Get lost with your family in Lost Pines, Texas

 

It’s the middle of the night when I make my list in my head of what I packed and what I need to pack for our spring break road trip. That never ending list that mothers do to make sure their children are protected, safe and entertained…cough syrup (check), sunscreen (check), Cars DVD (check).

On a sunny Sunday our family of four hit the road to the Texas Hill Country. I felt in control driving down I-35 with the navigation programmed; it was going to be an easy trip. For weeks my children had been saying they were so excited for our vacation in Austin.

It was fairly easy. The navigation had us turn one road too soon and just when everyone had to go to the bathroom, we seemed to be lost. A quick phone call to the Lost Pines resort got us back on track and we started to wind down the road with that Mighty Python feeling that we keep on driving and we’re not really going anywhere.

As we entered the resort, we became one with the lost pines down an extremely long driveway. It felt like we were far, far away from civilization. Once arriving at the beautiful resort, you don’t really want to get back in the car until it’s time to go home.

We ventured out to Austin only once to go on a sunset bat cruise which was well worth the effort. Capital Cruises is the ultimate Austin experience because not only do you get to see one and a half million Mexican free-tail bats fly under Congress Avenue (their home from March through October) but you also get to see a traffic free look at Austin’s attractive cityscape.

Some travelers like to return to places they already know. I certainly do. We had stayed at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio last year. We knew another Hyatt Resort was going to be a hit. We met many people who were on repeat visits. It’s obvious why they wanted to come back; this is simply the kind of place that is almost magically bound to make those lasting family memories.

There were more activities than we knew what to do with. Upon checking in we were given an activity calendar of all the things we could experience: tennis, golf, horseback riding, kayaking, trap shooting, s’mores by the campfire, nature hikes, zipline, biking, archery, wagon rides, face painting, balloon making…My children’s favorite was the Crooked River water park because “a river runs through it!” This water park has a sandy beach, waterfalls, a lazy river, and waterslides.

My favorite part was enjoying being outside and admiring the old pecan trees and bluebonnets. Every time we saw a big bluebonnet patch my daughter would say, “Mommy look, bluebonnets! Don’t pick them!” I bet I heard her say that twenty times!

When I was researching where to stay in the Texas Hill Country, I found many places said that they were not child friendly. I knew the Lost Pines Resort was the place to stay when I read that Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked them #23 for World’s Top Family Hotels. Also, Conde Nast Traveler magazine highly rates and recommends the spa (another one of my favorites). It’s one of those places that keeps everybody happy.

We found a very laid back vibe with a Native American/Texan farmhouse style. It’s easy to feel comfortable enjoying the outdoors when you can relax in luxury. Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort is a 405-acre resort 20 miles from downtown Austin with more than 490 rooms that have patios or balconies.

Our room looked out over the beautiful Butterfly Garden. My daughter and I were lounging in the hammock when I looked over my shoulder to check on my son who was playing leap frog on the rocks by the lily pond when I turned and saw that he had just accidently jumped into the lily pond. An all boy picture, he was covered with green goo. Thankfully, our room was also right by a laundry facility! Something not on my check list…extra shoes!

Breakfast at the Firewheel Café was the perfect way to start the day and Texas style BBQ was the best way to end it. We enjoyed live Willie Nelson style music by the band Campcookie. The kids got up on stage with stick horses and cowboy hats to sing, Deep in the Heart of Texas (which I’m proud to say that my daughter knows all the words to thanks to her wonderful kindergarten teacher).

We left Lost Pines when the bluebonnets were blazing. All our cowboy activities seemed to add a little country swagger to our step. I’m proud to be raising little Texans. They look right at home on a pony, eating BBQ, wearing cowboy hats, singing campfire songs…

Like many of the families we saw who were repeat guests, I said to my husband…let’s come back next year!

