Book Review-I Loved You In Paris by Juliette Sobanet

A few days ago I finished reading Meet Me In Paris by Juliette Sobanet and was blown away at this candid memoir from this romance writer about her divorce and her all consuming affair with a married man. You can read my review of that book here.  In that book she shared a handful of poems she wrote to describe the feelings and thoughts she had during this painful period of her life.

I Loved You In Paris is her companion book that contains a collection of more of those poems she wrote during this time.  The raw emotion in these poems shows through in each stanza.  The book is divided into 3 parts representing each relationship at this time.  The first is called A Mistress and Her Lover, the second is A Wife and Her Husband, and the final part is simply titled A Women.  I could feel her pain, anger, love, depression, acceptance and finally the awakening where she finally realizes that the only place she can truly find happiness is within herself.

I Loved You In Paris is a must read if you have read Meet Me In Paris.  In addition if you have been in a painful relationship or even if you have had your own awakening, you will enjoy this collection of poems.  I have many favorite passages from these but I think one of my top ones is from the poem called Start Again

One day, your heart beats faster

And no longer does it feel

Like a blade has carved out the good parts

And left you for dead

Instead, this beating drum is so very alive

So very full of love

Not for the ones who broke your heart

Or for the ones who shattered it

But for yourself

Tuesday Travel Snapshot...Paris Street Art

Art is absolutely everywhere in Paris.  There is a reason Hemingway called Paris a movable feast.  Turning the next corner can literally take your breath away because you never know what you will discover. A feast of the senses.  This is just one of the reasons I love that city so much.  Both these pictures I took while strolling in Montmartre. Six more months till my next trip to Paris.  My camera will be ready!

Book Review-Meet Me In Paris by Juliette Sobanet

Since I can never get enough of reading about my favorite city either in fiction or non-fiction form, I decided to dig into Juliette Sobanet's telling memoir Meet Me In Paris.  I have read a few of her books before-including Sleeping With Paris, Honeymoon In Paris, and Kissed In Paris and loved all of them.  Juliette typically writes romance novels most set in the city of light which is why I have picked them up.  You can just tell from reading them she loves that city like I do.  It certainly shows in her writing which is rich in details. So much so that you feel like you are strolling the streets of Paris alongside her characters.

Meet Me In Paris is a beautifully written memoir, peppered with poems, about the authors decision to take a chance and live her French dream.  Through a painful process of divorcing her husband and having a lengthy affair with a married man she finds what truly makes her happy. In the end she lets go of the things that are holding her back and decides to take a leap of faith.  Along the way she has an incredible community of friends that are supportive and willing to offer advice (as well as incredible places to stay when she is in France).

From the first page I could not put it down! I too felt that I was French and lived in Paris in another life. I may have only been there once  (my second trip there is coming in September), but the first time I set foot in Paris I felt at home. It was heartbreaking to read about the pain Juliette was in all through her decision to divorce her husband and her self destructive affair, but in the end she overcame all the pain to come to the decision to make the big move to France.  I am so happy for her (and truthfully a tiny bit jealous!).

Fans of Juliette's books will love this look into the authors journey and others will love how revealing she is about her relationships.  I'm sure it was not an easy thing to put her life in words for all to see.  I sure am happy she did and I think it will bring inspiration to women who want to find their own happiness.

If you read this book and like the authors poems, you will love her new book of poems I Loved You In Paris

Planning For Paris....Step One- Hotel Or Apartment

Maybe you are like me and love the process of planning for a trip, or maybe you would rather pay your money to a tour company and just show up at the airport and let someone else do all the planning.

Even though I have just took the first step in planning my trip to Paris, I have been doing research for quite awhile now. I only have about 5 Paris travel books on my bookshelf and have stared at the Google map of Paris till my eyes turned red.  No, I'm not one bit obsessed!!

The first step in planning this trip was to find a place to stay.  For me the decision on whether to stay in a hotel or renting an apartment was a relatively easy one.  Economics did play a little part.  I thought it would be a bit cheaper to pick up some groceries at the nearest market and fix some simple meals instead of eating every meal out.  Most of all though, I wanted to have the whole experience of living like a local.  So consulting my cousins wife, who is my travel partner and friend, Renee was agreeable to the idea of renting an apartment.  I had changed my mind after talking to a French friend from thinking about staying in the 7th arrondissement  near the Eiffel Tower to the 6th in the St, Germain neighborhood.  We are more centrally located in this area where we can walk to many things we may want to see and do.

