Friday, October 7, 2016

How To Live Like A Parisian - Lesson 1.

I gave myself a challenge last month. I would spend October, my birth month, living as a French woman does. Eating French, styling myself French, even following the same skincare regime of an average Parisian. I wanted to see if it made a difference to my life in any way. Why, you may ask?
Well, for a very long time (perhaps since reading [I]Madeline[/I], aged five) I have been fascinated by and very much in love with all that the French people 'are'. Their love of leisure, literature, food and all things delightful or delicious. The way they wander through parks. The scarves. The way their words look on a page, or on a sign. The way they speak.
Markets. Paris apartments. Cobbles, stairs, Art Nouveau architecture. The writers and artists, the philosophers and fashionistas. The rebels.
All of this set a flame alight in me, which still burns to this day.
Yet I have never traveled overseas. My terror of flight grounds me. At least, so far. However I have found a way to reveal the hidden French woman living within me, and I'd like to share my French journey with you. A series of 'How To' articles through which you too can infuse your life with some joi de vivre, as I have.
[B]Lesson 1.[/B]
[B]A French Start[/B]
 Breakfast - the daily ritual begins with a porcelain tea cup, a slice of lemon and very hot water. This kick starts your metabolism and flushes your system. You then start your day with a face cleanse, (I will elaborate on this further soon) before preparing your first meal.
It can be tartine*, pastry, or cereal with coffee or tea. (*Thick crusty toast and fruit jam). You MUST eat this sitting at a table, using your prettiest china, and preferably in a sunny spot. My chosen breakfast spot is puctured. No devices of any kind. Its the only way.
You are now set for Lesson Two. The lesson that, seriously, has changed my LIFE! See you there!