A good week filled with girlfriend dates

It's been a really good week. Probably the best week I've had in Paris in a really long time. 

Despite the fact that it's been in the teens and 20's (fahrenheit) the entire week and I've worn the same bulky H&M wool sweater every day as the only way to stay warm outside, I've made the most of winter Paris.











The goals I set for myself last week were pretty much met.

I went to the gym multiple times and picked-up the routine I so cherished in New York and now I'm proud to say it hurts to lift my arms.

I cooked healthy food and have begun to acquire organic grains and beans to begin a pantry in our kitchen. While we weren't perfect and ate a little cheese and meat we did make an effort to eat the hearty winter vegetables available at Paris markets.

And French lessons started again and I went and although I far from conquered, I went with a positive attitude, which I guess is a lot of the battle. I have not been as great about doing my homework but I did make everyone from dinner on Friday night speak in French and they were surprised (and Sir Lancelot proud) at how I was able to understand most of the conversation.

I also kept myself busy with daytime dates with new girlfriends. When you move to a new city you have to put yourself out there so much more than you would in your home where everything just felt more comfortable and you had an established a community. Aside from The Kooples, Sir L and I don't have any other friends but that's slowly changing.

Printemps Brasserie dome

On Wednesday I had drinks with my new and wonderful friend Liz at the Printemps brasserie. Since Paris has basically felt like the arctic all week, it was a lovely place to get out of the cold but still feel festive.

On Friday I met up with the wife of a couple that Lancelot worked with in London and have just relocated to Paris. We indulged in lunch at an Anglo-friendly cafe and a movie.

Perhaps the most exciting rendezvous of the week was with Mme Ella Coquine, the writer from one of my favorite Paris blogs,  "Tales from the Chambre de Bonne: 365 of Starting Over in the City of Lights".

Miss Ella was one of the first fellow Paris bloggers to reach out to me and regularly comment on my posts and I've been lucky enough to read about her extraordinary life since moving here in September.

I was a bit nervous to meet her as I always am on the numerous Paris girlfriend blind dates I go on, because you never really know if you will hit it off with the person. And in this case, we got along very well in the blogging world but would we get along in person??

I also was nervous because Ella Coquine has worked in fashion, is fashionable and speaks French and I'm not fashionable (yes, I wore the bulky black H&M sweater) and don't speak French. Thank goodness she does because the waiters at Cafe Charlot were less than pleasant to us.

As usual, like I do with going to the market or dry cleaners or post office, I worked myself up with nerves for absolutely no reason. We had such fun over wine and cheese and three hours later were still chatting and laughing away about our lives and the crazy people around us.

There was the woman who heard us introduce ourselves to each other and initially talking about meeting over blogging. I'm pretty sure she thought we were the crazy ones.

There was the woman that insisted on speaking English to Ella and said she was American although she'd never lived in America and had a British accent. She also told us that she has so many houses she can't keep track of all the clothes and where they are and just keeps shopping! She was annoying.

Then there were the two Parisien people who wanted to talk to us about the multiple Keith McNally restaurants in NYC and how Cafe Charlot looks like Balthazar. Ehh...not really.

Then just as we were finishing up and Ella was heading off to see her beloved Seb and Sir L was going to meet me, these two business men sat down and ordered frilly green drinks with glow-in-the-dark straws. You know, just an ordinary Thursday happy hour business meeting....

Sometimes my life and Paris are so strange. 

Anyways, here is to you Ella Coquine for a wonderful afternoon and for being another reason why Paris gets better everyday!