Like I said I had started doing research awhile ago, so I had looked at many apartments through various agencies.  In fact I had 19 apartments saved to my favorites on VRBO.  It was almost too confusing.  Each one had good points and I finally narrowed it down to about 3 apartments.  I think I went back and forth between those 3 about 20 times.  Finally  it was time to pick.  I kept going to one apartment through Paris For Rent, an agency which is recommended by Rick Steves
 Paris 2016 . When I made a price request Patrick promptly contacted me and told me this apartment was not available for the first 2 days I had requested.  After a few email exchanges I changed my date so we could book that apartment.  Renee gave the okay and I ended up making the 50% down payment.  Patrick sent me all the info the next day and step one was complete.

With our apartment booked it finally is real that this will happen and I will be back in Paris in September!!

What's next?  Searching for flights.  Looks like this will take the biggest chunk of the travel budget. The question is, to hold out for a bargain, or just get it over with and book?

Does Solo Travel Scare You? Do What I Did.

 

 How many times has fear held you back from doing something you really want to do?  Oftentimes it's more  that we care to admit.  Fear can paralyze us into not living our dream lives.  Of course not everyone can act on every little whim we have, like quitting a less than fulfilling job when we have a family to support, but with careful planning we can take steps to make our dreams into reality.

 

 Take for instance traveling. My dream of going to Paris began many years ago when I was in High School.  I love fashion and it was always a far off dream to visit the fashion capitol of the world.  I never thought I would actually go at that time since dreams like that for me were just that-dreams that could never be reality.  Then I turned 40 and for the first time I realized I will not live forever.  I set up a separate savings account and started putting away about $15 dollars a week into that account.  It was my "Paris Account" and I did not touch that account.  I found that I did not miss that $15 every week and although we could have used that money for daily expenses, that was the only way I was ever going to make my Paris dream a reality.  If you think you can't afford to take a big trip, I recommend opening up your own little savings account.  Put $5, 10, 15 dollars a week aside.  It may take a long time to save up enough, but it will be worth it.

     For the next seven years I kept building up that account until I had saved $3500.  Mind you my hubby had no desire to share my dream with me and being that I was determined to go I started researching going by myself.  I started searching for info on traveling to Paris solo and found that there is a whole lot of people my age that go it alone.  There are lots of bloggers and other websites out there just geared to solo travel.  I also did a lot of reading on the Paris forums on the Foder's website for about every bit of information geared toward Paris travel.  The more I researched the more obsessed I became.

     I had resorted to the fact that I would have to go it alone until my hubby saw a TV spot featuring a week long tour of Paris with a local tour company hosted by a local news celebrity.  Maybe this was my ticket!!  Why I never thought of this before I will never know.  I was afraid to go it totally by myself.  After all going to a foreign country where you don't speak the language is a little intimidating, but I was desperate to go and had the money all saved up!  Could this be the answer?

   
     I ended up going to an informational meeting about this trip and I had found my answer.  That night I paid my deposit and made my Paris dream a reality.  In the end I went on that trip not knowing a single soul and ended up having the time of my life.  Going on a group tour is the perfect way to see a place you dream about. It turned out I was not the only solo person on that trip and in the end I made a few friends too.

     I'm here to tell you that you should not let your fears stand in your way.  Life is too short for having any regrets.  Just because you have no one in your circle that shares your dream, does not mean that you can't go for it on your own. Check out the tour companies in your area. I'm from Wisconsin and this trip was trough Holiday Vacations. There is a ton of info out there on solo travel. One of the best blogs for solo travel is the Solo Traveler blog.  Or just do a Google search for solo travel and go from there.

     Don't let fear hold you back from fulfilling your dreams.  One way or another you can find a way to get there.  You just need to believe you can do it and you have to want it bad enough.

Surrounding Yourself With Things You Love

Your home is suppose to be your sanctuary.  The place where you go to after a long stressful day and you can kick you shoes off and be yourself.  You open your house up to the people you love the most.  I always felt your home is a reflection of the people living inside.  Maybe that is why I have always wanted a home that was clean and clutter free.  Mostly because I want to feel comfortable when I am there.

