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 →
Much like the one that kicked this whole blog off, this post is being composed at some ungodly hour of the (wrong side of the) morning, largely in the hope of appeasing my overly-busy brain so I can finally get some bloody sleep. We shall see. "Why is your brain so busy?", I hear you... Continue Reading →
French is often known as the ‘language of love’, whilst Latin languages (the group to which French belongs) are generally considered to be particularly romantic – in fact, an alternative term for ‘Latin languages’ is ‘romance languages’. However, French isn’t just romantic – it can be highly practical, too. Echoing the directness of its native... 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 →
At the time of beginning this post, I am sat in the "Commissariat de Police du 7e" - i.e. the police station. I specify at the time of beginning, because I'd bloody better not be here long enough to write a whole one of my novella-posts. It's pretty dingy; I can feel the slatted aluminium... Continue Reading →
I have a new favourite activity in Paris: picnicking along the riverbank. It's no particular secret that Paris is great for picnics in general; there are beautiful parks left, right and centre, not to mention the myriad of the other attractive and/or secluded spots scattered across the city. But whilst cruising down the Seine... Continue Reading →
My mother came to visit recently (yes, we had a fabulous time, thank you), and as she is one of those numerous gluten-intolerant people who seem to be taking over the world of late* (in a household of six, I was the only one to escape), the prospect of this visit posed an interesting challenge.... Continue Reading →
Last Thursday (21st June) was the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere - i.e. the longest day of the year. It’s a day which holds diverse significance for different countries, cultures, religions, and sects; accordingly, the range of ways in which it is celebrated across the globe is vast. But this is a blog about... 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 →
