Champs Elysées

Do we feel safe in Paris?

Do we feel safe in Paris?

Every time I turn on the news or open my Twitter account I am reminded of just how volatile life is, not just in Europe, but everywhere. France has been in a state of emergency since the terror attacks just over a year ago. But there is a strong sense of solidarity among Parisians, who have taken back the streets. When Parisians were asked in a survey their favourite thing to do, the most popular answer was “walking in the streets.” Even more than sex. Apparently Hemmingway’s A Moveable Feast has become a bestseller since the attacks.

Star Struck in Paris

Star Struck in Paris

Before coming to Paris I had never eaten in a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Last week, I had lunch at two of them.

Before you start throwing stale baguettes at me, I should point out that we were hosted. We had some friends in town, staying on Ile St. Louis, the island in the middle of the Seine. They were two couples doing a week of Michelin starred dining, either a lunch or a dinner each day, and they invited us to tag along.

Getting “Perfumed” in Paris (down to my feet)

Getting “Perfumed” in Paris (down to my feet)

My beauty regime in Paris is somewhat basic. I’m taking the jolie-laide approach, like Charlotte Gainsbourg.

In October we didn’t have hot water for five days because we tripped the fuse and didn’t know how to fix it. Luckily the messy hair look is de rigeur in Paris. I mentioned to Murray I might not highlight my hair while we lived here. “You dye your hair?” he said.

A Paris Christmas Photoshoot

A Paris Christmas Photoshoot

I wanted to remember our year in Paris without one person missing from the photos (namely me, holder of iphone). Plus the Vancouver Sun had commissioned me to write a feature on Christmas in Paris (to be published December 24) so we needed some shots of everyone together, enjoying the sights and lights of Paris like we do every day.

Couture Shock

Couture Shock

I am amazed by how many couture stores there are in Paris. In one day, I might pass three Hermès locations. The flagship on Rue de Faubourg St. Honoré has a block long line up in the mornings, so they play music and have valet parking. There is always a queue at Louis Vuitton on the Champs Elysées. But are people buying, or are they shopping tourists?