Links I Love • April 2020

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” — Jane Austen

While we remain safely sheltered at home, it isn’t surprising that this month’s links focus on my two favorites forms of escape: travel (to Paris, of course) and books:

• How to Live the Parisian Lifestyle When You’re Stuck at Home - 5 simple ideas that I always try to apply.

• How to Experience Paris From Your Home — 6 more great ideas

• Traveling to Paris Once the Quarantine is Over — I’ll be back!

• Traveling by Ear: 13 Podcasts for Wandering Souls — featuring my favorite, The Earful Tower

• Paris Diary: Here Are 20 Photos Of A City In Lockdown

• Discover Paris on a Virtual Visit — Visit the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Opéra de Paris Palais Garnier, Musée du Louvre Musée du Louvre, Monnaie de Paris, Grand Palais, Eiffel Tower, Musée des Arts Décoratifs Musée des Arts décoratifs, Musée de l’Orangerie, Sainte-Chapelle, Musée de la Musique, and Château de Pierrefonds

• Marie Antoinette’s Private Garden at Versailles Is Being Restored

• Paris Museums Online: Art You Can Enjoy From Anywhere

• A year after the devastating fire, here are 15 Surprising Facts About Notre Dame Cathedral

• The Paris Street Frozen in 1942 — a movie set abandoned during the lockdown

• 15 Easy French Aperitifs for Your Next Happy Hour — Perhaps one will become your next favorite “quarantini.”

• Paris Picks: Paris From Home — “What better way to dive into a culture than via the pages of a book?” - Kasia Dietz. I have read six of these already…

• Our Top 9 Books About Paris to Read if You’re Stuck At Home — six of these nine and #1 is my favorite…

• The Ultimate Francophile Reading List — …and seven of these twelve (#11 is my favorite).

• Why We Turn to Jane Austen in Dark Times

• Providing Solace and Hope — Poetry recommendations from the Marquette English department

• It Took a Global Pandemic, But Generation X is Finally Getting Love — “Sorry Boomers and Too Bad Millennials — Only One Generation Stands Out as Social Distancing Pros”

• Someday, We’ll Look Back on All of This and Write a Novel

Capture 52 - Week 17: Red

“There is a shade of red for every woman.” - Audrey Hepburn

Red is a powerful colour in photography. Find something red and create a composition around it.  #Capture52 #capture52week17 #red #icyred

Lockdown, Paris Trivia, and Kindred Spirits

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” ― Lucy Maude Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables.

Let’s be honest, this lockdown is not that easy. Of course, it is absolutely necessary, and at first, it seemed rather nice to be safely working from home with a snoozy beagle on my lap. Yet as the weeks pass, the days seem to get longer, the news continues to be daunting, and the future remains uncertain (and let’s not even mention the grooming issues).

This week is “spring break.” Only a month ago, I thought I would be in Paris right now. Obviously, all travel plans on hold for now, but I do get my Paris fix by reading and listening to The Earful Tower podcast archives. Since the lockdown began, Oliver Gee and his wife, Lina, have hosted a live “pub quiz” on YouTube each Saturday at 1:00 pm CDT. The quiz features categories such as Parisian attractions, French history, fashion, art, and literature. You know that’s totally my thing and guess who won the first quiz night? Yep, me!

Ironically, in subsequent quizzes, I have scored higher each time, but have lost by 2-3 points :-)

If you enjoy Paris trivia or would just like to connect with fellow francophiles, consider joining in the fun. Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Lori of Lori Loves Paris, a fellow blogger from Wisconsin. After visiting each other’s blogs and Instagram accounts, it was immediately evident that she and I are indeed kindred spirits. Here’s what Lori had to say:

There are many Francophiles out there who feel just like I do. In fact just yesterday I met (virtually) Melinda from right here in Wisconsin. She is a fellow blogger and artist who shares a mutual adoration for a favorite Paris podcast that I have talked about before, The Earful Tower. She and I both hung around yesterday after the live YouTube Paris Pub Quiz hosted by The Earful Tower host, Oliver Gee and his wife Lina direct from their Paris apartment. It has been a welcome Saturday afternoon pleasure since lock down began over three weeks ago . . . We followed each other on Instagram and messaged back and forth. Connecting with someone who shares your love of Paris is like finding a piece of gold! Another kindred spirit!

Milwaukee Day • 414

The Lakefront, the Art Museum, Marquette, St. Joan of Arc Chapel and Gesu, the East Side, the Third Ward…

It has been exactly one month since I visited Milwaukee, but this print in our kitchen reminds me of the city I love. Bien-sûr, I love Paris (which is displayed on the opposite wall), but I was born in Milwaukee and lived there for nine years. Milwaukee will always be a place that I call Home. Here in Delafield, we are only 30 minutes away from our favorite restaurants, museums, neighborhoods, and marinas. We are staying away for now, but today I’m celebrating Milwaukee Day (414) and longing to be back.

Capture 52 - Week 16: Easter

"Easter is the only time of year when it is safe to put all your eggs in one basket."

#Capture52 #capture52week16 #eastereggs

Capture 52 - Week 15 - Tell a Story

“The wound is the place where the Light enters.” - Rumi

In times like these, so many are wounded — wounded by illness, by fear, by loneliness, by uncertainty. But there is hope and light. So many of the Capture 52 photos this week reflect the difficult state of the world. I choose to focus on the horizon. #Capture52 #capture52week15 #tellastory #astoryofhope