Pen Pals: Writing Letters That Capture Innocent Whispers

Did you ever have a pen pal when you were younger? I had several and I’m sad to say that I’ve lost touch with most of them. I remember skipping back to the house after checking the mailbox when I was younger and I couldn’t wait to open my letter from my pen pal Susanna from Finland, Eritnatish from Iceland! Robin from Georgia, Melissa from Paris (Texas)! Holding the letter as if it were an acceptance to my favorite college; I would take in the stationary, the stamp, and especially the handwriting.

Do you ever notice how our true thoughts come out when writing a letter to a friend? It's easy to get a feel of someone’s personality by seeing their handwriting that you can’t see from the computer. I adore technology! There is instant gratification and it’s always getting better but technology is cold. Letters are warm.  Emails, tweets and texts are like short stories but a letter is more like a novel…it’s a bigger piece of the puzzle and a small clue to discovery of a mosaic of a person.

Since I was a child, I’ve loved going to the post office. I love the smell of it…musty, old, mildew, and magical! I have always loved the giddy feeling I get of dropping a letter down the blue shoot to go on an adventure. Then after impatiently waiting for the day I receive a letter back, opening up my mailbox to see if I recognize my friend’s handwriting.

I have shoeboxes full of old letters from my pen pals. I was an excellent pen pal up until college. I tried to keep up but that’s about the time “real” life starts happening and I’m sad to say, writing letters became less of a priority. Of course I still send Christmas cards and thank you notes, but those don’t tell about the random parts of your day that really let you inside to someone’s heart and help widen the world.

Last year when I read As Always, Julia I was inspired to write more letters again. I find that my thoughts flow more freely when I’m not trying to puzzle my words together on the computer…they just flow naturally like a list. There are windows throughout my day that I can find to jot down a note to a friend…whatever is happening in that moment, it’s a piece of the day that I want to share. Unlike a text or an email, a letter shows the spice of life.

Whenever I have sent a letter, I crossed my fingers that the recipient will write me back. At thirty-five, I still skip back from the mailbox, I even squeal with delight when I hold a little treasure we call a letter.

Last week I did my skip and squeal as I held a handful of precious treasures! Twenty-six beautiful letters (written in French) from seven and eight year olds and personally addressed to each of my second grade students. Oui, we have pen pals!!

Another reason I love technology is that you can meet and learn about interesting people all around the world. Aidan is a fellow Texan, she is my friend, but we have never met. I feel as though I know her from her writing on her blog conjucatingirregularverbs and I hope that one day our families really will meet. Aidan’s oldest son is a second grader in France and it is with her son’s classroom that we have found our pen pals.

My class was really happy and fascinated to learn more about a child their age that speaks a different language and lives a whole big blue ocean away. In my thirteen years teaching, this was one of my most happy teaching moments EVER!

I was hearing my class gasp with excitement and question everything. “Oh, Mrs. Cooley, my pen pal writes in cursive so well! Can you teach us how to write like this? Mrs. Cooley, my pen pal wants me to teach him American football but I’m not going to France anytime soon! What do I say? Mrs. Cooley, my pen pal does flamenco dancing…what is that?”  This is a perfect example of how children can teach each other. It was a lesson in handwriting, language, social studies, and reading all in one setting!

When I compare my class’ letters to the letters of their French pen pals, I see all kinds of possibilities…They will improve their writing skills and be motivated to improve their handwriting. They could continue to write to each other and one day possibly meet. But most importantly, it opens the door for culture. Pen pals can enjoy seeing postcards, stamps, practice learning a foreign language, and have a friend in a different part of the world.  

I saw firsthand the light turn on in my second graders eyes, they want to know more about life in France from a personal view of children their age. My thrill is in the pride I see in their eyes as they realize they are breathing life into an envelope and likewise as they anticipate inhaling the mysteries of replies.

The letters they wrote back to their French pen pals were sweet and charming. “Have you seen the Eiffel Tower? One day could you teach me how to play rugby? Do you have pizza in France? Do you have any pets? When I explained to one of my students what flamenco dancing was, she said, “Ooh…we have a lot in common, I cheer!”

Mark Twain said, “Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of the man- the biography of the man himself cannot be written.” I think it can be written through a letter; the clothes and buttons are but the paper and pencil.

