Paris Archives

Stuff I Like in Paris

July 17, 2026

Why yes, I take photographs of all kinds of seemingly random things when I travel! I take a lot of food pictures, to send home to Belovedest. It reassures him that I am indeed eating (as if I ever skip meals!), and more importantly during this trip, that I was well-hydrated.

Breakfasts are a key part of my day...

And because it was hot when I was there (not the SUPER hot that they're having, but hot enough for me to need a lot of breaks):

I don't take photographs of people in Paris - I don't like it when people take my picture here in Chicago without asking, so I don't do it when I'm in other cities! Your mileage may vary...

But this meant that the only photograph I could take at my closest cafe was ... View the Post

Paris, July 2026: How They Handle the Heat

July 13, 2026

I'm finally ready to tell you about my trip to Paris! I think the "big picture" insight that I took from this trip is that things change... Our planet is changing, and the way people live as they adapt is full of changes, small and large!

First up: you know how you're always told that Parisians don't drink cold drinks? And that it's really hard to get ice in drinks? And that you don't get coffee with milk after breakfast? And that they NEVER drink coffee any way except hot and strong?

Well brace yourself:

Iced lattes were on all of the cafe menus in my neighborhood. And they would even put sugar in them for you, so it replicated your usual American latte! I would be embarrassed to tell you how many of these I ... View the Post

Where I’m Going, What I’m Packing – Paris June 2026

June 17, 2026

Next Friday, the 26th, I'm going to Paris! Unless the weather is going to be unbearable hot, in which case I'm just going to CANCEL. My hotel expense might be a sunk cost, but I'm pretty sure I can do some kind of exchange things with my plane tickets.

But this is a good time for everybody to fully grasp the meaning of "sunk cost." Going to Paris and being miserable, or just being unable to do much of anything, isn't fun. On top of the expenses that I've already incurred, I would have transportation back and forth to the airport, and lots of meals, and any other incidental goodies I buy.

I literally do not have to decide until I'm about to hand over my suitcase to be checked. I don't carry a suitcase onto an ... View the Post

I’ve Figured Out French Style! My Report from Paris…

December 29, 2025

Finally. I understand why women in Paris have distinctive personal style. It's a question of having an abundance of options.

Let me clarify. In the United States, if you go to any major shopping area, you know that you're going to see at LEAST 80% retailers with whom you are already familiar. The clothing in all these stores looks very much the same, until you get up into the really expensive brands. And if you're shopping for "fashion" jewelry - what we used to call costume jewelry? You see the same half-dozen brands over and over...

So when we shop, there's a certain element of "this will do fine" in our choices. We know that we aren't going to wait for a month and a half until we find that perfect brooch with a ... View the Post

Jet Lag + Insomnia = Mental Chaos! I’m Home from Paris…

December 22, 2025

Happy Winter Solstice, to all who celebrate! I know, I'm a day late, but winter will hang around to remind us...

Paris was wonderful. I did NONE of the "normal" tourist things, but as I think this is about my 50th (seriously!) trip to Paris, I felt comfortable eschewing the more expected activities in favor of just hanging out in my neighborhood and pretending that I live there. Delusions of a late middle-aged American woman, but I don't apologize for a second of skipping long lines in favor of walking slowing, smiling a lot, sitting in cafes and watching the beautiful world go by...

I'm just going to dump a bunch of things from my brain onto the keyboard for you; I will try to be coherent! I promise ... View the Post

More From Paris – What They Wore, What Was in the Store Windows, Some Random Street Art!

December 23, 2024

Good morning my friends! I'm feel much more myself, after I slept 12 hours on Thursday night...

What else did I see in Paris? (do you have A MONTH?) It was subdued, more than I can ever remember seeing in December - and remember, before the pandemic, I used to go do Paris every December, so I have some frame of reference.

