As I write, there is a patch of hot sun slowly creeping across my back. I am sitting at my dinning table with the balcony door open for the last few drifts of early morning cool air before I have to close the door. If I had shutters or even a curtain, they would be …
Before the break of day, sounds of horse-drawn wagons brimming with freshly caught oysters and fish from the coast trotted along to be unloaded at Les Halles, whose stalls lined the street, now metamorphosed into lively Rue Montorgueil. Unlike humans, whose psychic infrastructure generally remains the same, streets and neighborhoods change over time. Of course, …
Ancient Fish Road With a Sleazy Squalid Past, Now Vibrant Food Rue Montorgueil Read More »
The French and the British have been at it again. Brexit has only intensified the war-whoops by not fully issuing fishing licenses to all French fishermen as promised. The current focal point is the Channel island of Jersey and its flush of shellfish-rich waters. Jersey residents are nicknamed toads. A prominent toad statue overlooks their …
Channel Shellfish Wars, Goading British Toads of Jersey Against French Frogs Read More »
I have a beach obsession. Call it a call of the ocean perhaps. A need to feel and see the sea. To be right next to it. Especially falling asleep to the sounds of waves. The call is primordial and the connotations are spiritual. The fluidity, expansiveness, currents and continuity remind me of God, as …
My surprise country Sejour in the Berry department of France had a miserable start, but in the end was very refreshing and enjoyable.
The fact that Notre Dame is still standing is said to have been a miracle. The mere reality that you and I are still here having survived so far the 8th deadliest global pandemic is also a miracle! Sunday, I spent a good part of my afternoon doing what I love to do on a …
Notre Dame, A Symbol of Our Own Resiliency, Renewal and Resurrection Read More »
After a week of sub-zero temperatures, the weather flip-flopped with a sneak preview of spring. A rare treat in February for Paris! My first thoughts were a walk in nature. With a 6pm curfew, wherever we went, it had to be close to Paris, so as not to be stuck in the habitual bumper-to-bumper late …
Château Gardens, Church of Miracles and Covid Reflections Read More »
Hallelujah! Thanks to Maurice, the rooster, and Sésame the horse, both of whom drew the most national outrage and attention, the ordinary sounds and smells you encounter in rural France are now formally protected by a new national French law. They and other normal country beings all did their part in helping bring about much-needed …
Sounds and Smells of Rural French Countryside Now Protected by Law Read More »
Well, the Christmas flea market was a surprise, at least to me. I looked down last Friday evening and saw the telltale white booths lining up on the Avenue! Never saw any banners announcing it, which I find strange. But Paris is always full of surprises! I am not a huge fan of them in …
A Surprise Christmas Market Springs Up Overnight Below Me Read More »
I better get going soon! The striated sky is slowly turning a deeper shade of steel grey. That dark cloud coming in seems to be settling lower. Rain perhaps? Halfway out the door, I realize that I forgot to fill out my attestation(authorization form) needed during our strict confinement. I duck back in to complete …
It happened on Wednesday, October 1. Suddenly out of the blue. No warnings, no alerts, just boom! All it took was one second to throw me into feeling practically disabled. I thought that I was up for the job! I felt like Superwoman facing the task in the beginning. After a year and a half …
Delivery From Back Pain Misery And Lessons Learned (I Hope) Read More »
Sometimes things don’t go the way you want, despite what I thought was careful planning. T’was the case a Sunday two weeks ago when I stood in line waiting patiently to get into the Institue National d’Histoire de l’Art. Les Journées Patrimoine, (heritage days) is something I look forward to each September. It is when …
When My Special Plans Went Awry, Ordinary Paris Scenes Saved The Day Read More »