris or along the river, or somewhere along St Martin's canal or
let a stray cat find you a cozy place to call home for awhile. Later
take an art class at a Museum, or a cooking class with a celebrated
Chef, or have your own perfume made. Later in the evening dress up and
take a drink at the Crillion Hotel. Later have dinner at the Jules Verne on top of the Eiffel Tower or on a cruise down the Seine. The next day go to the Vanves Flea Market the earlier the better (Saturday mornings only.) Visit Pere Lachaise, but don't stay there. Listen to the Accordion Band at the
open market at Rue Mouffetard. Have your portrait drawn or painted at
Place du Tertre (Montmartre). Take in a night show at the Moulin Rouge or Crazy Horse.
But still the best thing to do is to walk around Paris without a map,
get lost, look around, go into every courtyard, church, heart spot that
you can…and when your feet are tired find a cafe,
take a seat, have something to drink and strike up a conversation with
someone. Breath and soak it in.
What about Mr. Espresso, is Chelsea still seeing him?
Yes she is.
At home does your family converse in English?
I speak English to the children and French Husband, and they speak English to me. Chelsea, Sacha and French Husband speak French to each other. Throughout the day the conversation switches from English to French, to Franglais and back, depending on who is talking.
How do you edit yourself at the brocante and not buy everything! How do you draw the line?
Money.
Or if it is common and I know I can find it again for less, I won't buy it.
I must have a place and or need for it. Clutter is my pet peeve.
If I can I resale it.
There is so much stuff, that after awhile my eye just takes it that which Iwant to see.
Better yet… I just do not go if I know I will be tempted.
Since you do not have a TV do you watch DVDs? What is your favorite movie?
We do watch old movies on the computer. I enjoy going to the cinema. My favorite films.. The Piano, Bonnie and Clyde, The Godfather… oh there are too many…
What are the rules about French Kissing?
I could easily take this in a whole different direction…. but I will refrain.
In France when you know someone well you kiss them on the cheek when you see them as a sign of greeting. Same as you would hug someone. Though in certain parts of France (Marseilles and Paris for example,) you kiss each other once on both cheeks. But in some parts of France you kiss three times, or four times.
A child under 16 or 18 kisses everyone they meet. An adult kisses only the ones they know well. Men who are good friends will kiss each other too. If you do not know someone, or you are meeting them for the first time, you would shake their hand instead.
You do the kissing on the cheek to say Hello and Goodbye. Hence there is a great deal of kissing going on in France.
Your mood seems always to be focused on beauty and love. How do you do it?
By choice.
If blogs had been around when I first arrived in France, then mine might have been ten shades darker. I had a very hard time adjusting to life in France.
I guess I am older now and a bit more comfortable in my skin. There are things you can change and other things you need to accept.
Though the bottom line is the people in my life who have the strongest influence on me are the ones who are positive, who against all odds still smile and change the world by doing so.
I want to be like them.
Do you think you will ever live in the States again?
I doubt it. But then one never really knows for sure. I would like to live in the States because I miss my family. I am lucky to be able to go home every year for several weeks at a time.
Where you really thinking about being a nun?
Yes. I was drawn to the spiritual aspect of it. Though the religious dogma didn't hold my heart. I wanted to be a priest ( a priest: one without all the rules, one who made spirituality come alive by action, where prayer was heard as daily conversations, I wanted to be a priest who gathered people together where communion came from believing in one another and lives where shared.) Anyway I was the wrong sex according to the Pope and the hierarchy….
Regarding my life in the monastery…. I hope to write about it some day. It is still bigger than me and I cannot find the words.
What is a typical day for you?
Oh boy. I think I write about that on my blog. But, okay… I will recount a day for you:
Friday:
I woke up around six to make breakfast for French Husband and Sacha. I sat in my PJ's as they ate. When they left I started the laundry and jumped back in bed and read my emails/comments.
As I thought about what to write on the blog. I went downstairs to do the dishes. After wards I took a bath and got dress.
I went back into the bathroom to clean the tub and as I bent over my rib got caught under the curved rim part of the tub and I think I cracked it. It hurt and still does.
…. the day continues as such… I am a woman who stays at home, dabs into this and that, helps when needed, writes, takes photos, match makes, decorates, eats too much, forgets to do things, falls asleep at the wheel, forgets to shift the gears, and doesn't mind spending time alone.
What do you like to do when you have free time?
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Notes:
Blogs about Paris (three resourceful sites:)
Where to go in Paris. I love this site.
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