Bonne année ! It’s a funny one, this year, isn’t it? Just about this time last year, the world couldn’t wait to see the back of 2020, certain that its successor could only be better, sure that we were finally getting shot of C Who Must Not Be Named. We all hugged and hurrayed with... Continue Reading →
To some, autumn signifies the end of summer. It’s an unwelcome thing that a lot of people resign themselves to, reluctantly accepting the seasonal transition, already wistful for the warmer weather. I’m not one of those people. To me, that undefinable sweet, smoky scent that suffuses the cooling air heralds change, promising new beginnings. I... Continue Reading →
Summer is unmistakably coming to a close. The days are still warm (and sometimes sunny), but you can feel it in the cooling evening air, see it in some indefinable quality of the morning light. I’m no longer leaving the windows of my little rooftop apartment thrown open until the last possible moment before going... Continue Reading →
WELL. This anglaise has been having all kinds of adventures recently – although for the most part, they weren’t occurring in Paris, or even France, so I initially decided against immortalising them in blog form. However, a good portion of those adventures took place in Tuscany, and I feel that the part of my heart/soul... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I wrote a blog post entitled Paris is Closed. It was about how, every year, half the city packs up and migrates South (or abroad) for the summer - much like a flock of impeccably dressed birds - and, consequently, a lot of independent shops and restaurants close for several weeks. As... Continue Reading →
You'll have to excuse the geeky Greek mythology reference in the title; strange though it may seem, Classics grads don't get to use their degrees too often in real life. If you're not into slightly obscure deities from ancient cultures (though I find it hard to imagine why anyone wouldn't be), Eos is the Greek... Continue Reading →
I was planning to do a nice, traditional Valentine’s blog post about creative date ideas in Paris. Something romantic, you know. Only then I remembered that, between our 6pm curfew, everything being closed, and the fact that it’s absolutely bloody freezing this week - perhaps the coldest weather we’ve had in the four winters I’ve... Continue Reading →
Joyeuse Chandeleur ! Nope, that's not a real greeting in french, I just made it up - but any day consecrated to the consumption of crêpes is worthy of one, in my humble opinion. And Chandeleur is exactly that.* It falls on the 2nd February every year, 40 days after Christmas. The french name derives... Continue Reading →
Solo travel is a special kind of time to yourself, when there’s no obligation or pressure to do anything specific or productive. How often, in the busy balancing act of grown-up life, do we get the opportunity to spend several (waking) hours in total repose, without any guilt or consequences?
Let’s face it, there’s been a lot more to complain about than there has been to celebrate in 2020. It really was one hell of a year, and I don’t mean that in the good way. For me, among other things, it’s included spending six months jobless, and three of those without seeing another human... Continue Reading →
Adventures of an Anglaise 