Hello, my name is Jane, I am a Parisaddict and it’s been 390 days since my last fix.

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