Apr 15
Inspired by the winter flooding on Venice’s St. Mark’s Square, the 3,000 square meters water feature on Bordeaux’s well-designed boardwalk, floods with a thin layer of water followed by an apocalyptic mist effect when the water mysteriously disappears on the hour. (Architects: P. Gagnet and Atelier R. Landscape Architects: Michel and Claire Corajoud)
Continuing on with my non-French cheekiness…I have to share a few more photos of Keukenhof and the tulips from the surrounding villages in Holland. Remember Amsterdam is just over 3 hours from Paris by train, and fares start as low as €70 aller-retour. Another thing to love about living in France.
Vocabulaire:
aller-retour: round trip
I’m going to be a bit cheeky again and add Amsterdam to the list of the things I love about France.
I know the Netherlands is not part of France. I know French isn’t the native tongue (although some residents speak French, along with two or three other languages), and I know I should be spending my last few months in France rather than dipping in and out of other countries. But with the high-speed train network crisscrossing France and the rest of Europe, it’s hard not to take advantage of extremely cheap rail tickets and take a peek at how the non-French live.
After four lively days in Amsterdam and the surrounding areas, I have to say, I’m pretty jazzed about the Dutch and how they run their capital city. First of all, they are so organized, efficient, and clean. Second, they all ride bikes all the time and everywhere. (In fact, there are more bikes in Amsterdam than residents.)
Third, they speak American English. Fourth, stroopwafels hot off the griddle oozing caramel and dipped in chocolate are to die for. Fourth, their canal system and ability to make land where there was only water is remarkable.
Fifth, friets, or “French” fries smothered in Dutch mayonnaise, just may make a heart attack worth having.
But the real reason to travel to Amsterdam in the springtime is the tulips…those flat and insanely brilliant fields of tulips, that seem to go on and on for miles, or kilometers, I suppose. Seeing and smelling these fields of colorful perennials has been on my bucket list since I was a shy 10-year-old girl dreaming about my future beyond the Wild West. I drew the Netherlands from a hat for my fourth grade term paper, “Countries of the World”, and since the moment I discovered the tulip fields in LIFE Magazine in 1974, I have been itching to go.
And now I’ve been, and seen, and smelled, and it was glorious. So I have another thing to love about France. Life in Paris gave me my jumping off point to realize one of my first childhood desires and see it first hand, just as I planned nearly 40 years ago.
Apr 10
I had the opportunity to attend an electrifying vocal concert in Paris last weekend.
As you have probably gathered, I love the performing arts and I try to support my children, my friends, and my friends’ children whenever possible. Last Friday was no exception, but it turned out to be exceptional.
Late as usually, I zoomed down to the Marais to support my friend Andrea in her new choral home: VOICES Choir International. And, boy, am I glad I did. Aside from Button’s run in Pasek and Paul’s EDGES last spring, this was the most inspiring and glee-inducing performance I have seen in France.
VOICES Choir International has been around since 1989 and is headed up by the dynamic Bonnie Woolley, an American vocalist and choral director, who exudes the kind of passion and love for her craft that is almost disarming in the often serious world of choral music. Her smile and wit (even en français) is contagious. With her are 40 talented singers from around the globe who give their all. Their repertoire consists mainly of Negro Spirituals and popular and contemporary Anglo-Saxon music. On Friday, it was dedicated exclusively to Spirituals.
I have never seen a group of musicians enjoy themselves and each other so much. I sat there thinking, “Is this much fun legal?” Together in song, they made it impossible for the audience to sit still. I was reminded of the few times I have attended a Baptist church service in the South. They just needed some fabulously bright and ribboned Sunday hats, and I could have been sitting in the pew with my dear friend Sarah in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Do you know the saying: “Live like there is no tomorrow. Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one can hear you. Laugh like no one is listening.”
Well VOICES does all of the above, but amplified.
I’m not sure if the Spirit moves them, but JOY certainly does.
Look them up the next time you are in Paris or the next time you need to smile and remember the good. You’ll be delighted you did.
Apr 6
Who says the French aren’t HAPPY and fun? C’est pas vrai!
Take a look at all these happy Frenchies dancing around in Montmartre. I LOVE this. I dare you not to smile (and dance). Thanks to Julie and Meeting the French for reminding me that there is a lot of joy in this country.
Vocabulaire:
Ce n’est pas vrai! (C’est pas vrai!) It’s not true!
Apr 5
Apr 3
365+ Things I Love About France 