What Ana Does

I've had this illustration in our dining room for years, and I didn't realize it at first, but it's a square in Paris (here's the original post ). So, before we left Paris this winter, we hunted down the exact spot it was created. Here's the print ... Cuca Rowley  and here's the actual square called Place Furstenberg ( see it on the map ). The Square Near the End of the Day Obviously Cuca caught it in the fall and this is last winter in Paris. It's located near the lovely St. Germain neighborhood (close to the frozen yogurt shop we frequented) and in that left corner is the teeny Velasquez museum.  And here's Leah modeling in front of the light post from the other direction ... which, in our opinion, was a much prettier view.  Our Cuca View It is always fun for pictures to come to life by visiting the actual places they represent.   Related links: Our Cuca Romley Story

We've lived in several apartment buildings in our past, including in Hoboken, the Bay Area of San Francisco and Ohio ... but our apartment here in Paris has been a very different experience in a few regards. First, it's been under some kind of renovation since we moved in. They've been adding a 6th floor (expanding the attic space into livable units) which included switching off the elevator to add a 6th floor stop that lasted two months. There's also continues painting projects and units that get renovated. For a 1903 building, it's a hum of construction activity. We also have a women who manages the building, much like a "super," called a gardienne . She lives in the building, near the front door, and deals with the constructions guys, trash, sweeps up around the building and vacuums the stairs. She walks dogs and does grocery shopping for the little old lady who lives next door. If there's an issue with the building, we see her. She knows (a...

I joined a tour of the Impressionists and their landscapes with an art historian (what a great career!) at the Musee d'Orsay and I was amazed that I've been living in Paris for over a year and haven't been to visit this museum yet. I've been here a few times before, but "dang! I could have been visiting this museum once a month! What have I been doing with my time?" It's such a big, beautiful museum with some amazing works of art ... including some Impressionist masterworks! For example, I studied this piece in art history class but am always wowed by how LARGE it is. My friend Alex is there for proportion. Money had to dig a ditch to drop the canvas to a height he could reach the top! Monet's Garden Party. The Three Women on the Left Are the Same ... Monet's Wife My favorite Degas sculpture is here, too, and she's my own personal touchstone; there's one at the Met in NYC as well, and I would often visit her there. Don't you ju...

I cross the Pont de l'Alma bridge a few times a week, to go to the American Library and other errands, and this bridge has an AMAZING view of the Eiffel Tower. And it's so beautiful everyday , in every weather, in every light and I have to restrain myself for taking out my phone and taking a photo every time I'm on the bridge. Because my photo storage would be clogged with Eiffel Tower pics. But I do take some pictures, because I can't help it sometimes. The Eiffel Tower is art, people! And even after a year seeing it on an almost daily basis, I could continue looking at it forever. In the Snow!  With the Girls at Halloween With the River and Bridge The View at Twilight ... Ahh!  Related posts: More Paris Life stories

It took me awhile to get used to some of the number conventions here in France. And not just the obvious ones. So let's talk numbers ... What Time Is It?! There was a lot of paperwork when we first moved, so I was quick to remember the convention for dates: just flip the month and day. For example, July 14, 2019 is 12/7/19. It's the day/month/year, where is we do it month/day/year. You get it. Time is told mostly on the 24-hour clock so, to assimilate, I challenged myself to think of 21:00 as bedtime, instead of always converting it. The trick is to subtract 12 (in most cases) to get the 12-hour clock time (eg. 18:00 - 12 becomes 6:00pm). But the kids are still confused by the time and they constantly ask me "what time it is?" when they only see the digital clock in the kitchen. And we have an analog clock in the hallway, so that messes them up further. Of course, everything is in Celsius and the metric system, as it is everywhere else in the world but A...

We're in love with renting electric scooters off the streets -- because it's awesome, fun and the kids will go just about anywhere if we can rent a scooter. Here in Paris, we have a few companies that maintain these scooters. We use Lime, because they seem to be everywhere. In fact, our corner seems to be a distribution point; several mornings each week, there's a half dozen scooters all powered-up and ready to go. Because these scooters can get going pretty fast and are recommended to be used in bike lanes and streets instead of sidewalks (we use all three, depending on where we're going), you have to be over 18-years-old to use. This makes sense to me as there have been a few instances where I've zoomed across busy intersections and it helps to know street laws. In the fall, we took the scooters across most of Paris to get to a restaurant in the St. Germaine neighborhood. We went along the river for most of the way. It didn't take us less time than the m...

I'll admit it, I had sooo many books I wanted to bring back to Paris from the States that I packed a separate carry-on backpack when we returned last week. Curious to know what I brought? Here's what made the cut, from top to bottom -- Red Glove by Holly Black - this is an older ya book, the second in a series, that I started years ago. But I keep wondering what happens to Cassel, the main character, and how he deals with his horrible family and circumstances. I have the third book and I'm sure I'll regret not packing that, too. Let's Go (So We Can Get Back) by Jeff Tweedy - this autobiography of the oddly charming Wilco lead singer called to me because that title could absolutely be the title of my own memoir. Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith - I found this at Target and I've been thinking so hard about arranging furniture in my house that this just made sense to develop some strategies that lean toward the minimal. This Will Only Hurt...

