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Author Archives: Bill Karpen
Les canicules
You may have heard that Paris has been besieged by heatwaves (“canicules,” as the French call them) during the summer months in recent years. This year has been particularly scorching, with the late June heatwave hitting a record-setting 104 degrees … Continue reading
The book club settles in
The other night, my book club all come over to my apartment to discuss our latest read, Colette’s “Claudine à l’école” (“Claudine at School”). As it was first published in 1900, I’d expected a pleasant if somewhat milquetoast novel, but … Continue reading
Springtime in Paris
As winter was drawing to an end, I have to admit I was getting a bit bored with cooking the same tubers and roots and greens that I had for months. But now it’s Spring! And we’re getting the bright, … Continue reading
Threads connecting exhibitions
In the months since my last missive, I’ve been settling into the new apartment and the new neighborhood, getting everything set up, figuring out my favorite shops, cafes, my metro routes. My cat Gertrude loves to perch on one of … Continue reading
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The apartment hunt
Okay, I think I knew from the time I accepted my current apartment in the 14th arrondissement that this was just going to be temporary. I took it because it was the first apartment I was offered, and I had … Continue reading
French classes
As I mentioned in my last post, when I first arrived in Paris, I was a little freaked out by how inadequate my French was. Even after five years of high school French classes and a bachelor’s degree in French … Continue reading
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Okay it’s been a bit…
Hi all! I know it’s been a little while since I’ve posted. Last spring ended up being a little much, and then I got out of the the habit of posting and, well, you know how it goes. When I … Continue reading
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Road trip!!!
Got back yesterday from the road trip to Normandy with Dani. Really lovely! Even if it was a little cold and rainy. We started out by going to Mont Saint Michel, which is right on the border between Brittany and … Continue reading
Okay, spring is definitely here
The first clue was that, when my friend Kyle was here a couple weeks ago, we were able to have a few picnics. Three to be exact. In the space of a week. I forgot to take photos of the … Continue reading
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Spring is almost here…
The days are getting warmer and longer, thankfully. Last week I woke up to sunshine streaming through the window and decided I wanted to take my bike out for a spin. It had been a couple months… So I hopped … Continue reading
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A Simple Life in Paris 