“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”

~ E. B. White

Paris and Cathy Ace

Continuing with responses from friends who love Paris as much as I do.

When I asked Cathy Ace what she missed most, or what she might want to do when first returning to Paris, she said - 

"I love Paris in the springtime…

Okay – I’ll admit it, I love Paris at any time of the year, and have been fortunate enough to have visited it in every month of the year except February, I believe.

The first time I saw Paris it was 3am. April. 1979. The rain had just stopped. The light from the moon and the streetlamps bounced off the wet cobbles. I remember it in black and white. Air heavy with petrichor. It was magical.

I’d caught a bus in Cardiff during the Easter break of my first year at university and was due to get off in Milan. When we reached Paris, the driver had taken a few backstreets then parked on a wide boulevard so we could refresh ourselves at a café. I initially suspected the young couple snuggled into the corner drinking wine between passionate caresses had been hired to add another iconic layer to the experience. But, no, they were on their way home from some function which required a long red frock for her and a bow tie for him, now casually hanging, unknotted, around his neck. His dinner jacket was draped over her shoulders. Of course. The dream was shaken, but not broken, when I headed to the loo…which was unisex, with the sort of doors you usually see at the front entrance of a wild west saloon. They offered the bare minimum of privacy. Ah well…vive la différence!

My trip to Italy continued, (and was wonderful) but I knew I’d have to get back to Paris again, sometime. And I did. Many times. Ironically, I should have been in Paris on April 30^th 2020, on my way to Wales to see my mum to celebrate my 60^th birthday with her on May 2nd, but I’m at home, safe, in Canada instead. So…sigh. One day I’ll get back to Paris, I know.

It helped that I had a friend living there, close to the Eiffel Tower, and he generously hosted me. Often. Maybe more often than he’d expected when he first told me I could visit whenever I wanted. On one visit he also generously (foolishly?) took a lengthy walking and Metro tour of Paris with me so I could see as many examples of Le Corbusier’s architecture as possible, which I adore. And I dragged him around galleries, cemeteries, street markets, and restaurants almost, but not quite, ad nauseum. I sailed on the Bateaux Mouches by day, evening, and night – eating and drinking all the way. I hit the Sacré-Cœur, got squashed by the crowds, which I hated, and trailed along endless avenues where the shopping was sometimes Five Star, sometimes barely One Star. I marvelled at the ancient rose windows at Notre Dame, and Sainte-Chapelle. On one trip my then-boyfriend proposed to me beneath the centre of the Eiffel Tower – the view from the top of which is something I think everyone should see at least once, if they possibly can. (I said yes, but, no, we didn’t end up getting married.)

I should mention my favourite restaurant: Le Train Bleu at the Gare de Lyon. Odd that a restaurant in a railway station should be so sumptuous, but it was the place where folks ate before embarking on the journey south where they’d waft about on the Cote d’Azur for The Season, so it had to be posh, I suppose. If you’ve never seen the movie “Travels With My Aunt” starring Dame Maggie Smith, do yourself a favour and watch it…the restaurant is featured, and it hasn’t changed a bit since they filmed there. (See photo and here: https://www.le-train-bleu.com/en/ ). Please note that I have put in an extraordinary amount of research to come to this conclusion, and it recognises not just the food and general ambience, but the significant décor of the place!

When the Eurotunnel opened it meant I could take an early morning train from Waterloo, London and be in Paris in time for lunch, then an afternoon of – whatever – followed by dinner and a late train home the same night. I recall my initial horror at, then growing admiration for, Pei’s glass pyramid at the Louvre, and I happened to be in Paris the day President Mitterand opened the newly-renovated sculpture display there in either 1993 or 1994 – can’t recall, sorry. I was in a queue with no ticket to the invitation-only event, so I just looked haughty, and they let me in! A bit of a lapse in security on their part, especially considering Mitterand’s presence, but I was ever so pleased because I got to see the new exhibit…and it was a chilly day – I’d spent as much time as I could at the Opera and still had to wait for my chum to finish work!