Which is why I like to put things in my home that I love.  My hubby has his " man cave" where he has things he loves like his prized deer mounts, metal vintage signs, sports memorabilia, and other things he has collected through the years.  Might I mention his huge life sized indoor scoreboard complete with buzzer.  I must say when he fires that baby it heats the whole basement!!! Our daughter has her room where she has all the posters from movies she loves, two huge bookcases filled to the brim with books she buys,  one wall is completely covered with pictures of friends and places she's been to.  Even a Clint Eastwood poster!!

Which pretty much leaves the rest of the house for me.  First time visitors to my house notice as they walk in the front door immediately that I may have a slight obsession with Paris.  After all I have my mini Eiffel Tower right inside the front door.  My house is filled with pictures, posters and other Paris things.  Some, like the framed drawing of my daughter that was done by an artist in the Place du Tertre (I know, I know, but I am after all a tourist), and my personal pictures I took while there are some of my prizes possessions. I don't think there is a room in my house where there is not something from Paris in it.  These are things I love.  I even have my small walk in closet decorated with a poster from the Louvre,  and pictures I bought while in Versailles, not to mention all my Bono and U2 pictures and momentos.

I do have one non Paris thing that I love and that is my child sized China hutch that I bought from my Aunts estate when she passed away last year.  That little piece had great memories for me.  Growing up the 2 things that remained from when my Family had a small farm was the empty barn and chicken coop.  As a child I played in that chicken coop and I had it cleaned out and it was a playhouse for us and the neighbor kids.  It was mostly me and the neighbor girls that used it.  Anyway my aunt had this China hutch when she was little and it ended up in that chicken coop, so we used to play with it and put our dishes inside.  Eventually my Dad sold that chicken coop and my Aunt brought that hutch in her house until I bought it from my cousins after she passed away. I took it home, bought some chalk paint and brought it back to life.  It sits by my front door with a Fenton glass basket from my Aunt and some other momentos inside.  My Mom had a child's tea set from Germany she gave me so that is in there too.

I think it is important to have things you love in your home.  For awhile I collected various things Only realizing later they really had no meaning to me and I didn't really love them.  I started to weed out all those things.  You can fill up your life with stuff, but in the end you can't take it with you.  Does it really matter to have all that stuff that you just like around? A house is only a home when the people you love live there and the things you put inside it show your personality.

As spring will roll around eventually it will be time to clean out and unclutter.  Take a look at the things in your home.  What do you love and what do you look at and think "not really loving this" or " you know I thought this had meaning, but it really just takes up space" ? Get rid of it. Surround yourself with only things you love.

Planning for Paris....Returning To The City Of Light In 2016

It's been 5 years since I went to Paris for the first time.  Having never gone before and since I was going to be solo, I went with a tour group. Traveling with 40 other people was great for a first time destination.  I got to see all the major sights.  It would have been hard to plan all that on my own.  Traveling with a tour is pretty much stress free.  You just pretty much show up at the airport and just sit back and enjoy!

This time however I am really going to live out my dream.  I finally made my decision to go this year after meeting a women from France that now lives in Kentucky at a Holiday Market the week before Thanksgiving.  Talking to her just got me so excited about going back that I decided I'm done TALKING about going back and actually doing it!! This  time I am going to do all the planning on my own. This makes me a little nervous. Mostly because of the language barrier.  I do know basic phrases though and hope to learn more.   I will not be going solo, I will be going with my cousins wife. I am so excited that she is going with me. I will be doing most of the research and we will be getting together to discuss details.  I want to make this a great trip for her and want to make sure she gets to check off her list of things she would like to see while there.

So far I've been checking out airfares (wow! Expensive) and since I am leaning towards renting an apartment vs going the hotel route, I've been checking out various apartment rental agencies.  I have traveled before using VRBO and AirBNB for rentals and have been very satisfied with the process.  Anyway, there are so many choices out there it's overwhelming.  I am thinking I'd like to stay in the 5th or 6th arrondissement so we are pretty central to all the main things. Being this is the first time doing this on our own I have about a million concerns such as, what kind of transportation should we take to get from CDG airport to to the city, train, taxi, or hire a service?  I guess it's mostly the fear of the unknown.

So now that the holidays are over, it is time to start the planning process. First thing to figure out is a date, then a place to stay, then the rest will come later.  A million decisions to be made.  I'm open to any and all advice.  I'd love to hear any Paris experiences or suggestions. I'm going to be documenting the planning process all the way through.  My goal is to help make it easier on those that really have dreamed about going to Paris, but are afraid to plan a trip on their own.

