We were on our way to Lyon when we almost ran over this guy and his two Siberian huskies pulling him on his bike. Instead of running into him, we rode next to him to hand him a donation. He’s Randolf Westphal and he’s been biking all over the world with his dogs for more [...]

Sunday spring mornings in Paris are too perfect to miss. Most of the city is asleep after those wild Saturday nights. The light is soft, and the places that will soon be overrun with footsteps … are empty. Pure and quiet. I love to photograph during these “magic hours.” The light feels as if it’s [...]

Each time I field the question, “do you think you’ll move back to the States?”, I hesitate. I think it’s because I feel guilty about my answer and verbalizing it gives it more weight; makes it more real. No, I don’t think we will. My reasons are numerous but one of the factors, aside from [...]

The meeting I had last week was one of those strange but entertaining days where what would appear to be a boring hour or two, was instead, filled with some appeal. The actual content of the meeting was not interesting at all, but if not for the office’s medieval armor and weapon collection, which took [...]

I hate it that even though we won’t be leaving Paris until the beginning of July, the “lasts” are already coming fast furious — the last time at my gym (because I’m too cheap to pay the exorbitant short term membership rate now that my normal subscription has expired), my last trip with the French [...]

My boyfriend complained about not having a Bible at home. “But we have a Bible,” I said, pointing to my grandmother’s brown and dusty edition. “But I can’t read it,” he answered. “Because it is in Spanish. I need it in French.” I need it. Why did he need a Bible? Bible knowledge, from a certain [...]

A friend at Bookspread reports from the Salon du Livre The Salon was divided in, roughly, five zones: comics and manga, children’s books, e-books, French publishers and international stands (Argentina, Nordic countries, Lebanon, Hungary and Poland were among them). The only book in English that I found was a fake guide to Beirut, but there [...]

The droplets of water snaking down the window remind you of something you heard recently – Paris is a wetter city than London. English rain comes little and often, but in Paris, when it rains, it really rains. Tuesday night the skies have opened up and you’re stuck in this bar. The staff are unfriendly, and [...]

The train, already rolling along at snail pace, finally shrieks to a determined stop. Outside, the deep darkness of the tunnel, heavy and silent. The carriage is crowded, more so than normal on this day of delays, and one or two people let out a sigh. Others, used to such incidents, continue reading books and [...]

I am sick to death of hearing people bitch and moan about living in Paris. I come across people every day who complain about the fact that they are forced to live here – a prisoner in this awful city – at the mercy of their relationship, or less often, their job. Really, so many people [...]