Bad habits die hard

It's like lowering yourself into a hot bath... you know you have been looking forward to this but the water is so hot it makes you slow down.... that is what "déconfinement" feels like! As France slowly lifts the lid on gradual virus deconfinement plan, French people have been told by the Prime Minister that they are going to have to live with the virus.

Monday morning was a timid start with streets still quiet and little traffic. By lunchtime, however, some chanting, shouting and honking had caught my attention. I leaned over the balcony to realize we had a mini-demonstration panning out in front of an embassy on the opposite side of the road. Over one hundred people, six police vans and three fire engines were parked below our building. Seriously?!?

By Monday night Paris' mayor had prohibited the consumption of alcohol along the Seine embankment since thousands of youngsters had gathered along the river banks to celebrate their new-found freedom.

By Wednesday the main traffic arteries into town were blocked again and I got told off rudely by a bike rider for walking in the road along the sidewalk rather than on in... a habit I adopted during my grocery shopping sprees these past two months to avoid getting to close to other pedestrians.

This is what I call a brutal kick-start back into reality. Oh, did I mention... now that we are finally allowed out we are back to grey Parisian skies and one-digit degrees?!?

Furthermore, we are only allowed to travel within a 100km radius of our homes which doesn't even get me to Reims to sip some French champagne!!!

Day one post-lockdown

What will the new normal look like?

Where has all the sunshine gone?

Back to the hustle and bustle of city life...

or just your regular Monday morning!

10 questions to ask yourself to take stock after confinement

We are all looking forward to going back to "normal", even if we are not quite sure what the new normal will look like. The faster we let go of expectations of “normal,” the faster we adapt. This period of confinement has allowed us to figure out what is actually important to us and focus on that.
Here are ten questions to ask yourself after confinement.

1.) What have you stopped doing and don't want to start again?
2.) What did you start and want to save time for now?
3.) What do you miss the most? Make your top 3.
4.) What didn't you do when you absolutely wanted to get started?
5.) Is it too late? Is it really important?
6.) What did you find out about yourself?
7.) Are you surprised?
8.) Is your personal experience of containment generally positive or negative? Why?
9.) What expectations of “normal” are you letting go of today?
10.) What beauty are you creating, cultivating, or inviting in today?

No-one in town

We are into our eighth week of self-confinement, quarantine, staying home, io resto a casa, ensemble à la maison - whatever you want to call it - and it is becoming very monotonous. BUT, I dare complain, it has been a quiet and peaceful two months in Paris. Its community once again has overcome their daily frustrations of living in a metropole and shown their unique sense of resilience and solidarity in times of a crisis. 

It seems 24% of Parisians have skipped town and the capital is emptier than during the month of August but the rest of us have been unusually friendly even chatty proving an unprecedented neighbourhood vibe where residents perch at their windows greeting each other.

Monday the country's confinement will be lifted and life will slowly reboot, however, with the mobs of tourists gone the city once again will belong to the Parisians.

Closed and abandoned

With the French capital in lockdown for nearly seven weeks due to the coronavirus, it feels like you could have the most visited sites in the world all to yourself... if only you were allowed out!

What a wonderful opportunity it would be to admire the city without noise and tourists. At the same time, however, it would no doubt be a sad sight, as if the city of lights were abandoned. 

The most spectacular images come from Human Rights Square at Trocadero looking out at the Eiffel Tower, a spot that is close to home and therefore accessible to me after 7pm, but many other places must look like the photos below which I have taken over the years...

One more week and we'll be allowed to venture out again and explore the beauty of this city without the crowds and tourbuses blocking the views. With a bit of patience and good behaviour the cafés and bistros might open up for the summer?!?

The photo above is the only one taken this past month.

Just look at the weather!

An unusual communication campaign

The coronavirus is also fought through communication and prevention. Paris' mayor has been using all the means of the city's display, such as information panels, social networks and media to mobilize and inform Parisians about the situation in real time. Here are a few examples I came across on my morning jogs around the deserted avenues...

The beautiful days have never been so beautiful

Thank you. Take care of caregivers! Lets support them.

Neighbourhood spirit

Parisians in Exodus (this is actually an exhibit currently closed)

Protecting ourselves together while protecting others: Stay home

The right moves to limit the circulation

Every window has its story in Paris

Week number 6 in Paris' confinement and the sun continues to shine as if to mock us. I can't help but feel like the Earth has just sent us all to our rooms to think about what we've done!

A view onto to Argentinean Embassy in Paris

Art Deco in black & white

Closed and abandoned 

But this does not mean that the world stops: Spring is in full bloom 

24% of Parisians have left town!

Let the sun shine in

Feeling patriotic

Old but not forgotten

Chou translates into cabbage, sweetheart or cream bun?

Ever been to the Bains-Douches?

Feeling desperate!

Parked on the balcony for the past 6 weeks

Paris architecture in all its beauty

Glass stained window from the 17th century 

A sneak preview onto the next fashion collection?

RF stands for "Republique Franciase"

Expat with Kids recipes

Looking for some inspiration in your kitchen? Have some time to cook together with your kids during self-confinement? Why not check out my Expat with Kids Recipes blog?

I have a passion for cooking and a curiosity for any new recipe as long as it is easy, uncomplicated and fast to prepare. Desserts are my speciality but I can bash up a 5 course meal if I have to in a couple of hours.

I adore recipes and have been collecting them since my teens. Only few know, that tucked away I own a third blog called Expat with Kids Recipes. As of late, I have decided to blow some wind into its sails and have revamped the site entirely.

Expat with Kids Recipes are a mix of origins true to my own heritage and travels. You'll find Swiss, American, British, Italian and French recipes. My faible for the Caribbean is also quite apparent in my choice of exotic recipes.

My biggest success is definitely the Italian Tiramisù recipe but the Raspberry&Prosecco version isn't bad either. So, tell me, which is your favourite?

Click HERE, enjoy and BUON APPETITO!

Empty Paris

This is real...

You know your world is out of sync when you are Whatsapping your best friend abroad and we realize that her highlight of the day is having a flat tyre changed at the local garage and mine is popping down the road grocery shopping at Marks and Spencers! This cannot be our real life?

Monotony is settling in...

By week five the routine is becoming repetitive and monotonous. We are used to a city offering us every activity and event under the sun. No matter what tickles your fancy Paris will have it on offer - it is up to you to find your passion, your hobby, your pass-time - and you'll find a group or place to answer your needs.

Concerts, exhibits, cooking classes, photo workshops, historical excursions, fashion shows, flea markets, International day at school, Roland Garros, park picnics, river strolls, happy hours on the terrasse, dinners out, disco boogieing ... it is all wiped off the table until further notice.

What's left is family and food...

Somewhere early on in this lockdown I read you should stay focussed on the positive and wipe out the negative influences during this period. Well, I cannot think of any better combo than family and food. Needless to say our Italian side takes over when it comes to either... as such we are enjoying lunch and dinner around our dining room table every day and have a giggle when Expat hubby yet again comes up with his favourite subjects of the past. Expat boy finally needs to change his favourite subject of football (because the only League left still playing is Belarussia!) and Expat Girl as always is three steps ahead of the rest of us with her geo-political views.

While I am sitting there listening to everyone with a smile on my face, thinking... obviously, it would be better if this pow wow could take place on a sunny beach somewhere!