Paris to the Pyrenees
Part adventure story, part cultural history, this "enjoyably offbeat travelogue" explores the phenomenon of the spiritual pilgrimage (Booklist). Driven by curiosity, wanderlust, and health crises, Downie and his wife walk across Paris on the old pilgrimage route Rue Saint-Jacques then trek about 750 miles south to Roncesvalles, Spain. The eccentric route would take 72 days on Roman roads and The Way of Saint James, the 1,100-year-old pilgrimage network leading to the sanctuary of Saint James the Greater in Spain. It is best known as El Camino de Santiago de Compostela - The Way for short. The object of any pilgrimage is an inward journey manifested in a long, reflective walk. For Downie, the inward journey meets the outer one. More than 20,000 pilgrims take the highly commercialized Spanish route annually, but few cross France. Downie had a goal: to go from Paris to the Pyrenees on age-old trails, making the pilgrimage in his own maverick way.
French Toast
Peter Mayle may have spent a year in Provence, but Harriet Welty Rochefort writes from the wise perspective of one who has spent more than twenty years living among the French. From a small town in Iowa to the City of Light, Harriet has done what so many dream of one day doing-she picked up and moved to France. But it has not been twenty years of fun and games; Harriet has endured her share of cultural bumps, bruises, and psychic adjustments along the way. In French Toast, she shares her hard-earned wisdom and does as much as one woman can to demystify the French. She makes sense of their ever-so-French thoughts on food, money, sex, love, marriage, manners, schools, style, and much more. She investigates such delicate matters as how to eat asparagus, how to approach Parisian women, how to speak to merchants, how to drive, and, most important, how to make a seven-course meal in a silk blouse without an apron! Harriet's first-person account offers both a helpful reality check and a lot of very funny moments.
Buying a Piece of Paris
Buying a Piece of Paris is a charming and witty love song to the most beautiful city in the world. Paris has seduced many admirers, but for Ellie Nielsen it's true love. So deep is her infatuation that she'll only be satisfied with a little place to call her own. The object of her desire seems so simple: the sort of apartment she's seen a thousand times in magazines and movies. Something effortlessly charming, and quirky, and old-- and expertly decorated. Something exuding character and Parisian chic. Something quintessentially French. Little does she realize that the French real estate scene is not quite the dreamscape she'd imagined. With two weeks to find and secure an apartment, and a cursory grasp of the language, Ellie embarks on a mad dash through the streets of Paris, negotiating the fraught world snobby real estate agents, xenophobic bankers and perplexed Parisian naysayers. Thwarted at every turn, in the end it only makes her more determined to succeed. With her trusty French phrasebook in hand, and plucked up reserves of savoir faire, Ellie undertakes the adventure of a lifetime. Beauty is everywhere even if, like all true romances, there are many obstacles to be overcome. But then, c'est toujours comme 癟a ? Paris. Written with great verve and a superb ear for language, Buying a Piece of Paris is a joy to read and a pleasure to dream about.
Paris Times Eight
Over eight visits to Paris, Deirdre Kelly has found herself -- first as a 19-year-old and then later as a budding writer, a dance critic, and a fashion reporter. Subsequent visits -- with her mother, her future husband, and later as a mother herself -- have shown her that while some parts of Paris remain constant, her life is always evolving. More than just a beautiful and romantic backdrop for her self-discovery, Paris itself contributes to that discovery, emerging as a principal character in Kelly's life, an influence that inspires, guides, and teaches as she ages. A terrific gift for budding travelers, Francophiles, and women on their own path toward growth, this book reminds readers of their own favorite place.
Chasing Matisse
Who hasn't had the fanthasy of leaving his or her old life behind to start over? What would happen if you gave up your job, city, state, and routine to move to another part of the world? Critically acclaimed writer and aspiring painter James Morgan does just that. Risking everything, he and his wife shed their old, settled life in a lovingly restored house in Little Rock, Arkansas, to travel in the footsteps of Morgan's hero, the painter Henri Matisse, and to find inspiration in Matisse's fierce struggle to live the life he knew he had to live. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part biography of Matisse, Chasing Matisse proves that you don't have to be wealthy to live the life you want; you just have to want it enough. Morgan's riveting journey of self-discovery takes him, and us, from the earthy, brooding Picardy of Matisse's youth all the way to the luminous Nice of the painter's final years. In between, Morgan confronts, with the notebook of a journalist and the sketchpad of an artist, the places that Matisse himself saw and painted: bustling, romantic Paris; windswept Belle-簾le off the Brittany coast; Corsica, with its blazing southern light; the Pyr矇nees village of Collouire, where color became explosive in Matisse's hands; exotic Morocco, land of the secret interior life; and across the sybaritic French Riviera to spiritual Vence and the hillside Villa Le R礙ve -- the Dream -- where the mature artist created so many of his masterpieces. A journey from darkness to light, Chasing Matisse shows us how we can learn to see ourselves, others, and the world with fresh eyes. We look with Morgan out of some of the same windows through which Matisse himself found his subjects and take great heart from Matisse's indomitable, life-affirming spirit. For Matisse, living was an art, and he never stopped striving, never stopped creating, never stopped growing, never stopped reinventing himself. "The artist," he said, "must look at everything as though he were seeing it for the first time." That's the inspiring message of renewal that comes through on every page of Chasing Matisse. Funny, sad, and defiantly hopeful, this is a book that restores our faith in the possibility of dreams.
