Hey-yo! Another dispatch from my sofa. I am bogged down right now writing a New York Times Book Review (in addition to my own daily book work, as I am trying to finish this rough draft by Christmas). I usually don’t accept freelance assignments, but this one appealed to me—also, it’s never bad to have your byline name in the Times, am I right?
Anyway, writing a book review is a lot of work, because you have to read a book, too. I won’t go into it.
After my London week last month, I headed to Paris for the—I’m so privileged to say—proverbial umpteenth time…for a few special days before my flight home to rainy New York. Here, five extraordinary things I did in the City of Light:
1. TOOK THE EUROSTAR
I’ll never forget the first time I rode the Eurostar from Paris to London. It was during my initial summer abroad, when I was travelling with a First Class Unlimited Eurail pass. The UK was still part of the EU; I was served a gorgeous meal and white wine, and there was a big-ass magazine rack full of complimentary British Vogue , and Vanity Fair France with Carla Bruni on the cover. Heaven.
I no longer drink, and I don’t pay for First Class anymore. The Eurostar experience–particularly boarding-has gotten a bit Amtrak-y (not a compliment). Still! The glamour. For those of you who don’t know, you board in central London and exit in central Paris—or vice-versa—in two hours and thirty minutes. Half the time, there’s no view out the window, because you are in a tunnel under the English Channel. You gotta do it once in your life; there’s nothing like it.