Are you planning a trip to “The City of Light”? Perhaps you have dreamed of strolls along famous Paris streets or through quaint Paris neighborhoods. In this remarkable city, each turn brings a new café, historical site or a fascinating store to explore. And what about those ornate bridges over the River Seine? Many of these bridges offer stellar views.
Linda Kovic-Skow, author of French Illusions
Four Favorite Bridges in France
July 25, 2022 by 1 Comment
France has some of the most remarkable bridges in the world. Here are four of my favorites, three of which are located in Paris, “The City of Light.”
Gignac Bridge (Joel Berthonneau)
Name Changes in French Illusions
June 9, 2020 by 8 Comments
Back in 2007, when I decided to write a story based on my diary, I knew that I would have to change the names of people and places to protect identities. This was especially true with regard to my host au pair family. Acquiring permission from them was out of the question. Totally out of the question. Read my book and you’ll understand. Additionally, over thirty years had passed since I spoke with anyone I’d met in France. I no longer had any contact information.
A Delectable Memory
April 28, 2020 by 2 Comments
My diary from 1979 recounts my adventures living and working as an au pair in the Loire Valley, at the Château de Montclair, in France. Most of my diary entries revolved around my relationships with the family, but on occasion, I included recipes of favorite drinks or meals.
A Letter to France Magazine
September 7, 2019 by 8 Comments
Four months ago, France Magazine featured The Loire Valley in their May, 2019 issue. Thanks to a dear friend, I obtained a copy of this edition and spent an afternoon pouring over the articles and photos.
French Butcher Shop Blues
January 5, 2019 by 2 Comments
In 1979, while I worked in France as a nanny for the Dubois family, I experienced many unusual situations, but my visit to the fromager volaille in Songias was one of the most “memorable.”
Famous Cafes in Paris
May 14, 2017 by 2 Comments
Boulangeries and Magasins de vin are essential in the life of many Parisians. So are les cafés. In certain parts of the city, every other shop appears to be a bakery, wine merchant or café.
It is a treat to wander down boulevards, admiring the window displays or inhaling the scrumptious smells wafting out of a café or bakery. And, as you stroll along, inevitably you will pass the quintessential French scene – a restaurant with outdoor tables, red awnings and colorful flowers.
Many of the cafes you pass in Paris are renowned. The Café Le Procope, founded in 1686 by Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli, a Sicilian Native of Palermo, became a popular meeting place for Molière and other literary types. Continuing this trend, Voltaire, Rousseau and others frequented the establishment. 
According to French Moments, “Benjamin Franklin, then Ambassador to France, worked on the U.S. Constitution at a table” inside Café Le Procope. Other cafes, such as Le Deux Magots and the Café de Flore became popular gathering places in the 1920’s by many intellectuals and literary types, including Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Hemingway and Picasso.
Romance on a Train in 1979
January 4, 2017 by 2 Comments
When I traveled to France in 1979 to work as an au pair, I brought my trusted Kodak pocket Instamatic camera along so I could capture some special moments. The camera was small enough to fit inside my purse or pocket, hence the name.