When the Baguettes Are Warm! I'm just going to say it: Paris isn't a foodie destination. I know, CRAZY right?! But after traveling to a few other European cities, I'm struck by how limited the food options are here in Paris and now I can't unsee it. But first ... Yes, you can find French bistros on almost every corner, and some are fantastic and some are so-so (there's honestly no way to tell). So, if you're in the mood for an omelette, a salad or a cheese sandwich ( croque ) -- and have a few hours to tuck into a nice meal, because service will be traditionally slow -- than, you're all set. (Though, you can't sit outside on the sidewalk terrace unless you want to inhale second-hand smoke. Blah!) And YES if you just want a delicious baguette sandwich or a pastry, you are in the right city because they are everywhere, and usually delicious. The baguettes and butter here are the best in the world. No competition. (So, as a tourist, you'...

I'm not a negative person so this isn't a post I want to write, but it's part of this expat experience, so I feel obligated to whine a bit after 11 months of living in Paris. So excuse my bitchin'.  I posted about drizzle , the smokers and dog poo on the sidewalks when we first arrived ( read here ). Still very annoying. I've spotted young teens and even mamas walking their babies puffing away on a cigarette ... and I just want to scream. And vapers, yes I see you, and yes I'm very seriously grossed out by it. Yuck. Also, Paris is a large metropolitan city, so of course we've got your usual city issues: it's dirty, cars everywhere, our neighborhood drunk homeless guy, etc. We worked in New York City for a decade, so all things we are familiar with. But anyway ... there are a few more to items to add to this list: First,  motorcycled and motorized scooters (Vespa-like) are completely  lawless . They drive on sidewalks, up the wrong way on one...

Another Foggy, Misty Day in Paris 9:00am - coffee with some of the ladies from school -- including one other American. We discuss what kind of dinner we'll be creating tonight to simulate Thanksgiving. We gush about the smart friends who drove 45 minutes to the Paris Costco to buy stuffing and a few large pies. Why didn't we think about that?! My plan is to look for a pumpkin pie in some of the bakeries and international food shops in my neighborhood. Turkey is out, as they don't eat that bird here, but maybe chicken? 10:30am - a trip to three markets and nothing at all. Christmas food is everywhere, though. So I've changed to hamburgers -- because what's more American than hamburgers!? I thought briefly about buying a rotisserie chicken, but we're leaving tomorrow for the weekend in London and I didn't want to deal with all the leftovers. 11:00am - realizing that I haven't made really anything for Thanksgiving is years, as this is my mother-...

Halloween in Paris has been quite an experience. This is my favorite holiday to decorate for but there's not a cobweb or over-sized spider in my entire apartment.  In fact, I thought the entire holiday would pass us by, but the girls are always discussing Halloween costumes, starting in November for the following year, and they'd find some reason to wear them. Which they did.  The American Library in Paris hosted a halloween party on Saturday evening, with some "cool" teen events. They even got a few local businesses involved so the kids could "trick or treat." So, we found a local fabric store and crafted-up some costumes. Leah was Ms. Marvel using an old dress and some cool, shiny fabric. Alice was a woodland elf with fake ears I found on Amazon. It took a bit of time, but you know I love making costumes.  They turned out cute! And they were able to wear them to school on Friday and show them off to their friends.  An Elf and a Super ...

Ever since we moved to Paris, well, actually, since becoming a parent, I've wanted the girls to learn independence. And living in a city is a great way to extend more opportunities for them to be independent, especially when it comes to transportation. In a city, walking to places is simple and safe (mostly, those motorcycles are the worst!) and completely new to our daily life, coming from the suburbs. So, Leah gets herself to school and back. And Alice is walking home from ballet class on her own. (She begged to be allowed to do this, and I am so proud of her doing it.) Of course I made sure their street-crossing skills were good, understood the way home and all the stranger-danger stuff. Plus, Leah sometimes walks with a friend and lately she's been stopping for a chocolate croissant on the way home. It's absolutely great. It's these opportunities, to get themselves to and from places, that I can't give them in suburbia. But it's just the thing to ...

With the new OS on my iPhone, there's an app keeping track of how much time is spend on the phone -- have you seen this? I had already been thinking about wanting to decrease my phone usage time -- as I find, like most people, I pick it up all too often. But with this tracker I now know I average two hours a day on my phone!!! Two hours! That seems nuts! Imagine how many other things I could do! And why am I surprised when I now catch the girls grabbing their phones all day, too?! So I had started stopping myself before I opened the screen or leaving the phone in another room, etc. to avoid using it when it wasn't really necessary. And I was starting to drop my usage just a little. Fast-forward to this week, when I finally got around to fixing my cracked phone screen. We got the insurance on my iPhone we bought here so I just needed to drop it off at a store. Little did I know they would send it away to be fixed ... for "about two weeks." The Loaner So I...