Oh and by the way, Thank you to my new French friend for giving me the push to finally make this happen!! Merci!

Happy New Year 2016! Out With The Old-In With The New

Happy New Year!! I'm a little sad to see 2015 go.  After all, it was one heck of a year and I got to cross my number one item off my bucket list.  The highlight of my year was getting to meet Bono, getting him to sign my arm, and getting that signature tattooed as a permanent reminder of June 28th 2015 in Chicago.

My actual Bono signature

It was nearly impossible to top that one and quite frankly I'm not sure I ever will! Even though that was the highlight of my year I got to see U2 twice in Chicago with my daughter and the look on her face and seeing her loving my favorite band like I do made it the perfect experience.

I've never been so proud!  Sharing my favorite band with Megan

In February the hubby and I celebrated our 25 anniversary with a Caribbean cruise with a short stay in New Orleans during Mardi Gras before! Wow!  That was an experience!  A week of fun in the sun and going on excursions at our ports made for a trip to remember.  We had some great family fun this year taking the ATVs up north and getting down and dirty on the trails.  Even though I had to endure a bee sting on my face after one flew into my helmet and my lip swelled up to 3 times it's size!  This year saw our daughter getting her drivers license and her first job at our home town library.  I  spent lots of quality time with close friends doing lunches, shopping, and just talking the hours away.  They were my saving grace in a year that was busy and stressfilled.

Relaxing on our cruise

My favorite guy!  25 years

Yes, 2015 was a great year, looking ahead to 2016 I see a few big changes coming.  Megan will be graduating High School in June and will be going away to college in the fall. I'm not sure how I will handle her being gone.  I always thought I would be ok, but the sooner it gets to that time the more apprehensive I get.  Like most parents facing this I worry about all the things parents worry about. The pressures of college, paying for college, will she find friends, will she get homesick?

Yes, it will be an interesting year, but I am also so super excited because after 5 years I will finally be going back to Paris.  I will be going with a family member and she and I don't have a date set yet, but I am thinking early fall.  I've begin my research on places to stay and have been concentrating in the 5th or 6th Arrondissement. I will be writing about my Paris journey along the way.  Plus, rumor has it U2 will be touring again at the end of next year so......

I hope your 2016 is filled with everything that makes you happy!  I am so grateful for the life that I have!! Cheers!

Nighttime View From The Very Top Of The Eiffel Tower

One of my favorite pictures from Paris.....

The view from the very top of La Tour Eiffel at night is breathtaking.  I am so looking forward to going back and seeing this again!!

After 4 Years, Paris Keeps Calling Me Back.

Today marks the 4th anniversary since I got on a plane and landed in Paris for the first time.  I will never forget how I tried to contain my emotions as I saw La Tour Eiffel for the first time.  I worried I might get more than a few funny looks from my fellow travelers if I was openly sobbing.  I  couldn't help it, finally I was living my dream of always wanting to see Paris.  That 5 days became the beginning of some fabulous friendships that I have maintained through today.  It also turned me into a certified Francophile and I still cannot get enough of all things Paris.  I read virtually every book that has Paris as it's subject matter,  mastered making macarons, and have tried (unsuccessfully) to learn French.  The latter I am still working on!  My house is filled with Parisian themed decor and I even picked a French name (Zoe) for my dog when we adopted her.

So my obsession is not going to fade anytime soon.  I plan on returning to Paris next year. I want to see all the things I missed the first time, but more importantly, I just want to sit in a cafe and take it all in without being in a hurry. So until then, I will enjoy the memories of that trip 4 years ago and dream of the day that I will see La Tour Eiffel again!

Fabulous Overnight Getaway To Chateau De Pere

My hubby is always full of surprises.  This past weekend to celebrate our 24th Anniversary he told me to pack a bag  after I came home from work Friday, we were heading to an undisclosed location for the night. After some questions about what to pack we headed off north.

Now you all know my obsession for all things French right?   The only hint he would give me was that our getaway had a French theme.  So imagine my happiness when we arrived after a 45 minute drive to Chateau De Pere in De Pere Wisconsin.  I had been to the restaurant, Café Chanson just this past summer for a Paris girls reunion lunch, so I was a little familiar with that. This restaurant offers traditional French food. 

