It was an unseasonably warm Mardi Gras day as nightfall fell over Medieval Paris. It was Tuesday the 26, 1229. Students had joined in the usual carnival festivities strolling along the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter. Their long flowing robes and penchant of spouting Latin made them immediately identifiable as the elite students …
It is plainly too hot to write, period. It is also too hot to want to do anything! So, why am I writing this? Feeling caged in by the heat, I decided I might as well write about it. Early morning walks to supermarkets are my only outings right now. Surviving another day of being …
Over the 26 years of being an expat therapist in Paris, I have seen many fellow brave souls. If you are pondering about what it takes to successfully expatriate, read on! I came here with 3 suitcases and two adorable dachshunds! I think my doggies had a more stressful time than I did adapting to …
Sète isn’t a renowned global tourist hotspot, but a small, port city surrounded by canals and a large bay on the Mediterranean. It calls itself the little Venice of the Mediterranean. I didn’t go there because of that, but I was on another food quest for its succulent orange crimped pastries, the famous Tielles. I …
A pre-Easter break of sun and surf was calling me. In March, I don’t have any illusions of balmy beaches on French coastlines, but ocean breezes beckon me regardless of the temperature. I loved catching the winter sun in Nice in January, so why not Biarritz, which can often post the warmest Spring temps in …
As the train left Florence, whisking us over the soft rolling hills towards Rome, my thoughts converged on this ancient city, home of the Vatican and the once great Roman Empire. I, like millions before me, wanted to undertake a Jubilee pilgrimage. All roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes. At least it was …
Instead of sun, I was seeking a pre-Christmas feast of Renaissance art by the magnificent artists of Florence, and then on to a special spiritual pilgrimage to Rome. There is budding research that viewing beautiful art can be a mood elevator. Feeling powerless to change a world plagued with cruelties of wars, injustices and moral …
Feasting on Michelangelo, Botticelli, Fra Angelico and lots of Pasta Read More »
Paris was cold and grey on an early October morning as my flight took off from Orly, heading towards sunny Crete. I was craving a deluge of Cretan sun to offset my annual slow descent into a seasonal mood slump. This usually occurs around mid-October from dwindling light. Fall is also the best time …
Crete’s Instense Blue Sea and Sun Was Just the Boost I Needed Read More »
I wanted to spend my birthday in a pretty setting not far from Paris. I could have chosen the beach, but since I am heading back to Greece soon, the Loire came to mind, when memories of lovely Blois blossomed in my thoughts. Last year, my birthday celebration was on the Seine, so why …
July 22, the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, remains a popular and sprit filled celebration where many will gather in the Basilica of Saint Maximin la Sainte Baume and near her grotto in La Sainte Baume for several days in southern France, to honor Saint Mary Magdalene, as they have for ages. For me, July …
Saint Mary Magdalene and La Sainte Baume; A Very Mysterious Place Indeed Read More »
A replica of the Statue of Liberty, seen behind me, on Île aux Cygnes, took on a more sobering meaning for this American last weekend. I had just enjoyed a lovely dinner on a restaurant barge along the banks of the Seine in the shadow of La Tour d’Eiffel. This universal symbol of America, a …
Nota Bene: Although the event happened in April, the message I wanted to convey is timeless. I had never been to a Paris marathon before, until last April, because I never knew any runners. That all changed this year when I found out that Amy, the courageous mother of my two wonderful grandchildren and …