France Book Tours is thrilled to announce
the arrival of
The Paris Effect
in audiobook format!

For the occasion, K.S.R. BURNS shares with us today how New foods, transport, habits change Paris

The Paris Effect

(women’s fiction)

Audio Release date: October 31, 2017
at Velvet Morning Press / Tantor Audio

11:22 hours

SYNOPSIS

FRANCE BOOK TOURS REVIEWS OF THE BOOK

GUEST-POST
by
K. S. R. Burns

New foods, transport, habits change Paris

Paris has always embraced the new. Yes, the bones stay the same—the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and Notre-Dame will be there forever—but new buildings and monuments continue to be built (like the Bibliothèque Nationale) and new priorities increasingly shape daily life (more ways to recycle seem to pop up every day).

But the small changes are what you notice when you travel to Paris every couple of years or so. Recently my husband and I were lucky enough to spend a month in an apartment in the 12^th, and observed a number of new-to-Paris foods, customs, and pastimes. Here are a few:

Corn on the cob. Traditionally, corn was not an ingredient you saw a lot of in France. If it appeared in a salad, well, that was what made it a “salade exotique.” But now corn seems to be everywhere. Street markets sell unshucked cobs (it’s called “maïs doux”). Grocery stores offer pre-cooked corn on the cob, shrink-wrapped in plastic the way cooked beets and potatoes are sold. One day we saw a street vendor hawking freshly grilled corn, like roasted chestnuts. Even popcorn is now a thing in Paris. Boutiques specialize in selling different flavors, and colors, of pre-popped popcorn.

Wheels, wheels, wheels. Paris, above all, has always been a walking city. If you don’t or can’t walk you took the Métro, bus, or taxi. Then, a dozen or so years ago, bicycles went from seldom-seen to ubiquitous. But it didn’t stop there. This time we noticed a huge uptick in scooters (“trottinettes”), used by both adults and children, sometimes in electric versions. Occasionally we spotted an electric-powered adult tricycle, and you can now hire a pedi-cab in some areas of Paris. But the most spectacular new form of wheeled transport, at least to us, was something called a “solo wheel” (“monoroue”). It’s basically a battery-powered, beachball-sized wheel, with footrests. You stand on it and zip through traffic along with the cars. No helmet. No safety devices of any kind. Terrifying.

Cleaner and safer. Good news: city buses no longer spew diesel fumes; they are hybrid-powered. Walking is more pleasant, too. There’s far less litter (i.e., dog poop) and more streets are now pedestrian only. Plus, motorists actually stop for you at crosswalks now, even when they have the right of way (the first time this happened we thought it was a fluke, but it was not).

Healthier. Joggers in Paris used to be relatively unusual, except around the big hotels. Now you see them every day, everywhere. Some parks have been transformed into virtual outdoor gyms; at Parc Monceau one weekday morning we saw people lifting weights, boxing, doing yoga, working out with personal trainers, and practicing martial arts and parkour. Fewer people seem to smoke and indoor restaurants now ban it. Finally, and you may or may not think this is healthy, fruit juice has become a thing. One day we met a Parisian friend at a café and she ordered cranberry juice. And got it.

More convenient. Many more stores have Sunday hours now (we’re not sure if this is a good change or not). More restaurants seem to serve food all day, rather than just at lunch and dinner. More grocery stores stock pre-made salads and sandwiches; some are really good.

But there’s no need to worry. Paris is still Paris. The markets still bustle, the cafés still teem with lovers and students, the museums are still bursting with wonderful art, and the croissants are still flaky. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose !

Unlike her character Amy in THE PARIS EFFECT,
K. S. R. Burns has never ventured down
into the scary and forbidden catacombs.
Nor has she run away from home,
but she has lived and worked in 22 cities,
one of them Paris
(because she does definitely share Amy’s passion for Paris).
Burns is also the author of THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF WORKING GIRL:
REAL-LIFE CAREER ADVICE YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE (Running Press 2009),
because while living in 22 cities she racked up a total of 59 jobs,
thereby learning a lot about the world of work.
She currently writes a weekly career advice column for The Seattle Times.
No longer a wanderer, Burns currently resides in the Pacific Northwest
with her husband and cat.

Visit her website.
Follow her on Facebook, Twitter

Subscribe to her newsletter

Follow Velvet Morning Press on Twitter and Facebook

Buy the audiobook
Other formats:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

At the same time, Velvet Morning Press announces the audiobook of two other great books set in France – click on the covers to order the book.

When newly-single party girl Vicki moves to Paris, she hopes to indulge in wine, stuff her face with croissants, and fall in love. It proves to be much more difficile than she imagined. In this laugh-out-loud memoir, this cheeky storyteller recounts the highs and lows of her life in the City of Light. Sassy and shamelessly honest, Vicki makes you feel as if you’re right there in Paris stumbling along the cobblestones with her.
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