It’s Paris. You Don’t Come Here for the Weather.

While the bi-annual “brocante” (rummage Sale) was wreaking havoc with life along rue de Bretagne (making my immediate neighborhood impassable thanks to the 500 stands and thousands of passers-by), we were filming our 27th House Hunters International episode with “sommelière” Krista Bender (a young wine specialist; the person who’s normally in charge of the wine cellar of a restaurant), and her associate and friend, Stanley. In this episode, Krista is purchasing a small apartment in Paris to call her own. Her budget is $330,000: she’d like to be in central Paris, on a high floor with a lot of light, great views and at the top of her wish list is an apartment with a washer/dryer!

I remember oh too well myself what it was like to want a washer/dryer so badly that I’d do anything…and did. I bought a house — my first one — at the age of 25 just for the sheer pleasure of doing laundry AT HOME, and not in the laundromat or the apartment building’s laundry room. It seemed like an expensive washer/dryer, but ultimately well worth it!

Of course, as is the show’s format, Krista and Stanley visit three properties. All three are (of course) equipped with a washer/dryer. All three have great locations in central Paris and lots of light. Two have views dreams are made of: one with a view on Notre Dame and another with a view of Sacré-Cœur and the adjacent Marais rooftops. The third has a pleasant view of a very beautiful Marais courtyard.

Sunday we were watching the rain come and go along with the sun in and out, making for a very unpredictable day of Paris weather. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: “You don’t come here for the weather” (as immortalized in an infographic). The film crews are well prepared for such climate highs and lows, as the cameraman constantly adjusts his lenses and lighting, even at one point draping a towel over his head and lens to keep the rain out and the clear vision in.

Now there are three episodes “in the can” — meaning they have been filmed, but we all must wait a bit before they are edited and aired on HGTV. This can take many months. Stay tuned to Parler Paris as we let you know the upcoming broadcast schedules.

While the House Hunters International crew was dealing with the Paris variables, Emmanuel Macron was being inaugurated as President of the French Republic, the eighth of the Fifth Republic, established by Charles de Gaulle in 1958. I have my own big hopes for the Macron presidency, but without expectations. (I personally don’t believe in having “expectations” — which can only lead to disappointments, but rather hope for something instead.)

Firstly, he’s bringing in a lot of new blood into the administration — many of whom have never held office before. This could be both good and bad, but nevertheless, it makes for a real change in the way government has been managed in the past. What I believe is most significant, and barely discussed, is how his victory affects the many hundreds of thousands of French who have left France for what they thought were greener pastures…something that some call the “brain drain.” These (mostly young) emigrated to places like the U.S. (more than 140,000), London (“Paris on the Thames” with almost 130,000), Germany (more than 114,000) and Belgium (more than 120,000)…and the list goes on…but according to some sources, these “émigrés” return after three to five years abroad.

This is where I think Macron is going to make the most difference. The young French who left, will now see some hope and opportunity back in France with Macron in office. This means they may return sooner than they might have otherwise and with them will come all they learned living abroad, both positive and negative: language, entrepreneurship, capitalistic ideas, thinking more outside of the proverbial box, optimism, etc., etc., etc. This will inject a whole new energy into the future of France, and it’s this for which I sincerely hope.

See some great photos of the inauguration online on The Daily Mail.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! We have very special news!:

COME TO THE NORTH AMERICAN EXPAT FINANCIAL FORUM ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Thanks to Moneycorp Currency Specialists and Caye International Bank, who have generously sponsored the event, the North American Expat Financial Forum on May 30th is open and absolutely FREE!*

For those of you who signed up and paid your entry fees, we will 1) gladly refund your 25€ or allow you to “upgrade” and join us for dinner for just 17.50€ more!

And for those of you who haven’t signed up, now’s the time…it’s FREE!!!* See our Conferences and Events page for all of the details and how to claim your seat! (Seating is limited, so do it now!)

*Attendance is restricted to adults over the age of 18 and registration is required in advance!

More news!:

JOIN US IN NICE AND MEET THE AUTHORS ON JUNE 3RD! IT’S FREE, TOO!

On Saturday, June 3rd, seven local authors will be coming together in the Riviera city of Nice to give you the opportunity to discover their books and their stories: Alice Alech, Julia Allen, Lisa Anselmo, Kristin Espinasse, Margo Lestz, Patrick Murphy and Patricia Sands. They will talk about their recent works, read a bit from them and answer your questions. You will have an opportunity to purchase their books and get signed copies! I’m Emceeing the event and will share a bit of my own experiences. It’s free (but we ask that you purchase at least one drink) and it’s sure to be fun!

Join us…

Meet the Authors!
Saturday, June 3, 2017
3 to 5 p.m.
Scotch Tea House
4 avenue Suède, 06000 Nice

For more information, visit our Conferences and Events page or email Margo Lestz at [email protected]

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds
Adrian Leeds Group

(courtesy of shortlist.com)

 Respond to Adrian

P.S. Award-winning poet-novelist-memoirist Cecilia Woloch will lead an intimate five-day workshop for writers in Paris. All genres will be explored, with an emphasis on short-form prose: flash-fiction, micro-memoir, the prose-poem and everything in between. The workshop is open to writers at all levels of development and will meet daily in the afternoons for generative writing exercises, sharing of work, critique, encouragement and inspiration. Just $750 for readers of Parler Paris. For more information, contact Cecilia directly