Window Shopping in Paris

Already it feels like ages since I was in Paris 

and I just got back. 

So I make myself feel better with some 

virtual window shopping.  

Thought you might enjoy as well. 

I look at the chocolate above 

and can't believe I didn't go right inside and buy one of everything. 

Was hoping to do lunch at La Duree this visit

but it turns out they had a fire and have been under reconstruction. 

I believe you can still buy their macarons

but I just took pictures of some instead. 

And I let loose and ate my fair share of cheese this time. 

Every meal. Every time. 

Looking forward to the next visit already. 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Jolie Papier Toilette

While doing research for my novel in Paris recently, 

I made a quick lunch and shopping detour 

in the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris' underground shopping mall

beneath the Louvre Palace and Museum. 

And found I needed a...

what would be the French term for 'Pit Stop'? 

I finally found the Point WC,

an attended restroom with a price: 1 euro 50 c.

The woman at the counter takes your money

 and another (very quickly) cleans every stall after each use,

then greets and directs you to the most recently cleaned. 

Never have I seen so many decorated rolls.

Maybe I just don't get out enough.

I think I like the plain colored variety. 

Afterward I was delighted to find a Fragonard (Parfumerie)

where I bought an Eau de Toilette (really!)

as a gift for an upcoming hostess. 

When in Paris,

stop in the Point WC and pay the price 

just for the experience. 

And then indulge 

in some of the most famous perfume in Paris. 

Carrousel du Louvre

99, rue de Rivoli

75001 Paris

01.43.16.78.00

Mon-Sun 10am-8pm

Metro: Palais Royal- Musee du Louvre

Fragonard Louvre

99, rue de Rivoli

75001 Paris

01.42.96.96.96

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Magical Paris Night Walk

While The Chef is in the country hunting lapin,

(or rather tromping through the woods with those carrying the guns 

and enjoying lunch at the hunter's lodge),

I took a magical walk by myself the other night 

from the Louvre, across the Pont Neuf down to Notre Dame.

Love how the roof of the Hotel de Ville now sparkles at night 

just like the Eiffel Tower. 

Life is such a sparkle.


(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Cimetiere Passy

Today we walked the Cimetiere Passy 

just across the Seine from us in the 16th Arrondissement

for the first time. 

Have tried to find the entrance once before and gave up 

after much walking around looking. 

But today we found it. 

And some beautiful tombs. 

I found one like I've never seen before:

a two-level with double stairs and stone landings. 

It was like a grand cellar. 

Walking the cemeteries of Paris 

reminds one of how fleeting life is.

And how grateful we should be every moment. 

Grateful for my life exactly as it is.  

And for all of you.

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Sliding into the New Year!

Happy New Year, Mes Amies!

Back in Paris (after a short, mostly-working vacation in Greece last week)

and this was taken from a postcard at a souvenir shop after lunch today on Rue Cler. 

We celebrated last night at a party with some American friends of my sister's

and walked the Trocadero and Eiffel Tower after midnight last night on our way home!

WHAT a crowd! 

A little scary, interesting, exhilarating, and possibly a dim bulb idea 

but luckily without incident for us. I've been in the Champ de Mars once before on NY's Eve

and it was wild and crazy then too only with fireworks

 (which are no longer allowed in Paris on NY's Eve). 

Hoping all of you had a fun and safe New Year's Eve 

and wishing each of you smooth sailing in 2012! 

CHEERS to the New Year! 

Food of the Gods

A peachy little eatery in Greece today.

(Did the Gods have fake flowers?)

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Joyeux Noel

Happy Christmas Everyone! 

Above is the little Christmas tree in our apartment's entryway

which the concierge does every year. 

On our first night in Paris,

after a long lunch with ma soeur in Montmartre,

we unloaded our bags and took a walk across the Seine 

to the Village de Noel at the Trocadero. 

I had to come back for some day photos of these lovely little treats.

I did not taste a one 

but now wish I had indulged in one of these gorgeous roses!

The colors, the textures,

everything looks scrumptious.

And Christmas-y! 

I have to admit, on a cold night at these little fairs,

the vin chaud with a little fruit and sugar is my favorite.

Oh, but then there's also the crepes.

Ok, so both! 

Wishing you a Christmas filled with all your favorite things!

And I promise~ so many more photos to come.

(photos copyright: Kirsten Steen) 

'Tis the Season~Missing Paris Day

And I am sooo ready!

