Patricia Sands

Author

Patricia Sands

An addiction to the doors of France

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

I love the front doors of people’s homes in France. Every time I visit that magnificent country I take endless numbers of photos of doors (okay, and windows too … but that’s another post). The wood, the trim, the left-over remnants of ancient locks, from simple and rustic to extravagant, they all speak to me. I want to know their stories.

Living in Antibes this past summer for four and a half months …  *excuse me while I hyperventilate for a few moments at the memory* …  okay, okay, I’ll be fine … back on track. Practically every single morning I walked various routes through the old town for an hour, my trusty camera in hand, before I stopped in at the daily market. There were few days that I didn’t pause to drink in the beauty of yet another door that oozed history or mystery or charm so visceral I could hardly stand it.

What amazes me is the fact that rarely do you find a new door on any old residence, from a tiny village house to an elegant manor. Checking with one of the town historians, most are at least a few hundred years old. I’ll share a few with you today.

Trust me, this could go on for hours! I hope you received as much pleasure out of these photos as I do sharing them with you. Imagine the tales they might tell. Any one of these doors could present a great starter for a story. Do you share my curiosity and attraction to them? Do you ever use photos as inspiration for your writing?

Listen to Kristen … then just do it!

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Happy New year everyone!

As 2012 gets under way, I’ve been immersed in reading other blogs about whether or not to make resolutions.It’s kind of a natural topic du jour at the beginning of January.

I stopped thinking about New Year’s resolutions years decades ago. Don’t wait for the beginning of a new year to reflect. Do it every night before you fall asleep. Personally, each morning is when I remind myself of what I want to accomplish for that day (call it setting goals, if you like) and as the mornings roll by I can usually see progress as life ebbs and flows.

I’m not saying it isn’t good to set goals, because it is absolutely necessary to do that. Set them at other times than New Year’s though – as you see the need begin to logically appear not because it’s January 1st. Set them every day. I’m just saying …

Setting small goals will lead to great success. Believe in yourself and let the little engine that could be your inspiration. You CAN do it!

Then I read Kristen Lamb’s blog post from yesterday, 2012 AND PLANNING FOR SUCCESS IN THE NEW YEAR.  I was totally blown away!  Hurry, go there now – click right here – and take it all in. She has laid it out as clearly as I have ever seen it before.  You can apply the six steps she outlines to whatever you do in life.

For those of us who write: read it and believe.

Then just do it!

Thank you, Kristen, for all you give to the writers following you.

If you are a writer and haven’t read Kristen’s best-selling books, order them now –  We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer . Both books are recommended by the hottest agents and biggest authors in the biz. Trust me, they will change the way you approach your writing and give you a bigger boost than you ever imagined possible! You only have to read the comments left on her blog to see how true this is.

After you have read Kristen’s post, I hope you will come back and leave a comment. Will you take those six points and use them as your guidelines?

 

 

CHRISTMAS IN PARIS

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Joyeux Noël! Have you taken some time to enjoy beautiful light displays in your neighbourhood? Some of the set-ups around our place have been spectacular. Perhaps it’s to make up for the shortage of snow? It was definitely a green Christmas in the Toronto area this year although I’m happy to say it is snowing tonight. Finally!

Here’s a little history about Christmas lights. In 1882, the first Christmas tree was lit by the use of electricity. Edward Johnson was one of Thomas Edison’s muckers, an inventor who worked under his direction. He lit up a Christmas tree in New York City with eighty small electric light bulbs and created the first string of electric Christmas lights that were then mass produced around 1890. By 1900, department stores started using the new Christmas lights for their Christmas displays.  Johnson became vice-president of Edison’s electric company.

The use of lights for Christmas decorations is popular around the world. Our guest blogger today is going to take us on a stroll through Paris to look at the holiday displays there.

I’m really pleased to introduce you to the fabulous Nicole Basaraba,an adventurous  young Canadian blogger/writer, living in Brussels, Belgium at the moment. Nicole shares many of her travel experiences on her entertaining and informative blog Nicole Basaraba’s Uni-Verse-City. Make a point to stop by some time!

Growing up in Western Canada, Nicole Basaraba was always skipping to her own beat. Not being a hockey fan, having no skills in skiing or snowboarding, always being cold, and having never tasted maple syrup, she is what you might call a “bad” Canadian. Having studied some history in university and always dreaming of seeing Europe, Nicole moved to Brussels, Belgium to live, work and travel of course. She soon discovered that there is more to Belgium than just its delicious chocolate so she decided to stay in Europe for an undetermined period. Working in print publishing and website content management by day, she writes travel articles, book reviews and other lifestyle/culture articles about her fun and crazy experiences in Europe by night.

Here’s what Nicole has to tell us about Christmas in Paris:

If you haven’t been to Paris for Christmas, you’ll enjoy seeing some of the traditions there. Every town and village in France has a Christmas market and Paris is no exception.

When you think of Paris at night, the first thing that may come to mind is the Eiffel Tower glittering in the dark. At Christmas time, there are so many more lights to enchant you in this beautiful city.

The first place to start is the Champs Elysées. The entire boulevard is lined with trees decorated in dancing lights, blue, purple, green, red and orange. The trees sparkle with the light reflecting off the diamond-like strings of circles hanging from the branches.

While admiring the lights show, you can wander past all the booths lined up bearing Christmas goodies, food and gifts. Fresh meats, cheese, Gluhwein or vin chaud (warm mulled wine), delicious pastries, wooden games, stuffed animals, winter wear; there is sure to be something for everyone on your Christmas list.

The Champs Elysées, being one of the most popular areas for tourists, has the more commercial Christmas market. When it gets darker the area becomes even more enchanting with the purple lights.

If you want to see a Christmas market that is more reminiscent of the original German style, take the metro to La Défense and enjoy the over 350 chalets. In a small village on its own standing between the modern mirrored skyscrapers, it’s a clash of tradition and modernism that works so well together. The Christmas market in La Défense has more chalets, including many from around the world such as Canada and Germany.

Don’t forget to stop at Notre Dame to see the beautiful Christmas tree in the courtyard. It’s a great place to stand and enjoy the Christmas spirit as you snap photos.  I’m sure it would look stunning from a boat cruising along the Seine.

You can’t visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Whether you go to the top or not, you can admire it looking like the most glamorous tree you’ve ever seen.

 Thanks for that stroll past some of the Christmas lights in Paris, Nicole!  I’m looking forward to reading about more of your adventures and travels in Europe in 2012! Happy New Year to you!
Christmas markets in Paris and elsewhere in France have their origins in the northern Alsace region, which has belonged to Germany at various junctures in history and therefore draws on German Christmas market traditions stretching to as early as the 14th century. The most famous– and largest– marché de noël in France is in Strasbourg, the capital of Alsace.
Are there Christmas markets or something similar where you live? How about spectacular light displays?
Check this one out. The music is heard on a radio station and there is a box for donations to the local hospital.  Happy holidays!
My sincere thanks and a big holiday hug to each and every one of you for taking the time to visit my blog. Some of you I know and many I don’t, but your interest is so appreciated and very motivating. You can’t imagine how satisfying it is for bloggers to see the “clicks” on our site statistics continue to grow. Thank you, thank you! May 2012 bring the best of health and happiness to you and yours! MUWAH!

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