This week is Semaine du Climat in France ... or a week devoted to learning more about climate change and sustainable development. You know I'm completely on board with this! At the girls school, they're going to be encouraging sustainable practices with a daily theme. In case you're willing to play along, here's the schedule, how they described it and my (snarky) notes: Monday: A day without plastic straws.  They'll "promote reusable metal straws as a substitute to plastic." Or, hey guys, don't use any at all?! It's a straw, humans have been drinking just fine without them for centuries. Tuesday: A day without a plastic bottles. The school will "encourages students and staff to bring a reusable water bottle/flask to school to avoid consuming drinks in plastic bottles." Again, this really should be enforced every day. Wednesday: A day without packaging. They'll "encourages students to bring their own containers when purc...

At the beginning of September, I created a list of goals for our first Fall here in Paris (you know I love a goals list!) and here's the update.  (Post: This Fall in Paris I Will...) I'm happy to report things are really starting to roll. Ballerina Alice First, I got the girls into some (not a lot) after-school activities. Alice joined a French ballet class -- as in not one person, including the teacher, speaks English. She's learning quickly. Leah decided to join the school soccer team, after almost two years off. And now that she's taller and so much more coordinated and confident, she's so good! I'm so happy she was willing to try again -- though, I think it had more to do with the friends who are also playing. For me, I found a yoga class, and friend, to take weekly. And a bootcamp class through another mother at school. Then, I committed to take up a weekly CrossFit class because it's something David loves and I thought we could eventually d...

Now that we're settled here in Paris (a sentence I say more often than I should because it sounds so cool!) it's really time to thrive here. To that end, I have some aspirations for our first Fall season in Paris ... Enroll the girls in after-school activities. At least three a week. And not be limited by non-English classes. Throw them in with the French kids! Immersion!  I will consider finding a French tutor to help the girls. They are having trouble picking it up and a little help after school with a fun teacher might work.  I will also consider hiring a cleaning person to deep clean the apartment once a month. I'm not keeping up.  I will find weekly activities for myself. Such as: yoga, boot camp, volunteering, helping at kids' school.  I will book several weekend travel trips, that are three-hours or less on a train. Includes: Amsterdam, London, Strasbourg, Nice, Antwerp, Geneva, etc.  I will also book amazing family vacations for school days ...

We had been warned that Paris would be positively empty in August, as most residents take the month off from work and go to the beach or into the mountains. But we were unprepared for how empty the city is. There are only a few cars parked outside my window. The roads are a slow trickle of traffic rather than the normal rush. The grocery store had no lines at the checkout. And several businesses, including the fresh market, is shuttered. Of course the tourist attractions were still busy but our visiting friends said that most bistros are filled with Americans or non-French speakers. And given the lack of air conditioning and the heat wave that hit at the end of July here (thankfully after we had left for Illinois), I don't blame them for the exodus. We're unsure when the masses return. With school starting next week, and August ending, I assume within the next seven days. But you never really know.

Time to go! It was a busy few weeks on our summer vacation here in Illinois. We saw lots of friends and family. Ate a proper American cheeseburgers, grilled and made biscuits a few times. And I got the house a bit more sorted. But, now it's time to head back to "home" and Paris.

I called the open time between when school got out and when we left for the States "Camp Paris 2018" ( see first post here ). I worried about keeping the kids busy and there are still a ton of sights in Paris on my list. So, off we went. And, I will add, we didn't wait in line anywhere. Maybe the first week of July is the best time to visit Paris? Who knows!? It wasn't all good news. The girls staged a mutiny after the first week, refusing to go to another monument or museum. Sigh. So, we spent more days than I care to admit to watching movies, crafting and hanging out around the (very warm) apartment. Such is summer, I guess. Here's a breakdown of the places we DID see ... Parc Zoologique de Paris (also known as Zoo de Vincenne)  Link:  https://www.parczoologiquedeparis.fr/ Price: 50€ for 1 adult, 2 kids Summary: Loved it! Even though it was 40 minutes on the metro from our apartment (on the opposite side of the city), the ride felt quick. Maybe beca...

What a weekend to be in Paris! On Saturday we celebrated Bastille Day (not called that here, it's formally "la Fête nationale")  by catching a glimpse of the military parade and air show at the Champs Elysees. The weather is glorious, if a little hot and humid, so the whole city was out waving flags. We didn't get a great view, but we loved walking around the city with so many of the roads closed to cars. That night, we braved the crowds and headed to Pont de Grenelle (an easy 15 minute walk from our apartment) where we have a great view of the Eiffel Tower, for the fireworks at 11pm. (We looked in to going up onto our roof, but didn't feel brave enough to knock on the door of the 5th floor neighbor or use the rickety scaffold.) We should have listened to Alice and headed toward the Trocadero, because our view was lousy and the crowds were getting rowdy. We hightailed it out of there before it was over. We saw some video the next day, and it looked lik...