Not only were we going to have a dinner later in the restarant, but we were going to stay overnight in the beautiful 36 suite hotel!  After we checked in we took the elevator to the second floor to find a beautifuly decorated King Suite with a single whirlpool tub.  It was a corner room, so we had a view of the river on two sides.  We found the room to be quiet and the king sized bed to be incredibly comfortable.  The great part was they are running a special for the month of April.  All rooms are just $69.00 a night!  Check out the website for details.

We had early dinner reservations ay Café Chanson since we were going to a comedy club later.  It was a Friday night and being it was quite early there were not many people in the dining room.  I started out with a white chocolate martini.  We then ordered a Cassolette for starters and for dinner I ordered Beef Bourguignon.  Both were delicious!

 

It was a perfect overnight getaway!  So if you are looking for a wonderful French themed place to escape to, look no further than De Pere Wisconsin.  De Pere is just a short distance to Green Bay and the famed Lambeau Field which is the home of the world famous Green Bay Packers

Tuesday Travel Snapshot-Monet's Gardens

Monet's Gardens, Giverny
I can still smell all the beautiful flowers.  April is a perfect time to go to Paris and even better to take a day trip to Giverny to visit Monet's home and gardens

Tuesday Travel Snapshot: Springtime In Paris

Welcome to my weekly Tuesday feature!  Every Tuesday I plan on posting photos from my travels to share with my followers.

This is one of my favorite photos from my trip to Paris.  I was there in early April and the flowers were blooming everywhere.  This pic was taken in front of a flower/garden shop on Rue Cler, a cute little market street near the Eiffel Tower in the 7th arrondisment.  I can almost smell them!  Since it is almost Spring here in Wisconsin USA I thought the time was right to share this photo.

How To Survive A Less Than Ideal Roommate When Traveling

Faced with wanting to save some money while traveling I had gone against my better judgment and signed up to double up on a room for my first trip to Paris. I had just one other solo traveler to choose from. She was in her 80’s and Paris was the one place she had never been to. First I told my travel guide no way, but the closer I got to the trip I thought -what the heck, I’ll meet her and decide from there.


So I made a date after a couple of phone conversation to make the trek to meet my potential roommate. We met and I was encouraged. She was well traveled and it was agreed that I would do my thing and she hers. Okay, we got along, she was spunky for her age, so I didn’t have to worry about the roommate from hell. Now all I had to do was wait for the big day to arrive.

Arrive it did. We met at the airport and almost instantly she began complaining about everything. The airline food, her headset didn’t work (a legit complaint I know), the long overnight flight. Once we arrived at CDG I didn’t see much of her (or maybe I was sub-consciously trying to avoid her) until we arrived at our hotel and were assigned our room numbers. We went up to our room and NOTHING was right. Our bags were not there yet, the room was small. The refrigerator was hard to open. You name it, it was not right. Now I on the other hand was happier than ever. The room was perfect, everything was perfect, I was in heaven, I was in PARIS!

Everything was perfect except my roommate. She complained about everything all week long. She didn’t like the food! Are you kidding me? We are in the culinary capitol of the world! If you cannot find anything good to eat here…..well forget it. Nothing pleased her and the first night I was so upset, I called home via Skype crying to my husband. He told me to see if I could get a room on my own. When we ended the call I walked outside for some fresh air and something magical happened. Our hotel had a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower. As I walked through the doors the tower lit up with all her twinkling glory and I knew right then and there that no matter how much my roommate grumbled about everything, she was not going to ruin the trip of a lifetime for me. And from that moment on I made the decision to avoid her at all costs. Come in late at night when she was sleeping and slip out for breakfast in the morning. Harsh, you may think, but there was no way I was going to pay thousands of dollars for the dream trip and have someone ruin it for me. The next morning I spoke with her and told her that I am going to do what I want to do. She seemed to think I was her travel companion and should be spending my free time with her?? Say what?

In the end, looking back, this was just a tiny bump in my Paris trip. In fact I hardly think of that part of the trip when I look back. I ended up meeting a group of ladies who took me under their wing and I had the best time with them. Seems I was not the only one that noticed my roommate’s sour disposition The whole group had stories to share with me.

So my ways to cope with a less than ideal roommate?


-Be kind, do not lose your temper

-Make your intentions clear right away

-Do not let them spoil your trip

-Do not feel you need to baby-sit them. Go do things on your own and DO NOT feel guilty about it

-If you can, get your own room, it’s not worth it just to save some money

-Most important, try and have a sense of humor, take a deep breath and do whatever you can to enjoy your surroundings.

