My mac tells me that we're only 1 degree shy of snowflakes on our balcony. Brrrrr. Although my body disagrees, autumn has to be one of the best times of the year. The trees are sumptuous. At the park, I sit still and hold my breath so as not to stir these fragile trees, watching silently the leaves that float to my feet. After my mind has wandered off to a hundred places, I walk slowly to savour the crackling under my feet. I let my red nose lead me to a cup of hot chocolate and see what Jeeves and Bertie are up to.

While I was missing...

Yes, it's been just over a year since those love trees. And in between that time and now, I did something that certainly warrants an etching or two on that lovely weathered bark. He and I got married on 27 September 2008. I promise to fill you in after we've finished writing all the thank you notes. That should be sometime in 2009...

Love Trees

I call them the "Love Trees" of Paris. I can't be sure if all the carvings from top to bottom are messages of love, but it sure looks like it. If and when you find yourself strolling along the Seine, keep an eye out for them. You'll find them running parallel to the Louvre for about a hundred metres. I don't know if the local authorities intended for the trees to look this way, but the messages of l'amour seem to be perfectly at home there.

Joie de Vivre #2

If you can't get to Giverny, head to a field of wild flowers.
Frolick in the colours and smells at sunset.
Don't forget to pick a nice bunch of them to bring back with you.

Chez Monet

Giverny is the home of Claude Monet. If you don't know who he is, you should be shot! ...I'm kidding, of course! Here is a good introduction to Monet’s home and garden. It truly is a beautiful place even if you're not terribly into flowers. It's a place of memory, of inspiration, where a multitude of colours and smells overwhelm the senses all year round.

Depending on the month, you’ll find roses, carpets of nasturtiums, dahlias, hollylocks, cherry and crab-apple blossoms, yellow bells of fritillaries, daffodils, tulips, poppies, rhododendrons, regal sunflowers, bunches of forget-me-nots, zinnias, rudbeckias, rises, peonies, azaleas, tulips, pansies, narcissi, aubrietas ageratums, nicotianas, busy lizzies, primulinus gladiolus, cleomes, helianthus… and of course, the famous water lilies. And to think that they're just the ones I can pronounce! Have a look at the garden calender to see when you can see your favourite flower.

It's easy to miss it, so make sure you don't.

How could I have walked past this place numerous times and not go in? I guess I was too distracted with the Notre Dame Cathedral on the other side. This little topsy turvy bookstore doubles as a free hostel for aspiring writers and public library, and is a museum in itself. I hope you enjoy your virtual visit of Shakespeare & Company.


I was lucky enough to see the legendary George Whitman sitting outside on a bench twirling his keys and probably thinking about the next book to read. He's the gentleman on the right.

Paris Plage

Sorry for the late post everyone. Still playing catch-up with the photo postings...By the time you read this it will have finished. But as requested, here is something about the Paris Plage (Paris Beach).



On the way home from Montmartre, we decided to stop off at the Paris Plage, which is in its third year of running. I hear hoots of laughter in the background from all the Aussies. But really, they have a beach in Paris for the whole of August. Where? Along the right bank of the Seine, the same side as the Louvre Museum. Over 2,000 tons of sand has been laid and smoothed over for one's tanning pleasure along 3km of what is usually the busy George Pompidou Expressway.

On a good day, much like this one, you'll be lucky to find space for your towel, let alone a chair or parasol. If you feel up to it, you can take dance lessons and salsa with strangers, you can also play several beach sports including petanque (yes, that is a sport here is France as I'm sure lawn bowling is in Australia). They even have a small wall set up for rock climbing and a mini-acrobranche course.

This year you can cool off in a 28-metre swimming pool or under numerous misting fountains that have been conveniently installed. Unfortunately, the Seine is not a place for a dip, unless you don't mind growing an extra toe. As usual, they've left a strip of bitumen clear for those who wish to cycle, rollerblade, or simply ramble and witness the spectacle. While you soak up the sun you'll be treated to organised & impromptu performances. A popular one was a group of guys improvising on different drums. If we wanted, I'm sure we could have jammed with them. However, I thought it best to save everyone's eardrums from bleeding, including my own. Instead, I opted to do my little salsa on the spot as they battled to out-beat each other.

Be afraid!

"Debout les morts" / "Wake up, dead (people)"
"Nous vous tuerons durant la nuit. Le jour aussi" / "We will kill you during the night. The day too"
"We don't know where destiny drives us. Only death will stop us."

These are the scariest military slogans I've heard of. In displaying their military might, France showed some colourful looking regiments. My 'favourite' would be these guys who I have aptly nicknamed "The Butchers" (because of their outfits, of course!). The are in fact the Pioneers of the 1st Foreign Regiment.

Photo curtesy of BBC.

La Fugue

I stumbled into this little gem on youtube.

Twilight in Paris!

Not so many people know that this is the unofficial anthem of Paris. Not even the most hardcore of francophiles know of its existence. And who better to sing it that the fabulously pink Jem and the techni-coloured Holograms! Those lyrics, that voice, "sigh", oh, the fashion, "sigh" again, and that hair! Doesn't it just want to make you throw caution to the wind and relocate? A reliable source tells me that the original version was rather risqué. Ooh la.