Victorian Tea in NYC

So, where in the world is Paula? Let’s face it, probably at tea. I write so much about tea that I should probably rename this blog to Where in the World is Tea? This week, it’s in New York City. You may not easily associate high tea with NYC, but there are quite a few lovely spots in…

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Olympics

How about we start here? I went to the Olympics!  Well, sort of. I went to Paris during the Olympics. But that counts because the entire city was engulfed in Olympic fever.  Streets were blocked for races, venues were built around monuments, and world citizens gathered together. We rubbed shoulders, snapped pictures, and soaked up…

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Please Excuse the Interruption 

Dear Reader, I apologize for the 11-month (give or take) hiatus I’ve taken from my blog. I’ve been preoccupied with weathering some personal storms. But I’m happy to report that I’m still afloat. Thanks, in part, to the incredible women in my life.  The other part is thanks to… travel.  I’ve come to find out…

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Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Breakfast at Tiffany’s isn’t just a movie; it’s a thing. You really can have breakfast at Tiffany’s. Which I did on a recent layover in Manhattan.  On the top floor of Tiffany’s flagship store on 5th Avenue, you’ll find The Blue Box Cafe.  What would it feel like to sit inside one of those legendary…

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Three Perfect Days in the Big Easy

Extreme Heat Warning   That was the weather forecast every day last weekend in New Orleans.  After owning my pied-a-terre for over a year, my daughter and her lovely girlfriend finally decided to come for a visit. During August! Which, according to every one of our Uber drivers, is the worst time to go to New Orleans. But…

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A Pilgrimage in Paris

You won’t find this in any guidebook. At least, I never have.  Not one of my books lists the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Medaille Miraculeuse). That tip I got from a fellow flight attendant. Of course.  In this well-hidden and modest sanctuary, you will find the “incorrupt”…

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Impressions of Munich

According to ancestry.com, I’m 26% Germanic European. I believe this fact, combined with my recent layovers in Munich, qualifies me to make the following observations about German culture.  1. Germans LOVE beer. The beer garden is a real thing. And a lovely way to spend a summer afternoon.  I spent my weekends in Munich this month, moving…

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Kehinde Wiley

As long as we’re on the subject of art, I must mention another amazing exhibit I recently visited, Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence, at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. (through Oct. 15) Kehinde Wiley is best known for his presidential portrait of Obama. (not in the show)You can view this painting at…

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Georgia O’Keeffe

First of all, I love the name Georgia. Besides being fun to say, it’s timeless, bold, uncommon, and quietly feminine. Not unlike the most famous Georgia I know, painter Georgia O’Keeffe.  Georgia O’Keeffe was a pioneer in her field. Born in 1887, she became the “Mother of American Modernism.” Quite an accomplishment for a woman…

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