J’Adore everything Parisian. The architecture, the style, the language; everything about The City of Light is so glamorous.
I’ve always fantasized about living in Paris. I dream about scribbling in a leather-bound journal in a small coffee shop, sitting at a small table by myself creating a new piece of writing.
I have visited Paris once. But only for one day. While staying in London, my grandmother and I decided to take the chunnel to Paris. We had lunch in the Eiffel Tower and roamed the Louvre. I would love to visit the beautiful city again. I would love to visit the shops and interact with the French.
Problem is: I can’t speak French. I took French throughout elementary school, for a year in high school, and attended a course at a local college. I have always wanted to speak French, and perhaps one day I will, but for now the only useful French I know is “Je ne comprends pas.”
What sparked this blog entry on why I adore France is an article by Rita Silvan in an oh-so-French issue of Elle Canada. In the article, the Editor-in-Chief writes about travelling to a beautiful townhouse by the Mediterranean in France to learn French. Her attempt is certainly relatable as a Canadian who can’t seem to catch on.
This issue of Elle Canada is filled with lots of France-based articles, including an interview with Audrey Tautou, famous for her work in Amelie and the star of Coco Avant Chanel. In the film, Tautou plays icon Coco Chanel before she started the fashion house. I cannot wait for the little black dresses, strings of pearls and my precious Paris.
I have yet to watch Coco Avant Chanel, but I’m a fan of biopics, especially those set in Paris. Fans of the French should view Julie & Julia, which features Paris in the 1940s. Click here for my review of the film.
But there are many films that feature the beautiful city. One of my favourites is The Devil Wears Prada. Although the Meryl Streep/Anne Hathaway flick only features The City of Light for a fleeting moment, Paris is held up on a pedestal in the film…and I love that. Or perhaps I just love Meryl Streep, as she is also in Julie & Julia. Nonetheless, The Devil Wears Prada is a fantastic film, and Anne Hathaway portrays perfectly the dilemma with visiting Paris: there’s never enough time!
I would love to one day be typing this blog in Paris. Swishing on a dash of red lipstick and ordering an espresso as I type my adventures of being a Canadian expatriate. But, alas, there are magazines, novels, films, music and art to open my eyes to the French culture. Perhaps I’ll see Coco Avant Chanel this weekend? Joie de vivre!