Paques!

Not being religious, having no family here, and not really knowing what traditions to partake in, Jay and I celebrated Easter in a way I hope to model all following Easters on for years to come. We started with a homemade batch of banana blueberry pancakes, followed by a walk through Montmarte cemetery. Looking and lingering at tombs that are petite examples of gothic, Greek, roman, and medieval architecture, we nearly stumble onto the tomb of Alexandre Dumas. It was all too strange timing-just that morning I had finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo. As Jay put it, “have you ever finished a 900page book by an Author and then topped it off that same day visiting their grave?!?” Strange indeed. After that a visit to a secret garden that under a cherry tree-led to kissing-led to walking back home for a roll in the hay(I can tell you that because I am in Paris with my lover and you can assume an awful lot of that is happening no doubt, it is practically obligatory I assure you).

In time for a peach and coral colored sunset, we grab some room temperature beers(they don’t sell them refrigerated) and go out to the boulevard in front of our house to take in a part of Paris not found on a post card. We live near the Moulin Rouge and it makes for some pretty hilarious “site-seeing” at times I assure you. Full of people watching and making jokes about the Porno shops and Sex shows packed in with horrible hallal shops and cheap Chinese import stores selling 3Euro berets and Eiffel tower key chains.

When the sun goes down and the “working girls” head out wearing their best white plastic platform heels and lycra mini-dresses, we head back upstairs to our petite apartment. Easter dinner is a roasted rabbit sausage on fresh baguette, and we top the day off watching Back to the Future.

Paques. My new favorite holiday.

Printemps

Printemps. Spring in Paris. Time to get busy making beautiful things. That is definitely what I have been doing lately. Making memories, picnics, and of course- lamp shades.With parks packed with rows and rows of perfectly manicured lawns and trees trimmed to horticultural haute couture, Paris is the perfect place to get inspired by the spectacle of Spring. Awakened by sunny mornings, the day blossoms into 76deg. bliss. Up near Sacré Coeur or near our apartment in Montmarte, I sew and shape shades three days a week, and spend the other four exploring and eating my way through the arrondissements with my lover, Jay.

It’s not easy to find time to write when there is so much to imbibe, inspire, and enjoy. To start-Parc Monceau, a natural styled park with many hidden monuments and sculptures enfolded in its foliage. Compared to the Tuileries or Jardin de Luxenbourg, this is a very casual urban respite. Gardens in Paris serve the purpose of allowing our overly-stimulated eyes to find repose and rest for a while. Paris is crazy with architecture, beauty, graffiti, and women’s shoe stores to peruse. It’s a much needed break that comes when-though you are not allowed to trample the grass-you can sit in one of the famous Luxembourg lawn chairs and just space out on marble fountains, topiary trees and…dogs pooping on the perfect lawns. Well, Paris would be far too pristine if not for the occasional gelato covered child careening into you after a soccer ball, dog droppings to dodge, and pigeons to contend with(the huge horse chestnut trees are beautiful, but sit under them at your own risk).

But oh, Spring in Paris. Full of color, flowers, giant-and I mean GIANT-chocolate Easter eggs(joyeuses Paques!). I have yet to unravel the mystery of what fish-shaped chocolates have to do with April 1^st...but stay tuned.