I have my 'Bastille My Heart' festive red nail polish on...

...and I've been working on the old abdominal obliques 

and think I'm somewhat ready for the onslaught of Foie Gras and cheese

(although The Chef made Stifado de Boeuf this weekend and topped it off with 

cranberry pancakes for breakfast so that might have put me a little-or big- behind)!

But mostly I'm ready for my Paris family and friends

and the joys of Christmas in one of the most beautiful cities on earth. 

Anyone have any Paris photo wish lists? 

I'm in the mood for making wishes come true. 

And my best holiday wishes to everyone 

in the countdown to the New Year! 

2012~ Here we come!

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Moulin Rouge~ Missing Paris Day

When my sister first moved to Paris from New York,

they lived in a small apartment just half a block off the Cimitiere Montmartre
right around the corner from the Moulin Rouge.

I spent hours in the afternoons curled up 

at the tomb of Alexandre Dumas le fils

writing in my notebook

blissfully content at 

being in Paris for

the first time
and wondering if,
at the end of his life,
Dumas wished he could change anything. 

I love cemeteries especially in Paris
with their long alleyways and ornate tombs.
Each tomb is a work of art whether sweetly cared for
or left to grow cobwebs, plastic flowers darkened with dust and broken stained glass windows.

Something about wandering through them
reminds us of how little time we have
but not in a morbid way.
It puts things in perspective.

Is there anything you wish you could change from yesterday
that you could do differently today?
Remember it. Mark it. Change it.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Inviting You To Go Deeper~ Buddhist Thought for the Day

"I am inviting you to go deeper, to learn and to practice

 so that you become someone who has a great capacity for

 being solid, calm, and without fear, because our society needs people 

like you who have these qualities, and your children, our children, need people 

like you, in order to go on, in order to become solid, and calm, and without fear."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

I love this quote because it reminds us that our journey is not just for ourselves

but also for those who look up to us, who follow us, learn from and imitate us.

Children look to us for how best to get along in this world

whether we are their parent, teacher, or friend. 

As Joseph Campbell once said, 

"It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life."

They need to know, as do we, that life is filled with heartaches,

and the best life is not one without heartache or failure

but the one in which we find the treasure in every difficulty. 

(Photo: San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden)

(Copyright: Kirsten Steen)

How God Changes Your Brain~ Teaser Tuesday

Hosted by MizB at shouldbereading.

Here's how to play:

*Grab your current read,

*Open to a random page,

*Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page,

*Please no spoilers!

*Share the title and author.

Today's selection is from 'How God Changes Your Brain' by Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman. P. 48.

"In the summer of 1999, I had the opportunity to study a group of nuns who had been practicing the Centering Prayer for a minimum of fifteen years. This was the first brain-scan study of Christian contemplative practitioners, and we discovered that the neurological changes were significant and very different from how the human brain normally functions. Even more surprising, the neurological changes were nearly the same as those we recorded from a group of Buddhist practitioners, who obviously  nurtured very different beliefs. This evidence confirmed our hypothesis that the benefits gleaned from prayer and meditation may have less to do with a specific theology than with the ritual techniques of breathing, staying relaxed, and focusing one's attention upon a concept that evokes comfort, compassion, or a spiritual sense of peace. Of course, the more you believe in what you are meditating or praying about, the stronger the response will be." 


A fascinating look at the effects of meditation (and prayer) on the neurological aspects of the brain. While I have recommended meditation to family and friends, I find that people either don't understand the benefits to themselves (of which there are a myriad of variations that last far beyond the time spent sitting) or they are terrified of time alone and/or what they will find inside. What a very different world it would be if everyone took a few minutes every day to slow down, go inside and feel a little peace on a regular basis.

From the back cover:
"* Not only do prayer and spiritual practice reduce stress, but just twelve minutes of meditation per day may slow down the aging process. (From page 62: 'Another important study...also showed that meditation enhanced the brain's thickness and neuroplasticity. Normally when we age, our cerebral cortex thins.')
* Contemplating a loving God rather than a punitive God reduces anxiety and depression and increases feelings of security, compassion, and love. 
* Fundamentalism, in and of itself, can be personally beneficial, but the prejudice generated by extreme beliefs can permanently damage your brain.
* Intense prayer and meditation lastingly change numerous structures and functions in the brain, altering your values and the way you perceive reality."

Bountiful Wishes!

