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.

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!

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?!?

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?!?

Happy New Year 2021

Those were the days...

Gone are the days when restaurants and bistros were open for business. Paris' social scene has come to a screeching halt during Covid times. We are into our second confinement and no one could had ever dreamt that the year would end in such a desolate manner.

Hospitality sites may not be permitted to reopen until next year, as "non-essential" shops and religious sites wait to find out if they will be able to reopen from December 1st. It has been decided to postpone Black Friday from Friday Nov 27th to Dec 4th! Imagine someone would have told you last year that Black Friday would be held a week late?!? If the government can do that, it can get away with anything!

While some restaurants in other countries have managed to adapt to lockdown conditions by offering a takeaway or delivery service, in France the traditional eat-in model has been harder to reinvent. The good news is that florists will be able to sell Christmas trees outside their shops beginning today.

Hanging in there until further notice... President Macron is scheduled to hold another speech on Tuesday.

Go Philly!

This has been a rare week in which all-consuming coverage of the pandemic has been overshadowed by the extraordinary electoral battle going on across the Atlantic. It was the perfect excuse to take my mind off the lockdown and be transfixed by the drama unfolding in America.

I've been glued to the TV since Tuesday evening waiting to see how the US Presidential elections pan out. Never had I expected such a reality show... and it is still unfolding three days later. 

I went from hopeful to disappointed, to frantic, to nerve wracked, to disgusted, to hopeful, to excited. I am still waiting for victorious to kick in but it's looking pretty good right now.

My Dad was born in Philly and Pennsylvania flipping to blue would have made even him rejoice albeit being a life-long Republican. I have missed him dearly these passed days knowing he was a big CNN fan ever since they launched in 1980 and would have enjoyed following the US Election live coverage 24/7 together with me. 

This year the integrity of the US election process has been put to the test and I truly hope that the traditional values such as diversity, racial equality, women's rights, immigrant rights, working with foreign allies will be fully embraced again and taken back to the White House... meanwhile I will return to watching TV and continue to lose track of the day.

It's not over until it's over

 ... glued to the TV since yesterday...

... and then we went into lockdown... again!

Friday afternoon and we are heading back to Paris early after a short half-term break. We cannot ignore the heavy feeling in our stomach. 

As of today France is on highest terrorist alert and on total lockdown. The only difference is that schools remain open as do the parks. However, if you live further away than 1km of a green space you won’t be able to reach it since the max radius to walk, run or grocery shop for necessities is 1000m.

We are heading into at least four more likely six weeks of staying home 24/7 except for the kids who - until further notice - are allowed to attend classes. 

Education is probably the main reason many parents are heading back to the Hexagon's capital this weekend given that most of us have been recommended to “télétravail” whenever possible. Nevertheless, over the past two days Paris has registered over 1000km of traffic jam heading OUT of the city!!!

Expat daughter who will be turning 18 soon is not happy because according to her these are suppose to be the best years of her life. Now that she is finally old enough to go out at night and meet up with her friends for a drink, she can’t even ride her bike to enjoy a bubble tea in the Marais with her besties!!!

Whatever the situation, it too will pass and as long as we stay healthy and safe we will come out the other end eventually... in the meantime I am stocking up on bottles of Prosecco and continuing my yoga classes online to keep sane. 

Where has everyone gone?

Paris feels subdued. Although nobody really wants to admit it, this city might actually start missing its tourists. 

Whenever did we have Fashion week and Roland Garros the same week and both virtually went unnoticed! These events are huge happenings for France's capital and even if you don't care about fashion or know how to play tennis you can't help noticing the extra excitement in the air as the city's social scene along with the traffic step up into 5th gear.

Unlike New York and London’s city centres, Paris’s heart continues to beat in every quartier, Covid or not, and whether people work from home or not. This city is made of a mosaic of buoyant villages. The risk of Paris becoming deserted is nil.

Nevertheless, this melting pot with a meli-melo of cultures and races, does get an extra buzz of the sheer quantity of people running around all year long. Paris' tourist season has no real beginning and end to it, the locals have just learnt to absorb the masses and live with it.

The local residents - forever complaining how overrun their city is - never quite realized how much they had adapted to their visitors' pace. All of a sudden, we can start navigating in a lower gear and it seems unnatural!

Vote! Vote! Vote!

It seemed vital last time around... back in 2016... when it was hard to believe that Donald Trump would actually win the US presidential elections... need I say more?

This time around casting my vote seems even more important. New York State has voted Democratic in national elections since 1988 so I am not sure how much of a difference my ballot will make but I have the freedom as well as the right to vote - a privilege not every citizen in this world can claim - so, I WILL VOTE!

A few months back, my teenage daughter asked me if she could participate at a black lives matter demonstration in Paris... after we had just been confined for 3 months due to Covid outbreak?!? Honey, get real! 

Instead I sat her down and asked her to join me while I registered to vote. There are ways and ways to make a difference and timing is everything! This weekend we sat down in front of the computer together casting my vote. However, Expat daughter was not impressed with the format and I don't blame her. 

