Author: Yvonne Hazelton
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
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… …read more
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… …read more
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. …read more
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… …read more
I can’t speak for everyone in Paris, but all I really want to do now that the quarantine is slowly lifting is go outside. Eat outside, drink outside, walk outside. …read more
There was nothing magical about May 11 in France. But, it felt magical. It felt magical because we no longer need the attestation. …read more
Since I moved to Paris three years ago, I’ve loved walking here. Now, we’re confined to a one kilometer radius of our homes. We can only go out for exercise before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m., for one hour. …read more
I love living in my quartier. There is a wonderful shopping street just around the corner, Rue de Levis, where I’ve gotten to know my merchants, and my food shopping is often a highlight of my day. Now, we have coronavirus restrictions. …read more
I’ve lived in Paris for three years. This lockdown is the most intense thing I’ve experienced. We’ve been given greater and greater restrictions over the past few days, and now as of Tuesday March 17 we all had to stay home. …read more
Americans may not have done house calls since Little House on the Prairie, but if you’re sick in France, SOS Médecins will give you 24/7 access to a doctor at home. …read more
What’s the most important word in the French language? Bonjour. In France, it’s the key to a pleasant encounter. …read more
The hardest part of cat care in Paris, in my opinion, is finding a sitter while you’re on vacation. Our Paris neighbors are aloof and sophisticated, unlikely candidates for dealing with poop. The first time we went on vacation in France, Sam asked the vet about sitters, and he recommended several cat hotels. …read more
