Charles Garnier’s professional destiny was to be as marvelously rich and world acclaimed as his opulent architectural masterpiece; the Paris Opera, rightfully named in his honor. This immensely talented man was unstoppable, yet his personal life was over shadowed with constant battles of severe bouts of depression, anxiety, doubts, hypochondria and grief. Last weekend, I …
I proudly present guest blogger and my talented daughter Aimée Grosz, who has had the courage, and fortitude to practice nursing in three foreign settings. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to write about experiences in transcultural nursing, than Aimée! Today is May 12th, and It’s the first time I’m actually aware and …
Celebrating International Nurse’s Day, The Lady With The Lamp Read More »
A haven of beautiful peace amongst flowers and statues is tucked away inside the walls of Hôpital Sainte Anne, which is the main psychiatric hospital of Paris. Nature and art covers the whole hospital campus, offering visual stimulation of beauty as part of the healing process. The gardens are so lovely that guided tours take …
Sainte Anne Psychiatric Hospital in Paris, A Hidden Sanctuary of Nature and Art. Read More »
While meandering around Pigalle, in preparation for an upcoming post, I ran across this very interesting store window that captured my eye. Thought I would share it just for a fun peek into the many interesting finds awaiting discovery in every nook and cranny here. I wasn’t planning on writing much, but a sprained foot/ankle …
To me Easter isn’t just one day but a season of hope, resurrection, rebirth and renewal. Of all of these, hope is the most important aspect that provides the momentum to break through the barriers that lock us in sadness, grief, dismay, sickness, loneliness, heartbreak, or any other human bondage. Hope is like a beautiful …
Easter chocolates and cherry trees have little in common, except that they both appear in the spring. Nevertheless, in the past week, I have had long and fruitful walks discovering both again. The first one was a 14 kilometer walk through three of the prettiest parks south of Paris in the suburbs of Sceaux, …
If avalanches weren’t bad enough, now you have to be on the lookout for drunk skiers! According to ski patrol monitors in Austria and in France, there is a growing problem of dodging inebriated skiers. We already know the dangers of driving a car , flying an airplane , or piloting a boat under the …
Contamination fears, germaphobia or mysophobia are all the same and all fall under the broader and complex diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Fear of germs in its most severe form, can be very debilitating; literally isolating and keeping the victim from living any normalcy of life. Obsessive compulsive hand washing is probably the most well know …
If there ever was a poet that I had almost a fetish admiration for , it would have to be Rainer Maria Rilke. His poems and writing touch a part of my psyche that no other writer/poet can. He is considered the most famous of German-speaking poets, and is known for his, …
Chasing the sun again, by going north! However strange it might be, Scandinavia was having a wave of perfectly clear blue skies and with a surprisingly hot sun! Stockholm was wonderful, with much warmer temperatures than Paris. Sunday took an overnight ferry to Tallinn, Estonia. Tallinn is a true medieval jewel of the Baltics! Enjoying …
France has offered a safe harbor to bare beasts, at least those belonging to Inna Shevchenko, who comes from Kiev, Ukraine. Inna, aged 23, is one of the cofounders of Femen, which was started in 2008, in her native country to protest various feminist causes. For those unaware of Femen, they are a group of …
The summer sun finally arrived in Paris after a very long absence. Surprisingly hot temperatures(for Paris) have replaced the cool drizzly days that seemly lingered on since winter. Firing it up the most last Saturday was the feverishly wild and dazzling music of the Carnival Tropical parade. Actually, this past weekend was one of those …