Nearly there...

France, currently under its third national lockdown, is set to lift restrictions on May 3rd. Relaxed travel rules are planned as of Monday on expectations that daily Covid-19 cases will soon begin falling, however, the nighttime curfew - now in place from 7pm to 6am - might be maintained.

Nine more days... a month ago it seemed like we were back to square one but this time things are looking a bit more promising. Restaurants are set to serve patrons outdoors from mid-May, while cinemas, theatres and museums will be opening with reduced capacity. This is huge since restaurants, cafés and bars have been shut since October 30th, 2020. 

The Covid case decrease remains fragile, so we'll need to wait for the government to give further details on the reopening during its weekly press conference on Thursdays.

I cannot wait to finally be allowed to sip a coffee on a "terrasse parisienne" for 6.- Euros a cup... it will be worth every penny for the first time.

Spring is in the air... and we are allowed out for some exercise.

Lovelocks are hard to come across without tourists in town

Three more weeks to go before this place will be buzzing again

Some bars are pretty even when closed

Full points for initiative and marketing

Hanging on to the belief that soon this place will be full of life again.

Easter under lockdown

It is Easter weekend... we were suppose to be in Madrid, maybe Ibiza with a bit of luck even in sunny Ticino. However, we are... once again... in lockdown... this time across all of France. Graciously we will not need to fill out a "justificatif de déplacement" every time we leave the house and we are allowed to venture out 10km rather than 1 km but nevertheless the Parisian have all but resigned and the mood is very subdued. 

All the French aggressiveness has been sucked out of the people. Obviously amiability is still not Parisians' forte but the city has become more liveable. The lack of millions of tourists has calmed the speed and intensiveness of daily routine. The city renowned as global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture is unrecognizable. We have now reached a point of utter monotony. All the reasons that make Paris such a unique city are not available... restaurants, bars, museums, cinemas, arenas, concert halls, monuments, galleries, shopping malls, exhibitions, tours, all gone since October 2020!!!!

Still Parisians are showing their defiance. The river banks are full to the rim with picnickers when the sun is shining (despite lockdown) and personal trainers are making a killing giving exercise classes in the parks... who would have ever believed that is what living in Paris boils down to?

Indeed, while the country's first lockdown a year ago meant closed parks and gardens as well as a stay-at-home order that allowed just a single hour a day for getting fresh air, France's latest lockdown encourages venturing outdoors. The new rules allow unlimited time outside within a 10-kilometre radius before the 7pm nationwide curfew and public green spaces remain open. The upshot: Easter egg hunts are allowed.

So, for those of you who have not fled town in search of greener pastures, enjoy your Easter Sunday in an usually quiet city known as Europe's most popular tourist city. Joyeuses Pâques!

A quick escape to Madrid

Parisians weary of their strict national lockdown are flocking over the border to Madrid, where bars and restaurants are open and people can stay outdoors until 10pm, even as COVID-19 batters Europe in a virulent third wave.

With France’s cultural venues shut, restaurants unable to serve meals on-site and a strictly-enforced 6pm curfew, leisure-seekers have eyed their southern neighbour’s capital and the Spaniards are everything but thrilled. 

Airports have been eerily empty and most duty free shops have been closed. Until recently you could breeze through customs (yes, IDs are required within the Schengen area again) and they whizzed you through the security check. Travelling hasn't been this easy since before 2001. 

As a regular commuter between Paris and Madrid, I have noted the increased activity as of late, the aircrafts are fuller and passengers look younger than usual?! 

It has been almost half a year, since Parisians could enjoy a drink on a terrace. The overriding feeling, traveling to Madrid, has been one of freedom. It must be said that mask-wearing and social distancing is much more respected here than in France. I consider myself lucky having a valid excuse and being able to escape to Spain regularly to get a taste of what life will hopefully look like again in the near future. 

Blue skies awaiting me in Spain

A welcome apertivo of Cava and truffle-flavoured chips

Waiting to serve clients on the terrace

A taste of Argentina

This is pure luxury

Enjoying the sun during a Sunday lunch

Buon appetito!

Suggerencias del dia

A funky bathroom

No day would be complete without an ice cream

 

Globetrotting and loving it!

Lockdown No.3

Well, twelve months on and we are back into lockdown - for the third time. Every time it's a little different and even if President Macron refuses to use the term "confinement" we all know how this will go down. No restaurants, bars, theatres, cinemas, discos, stadiums, galleries or any other social gatherings allowed for another 4 weeks.

The attestation is now TWO pages long and has so many option you do not know which one to tick without getting into trouble. Fortunately, even the government realized this and less than 24 hours later word has spread that we do not need an "attestation de deplacement" as long as we remain within a 10km radius of our home. Merci M. Castex.

Given you are allowed out the house for exercising, all of a sudden Parisian have become sporty. A year ago the population took to the bikes as our green city mayor took full advantage of the trend extending Paris' bike paths to over one thousand km... literally!

Today the river banks were overflowing with joggers, bikers, boxers, zumba dancers, yogis, weightlifters and capoeira athletes working out in the sun.

We will all be fit and ready to hit those restaurants when they finally open... in the meantime, my Swiss chocolate stock is diminishing rapidly as my exercise level intensifies.