Taschen’s Paris
Ville magique: The perfect guide to the Paris of your dreams This book combines all of Angelika Taschen's recommendations for Paris hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars into one volume, ensuring visitors a wealth of ideas and a guarantee that their Parisian sojourn will never have a dull moment. From the ultra-hot Colette fashion concept store to Tom Ford's secret hideaway to Hemingway's favorite brasserie, all of the best insider tips are gathered together between these covers so that when you hop out from under yours, you'll have plenty of exciting things on your agenda. Dictionary-style cut out tabs help the reader to have quick access to each chapter. Among the highlights are: Decorative ceramics shop Astier de Villatte The ultra-modern Comme des Gar癟ons perfume and candle boutique Ladur矇e, the best macaroons in the city Ma Bourgogne restaurant on the beautiful Place des Vosges Classic bistro Allard that has hardly changed in 70 years Left bank restaurant La Palette, a favorite of Picasso and Braque Brasserie Lipp, where Hemingway ate the eat herrings he wrote about in A Moveable Feast The ultra-luxurious Ritz hotel on elegant Place Vend繫me The cozy and cute H繫tel Bourg Tibourg in the Marais H繫tel Verneuil in St. Germain-des-Pr矇s opposite the former residence of Serge Gainsbourg The quintessentially French H繫tel Duc de Saint-Simon Text in English, French, and German
A Pig in Provence
Georgeanne Brennan moved to Provence in 1970, seeking a simpler life. She set off on her many adventures in Proven癟ale cuisine by tracking down a herd of goats, a cool workshop, some rennet, and the lost art of making fresh goat cheese. From this first effort throughout her time in Provence, Brennan transformed from novice fromag癡re to renowned, James Beard Foundation Award-winning cookbook author and food writer. A Pig in Provence is the story of how Georgeanne Brennan fell in love with Provence. But it's also the story of making a life beyond the well-trodden path and the story of how food can unite a community. In loving detail, Brennan tells of the herders who maintain a centuries-old grazing route, of the community feast that brings a town to one table, and of the daily rhythms and joys of living by the cycles of food and nature. Sprinkled with recipes that offer samples of Brennan's Proven癟ale cooking, A Pig in Provence is a food memoir that urges you to savor every morsel.
Studying and Working in France
Replacing the highly-acclaimed first edition, this second, newly-researched, fully-revised, expanded and updated edition now includes details of 29 major University centres and their Institutions of Higher Education. It takes full advantage of the recent technological revolution, highlighting a whole range of internet sites for job opportunities, course registration, accommodation, tourism and leisure. The practical help and advice are based on the authors' many years of experience as year abroad tutors at the University of Birmingham. Whether spending a few weeks on a vacation course or a half- or a full year in academic study, or as an English assistant or on a work experience placement, the visiting student and, doubtless many a parent, will draw considerable comfort from the information and advice contained within these pages.
Extremely Pale Rose
Extremely Pale Ros矇 follows Jamie Ivey's charming journey as he, his wife, Tanya, and their hilariously debauched friend, Peter, travel the south of France in search of the palest of ros矇s. Far from the plonk he's used to, Jamie finds something fantastic about a cool, pale ros矇 on a hot day. Due to a translation mishap, Jamie is taunted by a local vintner that there is no paler ros矇 than hers and embarks on a quest to find one. Setting off on a ramshackle tour of France in search of the elusive bottle that meets the standards set, they visit main ros矇 producing areas and through eccentric locals discover much the regions have to offer. With wit, candor, and wonderful storytelling, Jamie Ivey maintains a tradition of excellence in food and travel writing. Readers are left with dreams of France, summer days, baguettes, and--extremely pale ros矇.
The Complete Jewish Guide to France
The Complete Jewish Guide to France is the only resource you need to embark on a trip through Jewish France. Travel writer and journalist Toni L. Kamins catalogs information on well-known sights and little-known treasures, such as the Marais district (Paris's celebrated Jewish neighborhood), ancient ghettos, beautiful old synagogues around the country, and many other places. She includes information on transportation and lodging, plus hundreds of places to buy kosher food. Selected photographs and maps fill out the picture. Kamins also recounts the nearly two thousand years of French-Jewish history beginning with evidence that Jews may have lived in France as early as the first century, and continuing right up to the present day. The Complete Jewish Guide to France has everything you need to know to make your trip to France a success-and to put it into a historical context that will make it even more worthwhile.
