“I wasn’t looking for eligible bachelors, but married Frenchmen with children.
In other words, I was the newest addition to Au Pair World dot com.” Continue reading swf seeking family of four: the almost au-pair
(a South-of-France staycation, ii) When the throbbing commercialism of Rue d’Antibes and the reality of competing for a spot on the beach prove tiresome, just hop on a ferry and leave the bustle of Cannes behind for some peace. Île Saint-Honorat is a storybook-lovely spot for a tranquil morning walk: or, if you’d rather, a weekend (or lifetime) of dedicated prayer. At last count, the … Continue reading population, 21: exploring Île Saint-Honorat
A lazy Saturday afternoon, some gypsy jazz, and flowing champagne. Taylor and I stand in la Chope des Puces, a tiny, ancient jazz club in Saint-Ouen in Paris’s 18th arrondissement. We are crammed against the wooden bar, standing-room only. The bar isn’t packed but it’s tiny, and several families and couples have already claimed the tables and are enjoying late lunches or glasses of wine. … Continue reading gypsy jazz
If I wrote my own version of Rebecca Solnit’s “Men Explain Things to Me,” it would be called “French People Tell Me What to Do.” That’s what a lot of my life here is, saying okay when I’m not sure that it is, taking someone’s word for it because I certainly don’t know enough to argue with them. I thought it was due to the … Continue reading french people tell me what to do
Bordeaux began as all good trips should, as a decision made at two in the morning the night before. Blame train travel for enabling my dangerously spontaneous ways: the luxury (or gamble) of the young and single. Bordeaux was another city I knew nothing about, but for its association with red wine. It was closer to Montluçon, though, and I wanted to avoid another six-hour train ride, … Continue reading bordeaux: à la foire
Croissants & Conjugations 