Claude Monet and his muse Camille

The paintings of Claude Monet are some of the most recognizable and popular in the world. They tend to have a very strong effect on viewers and make you feel romantic, relaxed, and happy. How lucky are we that Stephanie Cowell chose to write about Monet’s life and the love of his life, his muse, Camille?

My book club recently read Stephanie Cowell’s Claude and Camille. We all loved it so much that I think we could have talked about it for hours. It was so easy to get lost in Monet’s world…romance, art, gardens, beauty…

As I was reading, I couldn’t help think of what Mikhail Baryshnikov said about being in the arts, “People of art should never get married and have children, because it’s a selfish experience.” This is so true! No matter the art: music, dance, painting…all art consumes the personal life and self of the artist.

Camille's support system included Claude's friends. One of his closest friends, Frédéric Bazille, completed an interesting triangle.The three were harmoniously together quite often and deeply cared for one another.  

The struggle of these previously starving but now famous artists: Renoir, Bazille, and Pissaro, Cezanne, Manet is now known to us all. They were bohemian Impressionistic nomads who attempted to get their art into the annual State salon at the Palais de L’Industrie.  The tight bunch of friends lived on beans, wine, coffee, and bread, and would take turns sleeping on the floor.

From one painting Monet entered in the salon (Impression, Sunrise), a new art movement began and Monet emerged as the leader of the whole group (Frédéric Bazille, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley) due to a hostile critic who coined the term “Impressionists.”

Looking back on his life at sixty-years old Monet said, “I was born in a circle entirely given over to commerce, and where all professed a contemptuous distain for the arts.”

Camille grew up in a bourgeois upper class family and left behind her well off fiancé and family when she ran away with Monet. Once she met Monet, she knew she wanted to rebel. She threw away her life of privilege to be with him. Camille became Claude’s true inspiration, his muse.

It's no wonder Camille's family was not pleased with their daughter's decision to run off with Claude because they knew he could not support her. Monet had a different idea of what work was. His father (and Camille's) could not convince him to take on a "real" job.

I read that he hated school and always wanted to be outside; loving the open-air, he had an obsession with sea cliffs. He grew up in the sleepy sea town of Le Havre were his dad sold supplies to fisherman.

Monet brought sunshine into his art work. More than any of his colleagues, he loved to be outside and find inspiration for his paintings. He was fascinated with how sunlight made colors look different at different times of the day.

Monet once said, "I have so much fire in me and so many plans. I always want the impossible. Take clear water with grass waving at the bottom. It’s wonderful to look at, but to try to paint it is enough to make one insane." It seemed part of Camille's job as his muse was to keep Monet from going insane.

Reading Claude and Camille I also thought of the book The Girl with the Pearl Earring.  Authors Tracy Chevalier and Stephanie Cowell have a common theme in their books. Vermeer, like Monet, had a beautiful woman as his muse. A muse is someone with a powerful inspiration who gives rise to the creator and has a deep and powerful effect on an artist. It seems most great artists have a muse.

As family life became more important to him with the birth of their first son Jean, Monet's art took on an emotional richness, and a depth; at the soul of his painting was Camille.

Camille had a hard time finding herself. She tried her hand at writing and acting, realizing it wasn’t for her she became depressed.

When my book club discussed Cowell’s book, one of the hot topics was if we thought Claude was selfish. I believe it was unanimous that we all thought he was selfish and should have tried supporting his family in another way while they were literally starving! As my friend Linda said, “He puts his pants on just like everyone else.”

We agreed that he was dedicated to his art to the point of selfish irresponsibility but his paintings make up in beauty what he could not give to his loved ones.

Monet was prepared to make any sacrifice and have his family undergo discomfort for the sake of his art. For Monet, art came first and family second. Monet truly loved Camille but he had a difficult time balancing his two loves (art and family). Painting was how Monet dealt with reality and relationships.

Camille had such a profound effect on Monet’s career. She was as mysterious as the water lilies that he strove to capture on canvas. She was complex and kept a lot of secrets. I think she was very much a free-spirit and loved Claude. He painted her for years, even in death. He felt as long as she was on his canvas, she was with him; she haunted him in life and death.

