Tour de France - from the air

Here is a photo I wish I had taken! No, I definitely didn't get to ride in the helicopter, but I saw this online and thought it was such a great photo of the race and the Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe that I just wanted to show it to you. You can see why they call this the "Place de l'Etoile" (star)

The American Library in Paris

I've just returned from my weekly visit to the American Library in Paris. Books are expensive, and I was running out of reading material. The used book stores don't always have a good selection, and besides, I'm still traveling light and don't want to encumber myself with "stuff". So I was delighted to discover the American Library. I never knew it existed, even though it was founded in 1920. It moved to its current location just east of the Eiffel Tower in 1964. I wish I'd known about it when I lived here in the 70s! It's only 1 km from the apartment I lived in at that time, just on the opposite side of the Champs de Mars. However, it is on a small side street with an almost invisible sign marking its location. It would be easy to live a block away and never know it was there.






It's not too far from where I'm living now, and the first time I went there I took the bus. It's much faster to get there by bike, and I can carry several pounds of books in my backpack. One more way to pass the time alone in Paris :-)

Cooking for one

I love French food and I love French markets. I go to the market almost every day - and I have for years. Even when I lived in Boulder. It probably dates back to the time we spent in Paris in the 70s. It's just a way of life here. That, and the fact that my fridge is tiny (it was back then too). Furthermore, I like living my life au pif. That means not planning ahead, not preparing menus a month at a time. I like to wake up each day and think about what sounds good. I never think about what I'll eat or do tomorrow or the next day.

I don't mind taking the time to shop and cook for one. And my current apartment is much better equipped and pleasant for dining in. Here's what a few recent lunches or dinners have looked like:


It did occur to me as I was enjoying the steak and tomatoes that I remember my mother savoring the steak she cooked for herself after we were asleep. It was the only time of the day when she had peace and quiet. But I don't think she bothered with the glass of wine, the heirloom tomatoes or the fresh basil.


Fresh ravioli from the Italian deli down the street . . .

Sometimes, especially if I've had a big lunch, I'll have something light for dinner. Something simple. Last night is was just cereal (Special K - yes, they sell Special K in the ordinary grocery stores) with milk and fresh strawberries from the market.

The Tour de France

It's been thrilling to watch the Tour de France on TV. Even better to see the race up close and personal, right?

I hopped on my bike hoping to catch some good photos of the Tour de France finish on the Champs Elysees. Ha! Easier said than done. At least 300,000 other people all had the same idea. I made it only as far as the rue de Rivoli, across from the Tuileries gardens near the Louvre, on the east end of the final loop. I couldn't wiggle my way into the front row, but I did manage to stick my arm and camera in between a few people so that I could snap a few photos.

Here are the best of them. Remember, I don't have one of those big fancy cameras with speedy shutter speed and long lens!






I tried moving down the street to find a better spot. I climbed up some steps, but just caught a big blur as they whizzed by at 50+ km/hr.



This is about as close as I could get to the winner in the yellow jersey, Alberto Contador. Oh well.


You can find much better pictures on TV or the Tour website, but it was exciting to be there and to see them speed past.

New helmet

I finally picked up a new bike helmet. I've been riding my bike regularly, and even though Paris has quite a few bike lanes like this one:


It's still a little scary mixing it up with buses and cars. So now, and after some urging by those who care about me, I have a new bike helmet. The helmet I had back in Boulder didn't have pink flowers, but hey, this is Paris! And it matched the pink shirt I happened to be wearing. I was more concerned with protecting my head than looking good, but the bike shop owner assured me that this will do a good job protecting my head while still looking "fun" (yes, they use the English word).


Now I am off to watch the arrival of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Stay tuned for photos!

Paris Plages (beaches)

Can't decide between staying in the city and going to the beach? No problem. In Paris you can do both! From the 20th of July to the 20th of August, the city of Paris brings in over a 1000 tons of sand and converts almost 3 km along the banks of the Seine in central Paris into a giant "beach" with recreation areas for adults and children.

I rode over on my bike yesterday to check it out. It was a Thursday afternoon, temperature in the 70s, so there were just a fraction of the numbers that will seek out the deck chairs, umbrellas, sprinklers, and games on the weekend when the weather climbs into the high 80s. Here is just a sample:








A free library:




Several snack bars where you can find everything from beer to fruit smoothies, and of course, ice cream:


There are tons of options for children. Games, drawing, science experiments, entertainers, and the opportunity to try things that kids normally wouldn't get to do. Like riding on a BMX track:



or jumping in a trampoline:


And everything except for the food is absolutely FREE!

"The Right to Write"

I just finished reading The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life by Julia Cameron. Actually, I've been savoring it, saving it, reading one or two of its short essays each morning along with my breakfast. I didn't want it to end.

It was a great find for an amateur writer such as myself. In it, Julia Cameron insists that anyone can and should write for the sheer pleasure of it. It's about the process, not about the product. She points out that we have created a whole mythology about what it means to be a "writer". "Real writers are published", or "real writers make a living from their writing". As a result, most of us are intimidated and never even begin.

I was one whose experience of writing was in college: literary criticism, academic, forced, and returned in its final form with lots of red marks, never to be touched again. It was not introspective or creative. Not something that could grow, evolve or resonate with others. I never kept a diary or journal and it never occurred to me that writing could show me the way out or through. I've only recently found that by simply sitting down and putting pen to paper that I can allow the pen to take me to places I've never explored. I usually end up someplace much different than the place I start from. And I feel better. Too bad it took me 50+ years to find this out!

I took my first writing class just last year. My friend Dee in Boulder offered a memoir writing class and I discovered the tremendous support offered by a small group of caring women. Dee introduced us to the difference between "process" and "craft" and with the gentle feedback and encouragement provided in the class, I witnessed for myself how a piece could evolve and improve. Wow, maybe writing is something you can learn!

Once I had a taste of this writing life, I started reading as much as I could about the process and craft. I discovered Lisa Dale Norton's Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir, and of everything I'd read, this small book stood out as the very best of its kind. It changed everything for me. In January of this year I started an online writing course offered by Lisa and I look forward to additional online courses with her. I was thrilled to meet Lisa Dale Norton in person when she visited Paris this spring, and her professional advice and personal friendship are priceless.

Finally, when embarking on this voyage to Europe I decided to start writing a blog; partly as an open letter and record of my travels for friends and family, and partly as a continuation of my own self discovery. I am still often intimidated and embarrassed to label myself as "writer" in my profile, and while I would never dream of writing a whole book, I find that biting off small chunks and writing these thoughts and observations is less onerous than I imagined. "Writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." E.L. Doctorow.

Thank you, dear Readers, for your indulgence. And thank you for your comments and your encouragement.

It is with the 'permission', encouragement, and tools provided in books like Julia Cameron's The Right to Write that makes the trip worthwhile.