Where in the World is The Forgetting Flower T-shirt? Paris!
On the eve of The Forgetting Flower's book release, the TFF T-shirt is in Paris with my dear friend Pierre-Marie Dufour! When he isn't taking photos in front of flower shops and being a part-time model, he manages a magazine and travels the world. We talked about his first impressions of Paris, his translation of Dan Savage's The Kid, a dreamy vacation home in Spain, and the secrets of the Vatican.
My Own Random Small Tips for Visiting Paris
This summer I imagine a lot of people will be visiting Paris. It’s an easy city to get around in with a compact layout and excellent subway system. It, of course, has amazing history and architecture. There are hundreds of blog posts on what to look out for and what not to miss so I won’t go into the basics of visiting. But I thought it might be useful to offer some random small tips for visiting Paris that I discovered when I lived there. In Restaurants Neighborhood Life This…
A Hidden Gem of the French Open Is Its Parisian Suburb
If you’re blessed to watch tennis in person at the French Open, you’re probably spending a lot of time near the Roland Garros stadium. It’s located in the lovely Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. This city formed by the merging of two former cities, Boulogne-sur-Seine on the north side and Billancourt to the south. I’ve spent a bit of time in Boulogne-Billancourt and fell in love with its quieter, more relaxed ways. If you’re a tennis tourist and don’t want to make the train ride to Paris, check out its local…
In Search of the Perfect Street in Paris
One of the most beautiful features of Paris is its streets. I love the ornate buildings, I love the beautiful landmarks, I love the stately cathedrals, but I also love the streets. They are cobbled unevenly, smoothly paved, or somewhere in between, geometrically decorated with modern pavers. They are grand like the Haussmann-designed boulevards and averagely wide like the Rue Milton or narrow like the Rue de Nancy. They each have their own little personality in the decorative facades or foliage or parking or modern features. My favorite streets are…
A Hidden Garden in Paris Waiting to Be Discovered
In Paris, there are plenty of grand gardens to visit: Jardin des Plantes, Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries to name a few. But there are also small gardens that offer a respite from the city. One such garden is the Square Boucicaut in the 7th arrondissement. It’s notable not only for its wonderfully central location near Saint-Germain-des-Prés but also for its unexpected plant specimens. First off, dozens of different trees fill this park. Of note are the warmer weather ones. Being in Zone 8, Paris’s climate can support trees that…