His Water Lily series is like the Sistine Chapel of Impressionism because it’s the ultimate expression of impressionism painting. When I saw Monet’s Water Lily panels at the MoMA. I remember tears filled my eyes; it was an emotional experience to stand in front of such a BIG and POWERFUL work of art. Cowell writes in Claude and Camille, "Of all his portraits of her, these paintings of the water lilies were the truest ones, for within them he had captured her beauty, her variability, and her light."

Cowell beautifully expresses how much Monet loved Camille, "My love for you is deep, deep inside myself like something below the water. Only with my brush when I can paint again will I express it."

Camille's sister Annette blamed Claude for Camille's death. Reading Cowell's book you get a better understanding of Monet's thinking..."Annette, I wish I were a better man than I am; I could wish it a thousand times,” he replied. “All I know is that Minou loved me and I loved her. You wanted a certain life for her, but she had to choose her own. She chose me and my work. I’m not separate from my work. She was very clear in what she chose, and she didn’t choose to die. I’ll never believe that. And if I ever betrayed her, I’m sorry a thousand times."

Monet’s second love, Alice Hoschedé was a cultured woman from a very comfortable middle-class background. Alice took a huge risk (a lot like Camille) when she went to live with Monet with her six children who was then a penniless artist. It was actually Camille's idea to invite Alice and her children to live with them.

Another hot topic to our book club discussion was that we wondered if Camille knew Claude cared for Alice when she invited Alice and her six children to live with them. Oh to have a time machine that could take you back to find out details!

Early on with Camille, he hardly made any money, not being able to pay rent and owing everybody. Monet relied almost entirely on his paintings to keep his family alive. Sadly, Camille never experienced the good life he eventually had in Giverny with Alice and their combined eight children.

I visited Claude Monet’s house in Giverny when I was seventeen; I remember the vivid colors and the calm and happy feeling of the painter’s beautiful garden and pink house. It was full of bourgeois character and charm. The color palette and décor is something I knew I wanted in my home, especially the yellow dining room because it’s such a cheery color.

Claude Monet is so identified with his home in Giverny. This book mostly focuses on a time before Giverny. He spent forty-three years there and created most of his great work outside in his garden.

Monet painted in many different settings throughout his life: Algeria, (painting the African sun when he was in the military), England, Holland, and the countryside and seasides of France. During his entire career, he always loved to be outside.

Cowell changed the way I look at Monet's paintings. She made me more observant to the emotions in his art. I imagine if you read Claude and Camille you will feel the same way.

In the end, Monet lost both wife’s (Camille and Alice), his eyesight, and his beloved stepdaughter. Sometimes through tragedy comes the creation of great beauty. Monet's breathtakingly beautiful work gives him (and Camille) immortality. Cowell painted the images of the characters in the readers mind through her words and truly brought Monet's art to life.

The Julia Child Book Club met and had a French country meal fit for Monet’s house in Giverny. I think Stephanie Cowell would have been pleased with our little club, Claude and Camille too.  Salut et a bientot!

A Serendipitous Summer

Serendipity has always been one of my favorite words.  It makes me think of Sri Lanka because Serendip was the former name for Sri Lanka. It came from English author Horace Walpole, who formed it upon the title of the fairy-tale The Three Princes of Serendip.  As the Princes traveled they were always discovering some of life’s unexpected pleasantries and good fortune by accident.

French scientist Louis Pasteur said, In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.  Our minds must be open to finding serendipity. I think it was serendipity that American physicist, Joseph Henry, read Pasteur’s quote because he then said, The seeds of great discoveries are constantly floating around us, but they only take root in minds well prepared to receive them.

The meaning of this delightful word is: unexpected discovery and extremely pleasant surprises.