I know the question is “What do I miss most about Paris” and I have to say it’s a really difficult question to answer. I haven’t visited since 2012, when I had a brief but wonderful day there; I manage to get a “Parisienne-ish fix” by staying Paris, Las Vegas whenever I can, and always eating at Mon Ami Gabi there. But what I miss most about the real Paris is…slipping over for lunch and a bit of Christmas shopping at Galleries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann with my sister. It’s a glorious place. Utterly over the top, in every possible way. We enjoyed that. We adored that. I miss that. Most. But I was lucky enough to do it, and it’s true what they say…Paris always lingers in the memory, and the heart. Thank you, Paris x"

Cathy Ace was born and raised in Swansea, Wales, but has now migrated to Canada. Having traveled the world for many years, for both business and pleasure, Cathy put her knowledge of the cultures, history, art, and food she encountered to good use in The Cait Morgan Mysteries – a series of traditional closed-circle murder mysteries featuring a globetrotting Welsh-Canadian professor of criminal psychology. Ace’s other series is The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, which features four female professional investigators (one is Welsh, one Irish, one Scottish, one English). They tackle quirky – and quintessentially British – cases from their base in a converted barn at a Welsh stately home, set in the rolling countryside of the Wye Valley. Her standalone tale of psychological suspense, The Wrong Boy, has become a #1 bestseller on amazon. Cathy now lives on five rural acres in British Columbia, where her ever-supportive husband ensures she’s able to work full-time as an author, and enjoy her other great passion – gardening. She’s been shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award three times in four years, winning in 2015; she’s also been shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story.

When I get back to Paris . . .

I have loved reading the recent posts here from friends who love Paris, and I learned about some places we haven't explored on our own yet.  So we have to go back!



If I have one "I wish I had" moment, it's that I didn't climb the steps to the gargoyle gallery at Notre Dame.  

I thought about it.

But, just didn't do it.

Who knows if that opportunity will ever present itself again, and what gargoyles will be there.  I've read differing opinions on whether some of them survived the fire, and whether some will be repaired, so I don't know.

I'm happy I did visit Notre Dame, an experience that moved me.

It was sad to see her again, now missing that beautiful spire, after the fire, but heartening to see restoration work being done.

What do I want to do and what do I want to see when we're able to return?


I want to revisit the gardens.  As many as we can - the big ones and the small hidden ones.  And explore those we haven't had a chance to visit yet.

Stroll the bouquinistes

And go back to the Vanves Flea Market.

Find new cafes.




And photograph more carousels.

Paris and Gigi Pandian

Continuing with responses from friends who love Paris as much as I do.


When I asked Gigi Pandian what she missed most, or what she might want to do when first returning to Paris, she said - 

"Where to begin about what I love most about Paris? As someone who’s always been drawn to mystery and history (not to mention good food), Paris is heaven.

I love how old and new exist side by side: modern art next to ancient cathedrals, museums next to nightclubs, and layers of history in the catacombs beneath the modern city. 

When wandering through the city, there are countless secret alleys and courtyards to explore. And of course an abundance of cafes for leisurely breaks, both for sustenance and people-watching.

My high school French works well enough for Parisians to know I’m at least making an effort, and I’ve always had positive interactions with the people I’ve met. My challenge is that as soon as someone answers me in rapid French, I have to ask them to speak more slowly!

It was the gargoyles of Paris that first captured my imagination. I was lucky enough to visit Paris as a teenager, on one of my professor mom’s summer research trips to Europe. On each return trip, I would climb the steps of Notre Dame to visit the gallery of gargoyles who watch over the city. I hope I’ll be able to do so again one day.

When I became a writer, I didn’t think I’d end up writing about the gargoyles of Paris. But the character of Dorian Robert-Houdin, a gargoyle who was originally carved in stone for Notre Dame before being accidentally brought to life through alchemy, sprung from the page and there’s been no stopping him. (Um… yes, I might be one of those authors who listens to my characters as if they’re real people.)

