Author: Yvonne Hazelton

Yvonne is an American writer living in Paris. She blogs at Escaping the Empty Nest.

Here is one of the best Paris walks curated by a longtime local through the Marais, over the Seine, and into the 6th arrondissement. …read more

Valentine’s Day is problematic. If you’re not into it, here’s what to do instead. Get ready to swan about Paris, no lover required. …read more

When I moved to France six years ago, I was a fish out of water. Gradually, though, I caught on. Here’s what I learned: …read more

At the age of 53, I re-entered the dating world. France is full of beautiful men of a certain age, a surprising lot of them are available, and they are ready to mingle. …read more

Drawing on influences from his American upbringing and la vie Parisian, Frank Adrian Barron’s new cookbook Sweet Paris offers us 59 mouthwatering seasonal dessert recipes, as well as tips on how to be a classic Parisian host. From constructing the perfect cheese plate, crafting a beautiful floral bouquet, and setting the perfect French table this… …read more

What’s there to do in Paris now that the stress of meeting is over? This is the honeymoon phase. Even though it’s gray and gloomy outside, you’re still out and about. …read more

Vacation Rentals for Those Who Don’t just Travel, they Experience. they Experience.

Boutique rentals from our trusted partner Haven In

I’ve been on a lot of first dates lately. Being a free and independent femme d’un certain âge, Paris is my oyster. Here are some of my recent first-dates. …read more

As une femme d’une certain âge, I thought I’d seen it all in the gentleman-caller department. Here are some things that I learned when I first got to know un français, up close and personal. …read more

What’s it like being back on a café terrace in Paris? It’s like being back in your lover’s arms after a long, hard trip. It’s like home. …read more

Moving neighborhoods in Paris is no easy task. When I lived in Texas and California, it didn’t really matter – but in Paris, it’s different. …read more

I moved to Paris four years ago with my then-husband and teenage son. We hired a real estate agent to find us an apartment. He did all the work and talking, and got us installed into a palatial apartment within weeks. Easy-peasy. Last year, post-divorce and after a plumbing crisis that rendered that spacious apartment… …read more

All Parisians have a plumbing story, especially since plumbing in old Parisian buildings tends to be an afterthought. …read more

The first French confinement, back in the spring, was eight weeks long. That’s a long time for such an intense shutdown, but at first, there was a sense of novelty, a thrill of danger, and a purpose: to save lives. President Macron had promised we wouldn’t go into another lockdown, but the overloaded hospitals were… …read more