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?
Single for the first time since the age of 19, I recently ventured onto the dating scene in Paris - via the weird world of dating apps. And it really is a bloody weird world.
This morning saw the first frost of the year, at least as far as my own experience goes. Not in my neighbourhood - central Paris rarely sees frost at all. But arriving in Boulogne-Billancourt for work today, once I had managed to squeeze my way through the tangle of people inadvertently blockading the doors of... Continue Reading →
I made it! As of two-and-a-bit weeks ago, I have now been resident in France for a full year. I would have written about it on the day, but I actually celebrated my ‘anniversary’ by being in another continent – where I was a) making the most of every precious minute with friends and family... Continue Reading →
Paris in August is a strange phenomenon. The holiday allowance is so generous for most people working in France, that it’s perfectly common to take three weeks, if not a whole month, of leave in the summer. I’d hazard a (completely unsubstantiated and non-scientific) guess that about 90% of Parisians depart from the city for... Continue Reading →
A little while back, I wrote a post in defense of that which is dismissed as too ‘touristy’ and therefore shunned. I don’t know what’s prompting me to do so now, but I’ve decided to make a brief list outlining examples that support the argument I was making in said post: "...just because something is... Continue Reading →
I’ve gotten so lax with posting regularly. It’s more difficult than I thought, this blogging malarkey. Certainly, it’s far more time-consuming. I keep telling myself that I should write shorter posts – if I spend less time writing them, I’d surely write more. And they’d be quicker to read, which, I’m told, is The Key... Continue Reading →
This is a short post to announce that, as of last week*, I am now the exceptionally proud and delighted owner of one authentic 1960’s typewriter. For someone who endeavours to fill their life with as many attractive clichés as possible, the mere fact of ownership is enough to please all by itself. The thought... Continue Reading →
A very good/bad thing happened last week (was it really only a week ago? Goodness.). You may have read in one of my earlier posts that the best things about my job were: The view from the very large window next to my desk (Eiffel Tower, anyone?) My boss is possibly the nicest woman on... Continue Reading →
Happy International Women’s Day! This morning, I dragged myself into the office a whole thirty minutes early to join my colleagues in a celebratory breakfast and it was so great to see the room packed with a healthy mix of both men and women, many wearing purple in honour of the occasion. For my part,... Continue Reading →
