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    For those who don’t just travel, they experience.

    • Posts by Yvonne:

    • Left: The pastel color exterior of Les Deux Palais cafe in Paris. Right: Frank Adrian Barron is shown in his cake studio.

      Frank Adrian Barron’s new Book “Sweet Paris” – and a Giveaway

      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 inspiring book allows us all to experience a taste of a truly sweet, and stylish Paris.

    • A man and woman embrace on a street in Paris.

      Winter Dating in Paris

      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.

    • First Dates in Paris

      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.

    • My French Boyfriend

      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.

    • Terraces in Paris are Back

      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.

    • Left: A woman is seen sitting inside a café, alone, with her coffee. She appears to be reading a book. She is wearing an orange top, scarf, and headband. Right: A picture of a collection of Parisian buildings amidst a gray sky. The buildings, despite being different in height, all share the same qualities — gray zinc roofs with brown chimneys, white to beige wall paint, iron balconies, and beige limestone bricks.

      My New Paris Neighborhood

      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.

    • Finding Love & an Apartment in Paris

      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 […]

    • Expat Life: Paris Plumbing Adventure

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

    • Left: tables and chairs are stacked outside of a brasserie in Paris. The chairs are red and white striped and the tables are cream colored. The brasserie has a wooden façade. Right: a woman stands in a outdoor corridor near the Louvre Museum. The girl is visible by her profile and she is looking up. The Louvre Museum is visible in the background.

      Paris Lockdown: One More Time

      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 a huge issue. To keep us from going bonkers, and to keep the economy afloat, the government found some ways to do things differently this time. But there’s still a big difference between Confinements 1.0 and 2.0: my attitude.

    • Left: a woman standing in front of a staircase outside in Paris. She is wearing white pants, a white sweater, and a white coat with a brown cap. She has sunglasses and a mask. Right: The exterior of an empty Parisian cafe. It has an orange awning and there are several tables and chairs. It is called "Le Central."

      Lockdown in France Part 2: What You Need to Know

      Listen up, people. France is in Confinement 2.0 and the rules are slightly different. Pay attention so you don’t get charged the €135 fee for first-time offenses, or the whopping €3,750 fee and six months jail time for repeat offenders. Police could ask for your attestation, and maybe your ID, and they might ask you to open your bag for them. France is not eff-ing around this time.

    • A couple sitting under an umbrella on the banks of the Seine River in Paris. The city is lit up in an orange glow and there are clouds in the sky. The city's street lamps are visible.

      The Best French Dating Apps

      All right ladies, whether you’re looking for Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now, there’s an app for that. Right when I got ready to date again earlier this year, Covid struck. Cruel twist of fate! Or, maybe not. I reassessed my quarantine situation: I had plenty of time for self-care, nobody’s catching Covid (or anything else) online, and I had lots of time on my hands. Why not try something new? Here are some apps that I’ve found useful in France.

    • People lay in the park while doing yoga in Paris, France

      Outdoor Yoga in Paris Parks

      With a world-wide pandemic, America’s Pacific coast fire apocalypse, the economy crashing, and us being trapped far from our loved ones (or cooped up with them), we’ve got to find small pleasures wherever we can. I found one this week. Outdoor yoga in Parc Monceau.

    • People sit in the Paris metro while wearing required face masks.

      Learning to Speak French with a Mask

      I moved to France three years ago, speaking rusty high-school French and ready to live large. By the beginning of 2020, I was getting the hang of it. One thing I couldn’t do, though, was talk on the phone. Then Covid-19 happened. Now, we live in masks. And it’s like talking on the phone all the time.

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