Sixty days spent exploring her history, her majesty, her grandeur will do that. Inhaling the spicy aromas of her fresh food markets; kicking autumn leaves in the Jardin du Luxembourg; weighing the opulent tassels in Palace Opera; the ebullience of a Jewish choir; the thrill of Nuit Blanche 6pm to 6am artistic treasure hunt; falling briefly yet enduringly in love with an exceptionally tall, gorgeous black man (a whole other story – you’ll need to read the book)….all the while adorned in nothing more than a slash of red lipstick, jeans and T, leather jacket and ballet flats…my attempt at being a ‘Parisian’.

Hence the thrill of unwrapping ‘How to be a Parisian Wherever You Are’,*a fun take on what it really means to be a Parisian in the 21st century. A perfect Xmas fix, a barrel full of giggles and it appears that I might have had ‘the look’ down pat, yet barely scratched the surface. Here’s an extract:

Aphorisms:
‘To be read out loud every night before going to bed. Even when inebriated’:

• Don’t be afraid of aging. As the saying goes, don’t be afraid of anything but fear itself.
• Find ‘your’ perfume before you turn thirty. Wear it for the next thirty years.
• If you own only one sweater, make sure it’s cashmere.
• Wear a black bra under a white shirt, like two notes on a sheet of music.
• One must live with the opposite sex, not against them. Except when making love.
• Be unfaithful: cheat on your perfume, but only on cold days.
• Go to the theatre, to museums and concerts as often as possible: it gives you a healthy glow.
• Not too much makeup, too many colors, too many accessories.
• Be your own knight in shining armour.
• Always be fuckable: when standing in line at the bakery on a Sunday morning, buying Champagne in the middle of the night or even picking up the kids from school. You never know.
• Fashion rules the world and Parisians rule fashion. Fine it may not be true. But the world still needs fairy tales.

Now I have the complete formula – just need the ticket!

*‘How to be a Parisian Wherever You Are‘; Sophie Mas, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, Anne Beresy; 2014; Ebury Press – Random House AU

**Fo darling – you know me so well – thank you

Slider image by Elliott Erwitt, Honfluer, France, 1967