by Anne Swardson | Feb 9, 2021 | covid, France
The question of whether Paris is still alive isn’t just a philosophical issue, even in a country that cherishes les philosophes. For almost a year, the most central and touristic parts of the of the city have been largely devoid of people, driven away by lockdowns,... 
by Anne Swardson | Jan 24, 2021 | France
My dad loved everything about Paris, but he especially enjoyed its residents’ daily struggle to get from one place to another. With his little camera – what kind? So many things I wish I’d asked him – and its telephoto function, he’d focus on cyclists, or... 
by Anne Swardson | Jan 5, 2021 | covid, France
For months, I bragged to my friends in the U.S. that France’s COVID vaccination program would be rapid, efficient and well-run, in keeping with its national health system. Silly me. The vaccination rollout here has been nothing short of a disaster. It’s replete with... 
by Anne Swardson | Dec 28, 2020 | Christmas, France
Dedicated to Harold Roland Swardson, who loved France and all things French. This story starts with clueless expats, but it doesn’t end there. When we moved to France in 1996, we brought all our household effects, including a Christmas-tree stand. It wasn’t exactly... 
by Anne Swardson | Dec 14, 2020 | covid, France
“Any Paris of the future that is neither a frozen artifact nor an inhabited holding company will perforce involve fear, dirt, sloth, ruin and accident.” — Luc Sante, “The Other Paris” When we moved to the 17th arrondissement in 2012, a friend who...