Since they are now saying (as I've always said)

that gratitude is good for mind, body and soul,

Giving thanks here for:

*the many spectacular friends and family in my life,

*a wonderful and generous partner who shares my everyday world,

*the many true blessings I've been bestowed

*the gift of past, present and future
*the colors of each season

*and you!

What are you thankful for?

Wishing all of you a most bountiful Thanksgiving! 

(Photograph copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Wooded Bliss~Missing Paris Day

 Had to share a few more photos of the ancient buildings

of Bar le Duc. 

It's no secret that I love doors and windows...

and especially the wooded doors and ceilings of medieval times.

And there's no shortage of them here. 

Look at what this window revealed.

 The dining room where I will be a guest on this next trip to Bar le Duc

has a similar ceiling only with a luscious, deep turquoise shade between the beams. 

Wonder what's for lunch in this room today? 

Maybe a little wild boar stuffed with the champignons of the Lorraine area

and a piece of this sweetness with a dark cafe creme. 

And yes, I was teased and giggled at for taking this photo.

The woman behind the counter couldn't understand why I would want a shot of it.

My photography companion tried to explain with a shrug of her shoulders:  "C'est different." 

I've been told that Bar le Duc has some of the oldest buildings in the area

and this Monument Historique sign gives you an idea of just how old.

And then there's my favorite: the timbered-house. 

I never tire of gazing at this style. 

There are a couple in Paris I'll have to find on this visit and share with you.

I only found them recently though they stand just around the corner from a place I've walked by 

over and over throughout the years. 

One of the things I love about Paris!

Bon Lundi toute la monde! 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

One-time Residence of the Duc de Bar~ Missing Paris Day

Always when we travel to Paris,

we visit family in Bar le Duc,

a small town in the Meuse Departement of Lorraine

about 3 hours east of Paris. 

When I came to the Old Town section for the first time twenty years ago,

I took a similar photo of this window 

which was just as dressed up as you see it now

(though the valences portrayed the flowers of summer). 

I love the lavender wreath

and matching pots and boughs.

Many of the houses of the old town 

date back from the 15th to 17th centuries.

And on my last visit, I pointed and clicked 

at houses, doors and windows from all directions... 

...and traversed the many old walkways

that still resemble the days of the Dukes. 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Full (Hunter's/Sanguine) Moon and 11/11/11

~Image via Pinterest

The full moon of November is known as the Hunter's Moon (also called the Sanguine or Blood Moon) mainly because it gives plenty of evening light during hunting season. And the hunters of our family in France are already catching rabbits for our visit. The Little Unfortunates are typically served in a sauce of their own blood (not my favorite but it makes the hunters happy) and one must chew carefully in preparation for the inevitable buckshot. Actually my favorite rabbit in France was made by our butcher, just next door at the bottom of our stairs, simply baked lined with moutarde and jambon. It is endlessly interesting to return to a country that still handles much of its food straight from the farm or field. The open-air markets dangle animal parts for sale or offer live versions in cages. The fresher the better. After a huge lunch in the country, we walk in the forest for the express purposes of aiding digestion and spreading feed for the wild boar.

Tonight the moon illuminates the skies and the hunter's vision and tomorrow, the 11th day of the 11th month of 2011, the numbers 11/11/11 are all about illumination, transformation and enlightenment. Some see it as a time of peace. The fighting of World War I officially ended at 11:00 on November 11th in 1918 (the war itself ended the following June but the fighting ceased on this day). Some believe it's a time portal. Some see it as good luck and will spend 11/11/11 this year buying lottery tickets.  Gamblers will try their luck and others will tie the knot, hoping for an auspicious marriage beginning. A pair of twins will celebrate their 11th birthday with 11 candles in buttercream number 11. Those dedicated to peace and transformation will meditate on transmissions of light and inner awareness.

And for you, I'm wishing all of these good things: peace, illumination, auspiciousness and good hunting.
And if 11/11/11 is indeed a portal, happy travels!

Parisian Christmas~Missing Paris Day

Happy Monday everyone! 

The world (and winter) are looking better recently

as we booked our tickets to Paris for Christmas. 

A gift in itself-

there are so many things I am grateful for:

* Strolling the Paris streets
* Time with family and friends

* Foods of a particular (French) flavor
* Sounds of the most romantic of the romance languages
* History, history and history
* The double kissy- face
* Hot cafe drinks
 * Photo walks
* Foie Gras!!

What do you love most about Paris?
(Or wish to see most?)

(photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)