Fantasme Du Jour

Shopping, eating, drinking, and beautiful men, I’m finding all the enticements in Paris irresistible………this way wickedness lies I fear. I’m starting to think those medieval gargoyles stationed up high around Paris are having a peculiar iniquitous effect on me. Looking down from above they are watching me all the time, ready to pounce, hook their talons into me and fly me away to those mysterious corners of debauchery I secretly want to discover.

Of course the fashion and pastry persuasions in Paris are worthy of much discussion, but at the moment I can’t help noticing all the men in uniform in this city. From the police to the gendarmarie to les pompiers, these men of heroic stature and profession are more than fit to rescue (unlike their American donut eating compatriots). As they ride around the city on their mountain bikes, motor bikes, horses or rollerblades, they always seem ready for action, to save that damsel in distress or just to point you in the right direction, giving service with a smile and flirtatious innuendos. Their gentlemanly demeanour demands respect and ignites desire...many a fantasy is inspired just watching them at work....tight cycling shorts, clingy uniforms, the power, willingness and capability to help, all create the perfect bouquet garni to my French dish, definitement !

Not so Saving Grace – My underwear drawer is sadly still filled with your basic M and S selection, and there has been no need for a man in uniform to save this damsel as of yet…..though I am considering climbing a tall tree to be ‘rescued’.

For Girls Only

As I walk around Paris everyday it feels like every inch of the city is drawing me in, pulling me into its various pockets of temptation. It is the ultimate city for women in many ways. Everything focuses on their desires, senses, and longings. The lingerie shops exude sexiness and class, the chocolate shops are extraordinarily decadent, the designer clothes shops are devastatingly posh, even the food stalls are too tempting with their luscious fruit displays. These glories surround me every day, begging me to stop, look, taste, buy, indulge.

Living in such a city is bringing out my ultra feminine side. I find myself making more of an overall effort with my appearance, wearing perfume more often, moisturizing every bit of my body rather than just the required below knee bits, and attempting to wear matching lingerie. There’s something about Paris that makes me want to feel sexy, toujours.

Maybe it’s the array of men in view. Big cities offer more flavour, but there is something about French men that can send tingles to undiscovered places (I’m talking more Olivier Martinez types here rather than your local tubby poissoniere). The dark, brooding features, the sexy accent, the aggressive passion in everything they say and do. Basically, they love women and aren’t afraid to show it, it’s up to you whether you view it as vulgar chauvinism or simple appreciation for the opposite sex. Personally, I view any attention as flattering in a city full of beautiful people, (observable beauty that is, Parisian inner beauty is a phenomenon undiscovered in my experience).

The city of chocolate and cheese, champagne and shopping, culture and hauteur, Paris can be a girl’s best friend, or enemy. Either way, I’m going to just embrace it all and see what happens….

Gnomes at the Louvre

Taking a midnight stroll through the Louvre is truly spectacular. Everything in Paris should be seen during the day and at night, both perspectives offer so much in different ways, and there is something even more romantic about the city at night (if that’s possible). However, it’s not just romantic for us dreamy eyed married lovers walking amongst the maze of hedges leading on to the Tuilieries, it’s also the playground for gay garden gnomes apparently, who seemed to be popping out of the bushes at every turn as we walked by, no doubt excited about the loud British male voices they were hearing. UK’s version of Hampstead Heath, the gardens facing the pyramid at night are full of ‘cottagers’ looking for ‘lurve’ at the Louvre. We dared our male companions to go in but they only provided a wee bit of mincing for their Louvre lovers who obviously missed out on a quality bit of English Roast beef (with a condom to avoid mad cow disease bien sur).

Lovin' The Loire

The pleasant chirps of birds singing, soft wind blowing through the leaves, the gentle whirr of the pool’s motor with the odd, distant grunt of a tractor nearby…….We have traded the constant din of car horns honking, blaring ambulance sirens, and foreign French chatter for the blissful quiet of the Loire countryside. How much more you appreciate the simple things in life when you’re surrounded by chaos most of the time. Staying in a freshly decorated small farmhouse near Descartes (where the famous philosopher lived), we have adopted the local Labrador Tiggy, are picking fresh strawberries every morning from the garden, and are poolside every glimpse of sunshine we get (which sadly, is not often). A much needed escape from city life, we are visiting chateaux and drinking copious amounts of local wine to get us through the week, such a trial! Although the children are more excited about the dog than the castles, they are also enjoying having a house with a garden and a pool, even if they don’t get to swim in it.


A castle visit to Chateau Chenonceau, the most famous of the Loire Valley, even held the children's attention for some time. A ‘floating castle’, it is built as a bridge over the water, with beautiful gardens on either side. One can only imagine the types of parties that went on here. Built in the 16th century much of its original décor remains, and it is decadence beyond extravagant. The French King Henri II owned the chateau and gave it to his mistress. When he was killed his widow ordered the mistress to give it back to her, though she very graciously offered her another chateau down the road, how very diplomatic of her! Could you ever imagine Posh offering Madame Loos Beckinghim Palace following Becks demise after doing too many lines in LA.???