Paris on Foot, by Hook or by Crook

100 Days.

That is the amount of days between US and our Paris arrival.

If the universe allows it, that is.

Michael and I are booked.

In today’s pandemic times, of course, ANYTHING can happen between now and then. Especially with this new special fuckery known as the Delta variant.

As of this writing, borders are open to double-vaxxed travelers and re-entry is allowed. Is it wise? That is the question I keep asking myself. Over and over and over again.

But by hook or by crook, we are destined for Paris.

And this excursion will include miles and miles and miles of…WALKING. Our hotel is about halfway between the Arc de Triomphe and Sacré-Cœur. This gives us hikers immediate walking access to all of the Paris must-see locations. We have one week to visit everything! Our feet got this! WE got this!

Paris is one of those cities–planned or accidental–that are absolutely PERFECT for walking. There’s so much to see in such a tight little circle of interest. We plan to cover every masked-and-socially-distanced inch of it.

The Eiffel viewed from atop the Arc de Triomphe.

I can’t wait to be back there! Since my first trip in 2014, I just feel like Paris is one of those magical places that resonate with me so completely. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I could live in that city and call it home. I’m sure a lot of its visitors say this very same thing. But that’s because it’s true. It’s just one of those cities.

Luxembourg Palace

I intend to take copious notes this time around. Who am I kidding? I ALWAYS intend on taking copious notes…I just never do! This time will be different. I need this information. Both for a novel in progress I’ve been working on…and for another (non-fiction) project I’m tossing about. So this TOTALLY 100% SIGHTSEEING PLEASURE TRIP is going to have a dash of incidental research on the side.

Shakespeare & Company Independent Bookstore

And you can bet your sweet bippy I will be visiting Shakespeare & Company and spending some cash in their store! We all must do our part to keep the Shakey Pear & Co afloat! I want it to be there after the pandemic. You know, you can actually do your part from afar. They did put out a call during the pandemic that they could use support. Here’s a link to their ONLINE STORE. You can even become a member. I will definitely be spending time there, and bringing home a few Shakespearean things with me!

100 Days & Counting. Fingers are crossed for receding numbers in cases and advancing numbers in fully vaccinated people. I can almost smell those cafe au lait and pain au chocolat mornings!

The countdown is on!

Doors – Gateways to the World

Today’s #CaminoTuesday theme put me in mind of my lifelong love of doors. They’re something I always seek out in my travels. For something so utilitarian, doors can be breathtakingly beautiful. I think that’s one of the reasons I love them so much. They point out the human desire to meld function and practicality with beauty. Doors are a sort of proof of humankind’s love of art.

I thought I would share some of my favourite door shots from my own personal life journeys. After sharing a few on the #CaminoTuesday hashtag on Twitter, I realized it only left me thinking of other doors in the world that I have run into and captured for safekeeping in my photos.

I should start with a Camino door. This one is from Monasterio de San Julián de Samos in Samos, Spain (the Galicia region).

Now, to move gently away from the Camino de Santiago…

I know this is hard to believe, but did you know there are also doors in France? Paris to be exact! This is one of the doors at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, the church where Gil met the car that took him back into the 1920s in Midnight in Paris.

They have random doors in Paris too, no fooling…

And, low and behold, Quebec City here in Canada—-HAS DOORS!

They have doors literally all over China, and I captured more than just a few of them. We went from Beijing to Shanghai to Suzhou and places in between. Even Hong Kong. Doors…everywhere. Here’s a couple now…

I super aDOORed the doors in Brussels, Belgium! (see what I did there?)

Brugge, being, as it was, a medieval town, seemed to have quite an abundance of doors. You could say there were doors everywhere in Brugge…

Even my hometown of Toronto has some interesting doors to discover. This one is from the lighthouse on the island…

Not to mention our nation’s capital in Ottawa…you guessed it, also doors…

Jaipur, India? Yep…also doors!

Agra, India? DOORS…even the Taj Mahal has doors. Other buildings too…

My favourite city in India, Orchha, had a literal ton of doors…possibly more!

Varanasi, India had doors. The purple one? LOVE! But they had MORE THAN ONE…

We found doors in Pokhara, Nepal! I’m beginning to believe we’d find them ANYWHERE…

I found doors in Kathmandu, Nepal…

Lamu, Kenya had some beautiful doors…and some dangerous…and some furnished with cat coutoure…

Take a moment, wherever you be, and look at the portals around you. They’re not just functional. The doors of the world tell a lot about the world. We are creatures who appreciate beauty…all of us. If humans didn’t believe in love and art, all doors would look alike. We like to fill our spaces with beauty. I like that…

Published
Categorized as Doors

Billions of Beautiful Hearts is OUT!

My cute little short story BILLIONS OF BEAUTIFUL HEARTS about two teens who find a way to come together during the time of Covid lockdown is now out in the universe! Much thanks and gratitude to my readers who made this a #1 New Release on Amazon this week! My two nonbinary teen characters also thank you! I don’t think I have to say this, but representation is so important. I’m glad Wen & Kaye have made their way out into the world…and I’m excited that they’ve been well received. Thank you all who supported this short story!

Click the image below to go to Amazon to pick up a copy of Billions of Beautiful Hearts!Billions of Beautiful Hearts is one of four short stories in the COME WHAT MAY series…and I can promise you that the other 3 are quite lovely. One of the perks of being involved in this project is that I was able to get early reads on the other 3 stories. You’ll want to pick them up! Links below for the other COME WHAT MAY stories:

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING by CLAIRE RUDY FOSTER is already out and available!

AND ALWAYS COMING BACK by JUDE SIERRA comes out Tuesday Feb 16th and is available for pre-order now.

SUNNY PASTURES by LILAH SUZANNE comes out Tuesday Feb 23rd and is available for pre-order now.

THANK YOU!