Paris to Maui (for the Last Time…Maybe)

I’ve gotten flying to Maui down to a science to make it as pleasurable a trip as possible, given that it’s 7,600–7,800 miles (12,200–12,500 km) as the crow flies away from Paris and a 12-hour time difference.

Here’s how it works: Air France is an 11 hour 30 minute smooth ride and cool landing in Los Angeles in the afternoon of the same day. An airport hotel shuttle arrives every 15 to 20 minutes on the departure level taking me and the others to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel where I stay overnight and get a good night’s sleep. My old friend and business partner, Marcia Mazria, comes to get me for dinner at a great Thai restaurant nearby, the Ayara. (The food’s delicious and it’s always busy, so be sure to reserve in advance.) The next morning, I take the shuttle back to the airport to hop a flight to Maui (5 hours 30 minutes). In this case, it was with United Airlines. The plane was full, as it always is headed to Maui. (This is one route the airlines must do very well on.)

This is the routine I’ve had four times and it’s worked like a charm. By the time I arrive in Maui, the jet lag isn’t too acute thanks to the overnight in L.A. The arrival in Maui is always a bit of surprise, but a welcome one. When you head toward the baggage claim, you realize that it’s wide open to the elements—there are no walls, just open fully to the warm breezes and swaying palms, very unlike most other airports. And you know at that moment you have arrived in Paradise.

This was the first time I had seen my daughter and grandson since last summer. He has changed so much—gotten much bigger of course, and now talking up a storm, repeating words pretty clearly and fully able to say “Glamma,” my official granny name. He’s only a year and 7.5 months old, but he’s already into the “terrible twos,” (we call them “terrific twos”) and non-stop activity. What’s most fascinating is watching a little personality turn into a big one as they mature. There are so many traits that manifest at a very young age, indicating that they will just become even more acute as he gets older. My daughter has a handful, to say the least…not that different from her own personality.

Maui is just about as opposite to Paris as any two places could be. When we take a walk, it’s along the country roads lined in cottages of all sizes and greener than ever thanks to the recent storms that led to flash flooding, road closures, and localized damage—especially in low-lying and coastal areas. Fortunately, her house is in what locals call “Upcountry Maui,” more specifically the western slopes of Haleakalā, the island’s massive volcano. The views of the coast line are stunning, from almost every vantage point, and even from her rental home.

Friday morning we walked to “La Provence,” a little restaurant and bakery about 10 minutes down the road, only open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The croissants there are $4.50 compared to about €1.20 to €1.50 in France. After picking up a couple of quiches for lunch, we walked on to Maui Bees which does “Farm to Table Dinners” and offers up specialty honeys. They have a small coffee stand where they also sell pastries and other goodies, including fresh farm eggs, of which we bought a dozen for a whopping $14.66. In France the average price of a dozen eggs is €2.50 to €4.00, although not farm fresh. Those are even cheaper!

La Provence croissants

They have picnic tables under the trees where there were about a half-dozen mothers with little kids having coffee while the kids played next to a big flower and vegetable garden. I chuckled at the realization that this was café life in Maui.

Maui’s Bees

It turned into a big second day because not only did we spend the afternoon at Baldwin Beach with some of Erica’s closest friends, but I managed to sneak in an hour of Gyrotonics with Joyanna Ananda.

Baldwin Beach is one of those places on Maui that feels wonderfully local—broad, wild, and largely untouched by resort development—just outside the town of Paia on Maui’s North Shore. It’s a huge stretch of sand, nearly a mile long, with golden course sand and plenty of space—even when it’s “busy.” We’ve been there for an afternoon just about every time I’ve been to the island. Little Leeds is totally at home in the sand and loves swimming in “ocean wa-wa.”

I heard some French spoken on the beach and wondered about the French community in Maui—if there was much of one? It’s a long, long way to go. With a bit of research I discovered that the French community on Maui is small, informal, and surprisingly well-integrated—not a big expat enclave like you’d find in London or New York, but very much present if you know where to look. Many are hospitality professionals (restaurants, hotels), water sports enthusiasts (surfing, kiteboarding—especially on the North Shore), wellness and alternative lifestyle practitioners (no surprise) and a growing number of remote workers and entrepreneurs seeking paradise. You’ll most often find French speakers around Paia and the North Shore (hence, this beach), Haiku (lush, off-grid, creative crowd), Kula (rural, agricultural, and a more settled lifestyle) and Wailea (higher-end tourism and business owners).

Since discovering Gyrotonics with Joyanna the last time I was in Maui in November, I’ve started to go just about every week to a studio in Paris and one in Nice. Gyrotonics (often called the GYROTONIC® Method) is a movement and exercise system that uses specialized equipment with pulleys and handles to guide the body through fluid, circular, and spiraling motions. It’s designed to strengthen and flex the spine and improve posture, combining yoga, Pilates, dance, and swimming-like movement. It’s popular with dancers, athletes, and people with back issues (like me).

Joyanna and her group doing Qigong

The difference with Pilates is the “feel.” You leave feeling worked, aligned, and stronger with Pilates. With Gyrotonics you leave feeling looser, taller, and almost…unblocked, counteracting stiffness and keeping the body supple. Pilates is better if you want discipline and core rebuilding, but I’ve been told over and over again by several professionals that Gyrotonics is best for my particular back issue—a herniated disk. Joyanna really worked me out! I left feeling energized and yes…unblocked.

Saturday morning, as we always do, we headed out early for the Upcountry Farmers’ Market not far from her Kula home where the locals come to find just-picked tropical fruit (papayas, bananas, mangoes, passion fruit), organic vegetables (often harvested that morning), flowers and herbs (protea, orchids, fresh lei) and local products (honey, goat cheese, coffee, baked goods). Erica constantly runs into friends, so there’s a lot of chit-chatting going on. I headed straight for the stand selling mushroom-based remedies, as it’s one of the sure-fire ways of warding off mundane illnesses, such as the common cold or flu. I swear by the immune boost qualities of mushrooms and scored a chocolate and mushroom powder concoction at Maui Mushrooms (isn’t that the perfect name?).

The vibe at the market is typically Maui—casual, friendly, and very community-oriented. You’re bound to want to try out some of the local goodies prepared and sold right there on the spot. If you really want to understand Maui, skip the hotel breakfast and head Upcountry. Between the scent of fresh papaya, the cool mountain air, and the farmers who grew what they’re selling, it’s a reminder that this island still lives off its land—beautifully.

Our evening was particularly special as Erica’s close friends orchestrated a six-hour-long Going Away Party at a friend’s home they call “The Farm.” It’s where we had Thanksgiving Dinner last November—where one of the guys lives mostly outdoors: the bedroom and an office are enclosed, the bathroom is semi-enclosed and the kitchen and living room are roofed, but open to the elements. (He claims, that yes, it does get cold, but it makes him a stronger person!)

The Farm

It was amazing how many of Erica’s friends I’d met before this trip and have come to know, even if only during the few visits I’ve had. They are a warm and loving crowd in their 30’s and early 40’s who are down to earth and widely traveled, but who relish Maui life. In many ways I find them very homogenous, not unlike the Francophiles I know—of a certain age—living in France. Birds of a feather…

I left the party early with grandson and nanny to put him to bed while the party went on for hours more. I just had to wait till morning to hear all about it and see the photos from the revelry. I know Erica is going to really miss all of her Maui friends, as they will too miss her and her son. But they all agreed to visit her in Paris and she’ll be back for sure from time to time. I doubt she’ll ever get Maui out of her skin.

A la prochaine…