Grieving for a departed husband is no walk in the park. But a walk in the park helps. I’d been unsure how I’d feel when I returned to Paris after Charlie’s passing. We’d lived here full-time for 27 years, and only transferred to the U.S. because the advanced cancer...
I just proved it’s possible to walk through a large section of Paris without seeing a single Haussmanian building. That is, the architectural style that embodies the city: cream-colored stone, grilled balcony railings, ornate decorations. This wasn’t Francie’s and my...
In these dark times, I decided to visit a lighthouse. Like most of us, I needed a beacon of hope. And what a lighthouse it was. I chose Cordouan mainly because it was easier to reach from Paris than the lighthouses around Brittany. I didn’t realize at first that it...
He sleeps surrounded by gilded artwork. The remnants of his power are all around: his minions nearby, the names of the battles he fought posted everywhere. A golden statue, right arm raised, depicts him in regal fashion. An enormous triumphal arch commissioned by him...
I like to explore the outer edges of Paris to see the new, the modern, the unexpected. Walking along the Canal de l’Ourcq gave me that, and also some Paris history. The canal starts in the 19th arrondissement at Bassin de la Villette, which collected water from the...