Imagine the sounds of summer: ceiling fans, ice cream trucks, waves at the beach, splashes at the pool, sizzle of the grill, the ding of a bicycle bell, the music of cicadas…What would happened if you followed or searched for these sounds? You might find your own serendipity. Summer is the perfect time to search for unexpected treasures because there is more time to wonder. The days are longer, there is more of a relaxed state of mind and a slower pace to explore.

If you are ready for something good just around the corner, chances are you will find it! As a middle of the road personality (half type-A/half free-spirited) I think this makes me a good traveler because I have a plan but sometimes the plan is to have no plan! You know the saying, All roads lead to Rome? To me it just means, even if you’re bad at directions (which I am), you will still find where it is you’re meant to be.

The best example of serendipity I have happens to be in Rome! My husband Derek and I realized we left our camera in the car at the airport on the way to Rome. We were both so bummed out! Our first night in Rome, we took a walk not knowing where we were going, had an amazing meal and on the walk back to the hotel in a random corner of the street where no one was around was a photo booth. It’s one of our favorite memories because it was one-hundred percent serendipity!

I don’t think you can plan real serendipity but its fun to imagine what you might find. If you’ve ever been geocaching (an outside game of searching for hidden objects using a GPS), this is similar (exept you know you’re looking for something). Geocaching can be a bit serendipitous because you are seeking to discover something that remains a mystery until you’re at the correct coordinates and unbury the treasure.

Two people meeting by chance after a long time in an unusual place could be serendipitous. Have you ever run into someone you know on a vacation? That’s serendipity!

Sometimes you have those days when your light inside is shining brighter than usual and there is a certain energy that attracts others to you, kind of like magnetism; either you have that energy or you don’t!

When you look at a bride, her light is definitely on; a bride has that radiance and energy that draws you near her.  

I believe serendipity leads to more serendipity.  I took my children to an unplanned trip to my favorite grocery store this past week, Central Market (a place filled with the most unique and delicious foods), where we were just browsing and looking to see what appealed to us. Sometimes those are the best shopping trips, when you don’t have a list and you just shop with your senses. I wasn’t sure what we would make with our random items but that’s when my friend Margot came in helpful. I showed her my ingredients and the light inside her turned on bright; in her kitchen she created serendipity!

I think if you are too busy and wrapped up; you might not find your serendipity. Part of the magic is being open-minded and allowing yourself to wonder.

Hopefully, we can all remain ready, willing and able to enjoy serendipitous eureka moments. Good luck finding yours! Like a sailor, set out in good faith and find your summer serendipity.

Photo: Pino's painting titled, Serendipity.

Rosemary Beach: a watercolor of a vacation

Ahh…summertime at Rosemary Beach, Florida and the living is easy. The lazy hazy turquoise sky days are a watercolor of a vacation at the emerald coast. Imagine unforgettable sunsets, children’s laughter, gentle surf, snowy white sandy beaches and you’re at Rosemary Beach. It is a special place where the pleasant and ever-present breeze creates a calming effect that totally relaxes the body and mind. The only thing to think about is what to eat for dinner.

Unlike other beaches, once you arrive at Rosemary and park your car, you won’t need to get back into it until it’s time to go home. Rosemary Beach has that leisurely feel that eases you into a real staycation because once you arrive; leaving is not something anyone wants to contemplate.

Vacationers can walk everywhere and do anything they please because everything is at your fingertips: shopping, swimming, Pilates, yoga, tennis, biking, the spa, restaurants, bocce ball, Frisbee, or croquet… There are so many choices; you might not be able to check off everything on your list in one week (especially if you become a regular at a favorite spot). All the more reason to return!

My family definitely became regulars at the Sugar Shak, having ice cream once (sometimes twice) a day. Everyone’s favorite flavor is right there at what seems like everyone’s favorite place…I mean really, don’t you just want to be at a place called “The Sugar Shak?” The beauty of a vacation is that you can always choose to do as much or as little as you like and Rosemary Beach is the perfect place where whatever you choose will be perfect.

Going to the beach should be about finding peace and here, time does slow down. You won’t see anyone at Rosemary Beach wearing a watch because the bell tower in the town square rings on the hour and what more do you need? In the town square you will also find a post office, gallery, shops, and restaurants that complete the community package.

