13.37 - Most surprisingly beautiful memories of France - what are yours?
Many readers are unable to travel to France frequently. Therefore many need to live off our last French trip memories. How do you do that and what are your most fond memories of France? Please share..
Most surprisingly beautiful memories of France - what are yours?
Recently published articles: MyFrenchLife™ Magazine
Shoutout: Miscellaneous Francophile magic - NEW
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1. Most surprisingly beautiful memories of France - but are memories enough?
Are memories enough?
While life as we know it has changed, I can still go to Paris in my mind, if not in a plane. I remember all my wonderful times in the City of Light. I revisit Paris through my photos, taken in what already seems like another lifetime ago. With memories of the past, I dream of the future and the possibility to see Paris again someday. Because, in the words of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, “Paris is always a good idea.” wrote Dawn Dailey in 2020 and its still relevant today.
There are many readers who are unable to go to France frequently. So living off our French trip memories becomes the norm, whether during the recent Pandemic or at any time at all. Do you enjoy memories of France?
- Empty streets in Paris and peering into gallery windows
I was reminded of beautiful memories of France recently during a conversation with Michelle Richmond, a multi-award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of literary suspense novels and essay collections.
Michelle is soon to publish two new books: a collection of essays about her life in Paris and a novel based in Paris that she’s still writing - a sequel to ‘The Wonder Test‘.
To most of us, the prospect of living in France at any time sounds great, doesn’t it? But sometimes it takes a change of circumstances to see things differently, to increase our focus as if seeing Paris for the first time and through a magnifying glass.
I came to absolutely adore my walks around deserted Paris. And one of the most special things about it was, I mean, it was a scary time to be there, but I remember going on these walks, everything is closed, but within my one kilometre, there were galleries. So, I walked by small art galleries and you could still look in and there was art in the windows…
It was this very special experience of Paris to be walking down a completely deserted avenue – running down the middle of the road – not a person in sight with the Arc de Triumph in front of you. I mean, it was really amazing.
- A Parisian story book comes to life
Sailboats in Jardin du Luxembourg. Photograph: Laura Storey
I’ll never forget watching my children pushing vintage wooden toy sailboats down the lake in Paris’s Jardin du Luxembourg on a hot summer’s day. They had seen kids doing it in a colouring book, and now they were in the scene themselves. We still talk about it. Laura Storey, as published in The Guardian in June 2020.
- Life-changing decision-making & humour
MyFrenchLife™ Community member Leslie Ficagglia - who post lockdown lives in SW France - shared this & I am now sharing it with you with her permission.
… Also, it was being "stuck" here for 18 months during Covid that I realized that I wanted to live here full-time!
Friends of mine created this great video during lockdown: Joe Caneen
- Aix was oddly quite beautiful and serene, with lots of kindness
Provence, france, aix-en-provence, french, culture, empty, street
I came to Aix-en-Provence to be with my daughter who was a boarding student here. It was a very odd time and at 15 she’d been alone in France while we figured out what to do. She was a trooper and was kindly invited by friends (that we didn’t know). Once here, it was total isolation for me as I knew no one.
Positives?
We shared an incredible bonding moment.
Seeing Aix like no one ever could. It was empty and everything was closed but oddly quite beautiful and serene.
I started writing and created a website. Also journaled daily events.
It was a bizarre snippet in time but there was lots of kindness and we felt safe.
- Wonderful memories from Deux-Sèvres, France
Lesley Bertram is locked down in France via Wanderlust
We are in a rural part of France: the Deux-Sèvres department, south of the Loire. It's similar to being in rural Wales, or Devon perhaps. We are surrounded by farms, windmills and watermills.
Our house is an old watermill, on the River Argenton, with about five acres of land. We bought it five years ago. It is nature’s paradise, and we love shutting the gate and being in the midst of it. That has not changed since the lockdown.
Last night, we spent an hour with our lovely French neighbours social distancing via the river. We sat on our riverbank and they sat in their boat! It was great to chat with them. They have three young children and finding the most difficult part trying to work from home themselves, while home schooling their kids.” said Leslie Bertram in an article on Wanderlust.
Your memories - are they enough?
In closing here is a Facebook page ‘Memories France’ - which is perfect for drooling - enjoy.
Do you have wonderful memories of France, whether during the confinement or otherwise? Please share in the comments below and I’d love to see your photos too! Thank you Judy
Elsa Behr, Drue Leyton, and Sylvia Beach - a fascinating story of these 3 amazing women, the Resistance, and WWII. How much do you know about their lives?
3. Shoutout: miscellaneous francophile magic - NEW
I thought that I’d recommend and publish, one at a time, a collection of cool francophile readings that I’ve come across… here we go! This substack is absolutely delicious - check it out.
4. Merci mille fois
“Thank you so much for reading ‘le Bulletin’. I appreciate your support” Judy MacMahon
Thanks for all your messages - collaboration suggestions & opposing viewsare all welcome. Send me a message À Bientôt, Judy x
PS: this week’s ‘le Bulletin’ for PAID subscribers - ‘13.37.a - How much do you know about these forest green icons in Paris? The Wallace Fountains' - is in your inbox. Check-out the preview & consider upgrading to enjoy it in full.
Thank you so much for sharing my Paris lockdown post, Judy! And I so loved this conversation with you.