Off to France!

Hello All,

As I do every year, I am taking a summer break so this will be the last blog post until the end of August.

In the meantime, I am off to France to gather more stories to tell.

First stop Paris naturellement!

Paris!

The fountain at Place des Vosges in Le Marais!

It’s been a  long time since I have been to Paris in the summer.

It will be hot but I am going to enjoy the warm nights walking along the Seine, sipping cool drinks in cafés, and perhaps even taking a picnic to watch the Eiffel Tower light up and twinkle on the hour once it gets dark.

I will be a week in Paris staying at a B&B in the 2nd arrondissement run by dear friend Martinn of Key2Paris.com

Since 2007, Martinn has been hosting, in the south of France, and also in Paris, a revolving door of international guests mostly from Canada, the U.S., Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

She is a delightful and engaging French woman of a certain age who is an encyclopedia of knowledge about this wonderful city and a great cook to boot!

Luxembourg Gardens/Off to France!

On this trip, I have many people to see,  but I will be putting a focus on gardens as it is the season when the flowers and trees are in full bloom. So a trip to the Luxembourg Gardens, the Rodin Museum,  and my first time out to see Monet’s Gardens in Giverny is on the agenda.

Claude Monet’s garden .. just like the painting!/Courtesy Google Images

I am hoping to see this garden in full bloom and take my own pictures!

I have also set up a photo shoot on the Seine River to get some new professional photos for my website and blog.  What to wear?

Did I mention that I am doing this whole trip, more than a month long, with only a carry-on?

Maybe I will find a new dress in Paris but not sure where I will put it!

Nice, France

Le Palais de Soleil

Shots of our apartment in Nice that we will be seeing for the first time!

Then it is off to Nice, where if you have been following my story, I have purchased a fractional property, a lovely apartment two blocks from the ocean.

I have only seen it in pictures so far and therefore cannot wait to open the door for the first time.

In Nice, I will continue to explore spots along the Côte d’Azur but will spend lots of time in Nice itself, familiarizing myself with the area, while shopping for flowers at the Cours Saleya market, walking the full length of the famous boardwalk, Le Promenade des Anglais, and finding new restaurants and cafés to try.

There is a seafood restaurant called Le Rina’s on the ground floor of my building.

Noisy?  The apartment has been remodeled with soundproof windows so we will see.

Le Rina’s Restaurant, Nice France

Still, imagine how lovely it might be after a busy day to end up there for dinner and only have to go up two floors to be home for the night!

I hope the food is good!

De Haan, Belgium

To top off the trip,  I am heading to Belgium!

Mon amour is travelling with me.  He is from Belgium and of Flemish descent.

So we are finishing with a week in his hometown of De Haan, a seaside town about an hour north of Brussels.

De Haan – Main street of this small coastal city in Belgium

The Belgium coastline

I have never been to Belgium so I am so looking forward to it.  We will be exploring the pretty city of Bruges and the surrounding towns.

Pat is already salivating for his favourite foods;moules et frites|mussels and fries, Belgian waffles, and something called Pannekoeken which is a pancake-like crepe.

Pannekoeken — Don’t ask me how you say it!

People say it’s Dutch but Pat is adamant that it is indeed a Flemish invention.

I will have lots to report to you when I get back.  Maybe a few pounds heavier!

Have a wonderful summer everyone.  And for those of you heading to France, please take some pictures that you can share with us!

What Are You Doing This Summer?

What ARE your plans this summer? Please leave a comment at the bottom of this blog where it says — Leave a Comment or Read the Comments.

We all love to hear from you.

We Have A Winner!

For the Second GIVEAWAY DRAW

Exclusive to Level 2 (Croissant)

and Level 3 (Pain au Chocolate)

Paris Club Members!

Lots of colours to choose from!

Anne Dawson from Ottawa, Canada has won this beautiful scarf above.

It comes in lots of colours and Anne chose this blue one.

Congrats Anne and I hope you enjoy this gift to complement your summer wardrobe!

Check out this scarf by CLICKING HERE.

The next GIVEAWAY DRAW is in September!

Along with the next WORKSHOP on September 14th called FRENCH CHIC with Marie-Anne Lecoeur!

More on that in upcoming missives!

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The Level ONE Membership

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If you love Paris or just want to unleash your inner French persona, for as little as $5 a month or $50 dollars annually,

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• The Paris Workshop Series: 5 Online Interactive WORKSHOPS annually to Learn about and Participate in All Things French from tying a scarf to setting a French table along with appropriate Giveaways at each workshop.
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• Diana’s Paris Map; Highlighting the places that I personally visit and recommend when visiting Paris!                                                                                                                                                                                              

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Diana Bishop

Diana Bishop the founder of The Success Story Program and A Woman of a Certain Age in Paris as well as a well-known correspondent with over 25 years working for CTV, CBC News, and NBC News. She loves travel, writing, and all things Parisienne.