Gallivanting by foot or bike is the preferred transportation, especially because everything is within five minutes walking distance. Rosemary has all the amenities of home including yards for the children to play in and porches for your morning coffee.

It’s fun to explore the many boardwalks right outside your door; you can get lost to be found in this intimate paradise. Rosemary has employed the concept of New Urbanism in which the sense of community breaks down fears and encourages friendliness.

Rosemary Beach is a tranquil watercolor storybook town that was established in 1995. Rosemary isn’t crowded or pretentious; it has an ease and familiarity that all ages will appreciate. Rosemary’s sense of community makes the vacationer feel safe and comfortable; it is livable with a small town atmosphere. The architecture is soft, warm, and timeless; a perfect fit for the stunning coastal landscape.

A relaxed atmosphere of the old Caribbean (think the West Indies) but also Charleston and Italy. Every cottage, carriage house, loft, and building is uniquely custom designed (there are more than 600 homes). Even the colors are calming with the earthy Tuscan palettes of chocolate, cream, and terra cottas on the architecture that compliment the emerald coast. The cobblestone on winding narrow roads gives Rosemary that European-like feel.

You will see a lot of Rosemary here because it grows wild in the area, even the shampoo products provided are Aveda Rosemary Mint.

Rosemary is a restaurateur’s paradise in which you can choose a different cuisine every night and the whole family will be happy.  

The whole experience is so much like the Don McLean song, American Pie. There’s no doubt in my mind that if the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were really to catch the last train for the coast, in order to stay true to that song, the train would head straight for Rosemary Beach.

Rosemary’s Good Eats

Cowgirl Kitchen: reminds me of Texas. It has a Southwestern-style casual feel and my favorite, gourmet pizzas.

Onano: named after the Italian town where the owner’s (Mark) grandmother was born, transports you to Tuscany through food.

The Summer Kitchen Café: a casual breakfast and lunch hangout with sandwiches, burgers, and American desserts.

Restaurant Paradis: a small inviting restaurant that serves fresh Gulf seafood along with steaks and fine wines.

Wild Olives: a market for quick bites and fantastic wine selections.

Courtyard Wine and Cheese: stop in the wine bar then enjoy some old world artisan cheese.

La Crema Tapas & Chocolate: a cozy courtyard invites you to enjoy a bit of Spain. I love that they even a child’s tapas menu.

Dog Man Du: my children’s favorite lunch time place to accompany a stroll to the beach. They would eat their Dog Man Du hot dogs in the little red Radio Flyer wagon that I pulled them in and be happy as clams.

Something sweet: Sugar Shak &,  (the newly opened) Sugga Pies: both have an old-fashioned ambiance where the customers are always happy to find the open sign. These two are sweet places for the young and the young at heart.

Shopping in Rosemary

The Hidden Lantern Bookstore: This is not your average book store! Loaded with personality and thoughtfulness, The Hidden Lantern provides books and events that inspire a love for the written word.

My most favorite store in the world is Pish Posh Patchouli’s where you can design your signature scent at the custom scent bar; then select soaps, lotions, perfumes galore.

Fitz and Emme: the newest children’s boutique feels like you could be shopping in a quaint European shop.

Gigi’s Fabulous Kids’ Fashions & Toys: Offers the CUTEST European-style clothing and accessories for children. Gigi’s celebrates your child’s individual style.

Trading Company: You can’t leave without stopping by here! Get souviners that you will accually use!

Tracery: You can find everything you were looking for but haven’t found yet here in this interior design and furnishing shop.

Once you come to Rosemary, you will want to return year after year.

Midnight in Paris: Let's do it, let's fall in love...



This summer if you can’t go to Paris, I have a movie recommendation that will transport you there. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (which opened the Cannes Film Festival) takes you into the nostalgic era of music, art, and writing of the 1920’s. A romantic time of pleasure, joie de vivre, art, whimsy, and enchantment.

