Tipping a champagne glass to you… brimming with great promise, peace, happiness, success and most particularly, love and romance, for 2006!

SHOPPING: I experienced for the first time the government-regulated ’soldes’, the ‘official’ sales that happen just twice a year, in and July, where goods are slashed by 30, 50 to 75 percent in price. These events are not for the faint of heart, and you know that I am an uber-shopper, but I lasted just 4 hours before fleeing for my life. And I am used to contact sports since I grew up playing hockey with the boys in Saskatchewan! Months before the soldes, I practised a traditional Parisian activity…’scouting’ for the items I wanted to later buy during the soldes. Very different from the N. American ’sales all the time, year around approach’. But guess what? You don’t have to be here for the soldes to get great buys, they can be found year-round in Paris (wink).

TOURS UPDATE: There are still a couple of spots open for the April 22 to 28 and May 20 to 26, 2006 tours, see the website for additional tour dates. On the April tour, an American journalist will be with us, writing about the experience.

BOOKING NOW FOR A SPECIAL JUNE TOUR: During the June 17 to 23, 2006 tour, Nuit Blanchers will experience the unforgettable festival, Fête de la Musique, on June 21st, the summer solstice. I experienced this magical musical wonder last year in Paris. All Paris streets are filled with musicians, bands of all kinds and sizes, playing for free, going all day and night. Book early so you don’t miss it! Click here for details on Fête de la Musique.

WHAT RIOTS?? I recently checked with some Parisian-friend journalists at various news outlets re the riot situation. The word from all, what riots?? They simply do not report on this subject anymore, nothing is happening. I remind people that any activity that was going on was far from central Paris, in poverty-stricken suburbs and the news was over-stated outside of France. In fact, Parisians did not even know about this situation until it was blown out of proportion and sensationalized in the N. American news.

MEDIA UPDATE: I recently traveled to Nice to finish an interview with American writer Elena Hiatt Houlihan. She is including me in her book titled “An Unrealistic Life.’ I am honored. Apparently, I fit the category of having created a unique lifestyle outside of the traditional 9 to 5 system. Yup, that’s me. Well, to say that we had an adventure in the French Riviera and Italy is an understatement, including a death-defying drive up treacherous mountain roads to a medieval Italian village where they once burned witches. A creepy little place….but we also hit a clothing market in Italy that made my heart soar: incredible buys on leather goods, cashmere sweaters etc., on a mile long stretch beside the sea. Sigh. Alas, Elena tells the story best so you can read all about it on her blog site.

Stay tuned for an article in BC Business magazine. I was interviewed in Dec. for an article to be scheduled for publication in the Feb. 06 issue…speaking of this, the magazine asked me to send them photos to choose from since it was not possible for them to send someone to Paris–too bad for the photographer. So, Natalie, my incredibly wonderful unpaid assistant, who also happens to be a very talented photographer, snapped away at Galeries Lafayette…

HOW I KNOW I’M IN PARIS: At a recent dinner party with French and Anglo girlfriends, right after everyone had arrived and had aperitifs in hand, which are cocktails like kir royal but not wine, one American gal walked in with a cheese tray, set it out and announced it as an appie. After horrified looks and resounding ‘MAIS NON!’ statements from all the French girls, the plate was quickly whisked away and brought out later to be served at the proper time–between the main course and dessert–then coffee is served after. Whew, cultural land mines planted everywhere….And, some things are the same the world over. I recently moved into a small studio in the Latin Quarter, complete with a ‘femme de ménage,’ a housecleaner. My landlord informed me that the femme de ménage does NOT do dishes

MY MOTTO FOR 2006: Tout est possible (all is possible)…ever the optimist, I really, really believe that this is true since I have dreamed of living this wonderful life in Europe and it is actually happening… magic can happen for you too….dream your dream, but then take the steps necessary to realize it.

BISOUS! Karen.