Paris snowfall, by Bénédicte Mahé
By Bénédicte Mahé
(French) Snow has always been something magical. But snow in Paris is even more special because it is so rare. This rarity transforms the event of snow into something extraordinary (and borderline weird): almost all of my Facebook friends living in Paris posted a picture of a snowy Parisian street. I am pretty sure Instagram registered a peak in pictures of snow from Parisian users last week!
On the outside, I may have appeared composed, but mentally I had become a 5-year-old. I am no Parisian, but in Brittany, snow is still pretty rare since we are near the sea. And to think that, back in 2006, my winter in Wisconsin was “warm” because it was only 5 degrees Fahrenheit. I had never had such a winter in my entire life (in Brittany it generally rains during the winter) so I was the only one wearing snow boots to school! The other students must have remembered me as the French girl who did not uphold the French standards of effortless chic or stylishness…
Paris sous la neige, par Bénédicte Mahé
The fact that it snowed so heavenly on a Sunday augmented the effect a snow day would have had on a regular day. Sundays are generally quiet, but this one was so calmed, so hushed—every sound was softened. It had snowed so much it crunched when you walked on the sidewalk. Paris felt clean and silent. It was an amazing feeling.
Bénédicte Mahé has studied abroad many times, speaks four languages and earned a Master of Management of cultural goods and activities, as well as a Master’s degree in intercultural communications and cooperation. She works in communication and international projects management. Among her interests are drinking tea, cooking (with or without success), reading, traveling, and—of course—shopping. She started her blog Tribulations Bretonnes in 2010 and has been updating it (more or less regularly) since then.
You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris® post, Paris in the Rain, by Parisian Abby Rodgers who writes about how Paris becomes a different place when it rains. As Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” comments, walking through Paris in the rain can be a magical experience because you have the ability to discover the city from a whole new point of view. Including Abby’s suggestions of favorite boutiques, museums, and shops to explore while walking around Paris.
L’heure bleue: the moment I fell in love with Paris, by Barbara Redmond who shares her unexpected first experiences with Paris. She was met with noise and hot and humid air; it was not the beautiful Paris she had imagined. Barbara discusses how there was moment when she found the true Paris and fell in love.
A Fairy-tale Weekend in the French Countryside, by Parisian Abby Rodgers who writes: “Cars rolled in, guests suited up in white, delicious cuisine, divine choux pastry tower, sparklers, dancing till dawn…”
How to find a (suitable) place in Paris, and other miscellaneous information, by French woman from Brittany, Bénédicte Mahé, who is in her mastère-spécialisé final trimester doing an internship in Paris. Bénédicte shares with students how to find a place in Paris. (French)
My suitable place in Paris, and how I discovered my new arrondissement, by Frenchwoman Bénédicte Mahé who writes about her new apartment in Paris and her new neighborhood; a foreign place waiting to be discovered.
Text copyright ©2013 Bénédicte Mahé. All rights reserved.
Photography copyright ©2013 Bénédicte Mahé. All rights reserved.
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond. All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com