It’s about a young engaged couple who realize they’re not meant for each other once they’re in Paris; and then there is the illusion that life in a different place and time would be better. When life is unsatisfying, it’s easy to wish you could escape into a different period by time travel, that’s why most people love fantasy.  

The beauty of going to the movies is we can be transported back in time.  We turn to movies and books to escape, Midnight in Paris is the whole package that is a pleasure to behold and then again and again.

Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard

Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson

Paris is zee world’s GREATEST city, bien sûr!  Midnight in Paris is a beautiful love letter to the divine 1920’s Paris.  Gil (Owen Wilson) thinks Paris looks best in the rain, but no matter the weather or the time, Midnight in Paris will take your breath away and leave you wanting to stay in the theatre and experience it again and again.

In a world full of wishes that are easily granted, Gil (a discouraged TV writer) dreams of becoming an expatriate writer. His fiancée, Inez (Rachel McAdams) wants Gil to keep doing what he does best so she can keep enjoying his credit cards. Gil and Inez meet up with Inez’s old flame Paul (Michael Sheen) who is an arrogant intellectual arguing with the museum guide of Musée Rodin who happens to be Carla Bruni (model, singer, first lady of France, now actress).

We later learn from Gertrude Stein that Gil’s novel may not be half bad. This gives Gil hope.

It is a fantasy of mine to become an expat writer and live in Tuscany like Frances Mayes. I totally get Gil!

Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald

The fun begins when Gil (who is a little drunk) goes for a late-night stroll and gets lost. At midnight a gorgeous antique Peugeot pulls up with happy socialites drinking champagne. He does the right thing and gets in to join the party. He finds himself at a club where Cole Porter is playing the piano and he’s introduced to F. Scott Fitzgerald and his beautiful southern belle wife, Zelda (my favorite character).



Hemingway



 I remember the summer I took a Hemingway to Fitzgerald English class at the University of Alabama. It was the perfect place to learn about Zelda because she was from Montgomery, Alabama. Alison Pill, who plays Zelda, lights up the screen and has a spot on southern accent that is fun to hear in Paris (especially when she says s'il vous plait)!

Gil befriends the ultra masculine Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), Gertrude Stein (the fabulous Kathy Bates), fashion designer ingénue Adriana (Marion Cotillard), Picasso, Matisse… Each time Gil meets one of his golden era heroes his mouth falls to the floor.

Adriana (Marion Cotillard) has to be the world’s most beautiful woman past and present. She’s been Picasso’s, Braque’s, and Modigliani’s lover. I guess you could call her an art groupie.  

Woody Allen’s always witty dialogue is sharp and hilarious. Some of my favorite Woody Allen movies I love because they satisfy my “I want to travel to Europe now” bug. Hop aboard the Woody Allen European tour: Match Point (England), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Spain), Mighty Aphrodite (Greece), Midnight in Paris (France)… As much as I adore a European backdrop, I think Woody Allen could turn a place that is not known for being romantic like Tuscaloosa, Alabama into a city of magic. Woody has that je ne sais quoi that works well in any place.

Do you ever feel like you should have been born in another time? I think this often because I like to read and escape into a fantasy. I also crave culture like water and Midnight in Paris satisfies my craving and puts me in a happy place.

Midnight in Paris reminds me of a Merchant and Ivory film because it has that international flair, beauty, and intelligence that those films produce but also the romance of the movies like Before Sunrise and After Sunset which put you in a love bubble.

In the end, Gil realizes that no time is idyllic and he can find happiness in the present. He decides to make the best of life in our own time and the ending is the REAL fairy tale, walking off in Paris in the rain with a beautiful Parisian. As they walk away I imagine they’re both singing Cole Porter’s Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love.  Merci Woody!

To get you in the “American in Paris” mood, enjoy these quotes then watch the trailer to the best movie you will have seen in a long, long time.

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. Hemingway

America is my country and Paris is my hometown. Gertrude Stein

History takes time. History makes memory. It is the soothing thing about history that it does repeat itself. Gertrude Stein

First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you. F. Scott Fitzgerald

You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say. F. Scott Fitzgerald