A view down the Seine onto Le Grand Palais

All that is left of the tourists... lovelocks!

Working out in front of Musée d'Orsay

Picture perfect

Time for lunch on the go

Enjoying the last rays of sun...

before the clouds take over! 

Happy Women's Day

To all my girlfriends across the globe - most of whom I have not seen in a very long time - stay strong, knowing you are unique and beautiful, that your voice is powerful, your heart compassionate and your ambition always welcome.

The time will come when we can travel again and fall into eachothers arms, tears will flow and many new memories will be made. For the time being, take care and stay in touch. I miss you!

A grey week in Paris

Turning off the noise?

Listening to the news non-stop... it seems to be my new normal... CNN, BBC, BFMTV, FranceInfo, even Al Jazeera to allow for a different perspective. 

Will France go into lockdown or will we not? Will the vaccines make it to Europe or will they be hogged by the UK? Which executive orders will President Biden sign today? My latest discovery NZZ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung) US podcasts. It's an eclectic list of sources - conservative as they all may be - which has kept me company over the past weeks and months of lockdown. 

Obviously glued to CNN during the Presidential elections and the storming of the Capitol Hill which reminded me more of France's gilets jaunes protesters than US rioters... and left me wondering WHY was there absolutely no riot police in sight?!?

Maybe it is time to turn off the TV for a while and listen to some music... oh but then there is Netflix and Amazon Prime.. and what about BEIN Sport? 

So, here is the question: do I dare act on my mother's advice and turn it ALL off.. even if only for a day?!?

Motivation zero!

Never in the past ten years have I ever lacked inspiration to write and share my adventures on my blog. However, these past three months have been tough. Sitting down in front of my screen to fill an empty blog page was way down on my priority list. Finding the motivation is challenging. I do not blame the pandemic nor the bad weather, rather the general daily routine that has become monotonous.

Paris has been essentially closed down since October 2020. No cultural activities, no sports events, no concerts, no meals out, no meeting friends. Museums, cinema, bars, restaurants, gyms, all closed until further notice.  

I have avoided public transport all together and riding the bike in winter is no fun which translates into the same daily route just to get a minimum of exercise. My bonus is a jog under the Eiffel Tower, down the Champs de Mars and back up past Trocadero a couple of times a week. When I feel particularly energetic a run through the Bois de Boulogne does the trick.

With nowhere to go the daily highlight has become the grocery shopping possibly during a time with the least people around to respect social distancing.

So, with all that Paris has to offer and none of it available, I might as well move to the country side! At least, I would get to enjoy the exceptional snowfalls...

Paris will always be Paris

No where to go... cultural events cancelled, restaurants and bars closed, museums and monuments not accessible, public transport not enticing, weather depressing... BUT as Maurice Chevalier sang so well,

“Paris will always be Paris!

The more we reduce our lighting,

the more we see our courage shining,

the more we see our spirit brighten,

Paris will always be Paris!”

A new year... a new chapter!

We are three weeks into the new year and the outlook has not changed a great deal. We thought by putting 2020 behind us, 2021 would bring great beginnings... well, looking around Europe, we are either in lockdown or curfew and far from being on the same page concerning vaccines.

However, we will not stop following the regulations and applying social distancing for the respect of others as well as our own health. Some positive vibes are most welcome at this point... while I look forward to hitting the island sometime this year?!?

The spirit of Haute Couture

Honour where honour is due. Prestigious names that the whole world dreams of. Whether it be for a monogram or simply for a spot of window shopping, usually Avenue Montaigne is bustling with tourists and locals enjoying an extraordinary day among the grand hotels and luxury brands.

Last week, I was pretty much on my own strolling down the most sophisticated avenue of Haute Couture savouring the fashion paradise offering window after window of high-class prêt-à-porter and luxury labels. Obviously, luxury does not rank high on priorities these days albeit the holiday season, nevertheless is was a sad sight peeping through the windows and seeing empty shops with bored staff waiting in vain for clients. 

The Avenue Montaigne, at the very heart of the Golden Triangle, is punctuated with world-class boutiques, from French brands to Italian designers.

The iconic Chanel store encompasses 400 square meters of sleek interior mirroring the brand’s signature aesthetics with tweed sofas and an elegant palette of beige, white and gold. 

The Dior boutique is known for its eclectic changing façades. It was built in 1865 by the illegitimate son of Napoleon. In 1947, Christian Dior, presented an impressive 90-piece collection to magazine editors at his recently acquired Parisian townhouse on Avenue Montaigne. 

The Christian Dior shop at 30 Avenue Montaigne is currently closed for large works. The reopening is planned in 2021 with 3,000 m² of sales space, a "Galerie Dior" and a garden restaurant.

The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées was made famous by the creation of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” in 1913. Today's Parisian reality looks quite different!

A dreamy festive window by Repetto.

Fendi’s Paris flagship is known for its Baguette Wall, dedicated to the house’s cult handbag style – perfect for those who are looking for a one-of-a-kind item.

This is Paris. This is the avenue. This is Dior, Dietrich and diamonds. This is where icons and trends are born and love stories have played out since 1913: the Hotel Plaza Athéenée!

Merry Christmas