Mocking Bird » Paris

Letters to Lovers: Paris

Amanda — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:00:19 +0000

Dearest Paris,

For the longest time I have loved you from afar. You with your style and poise, never once knowing the longing in my glances, never once feeling the depth of my passion, you and I have been absent lovers for the longest of times.

In vain have I struggled. Struggled to recreate your seductions with charlatan croissants and lesser baguettes. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

I cannot wait any longer. With every fiber of my being, I will cross ocean and sea to be with you. I shall come in late winter when I will have you all to myself. We shall dance under the light of La Tour Eiffel and wander the hills of Montmartre as we have long dreamed.

With love and undying affection, I will see you very soon.

Love Amanda xx

Check out my Letters to Italy, France and Japan.

*Some lines of this letter may have been “borrowed” from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

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Yes, friends, can you believe it, I’m going to Paris! Finally! On my way to Marrakesh (where I am teaching our Instant Love retreat with Susannah and Jen), I am flying through Paris, so I am having a few days of awesomeness in the city I’ve been dreaming about for the longest time.

I am totally paranoid about speaking the language and looking like a hobo, so if you have any tips, I would greatly appreciate them. Cute areas to visit, cafes to eat at, museums to wander, outfits to wear, views to see and shops in which to spend Euro – I would love to hear all of your suggestions, so hit me!

Living In Paris When You Don’t Live In Paris

Amanda — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:00:24 +0000

Oh, how I love having a patisserie and a bakery run by actual French people across the street and down the road. Yes, the bread is to die for, and yes the chocolate croissants are better than any other I’ve tasted before, but for me what I love about these 2 little places are the way they make me feel.

I stand at the counter, eyeing all the beauty behind the glass, pondering which delight to choose, and patiently wait for my turn. I wait for one little thing. One little thing that transports me instantly. “What would you like?” she says in a romantic, oh so Frenchie accent. For in that moment, the sweet French lady carries me to a patisserie in Paris or a boulangerie in Bordeaux. I can pretend for just that moment that I am steps away from the Sacré Cœur and going to head down the hill with my baguette for lunch. Stepping into these places give me so much more than bread and pastries. They give me hope that I will one day get to visit this town that I have loved from afar for so long.

I wrote a little about our village lifestyle on my guest post on sfgirlbybay last week because I just adore having these special places to call my local haunts. But mostly I love living a little bit of Paris if only for a minute.

Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine

Amanda — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:47:59 +0000

Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine is not the sort of mag I would normally buy, as it’s ultimately about food. This July however, I could not resist as it was their annual French issue. The cover alone was enough for me to buy it, but flicking through it’s pages got me all excited for a whole issue full of fabulous Frenchiness.

The cover is graced by beautiful photography of delicate pink macarons. You can read the article and recipe about how much the French love their macarons on the Gourmet Traveller website.

Another great article inside explains how to eat in Paris for under €10 and tells you exactly where to find each of the restaurants.

What I of course love about the magazine the most is the photographic style. Their food photography is divine and it makes me want to become someone who likes to cook. I really don’t, which makes me sad. Australian Gourmet Traveller may well just have to be one of the many fabulous, Aussie mags that my mum will have to send me!

Paris Beckons…

Amanda — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:45:38 +0000

HAVE YOU NOT SEEN THE MELBOURNE AD( still the best ad on Australian TV)? If not, I suggest you watch it straight away so you can understand my next sentence.

I have this long standing deal with Paris that one day our red ball of string will connect. I have floated through my life dreaming of Paris imagining that there is a giant red ball of yarn leading me towards Montmartre. My yearning to visit Paris is like an unrequited love, like the nerdy boy who watches his dream girl from afar from behind his glasses and books, never mustering the courage to talk to her. I am that nerdy boy.

The photographs above are taken from the New York Times interview with Sofia Coppola about her Paris. She says,

“I spent two summers interning at Chanel. You naturally feel a connection to certain places, and, for me, Paris is one of them. I would look at my parents’ French friends and think, That’s what you’re supposed to be like when you grow up.”

I feel that about Paris and I haven’t even been there.

For many years I have dreamt of walking the streets of Paris with a baguette in hand, walking the hill to my photoblog’s namesake and falling in love with it’s windows and shop fronts. I just hope that I get there before the Polaroid runs out.

So for now, I live vicariously through the stories and photographs of many lovely bloggers and flickrites who have recently lived my dream.

When I was 25, I took a trip to Italy with my aunt and one of the most incredible memories I will ever have was when I rounded the corner from a walk from San Marco to see the first gondola appear. I felt like I’d stepped into a magical made up world and I was left trailing behind while a friend I had made on the tour laughed at my dropped jaw expressions.

I haven’t had that feeling since and I know that when I visit Paris, it is likely to happen again. I cannot wait for that day.

Check out Alicia’s Paris in the Springtime set on etsy.

Pia’s gorgeous new Paris book!

Take a trip to the insanely beautiful Ladurée. We may think of it as glamourous and oh so French, but I wonder if the locals think of it as the Starbucks of Paris.

And finally Sofia Coppola’s Paris at the NY Times. How I love her. I have had this article bookmarked forever. All photographs are from that article. Click on the slideshow to see a few more.

Got any gorgeous Paris links you would like to share? I’d love to see your photographs if you have any.