Jardin du Palais Royal in Winter

It was late morning and over the Palais Royal gardens the clouds looked to be dissipating... a peek of sunlight lasted but a moment, then the slippery watercolor grey skies* hovered over the city once again. This is typical for Paris winters I'm told. The veiled sunlight though is luminous still.

Very few people made it out to these lovely gardens this January morning, so for a long while it was just me, a few joggers and a sweet little lady who came it seemed to feed her very own flock of pigeons.

***

* thank you Adrienne for this perfect color description for Paris winter skies

Read more »

Inside Galerie Vivienne

It was so cold the other morning, I could hardly feel my fingers and toes after just a short walk around the 1st arrondissement. Nearly stumbling past street cleaners and shivering tourists, I made my way along Rue Vivienne seeking refuge from the wintery temps and peeked into the first open doorway, and there as inviting and aglow as a genie's magic lamp was Galerie Vivienne, one of the prettiest passageways in all of Paris with its mosaic tiled floors, luminous glass roof and brass lamps, reminiscent of old Paris. 

About 15 glass-covered shopping arcades (passages couverts) still exist around the city, each unique and beautiful in their own way. They were constructed between the late 18th and mid-19th centuries as covered streets to shop, dine and gain protection from outside elements. Although the passageway of Galerie Vivienne isn't heated, the establishments are, and I was able to defrost inside a wonderful toy store called Si Tu Veux (If You Want). Within the gallery are also bookshops, a lovely tea room and novelty and home stores that make this particular gallery worth a visit... not to mention the string lights and shiny holiday ornaments still adorn the potted trees :)

Read more »

Children + Charlie Hebdo

"Mom, who is Charlie Hebdo"... "It's Freedom, Simon"

This drawing hangs on the outside wall of my older son's school building, and like the little child in it, my son had many questions about the tragic events of Charlie Hebdo that occurred in and around the the city we now live. Like most children, his questions were straightforward, short and simple; and he wanted uncomplicated answers to a subject that is anything but. It was a good exercise for me and my husband to try to explain what happened because it forced us to simplify the weighty topics of religion and tolerance and freedom while not getting too tangled up around extremism and terrorism and hate...

In the end, my son, who happens to love dessins animés (cartoons) himself, sternly but simply said nobody should be killed for creating a drawing... 

***

p.s. Thank you so much friends for your concern and thoughtful emails and comments here and on Instagram this past week. My family and I remain vigilant as we go about our daily lives in Paris and hope the city remains peaceful. Wishing you the same wherever you may be... #JeSuisCharlie xo

Read more »

Bonne Année | Happy New Year!

Along with a parade of other parents and their children, my boys and I have managed to slip through the front doors of school just as they begin to close, greeted by the blaring morning bell and the unhappy face of the school Director. Behind that austere stance though, I sense she bears compassion for our having made it at all these post-holiday days, as we mirror the sleepiness of Paris in winter, still quiet and heavy at eight-thirty in the morning...

but alas it's 2015! Bonne Année! I know I shouldn't be feeling so groggy still, please bear with me... it's tough to bounce right out of holiday mode. Have you managed to do it? I'm also keeping my festive decor up for as long as possible and so happy to find pockets of Christmas still hanging around the city as well :)

***

Read more »