published in Beauty, Dreams/Goals, Gratitude, Inspiration, Travel by Maryanne | May 7, 2018 | 6 Comments
Au Revoir Paris – Photo Finale
MA & Stacey (John’s sister…she was in Paris at the same time – with HER friend, Heather!)
“Paris is always a good idea.”
– Audrey Hepburn
Salut!
Just like a petit pain au chocolat, this final Paris photo blog is short but sweet…bon appetit!
Love this shot of a street in Le Marais neighbourhood
The absolutely stunning Madeleine Church
Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés – the oldest church in Paris (founded in 6th century)
Rainy day line-up to the Louvre
Impromptu photo shoot in front of our cafe…never a dull moment on the streets of Paris
Strolling the Luxenbourg Gardens…good to see the sun again!
Sporting my pink gazelle Adidas at Luxumbourg Palace 😉
Gorgeous display in between the escalators at Le Printemps Department store
Home again…mon petit chien
Merci et bonne journée!
Previous Paris photo blogs
“Gratitude is a finely tuned soundbite of the great symphony we call life.”
– Kristin Granger
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her regular weekly blog, please sign up here. As a thank you, you’ll receive a short but saucy e-book entitled, Dive into this Chicago Deep Dish – Ten Bite-Sized Steps for a Yummier Slice of Life.
published in Inspiration, Saying NO!, Travel by Maryanne | May 4, 2018 | 10 Comments
Non Madame – Parisians Know How to Say No
MA in raspberry beret (found in a second hand store), waiting for the Metro
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”
– Henry David Thoreau
Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs!
Parisians know how to say no. I lost count of the times Heather and I were given a polite but firm no over the past ten days.
Me (in a restaurant): “Can we sit here?”
Waiter: “Non Madame.”
Heather (en francais, in grocery store): “Can I pay for my groceries in this line?
Cashier: “Non Madame.”
Random tourist in front of Sainte Chapelle: “Can I go in the church?”
Security guard: “Non Madame.” (fair enough – it was closing for a concert)
Sometimes the reason for the no is clear; other times not so much. But it doesn’t matter. No is no. I love it. As a woman who has struggled with the art of saying no for (gulp) half a century, I loved the ease with which the Parisians could do so – politely, firmly and with no obligation to provide an excuse or reason.
So when the cashier at the boulangerie around the corner from our sweet little VRBO (Mon Petit Maison) tried to give me a tattered and torn 5 euro bill in change, I shook my head, smiled and said, “Non Madame.”
She was NOT pleased. But you know what? That’s just too damn bad. If you can give a no, you can take one, too.
And that, mes amis, is a little lesson on boundaries for today 🙂
Here are some more photos from the ever so lovely (except when the streets are on fire during protests, as they were the night before we left) Paris:
Grande Roue de Paris at Place de la Concorde
Strolling the Jardin des Tuileries
Behind the iconic clock at Musée d’Orsay
Gorgeous courtyard near Place des Vosges
Unbelievably beautiful Hall of Mirrors at Palais Garnier (Opera House)
Love this shot of Heathe outside the Palace of Versailles – rather Alice in Wonderland!
Gold as far as the eye can see at the Palace of Versailles
MA & Heathe in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles
The back of the Palace of Versailles…here comes the rain!
A few more Paris photos to come in next week’s blog…
Merci!
Related blogs by Maryanne
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her regular weekly blog, please sign up here. As a thank you, you’ll receive a short but saucy e-book entitled, Dive into this Chicago Deep Dish – Ten Bite-Sized Steps for a Yummier Slice of Life.
published in Dreams/Goals, Inspiration, Travel by Maryanne | April 25, 2018 | 10 Comments
Salut Mes Amis!
“People forget years and remember moments.”
– Ann Beattie
Oh my good golly, I am SO grateful to be back in Paris…c’est magnifique!
Heather and I have been here three days now and we hit the ground running. Since it is now 11:00 a.m. and Heathe is still snoozing (since I’m working anyway), I dare say we shall take it a bit easier today 🙂
But first, let me back up a bit…
En route to Paris, I stopped in Toronto for a few days to visit my mom’s dear friend, Aunt Phyl (they graduated from nursing school together in 1949!). Phyl is now 92 and was game for an adventure, so we took a 2-day trip from her home in Guelph to Toronto and stayed at the Chelsea Hotel (a favourite haunt of my mom’s).
My brother, Pat, and his partner, Mary, met up with us and we had a ball. The daughters of another of my mom and Phyl’s classmates joined us for dinner one evening.
L to R: MA, Cathy, Phyl, Janet, Mary & Pat
After safely delivering Aunt Phyl back home to Guelph (mission accomplie!) I met up with Heathe at Pearson airport in Toronto and off we went to Paris.
Here are some snaps of our first few days:
Palais Garnier (Opera House)
Oh the FOOD…très bien!
Sacre Coeur in the sunshine
The view from the top of Sacre Coeur…300 steps up!
Ahhh…the Seine
LOVE the architecture
On the work front…
With all this traipsing about, I am getting very good at working on the fly and am developing a laser-beam focus to ensure I get done what I need to get done in short chunks of time.
Merci & au revoir for now!
Maryanne Pope is the author of A Widow’s Awakening, the playwright of Saviour and the screenwriter of God’s Country. Maryanne is CEO of Pink Gazelle Productions and Chair of the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund. If you would like to receive her regular weekly blog, please sign up here. As a thank you, you’ll receive a short but saucy e-book entitled, Dive into this Chicago Deep Dish – Ten Bite-Sized Steps for a Yummier Slice of Life.