My imagination keeps pulling me back to Paris in my fiction. The Lost Gargoyle of Paris, an ebook novella set after the tragic fire at Notre Dame, came out just last month.

I also took my characters to Paris in The Elusive Elixir: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery, and Quicksand: A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery. The treasure hunt in Paris and Mont St. Michel was inspired by the time I was trapped in the Louvre during a real-life art heist. But that’s another story!"

USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. She spent her childhood traveling around the world on their research trips, and now lives outside San Francisco with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the garden.  https://www.gigipandian.com/

Paris and Grace Koshida

Continuing with responses from friends who love Paris as much as I do.


When I asked Grace Koshida what she missed most, or what she might want to do when first returning to Paris, she said - 

"A magical 7 days in Paris with my mom

It was September 1993, and I took my mom on her first trip to Europe for 6 weeks.  We traveled by Eurail and this trip was unstructured and open-ended.  We did not know what country or city we were going to visit or how long we were going to stay in any location. 

But I knew we were going to stay in Paris for a while.  It was my mom’s dream destination.  She worked for an haute couture designer in Toronto who made custom-made clothes.  She loved French films, fashion and Impressionist art.

We took a train from Strasbourg and arrived in Paris’s Gare de l’Est train station.  As usual, I had booked no accommodations in advance but I wanted to stay in le Marais.  So, we looked around and ended up staying in the lovely Castex Hotel.  Here is the view from our room’s balcony.

We had 3-day Paris Carte tickets and along with my essential hardcopy Plan de Paris guide (remember this was pre-Internet/Google maps), we explored this wonderful city over the next 7 days. 

We saw many of the famous tourist attractions that other guests have already described (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre-Coeur, Montmartre), so I will try to highlight some other attractions.

One of the first things we did was to view Paris from the water onboard one of the many Bateaux-mouches that glided along the Seine at a scenic pace.

My mother loved gardens and green spaces.  She especially enjoyed visiting le Jardin des Tuileries and quiet squares such as the Place des Vosges in le Marais.

My mother loved French fashion. We visited les Galeries Lafayette department store where she bought me a Pierre Cardin scarf and some designer buttons that she used on the next handmade blazer she made for me after we returned home.

Of course, we visited the Louvre but it was le Musée d’Orsay that we really loved the most.  Renoir was her favourite Impressionist painter, and I liked Degas and Monet.

I was already collecting mystery fiction and other books for several years and remember browsing through the riverside bookstalls (Les bouquinistes de Paris) looking for a treasured find.

And of course, the food.  Every morning, we enjoyed a simple petit dejeuner at the Castex Hotel with huge bowls of café au lait and fresh croissants with butter and homemade jams.  We often grabbed a baguette, wine and some cheese or pate for a quick bite or had a simple meal at one of the many outdoor cafes/bistros in each arrondissement. And we enjoyed so many sweet treats from the various patisseries.

We did splurge on one meal in le Marais.  It was at Le Bistrot Bofinger where we had a prix-fixe dinner consisting of a house appetizer, jambon de Paris, foie gras, rable de lapin (first time my mom had rabbit), mousse chocolat and coffee.  Magnifique!  I remember that the tables were so close together that we also enjoyed watching what others were eating and eavesdropping on their conversations.

So until I can visit Paris again in person, I will revisit different arrondissements via the wonderful Aimée Leduc mysteries by Cara Black, the Lost Gargoyle in Paris by Gigi Pandian as well as Jenn McKinlay’s upcoming book, Paris Is a Good Idea.

Allons-y!"

Grace Koshida is a geographer by training, and a world traveler, foodie and mystery fiction aficionado by choice.  She is currently staying at home in Ottawa, Ontario.

Paris and Susan Shea

Continuing with responses from friends who love Paris as much as I do.


When I asked Susan Shea what she missed most, or what she might want to do when first returning to Paris, she said - 

Paris Encore

What do I miss about Paris? Pretty much everything except trying to walk on cobbles in kitten heels, a mistake I made only once. I’ve stayed in Paris in every season and there’s always something to love, even in August when the restaurants are closed (Bien sur! The chefs and staffs must have le vacance, mais non?) I agree with everything Kaye’s other guests have noted and won’t share the same photos. Here are a few more to relish.

