Café La Rotonde, full of expatriate history and delicious hot chocolate, in the heart of Montparnasse, Paris
Paris
Paris in the Twenties
I have always wanted to live as a writer in Paris in the ’20s. It’s the decade that has fascinated me most — when a ‘Lost Generation’ of expats inspired and found each other in the city’s vibrant tangle of writing, painting, dance, music, and food. As I looked out towards the Eiffel Tower and…
Thanksgiving à la Française
Winter is crawling across Paris. The Seine has darkened to a sapphire blue in the early moonlight, and I pull my coat closer now, walking through a seemingly continuous mist of rain. I was invited to a Thanksgiving gathering last night. One of the perks of living as an expat abroad is the hospitality of…
Unexpected Crossings in Saint-Germain-des-Prés
She was swaying against a street post after she had held her cane up for traffic to stop while crossing Rue Bonaparte.
Home, At Last, in the Left Bank of Paris
Moving on Up from Montparnasse Yesterday, I moved from the 14th arrondissement and further up the Left Bank. I took one last look out my sprawling balcony view high over Montparnasse. From the hotel window each evening, I could see sudden flashes of hot pink descending over rooftops stacked far in the distance or the…
Dabbling in Morning Simplicity: In search of the glossiest plain croissant
But during a sentimental morning crawl up the Boulevard de Montparnasse, I spotted the beige façade of Maison Nicolas Rançon, which looked particularly understated in this colorful part of Paris that hosted Picasso to Cocteau.