If you want to save money and have a roommate when traveling make sure you choose wisely. I thought I did. In my case I was wrong. You don’t have to go through the same thing I did. I learned a very valuable lesson.

Have you had any roommate nightmares? I’d love to hear about them. Please share your experiences in the comments below.

More Favorite Books Featuring Paris

A while ago I wrote about my five favorite books about Paris.  Honestly who can just narrow it down to just five.  There are a ton of books out that there that choose Paris as the setting of their stories.  I try to read as many of them as I can.  I think for every one that I've read, there are probably ten more out there.  My mission is to read each and every one!I hope I live to be 105 cause that's how long it will take me!!

So from time to time I will share some of my favorites with you. Here's a few more that I'd like to pass along.......

This one is wildly popular and it is equally as popular with me!  The life of Earnest Hemingway and his wife Hadley in Paris at a time when THE place to be for all creative types was in Paris during the jazz age just fascinates me.  Maybe it has to do with my never ending love of Woody Allen's "Midnight In Paris", I just cant get enough of this time period in the city of light.  The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain is an incredible look into the lives of the Hemingway's from the time they met and beyond.  This book is rich in Paris detail.  Could you imagine living in Paris at this time? The cafe culture was alive and even though Hadley and Earnest didn't have much money at the time, it sure seems like their lives were adventurous and full of interesting friends.  Really this is a must read!

 

Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas is a well done memoir about her year spent in Paris writing ad copy for Louis Vuitton.  How could a girl get so lucky!  If you have a hankering for French pastries, you will love this one.  She takes us along for her trials and tribulations in the city of light, but better yet her description of all the sweet treats she discovers is mouth watering!!

 

Last, but certainly not least are two wonderful chick-lit books by author Juliette Sobanet.  I love how she takes us along with her characters strolling the streets of Paris.  In  Sleeping With Paris, her main character Charlotte, after moving to Paris and getting her heart broken decides to write a blog about her dating adventures with french men and ends up falling in love.

Her next book Kissed In Paris is a fun little book.  Chloe, an event planner who just a week before her wedding in the states finds herself in Paris with no money or passport after a suave con man robbed her. She then goes on a wild chase in the streets of Paris with an undercover agent named Julian to retrieve her things.  All this makes her question weather or not her buttoned up life back in the states is really for her.  I am so looking forward to Juliette Sobanet's new book Dancing With Paris coming out this summer!  You can pre-order your copy on Amazon now!

 

 

 

 

So there you have it.  Some more of my favorite "Paris" books.  I'll keep reading and share with you!  Have you read any good Paris books lately that you'd like to share.  Please leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Reliving My Paris Vacation

It's been awhile since I've posted anything.  The long dark days of winter usually mean lots of time spent hibernating at home with just short trips out.  As a result, I haven't had much to write about lately, basically just trying to lose the 10 pounds I gained during the holidays and spending my Saturdays driving an eager teenager to her beginning gymnastics classes 50 miles away. Yup, pretty uneventful, but as spring is right around the corner things are looking up. In April I have a fun overnighter planned with a very good friend to see Garbage in Madison. Absolutely LOVE seeing live music!  In June I turn the big 5-0!  I'm still trying to decide what to do to celebrate this milestone!

So as the anniversary of my Paris trip comes up, I am longing to relive those days spent in my kinda paradise.  Today I pulled out my pictures, map, and Rick Steves Paris guidebook and went back to that wonderful trip.  This was one of my favorite things from that trip.

It was day three which was a free day for everyone in our tour group.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do....go shopping of course.  My goal was to buy an authentic Longchamp handbag in Paris.  I wanted to go to a Monoprix for some french cosmetics and a few clothing items and I wanted to go to Bon Marche and  La Grande Epicerie, the gourmet grocer next door.  So armed with my trusty guidebook and my Michelin Paris map off I went in the morning after breakfast.  I was pretty confident I would have no trouble finding my way.  I love to read maps and I had studied where I was gonna go.  Since our hotel was by the Eiffel Tower I found my way to Boulevard de Grenelle and set off on foot toward La Bon Marche.  I found a nice sized Monoprix on this street right across from a Mc Donald's.  I spent lots of time here
 scanning the aisles of cosmetics and skin care items.  This was heaven to me.  So much to chose from it was making me dizzy.  I ended up buying some Boujous mineral makeup and lip-gloss and a tube of Bioderma matte primer.  I couln't leave without some cute funky jewery and some inexpensive tops. I also loaded up on some chocolates to take home. I went to check out and had a little trouble using my credit card, of course the clerk was speaking rapid fire french to me that I could not understand.  I just pulled out another card and thank goodness this one worked!!

