the best way to visit Paris on foot

Needing an easy excuse for a weekend in Paris I decided to sign up for the 20 kilometrès de Paris race a couple months back.  It was the perfect reason to get us to the city of lights for a quick 36 hours in October. Paris did not disappoint, we had the best weekend.  We packed in a lot and it made for so much fun. Clover got to stay with Felix's parents and sister and be spoiled with attention while Félix and I traipsed around the capital.

Our friends loaned us their lovely apartment as a homebase for the weekend since they were out of town.  Don't they have such  a gorgeous view of the Théatre de la Renaissance? Thank you so much,  A&A! We really wanted to stay for days and days!

It was wonderful to be in the city. We stopped for a leisurely coffee and hid out from a bit of rain until the weather cleared to make our wanderings a little less damp.  After doing our best of being tourists for a bit, we went to the Trocadero to get my bib number for the race.  After a bit of a hiccup with the mandatory doctor's note , mine only specified that I was allowed to run  20 kilometers and it had to specify either  run the 20 kilomètres de Paris or run in competition.  Very strict about that, good to know!  So I had to call my doctor on a Saturday morning and get a new note scanned and emailed to me and then find a shady copy shop to print it out. In the meantime, we didn't let my momentary inattention to detail get us down. We went to lunch in a little bistro on  Rue Montorgueil and did some good people watching.  I managed to wrangle Félix into doing a tiny bit of shopping before we went back to the race headquarters where I waved my very dear athletic clearance and  I was finally officially eligible to run.

We had heard good things about the Edward Hopper exhibit at the Grand Palais but upon our arrival we learned of a 2-hour wait  to get in.  It was too much for our impatient souls.  We went for a celebratory flute of champagne and then headed to a sold out performance of A la Française at the Théatre Marigny.  A work written, directed and starring one of our preferred french actors, Edouard Baer.  It was hilarious and light-hearted, heavy hitting and thoughtful.  He wonderfully poked fun at french culture but also gave a bit of an ode to it as well. Félix and I both left grinning. It was so easy to get carried away in the story, the humor, the moment.

The next morning we headed to the foot of the Eiffel Tower and I got ready to race. This was my first time running with so many people.  There were about 25,000 runners. The race took us out towards the Bois de Boulogne and back through the city and along the banks of the Seine before bringing us back to the Eiffel Tower.   I loved how flat the course was! Compared to where I was doing all my training runs in the hilly, high altitude of the Alps, it was a very welcome change.

There were groups playing music every few kilometers all along the course and people cheered encouragement along the race route.  It was a grey rainy day and it only got more grey and more rainy as the race went on.  It did nothing to dampen my spirits though, it was so fun to be running around Paris with the streets closed just for me... ahem, us, all of us runners.

There were so many people:  participants, supporters, organizers.  Félix and I lost each other until we met up at our pre-determined post-race spot overlooking the Eiffel Tower.   I was greeted with cheers from Félix and his cousin. I ran it in two hours, I was hoping to be faster than that but overall,  I am really happy with my run.  I had a lot of fun and would do it again in heartbeat.  And before we knew it was time to catch the train home and find our little Clover  so that we could cover him with kisses. Now, the only lingering question is what race to sign up for next.  Any ideas?

Do you need more cowbell?

You can find me over at Little Village Life discussing the Combat des Reines, a livestock event like no other.  I talk about the surprise and suspense of a bovine battle royal. When the cows lock horns, you can expect...read more.


p.s. if you aren't familiar with the american pop culture reference in the title, you may want to watch this clip with Will Ferrell.  And if you are familiar with it, then we both know you definitely want to watch it.

3 things for a chilly fall day

When we came back from Corsica, we were greeted by a fog so thick the majority of the weekend we could hardly see across the street. The trees would peek out only occasionally.

The gloomy, grey mist and sharp cold were the perfect welcome back to fall reality.  All I wanted to do was curl up with a book on the couch, huddle under thick blankets and slurp hot soup to try to shake the chill. I guess, sometimes the best way to greet the cold weather is to simply submit to it.  The thick brume has  since left us so I'm looking forward to spending lots of time outside this weekend. No matter the weather though, I hope you find a way to keep warm this weekend!

Here are my three picks for keeping cozy:

1. Curling up with a good book -  Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, the only woman to win the Man Booker prize twice, it looks easy to get lost in the pages. On a fluffier, chick-lit note, 50 Shades of Grey has arrived in France.  Thinking I might just have to add that to my book pile, too. Have you read it?

2. Homemade soup on the stove - One of my new favorite recipes for tomato soup. If you still have a couple good tomatoes left, it's easy and delicious.

3. Bundling up with lots of layers -  Really pretty scarves keep you warmer.  It's a proven fact. I like these from fashionABLE, not only do they look good and keep your neck warm, they also help create sustainable business for women in Africa. It's a win-win.

By the way, these are not sponsored links, just things I like and couldn't help sharing.


So don't hold out on me, what are your picks for enjoying a chilly, fall weekend?

we need to talk about Corsica

Just after I waxed poetic about welcoming autumn, we did the exact opposite and jetted off to Corsica to catch the waning rays of sun and summer.  It was the perfect trip. The three of us, along with Félix's sister met up with Félix's cousin and his cousin's friend.  Can I just tell you that a ratio of 5 adults to 1 child is my kind of ratio? 

Our mornings would begin with the three of us sneaking out of the house for coffee and croissants in the harbor while the other housemates slept.  The citadel of Bonifacio loomed high above the small harbor below.  Sitting outside, sipping our coffee, Clover provided a constant narration of which boats went motoring by past the white limestone cliffs on their way out to sea. We'd head back to the house with croissants for the late sleepers and then we would all head off to the beach. It was a rhythm I could totally get on board with.

We stayed at Félix cousin's place in Spérone, at the southern most spot in Corsica. There was just so much to love about where we were.  It's rugged and gorgeous.

Hadri, Félix's cousin showed us a fun spot, a completely concealed beachside restaurant.  It was totally hidden behind the scrub oak until we were gazing at the sea.  We had a long, lingering lunch in front of that perfect view.  There are so many great hidden coves and secret beaches.

Clover didn't want to go near the water. Even so much as the tiniest drop would elicit squeals of distress. He would happily play in the sand and then all of a sudden on the second to last day he acted as if there was nothing he would rather do more than play in the surf. All fear forgotten. We could not get that boy out of the water. 

Which by the way, can we talk about the water? I've been to the mediterranean plenty but I have never seen it such a gorgeous turquoise, so clean and so clear.  Amazing. And I think another reason why I was so blown over by the place is that it is so close. By plane it's less than two hours but it felt a whole world away when we were there.

It was a fun, quick trip full  of lots of laughs, wonderful family and friends, great food, great champagne, and beautiful beaches, too.  Which really sums up my idea of a perfect trip in the sunshine before the cold autumn arrives.

I can't wait until we find our way back to the cobblestone streets, the golden sunsets and the silky, white-sand beaches of Corsica... Until then, I think it will feel like a dream that we were ever there. 

Do tell, do you have a favorite vacation spot? I find mine is changing all the time.