Popular Provence, Precious Paris, Life in the Languedoc

Yesterday was a holiday in France: Assomption — or the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, a.k.a. the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin. It’s a religious holiday, but is considered a public holiday in this very Catholic nation. It happens to fall at the very height of the holiday period and in Paris, which is already deserted by the locals while they are on their “vacances,” it’s the deadest day of the year. I was very glad to not be there while it resembles a ghost town, but be on the beaches where the entire European world is instead.

I’m not the only American here by a long shot. Carol Gillott, of the blog “Paris Breakfasts,” wrote me to say, “I’m on the train to Nice because of your delightful newsletters” along with a photo of her watercolors in all their regalia as she was painting right there while she was on the train headed south. A few days later, she posted a blog titled “Cannes, Thank You Adrian” and opened it with: “Thank you Adrian Leeds! If I didn’t get your newsletters, Parler Paris and Parler Nice, I wonder if I would have gone to Nice and the Riviera?,” then proceeded to post her great photos and beautiful water colors of what she saw while she was visiting.

This pleases me to no end…that so many people glued to Paris have finally decided to detach and let themselves discover another part of France…of course, without having to give up our precious Paris, since there’s no reason we can’t have it all. My summer this year spent in Nice is sadly coming to an end — next Monday is the last Parler Nice for August, but you can bet I’ll be back during the year to balance the fast-paced life of the big city with the relaxed atmosphere of the seaside and sunny Riviera town.

(Special thanks to Carol Gillott for the wonderful photos and watercolors of the Riviera!)

While I was sitting at the Café Balthazar, plugged in and writing away on my laptop, talking on the phone, etc., while looking at the azure waters of the Baie des Anges on Monday afternoon, a pretty young very blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman came over to me demurely and timidly, to ask, as she did in French with a heavy Eastern European accent, if I was the real estate agent on House Hunters International. She was from Poland, but here learning French. I learned that she and her grandmother were big fans of the show and she was so surprised to see me. Of course, we took selfie photos for proof to her granny that she had spoken to me. (This is the second time I’ve been stopped while in this particular café…and it always surprises me that anyone should notice at all.)

House Hunters International just informed us that another new episode of ours will soon air:

Season 107, Episode 5: “A Dancer’s Dream in Paris”

“Professional dancer Cara is finally settling down in the one place she feels most at home — Paris. After receiving a generous inheritance from her late grandmother, she wants an apartment that will provide her with a space to practice dance. Unsure of employment opportunities, however, Cara finds it difficult to balance the dream life she wants and the real life she can afford.”

You may remember when I wrote about filming it as long ago as last January.

So, set your DVR’s to Thursday, August 31st 10:30p.m. EST9:30 p.m. CST and Friday September 1st at 1:30 a.m. EST12:30 a.m. CST to see the new episode.

Learn more about it on the HGTV website.

This means there are still two episodes “in the can” that I filmed this year and haven’t yet aired. So, stay tuned for when they’re ready to roll. Meanwhile, I’m filming another episode this coming September, but this time in the Languedoc region with a well-known American photographer and her partner who wanted something secluded. Why? Because she shoots female nudes and gives workshops…so the models and the photographers need privacy!

For this episode, we are now seeking comparable properties in which to film:

* house or villa in countryside or village, but with privacy
* located in the Languedoc-Roussillon, near the Parc naturel régional du Haut Languedoc or somewhere between the towns of Montpellier, Béziers, Narbonne, Toulouse, Albi and Millau
* with no less than 3 bedrooms, preferably 5 or 6 or more, accompanied by an equal number of bathrooms
* 150m2 or more
* with a pool, if possible
* at a value between 190,000€ and 300,000€

If you know of any property that fits this general description and is willing to let us spend about four hours inside with a small crew and light equipment, let me know asap!: [email protected]

Your house could be featured on national TV!! And wouldn’t that be fun?

A la prochaine,

Adrian Leeds
Editor of Parler Nice
Adrian Leeds Group

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P.S. We’re preparing for the next Après Midi when it returns September 12 with Jason Gardner, Author and Photographer. Jason tells stories using the framework of Visual Anthropology. Deatails on our Après Midi page. Make your plans now to be there!