Scarf Season Arrives in Paris
Paris scarf season: Suddenly they were everywhere: loose cotton scarves, thick wool scarves, tight silk scarves, draped scarves, discreet solids, polyester pleats, crinkled pinks, tasseled greens, turquoise blues, bulging fleeces,...
On the Lecture Circuit: My Mother Is French
I normally speak to groups that invite me because they're interested in the subject of my talk, whether some aspect of travel, wine, culture, writing or travel journalism. But at this recent event the group didn’t have any prior interest in France as far as I could tell, so I was unsure about the best approach to speak to them about the country where I live.
Teach a man to order a brownie and he’ll save you two steps?
A Dane and an American walk into a bakery in Paris, one orders a pistachio crumble, the other a brownie. The baker says... Read this sad tale of French service in which the author is berated for ordering a brownie inefficiently.
Teach a man to print stamps and he’ll communicate with the world
Service at my local post office has improved over the years, but as this recent experience shows modernizing and privatizing a French post office doesn't necessarily modernize and humanize the employees.
An official kiss from the French ambassador to the United States seals the deal
Joanne Silver received from France's Ambassador to the US Pierre Vimont the decoration of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes académiques, the most prestigious honor a scholar or academician can receive from the French Government.