Having to print your electronic ballot is one thing but having to tape your printed template of an envelope to send the other end of the pond seems mighty old-fashion for the world's leading technology power. Whatever the process might be, whatever nationality you are... if you have the privilege to vote.. USE IT!

Ibiza is World Heritage

Ibiza’s claim to fame is its status as one of Europe’s most lit places to party, but there’s so much more to Ibiza Town, the Balearic Island’s capital, than raves, 24-hour clubs, and study abroad spring breakers. To start, there’s Dalt Vila, a fortified medieval old town perched on a cliff that offers sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea atop 16th-century battlements. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Perched on a small mountain next to the sea and overlooking the town is the fortified old town of Dalt Vila which translates to "Upper Town".

Originally called Ibosim and founded by the Phoenicians, Dalt Vila has been added to by successive occupiers and was once one of the most important coastal cities in the Mediterranean. The last addition was the Renaissance defensive walls that surround it, which Kings Charles I and Philip II of Spain had constructed to defend against the French and the Ottomans.

Walking into the main square, Plaza de Vila, many restaurants, art galleries and shops are closed due to lack of tourists.

The Catalans were the first to penetrate Dalt Vila from within and by doing so, crushed Moorish rule. 

As legend has it, the brother of the Emir that controlled Ibiza was deeply jealous of his sibling and had betrayed him to the Catalan pretenders. He told them the whereabouts of a secret tunnel that came out at a small chapel, which afterwards was named in honour of San Ciriaco, the Patron Saint of Ibiza.

Inside the heart of Villa Dalt where the cost per m2 is anything between 5000 and 10'000.- Euros.

Looking down from the battlements by the Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, allows for a  wonderful panoramic view over the city and the harbour.

Santo Domingo church, built in the 17th century, is attached to the Monastery of the same order, and it is the second largest temple in the isle, after the Cathedral.

The Cathedral of Ibiza came about after the conquest of Ibiza by Catalan troops in 1235, and it takes up the space that, until then, had been occupied by the town’s mosque.

When the Bishopric of Ibiza was created in 1762, this was only parish on the island. It became a Cathedral and was dedicated to Saint Mary of the Snows.

Counting lovelocks in absence of tourists

Now that the confinement has been lifted and Paris is finally back in the green zone - who would have thought we'd ever make it into the green zone before summer break - it is a pleasure to stroll around Paris.

Tourists have not found their way back to the city of love yet. Orly airport is still closed and most airlines have grounded their planes, however, the local residents are doing a good job of filling the city.

Everyone is out and about either exercising, going for a walk, hanging out along the Seine, enjoying a coffee on the terrasse or queuing at the fresh produce market. 

Picnicking in one of the "bois" (the bigger parks) is high on everybody's priority list! It is easy to score one of the green metal chairs dotted around the fountains and under shady chestnut trees in the city parks. The Mayor has allowed cafés, restaurants and bars to annex more space on pavements and added pedestrian-only streets, giving the city a joyfully chaotic vibe.

Paris welcomes about 50 million visitors, making it the world’s top tourist destination, but for now only the lovelocks remain proof of their presence. So, don't tell everyone yet that Paris is back in business, let's enjoy this unusual opportunity of having the city to ourselves.

Kukuwa, my latest discovery

So, you've heard of zumba lessons and maybe even barre classes but what about Kukuwa?

Covid-19 had forced us to exercise indoors and I can't help but think back to the days when Jane Fonda instructed us how to grapevine on her VHS video tapes. Home fitness has been shaping our lives for longer than we think only now it has taken on a much more conscientious part of our daily routine. 

Clothing brands, apps, and trainers were all offering workouts for free on various digital platforms. Given the amount of chocolate being consumed in our household during confinement, I had decided to launch myself into the exercise offer online trying everything from Vinyasa yoga to Zumba and from mindfulness meditation to African dance. 

At the top of the list and by far the most fun discovery of my quarantine is Kukuwa! A dance workout blending African soukous, makossa, and soca rhythms into a low impact, high energy cardiovascular, fun-filled energetic class that challenges my fitness ability and my coordination. It feels like I'm on an exotic expedition through Cameroon, Zambia, Namibia, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi all the while moving my boomsey!

The workout is great fun. The moves are sexy, fast and really get those muscles in shape and that heart rate up! The music is upbeat and the instructors a good giggle. 

Kukuwa is definitely the best discovery during my confinement. What 's yours?

Today I registered to VOTE!

Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, 

one another, this country and this world!

Make a difference. Register to vote!

Lockdown captured in a piece of art

If there's one thing that can never be contained, it is creativity. In the times of chaos, creating art can be cathartic even if you are not an artist. For starters we have more time to create as we are distanced from the distractions of our normal lives. If your lockdown experience were a piece of art, what would it look like?

Draw, paint, stitch, photograph, cook, and create your artistic response to living in isolation. It could be artwork, poetry, inspiring quotes, the view from your window or family tic tocs. Document your experiences of "confinement" as a reminder how drastically fast the world changed in a way no-one could have predicted!

I've entitled mine: L'attimo fuggente (A fleeting moment)