by Anne Swardson | Feb 22, 2023 | France, Paris, Strikes
There is a genre of French film that rarely crosses the Atlantic but is very popular here. The theme: the hell of the workplace and the nightmare of layoffs. I count at least 15 movies on that topic in the past few decades, most featuring laid-off employees fighting... 
by Anne Swardson | Feb 6, 2023 | Antique, Colorado, Paris, Virginia
One of the few drawbacks of living in Paris is the feeling of being separated from your roots. I don’t mean family, who can almost always visit or be visited. I mean not being in the place where most of my cultural references were formed. Instead, I live where aging... 
by Anne Swardson | Dec 23, 2022 | Christmas, France, Paris, Poverty
A beggar, looked at realistically, is simply a businessman, getting his living, like other businessmen, in the way that comes to hand. He has not, more than most modern people, sold his honour; he has merely made the mistake of choosing a trade at which it is... by Anne Swardson | Dec 12, 2022 | France, Morocco, Paris, World Cup
In Paris, celebrations, demonstrations and riots tend to take place on the Champs-Elysées — but usually not all at once. Saturday was an exception. The excitement began in early evening, after Morocco defeated soccer powerhouse Portugal 1-0 to qualify for the... 
by Anne Swardson | Nov 28, 2022 | food, France, Paris
Scratch a Parisian, and they will tell you why the food market where they shop is the best. Tourist guides also make recommendations, such as here, here and here. Open-air food markets are an essential part of cooking and no one who wants fresh, tasty ingredients... 
by Anne Swardson | Nov 15, 2022 | France, Paris, Parisbiking, Walking
I’ve always thought of Paris as a city that flows, and not just because a river runs through it. Living here teaches you a kind of malleability and adaptability, in transport and otherwise, that is arguably less present in my confrontational native land. Driving in...