A Pirate Looks at Fifty

March 6, 2017 (065/365)

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.” - Walt Disney

My week in Paris was priceless. I treasured the time, the experiences, the beauty, the memories. One of my favorite moments was spent on Saturday afternoon watching the children sail little boats in the grand basin of the Luxembourg Gardens. Today, I must return to port, but I continue to have a trove of books, knowledge, ideas, friendships, and experiences ahead of me as this Pewaukee Pirate looks at fifty.

Pull Up a Chair

March 5, 2017 (064/365)

“Empty chairs are not really empty; memories always sit there!” - Mehmet Murat ildan

There are few simpler pleasures in Paris than finding an empty chair in the Luxembourg or Tuileries Gardens or in any of over four hundred parks in this bustling city. These iconic green chairs have been enjoyed by Parisians and tourists alike since introduced by Ateliers de la Ville de Paris in 1923. Scattered around pools and fountains, they invite you to put your feet up and create your own seating arrangements. Loungers enjoy sipping coffee, reading, or watching ducks and children play in the fountains. I often wonder how many great works of art, literature, and fashion have been imagined and nurtured in one of these chairs.

Photos above in the Luxembourg Gardens, below in the Tuileries

Learn more about these iconic chairs

here

.

Home

March 4, 2017 (063/365)

“Home is the nicest word there is.”  - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thank you, Eric and Piper, for this lovely welcome home! I could do without the snow though ;)

Shakespeare and Company

March 3, 2017 (062/365) “Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.” ~ George Whitman

I've featured the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookshop on my blog twice before -- first as one of my premiere posts in 2011 and again as a French Friday repost in 2014 because, despite my acute francophilia, I love this bastion of American literature and history. 

It was my pleasure to visit the shop again last weekend.

I know that photos are forbidden, but George Whitman was a rebel too.

You know I can't resist a vintage typewriter!

Despite the temptation to believe in my own luck, I purchased this new book about the "Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart"

It has so many great images, letters, poems, and artifacts that made me appreciate this space even more. (Official photo)

I bought a coffee at the new café next door.

The space that George longed to own just opened last year. Finally, I found a bench to sit and read...

.. just like I did as a student in 1994 (below)!

I still think that is George Whitman in the window!

Au revoir

March 2, 2017 (061/2017)

"There are only two places in the world where we can live happy: at home and in Paris."

- Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Today, I bid « au revoir » to my beloved Paris, but the sentiment literally means until we see each other again.

Green is the New Red

March 1, 2017 (060/365)

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." - Pedro Calderon de la Barca

It's snowing at home, but I've had a taste of spring and I'm ready! February is over and red is out. Green is the new red this month.