Every time I return, I visit the Eiffel Tower, an iron lace masterpiece that never gets old. If you go early, you miss the crowds.

But I’ve never eaten at the fancy restaurant high up in the tower because my French friends assure me it’s not great – just for tourists. Instead, my sophisticated Parisian friend and I ate one time in a wonderful little place near the Trocadero.

I have stayed near Les Jardin du Plantes several times. I love roses and they have a magnificent rose garden. The gardeners, some of whom have a little English to match my little French, love to talk favorite roses, which is such a treat.

There’s also a shady allee, a perfect, quiet place to enjoy a jambon beurre (ham and butter on a baguette).

And, speaking of food – and how could one not in France? – I’m like everyone else. I drool in front of patisserie windows, shop at le chocolatier, love the finesse of French dinners, and always pick up a new food idea.

I always seem to wind up at Palais Garnais, the original Paris opera house, because it’s a major Metro stop, near Galleries Layfayette, an upscale department store with an atrium that climbs to the stars and Café de la Paix, where I once got stuck in the loo. Last year, for the first time, I went for the inside tour and a dance performance and had my iPhone camera loaded the pictures I took, you would be amazed at the ultra Baroque interiors. (for now, I’ve borrowed a shot from the web.) But the exterior is pretty nice too.

The trip before this last one was in December, and it rained a lot, so I walked along the long covered area opposite the entrance to the Louvre, the Rue de Rivoli, a great place to find little souvenirs for the family and friends who didn’t get to come along. But even better are the many passages, where I found a shop that sold vintage clothing.

Oh, there’s so much more. Paris never gets old, there’s always more to explore – the Marais, Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, the museums…. And one day we will be able to visit again. In the meantime, two landmarks, one before the fire, one more recent.

Susan C Shea writes two series, one set in Burgundy. She loves France and loves writing about it.

DRESSED FOR DEATH IN BURGUNDY, May 2018
LOVE & DEATH IN BURGUNDY, May 2017

“…a pleasant getaway from hard core killers.” - NYTBR

 

Paris and Maki Morris

Continuing with responses from friends who love Paris as much as I do.


When I asked Maki Morris what she missed most, or what she might want to do when first returning to Paris, she said - 

"Paris is beautiful, sophisticated, and even the heavens have reserved a special golden light just for her. Paris is so much more than just cafés, museums, and breathtaking architecture. I’m utterly infatuated with the Parisian culture and its people. 

As an American, I’ve become a cog in a big wheel, where working through lunches or into late nights are all part of my daily life. I’ve cancelled social events with friends and family just to catch up on work. The priorities in life had somehow become muddled with a list of work related action items that had to be checked off. 

But when I’m in Paris, I find that I’m a different person all together. The Parisian culture is all about celebrating and savoring every moment. Work is work, but the Parisians won’t sacrifice the importance of sharing a meal with friends, time with family, or taking time for oneself to just be. And that splendiferous yet wise way of living is a gift Paris will give you when you visit her. 

So if I’m fortunate enough to be back in Paris again, I would like to walk along the Seine and admire the passers-by.

Maybe pick-up a loaf of freshly baked baguette, cheese, and wine, and sit on the grass at the Place des Vosges to soak in the sun and enjoy a quiet lunch.

For dinner, I would love to sit outside Le Garde Robe drinking delicious organic Rosé with Planche mixte charcuterie-fromage, while eavesdropping on fellow diners talking about their day.

 

Most of all, I want to be in Paris again to bathe in her golden light, and to pay homage for the invaluable life lessons she has taught me."

Maki received her Certified Wine Professional accreditation from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and also holds Certified Sake Professional accreditation from Sake Education Council in Japan. She is a partner and a creative director at IKAM Creative, and also a published author at The Parliament House Press. Read more about her debut novel, Blood and Brume at makimorris.com.