So off I was back on Boulevard de Grenelle, then to Boulevard Garibaldi and finally Rue de Sevres to my destination.  I arrived first at La Grande Epicerie.  This grocery was unlike anything I have ever seen before.  I mainly wandered around looking at the aisles of sweet treats.  This place is a food lovers paradise! I ended up purchasing more chocolate (a surprise I know!) and some souvenirs.  By this time I had worked up an appetite and went to the pastry counter and decided a pain au chocolate would be the perfect snack.  Next stop La Bon Marche.  Here I was on a mission.  It was afternoon by this time and I wanted to get back to the hotel in time to rest a little before dinner. I easily found the Longchamp department right on the first floor.  Oh how I wished I could explore every floor of this iconic department store!  In the end I came out of there with not one but two Longchamp handbags.  Oh what a happy girl I was.  I did exactly what I set out to do that day.

Back to the hotel I went.  Wait, I had one more thing to do!  There was a pain au chocolate calling my name in one of my bags.  I found a bench on a tree lined street and sat and enjoyed that yummy pastry.  Absolute heaven,  My shopping day was complete!

My 5 Favorite Paris Books

I have debated for some time now just what are my favorite books about Paris and/or France.  There are an abundance of books both fiction and non-fiction about my favorite city.  I have read MANY of them, which is why I have been so indecisive about which are my favorites.  For the sake of keeping my post short, I have come up with 5 that have been a joy to read.  These ended up all being non-fiction, I suppose because I cannot get enough of the Parisian way of life.  I am always hoping some of that will rub off on me.  All of these books I look back at from time to time.  Guess it is part of the attempt to relive visiting Paris.  I have hard copies of all these as a result.

These are in no special order and each has its own purpose.

In preparing for my trip in 2011 I was obsessed with knowing as much about Paris as I could.  I bought Rick Steves Paris 2011.  I didn't realize what a help that book would be to me.  I carried it everywhere.  Even though I was with a tour, I wanted to know what I wanted to see on my free time. Note how I still have all those post it tabs to mark interesting things!  Also it was a god send to have after my trip when I was preparing to make my photo book and fill in my travel journal. It made it easier to recall monuments and other things that I thought I would remember but didn't

Being the committed Francophile that I am these next two taught me much about French culture.  French Or Foe by Polly Pratt explains what makes the French so different from us. From the working culture to family life, this book is a must read for anyone interested in traveling or moving to France.  Say what you want about the French, but their lifestyle makes for some interesting reading!  Along with that,  French Toast by Harriet Welty Rochefort is a wonderful memoir by a woman who grew up in Iowa but had an attraction to France.  I always admire people who can take a leap of faith and follow their dreams.  Even if those dreams take them half way across the world.  She tries to make sense of the Paris lifestyle. Not so easy for someone from Iowa!

To me the king of American expats living on Paris is David Lebovitz.  If you have never read his blog you have to take a look.  His book The Sweet Life In Paris is full of recipes done the French way and funny insights into the city of light.  As a lover of all the food Paris has to offer (especially of the sweet kind!), this book is a perfect match for me.

My last favorite book is Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange.  This book is a step by step guide to create that unique Parisian style. It is full of colorful  illustrations.  Not everyone in Paris shops at Hermes or Louis Vuitton.  There is style to be found at (gasp) your nearest Monoprix.  Buy the best you can afford for the classic pieces and have fun with the rest.

So that does it for my list.  Like I said there are lots of others that I loved (saved for another blog post perhaps).  I am always looking for books about Paris and the French.  You may have some suggestions for me.  Please let me know!

Ode To My Favorite Fashion Accessory....The Scarf

Oh dear scarf, how I love you.

I can wear you countless ways

Around my neck, or on my bag handle

You sure do aim to please

 Okay I know I am not a poet, but my love of scarves is well known.  I have always loved what a good fashion accessory can do to liven up an outfit.  Really no matter what your clothing budget is, there is always room for a colorful scarf.  You can find them in all different price ranges.  Believe me, I do not own a Hermes (although I would LOVE to). I believe the most expensive one I own cost about $25.00.

