I have accepted a freelance writing position with a relatively new company called Via Her, which is designed to encourage women business travelers to explore the cities that they need to visit for work. It seems like a very good company, and I love the idea of trying to find safe, comfortable places for women with busy lives to visit while they are away from home. Having done a fair bit of traveling alone (although not specifically for business, I must say--and as my salary reflects), I completely understand the hesitation of a woman to go out on the town by herself after 7 p.m.
I'll be writing reviews of shops, museums, and (for the most part) restaurants, which will definitely encourage me to explore Paris a bit more, all while making a bit of money and getting to hone some writing skills.
In other news, on Saturday, I visited the Basilique St. Denis, where all of the kings of France are buried (with two exceptions), and I got to see the embalmed heart of Louis XVII (who died as a child, imprisoned during the French Revolution):
Cute little guy, huh?
I also got to see the tomb of all of my favorite Louis (plural): XIII, XIV, XV, and XVI. Plus, Marie Antoinette, and a bunch of awesome old medieval kings. Good stuff for a crypto-royalist like me.
Then on Sunday, I attended an event hosted by a person on OnVaSortir, a website designed to encourage meeting people in the big city. I was invited by François, a Frenchman who has enlightened me to the fact that Little House on the Prairie is quite the phenomenon among people of a certain generation in France, to have coffee with a group of other people at a café in the Marais. It started a bit coldly, when they realized that my French is, well, atmospheric rather than stellar or celestial, but after 4 hours of conversation, I ended up making a couple of friends and meeting some very interesting people. And now I have plans for another soirée later in the week.
Trés agreable et génial!
And yes, I have been doing some school work along the way. I interviewed last week for some more fellowships, and in the wake of that endeavor, I've been taking a few-day hiatus to practice my French (a.k.a. drink coffee while chatting) and keep my writing skills up to date (a.k.a. writing reviews of ice cream shops and working on my fiction). Now, if only I had spent some time going grocery shopping. The only things in the fridge right now are cheese, quail eggs, milk, butter, and some cornichons. It will be an interesting lunch.
4 comments:
Glad to hear you're feeling better! I also envy you for checking out St. Denis, which has got to have one of the best foundational stories of all time. That being said, I must ask, does the place look like the sort of spot to which you'd care your own head after being beheaded?
(First, I wish that Blogger had a way to create a conversation thread. But beyond that...)
I'm not sure that I would have gone to all that effort just to plunk down where he did, but I do have to say that at least he walked away from the MacDonald's, so perhaps Denis had some discrimation. But maybe we should give the guy a break since it can't be easy to see where you're going when your head is in your hands.
That job sounds thrilling and exactly the kind of guidebook I need. Will you review New York, Boston, and Philadelphia for me before my next business trips? ;)
Your blog is delightful. I'm so glad you linked me here.
The job sounds great! What a nice way to get to know the city and surrounding areas better. I can't wait to visit!
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