Maybe the most strikingly uniform thing I noticed was that probably 2/3 of the store windows were featuring party attire that was black with silver - and occasionally - gold accents. Lots of sequins or metallic threads woven in... Things like this:

It's difficult to see in my photographs, but you'd fit right into the Paris party environment if you had a silver sequined jacket, or dress, or ... View the Post

Report from Paris – Mutedly Festive, but Still Delightful…

December 20, 2024

I got home last night (I'm writing this on Thursday...) after 8 p.m., and it was an exhausting day. I forgot just how far one has to walk in airports - especially Charles de Gaulle in Paris!

And stand in line. Oh. My. Heavens. Could someone with some planning and logical skills get in touch with these people and sort out how they get you from the curb to your airplane?

But I have warm and happy memories of my trip, and that's what matters! You're not going to travel without some effort, right? Unless you're shamelessly wealthy, which I will never be!

My favorite moment? I went to a rugby match - yes, by myself - at the Stade Jean-Bouin, a lovely stadium in the far south-west corner of the city. I walked the 10K ... View the Post

Foolproof Packing? Start With The Common Wardrobe

November 18, 2024

Come rummage through my closet with me!

Yes, I'm going to Paris after all. You may recall that Belovedest and I had to cancel a trip to London and Paris last month after my wee pratfall in the hotel bathroom; there was no way that I could face an international flight that soon after I broke seven ribs!

But I'm finding now that I can sleep on my side (which is a game-changer, for me!), walk on a treadmill for over a half hour, and be outdoors for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch. I'm not leaving until December 11, so I'm working with the assumption that I will feel at least somewhat better than I do now, and be quite a bit stronger.

All that said, Belovedest insists that I check my suitcase, even though it easily fits ... View the Post

Paris Part 2: Lots of Art, Lots of Street Art, and More Good Food…

January 30, 2020

I remember where we ate dinner Tuesday night!!!!

(it's the small victories, right?)

We stopped at Breizh (pronounced brezzz) Cafe for crepes in the late afternoon, because... well... we were hungry! And these crepes - if you eat both a savory and a sweet one - will hold you over for at least 1 meal. This café is very trendy - lots of tourists - and you often have to stand on line to get in. We got lucky and wandered in because we were eating between traditional meal times. It's worth considering, since this is a really tasty place. That said, you can find good crepes in about a million places around the city, including the people standing behind a crepe griddle, handing crepes over to eat while ... View the Post

Paris Part 1: The Most Simple Travel Capsule Wardrobe Possible, and Lots of Good Food…

January 29, 2020

I'm back! And it was glorious... Any time I get to spend that much uninterrupted time with Belovedest is going to be great, but this trip was truly special. Today and Friday I'm going to try to share some of it with you. If you're planning to go to Paris any time soon, I've got some suggestions, and if you can't make the trip, travel along in your imagination!

We left mid-day Saturday, with stunningly cheap tickets on Aer Lingus, the Irish airline. This of course meant that we connected through Dublin, which was quite simple. The most difficult part for me was wanting to just stay in Ireland! But Paris beckoned...

What did I wear for this epic 2 day trip? Why, my argyle cardigan of course! (This isn't ... View the Post

Notre Dame de Paris

love,

Janice ... View the Post

When You Pack the WRONG Stuff, or “I Blame Lake Michigan”

May 30, 2018

The vacation was beautiful. Except for an unpleasant, but very brief, encounter with my fibromyalgia, this trip could not have been more perfect...

But I packed... not ALL wrong, but largely wrong. And I blame Lake Michigan!

Hear me out - in Chicago, if you live near the lake (and I live literally 100 meters from it), the weather is always colder than advertised. So when someone tells you that your forecast is... say 75 degrees... you draw a mental picture of what that means. In this neighborhood, it means coolish - a cardigan or light sweater is appropriate.

Which, if course, is NOT how that temperature feels when you're away from a very large body of water that keeps the heat suppressed for much of the ... View the Post