I think my love affair with the scarf began many years ago in on my first visit to Chicago on a bus trip to see Donny Osmond in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Chicago Theater.  The theater as you may know is located right by the famous then Marshall Field department store on State Street.  Our bus arrived several minutes early before the show started and I could not pass by the fact that the FAMOUS Marshall Fields was right there.  So being the shopaholic that I am, I just had to go in that store.  Of course we didn't have much time so we could only scan the accessories floor off the street.  Looking for something to catch my eye, I came upon this silky leopard print rectangular scarf!  Well it was love at first sight complete with the beam of light from above and the sound of a chorus singing awwww! Well, you get the idea.  I found my token that would forever remind me of that day.



My very first scarf bought in Chicago



That started the beginning of a very good relationship.

Then came my Paris trip!  Well I was is scarf heaven!  Everyone wore one, even the men.  They were everywhere.  I knew in my research before my trip that all Parisians owned scarves and I knew I would fit right in.  I went and bought more before I even left just so I would not feel left out!

The very first day in Paris while everyone else was strolling through Notre Dame, I took off to the little shops right along there and bought my very first scarf in Paris!  I ended up buying three more for myself and some for gifts for friends when I returned home.



My Paris scarves

I wear scarves all the time especially in winter.  I just love how they can jazz up a white blouse or a plain sweater.  Sometimes I tie my smaller ones onto the handle of my handbag for a little French flavor.

They are fun to experiment with and if you are stumped as to how to tie one, just go to Pinterest, type scarf in the search box and I guantee you will find more ways to tie a scarf than you dreamed possible.  You can be creative and tie one in your hair as a headband too.

I probably own about 15 scarves in all.  Some heavy winter ones and some lightweight silky ones like my  Chicago leopard.

So don't be afraid of the very versatile scarf.  It can add a dash of color and texture to your outfit!  It's a great way to let your personality shine through!

Advantages To Traveling Solo'

It has been one year since my trip to Paris.  I suspect I will be doing much reflecting this upcoming week on that wonderful trip and what made it so wonderful.  Seven years ago  I set up my own personal "Paris fund" to save for a trip I didn't know when I was gonna take.  I knew I was gonna do it and was hoping I would find someone to go with me.  I knew the hubby would never go, hes not a fan of cities and will not fly, so I knew it would have to be a relative or friend to go with me.  At the time I gave it little thought.  I just new someday I would go.

Last year when I knew I had enough saved up, I started to get serious about making the trip.  There was no one I knew at the time that was interested in going so I started to do research on going solo.  I really figured I could do it after spending countless hours reading the forums on the Foders travel website.  There were dozens of entries saying that Paris is one of the best cities for solo travel.  Especially for women.  There were women  writing about going to Paris multiple times by themselves.  I wanted to go bad enough that I didn't care.

Making a long story short I ended up going by myself but with a tour group, which made my hubby feel better.  He had suggested it after seeing a TV add with our local news anchor Erin Davisson hosting a trip.  It was a perfect idea and I signed up.

I went on that trip not knowing anyone.  Ten years ago I would have never dreamed of doing something so crazy. Its amazing what you can do if you really want something.  Here's some of the benefits to going solo.

You can do what you want-Okay, I LOVE shopping.  Not everyone does (I have a hard time understanding this!!). Solo travel gives you the opportunity to do what you like.  If you are an art lover, you can spend all day gazing at that Van Gogh if you like.  There's no one to worry about.  Everyone has unique expectations when they travel.

You are on your own timeline-Some people have to have a strict itinerary when they travel.  Others are happy just strolling along to discover hidden treasures that the usual tourist misses.

You may be more open to meeting people-This is very true in my case.  When I am with a friend or my hubby, I tend to "hide" behind them.  I can be more reserved and usually will not initiate a conversation with someone I do not know.  Alone I am more outgoing as long as I feel comfortable with the other person.  On my Paris trip I was with 42 strangers and by the end of the trip I think I had talked to almost everyone. Course they all made it so easy for me to feel comfortable with them.

Solo travel may be more cost effective-Especially true if you would otherwise be traveling with a spouse or child!  Some travel companions like to eat all their meals in fancy restaurants.  You may just be happy grabbing something cheap and quick from a convience store or a crepe from a street vendor!

Lastly, traveling solo gives you a boost of self-confidence-Try it and see what happens!  After doing this for a first time you may just feel like you can accomplish anything and there is nothing wrong with that feeling!