Sun-less in Seattle... but the days are getting longer!

(photo credit unknown)

The Christmas tree is down. Holiday decor has been carefully tucked away in the attic: Bienvenue, January. If you live in Paris - or in Seattle - this means you will be wrapped in la grisaille (grey skies) for the next ten to twelve weeks, maybe longer... 


Seattle...

M. Connor (New York Times)

Paris... 

(photo credit unknown)

Some will argue that Paris remains Paris, even when it is cold, even when it rains, and that there is enough to keep you busy in the French capital to help you forget the drab weather outside. All true. Yet I lived, worked and commuted in Paris for ten years before we moved to Seattle, and I can assure you I got tired of living under grey skies.

Ah, Paris! Si romantique... si... gris!
(photo credit unknown)

Seattle is not Paris, not by a long stretch. Sorry, Seattle. But you earn points for trying. I am very grateful for the upcoming Paul Gauguin exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. Gauguin in Polynesia. The S.A.M. website mentions Gauguin's "constant yearning for an exotic paradise." I bet a lot of locals will relate. I know I do. Tahiti sounds pretty good right about now.

Paul Gauguin

Over the next few months, Seattleites will be spending a lot of time indoors, hibernating, wistfully pining for exotic vacations. Coffee shops, like Monsieur Starbucks, will help fuel and shelter these dreams, of course. For some, Visa and American Express will help finance them.

(photo credit unknown)

Ok. I hear you in the background. Snow buffs. Outdoor enthusiasts. The Brave. The Restless. You want me to write that not everyone hibernates in Seattle during winter months. Point taken. Each week, you all answer the call of the mountains. like Junior, his dad, and their friends. 

The young, the brave, the restless

Désolée. I can't relate. I was born in Southern France. I love the sun. I never learned how to ski, not even when girlfriends dragged me to the French Alps years ago, and I tried to impress a [potential] boyfriend [it did not work.] I suppose I could snowshoe if snowshoeing were required. But I don't see the point of driving for almost two hours, schlepping ten pounds of gear, just to freeze my city-loving derrière all day. Pardonnez-moi for exercising my right to be different. 


Fortunately for me - the big city is far away - I enjoy the outdoors. As soon as ski season is over, this family lives part-time on an old sailboat - at least it often feels that way, especially in the summer months - as we explore coastal waters in the Puget Sound area. We don't wait for the sun to cast off and often make good use of our foul weather gear. Besides, ominous Northwest skies provide unique photo opportunities Le Husband can't resist.

When we are not cruising, the Yellow dog and I walk/hike the neighborhood hills and trails at least five times a week, one hour a day, rain or shine. And let me tell you, the trails may be packed in the summer and early fall, but we sure don't meet a whole lot of locals out there, in the rain and mud, the rest of the year. The Yellow dog and I may not be that young anymore; but we keep up a good pace; we sweat; we log in the miles. We are the Brave and the Restless too, darn it!

Doing what we do best... near Port Townsend, WA some time ago

Now if you look at the above photo, and notice the cute handbag, you may think: "I bet French Girl always looks very chichi, perfectly coiffed and accessorized when she goes on those daily walks." Nah. This is the Pacific Northwest, friends. The land of fleece, R.E.I., and the North Face. I am a firm believer that when in Rome, one must do as the Romans do. After all these years, I think I blend in pretty well, non?


Don't get me wrong. I could really, really see myself wearing the following, as I walk around my Estate with the Yellow dog. 

Walking the grounds, English-style: The Barbour collection

Rain boots... by Burberry, England

Rain boots by Chanel,  France

Pretty, but unpractical. I confess to a strong liking for Australian outdoor wear on rainy days.

The Australian-ized French girl and Junior,
a few [Seattle] springs ago

And so we endure, through the winter, and the long, wet, chilly spring.  We do our best to boost troop morale while ignoring the dismal weather outside. We disregard the corny and rehashed local saying: "Rain is liquid sunshine!" [insert the mandatory French shrug.]


Ten years in Paris. Fifteen more in Seattle. I know I am long overdue for my time in a sunny locale. I am lucky I can keep visiting until a more... satisfying solution can be found.

Nissa la Bella

For in Seattle, as the locals say, you can't stop living when it rains. You learn to live in spite of the rain and clouds.

We joined a very soggy St Patrick's Day parade last March

A drenched French gang doing the Garden D' Lights,
 Bellevue, WA (December 2011)

In fact, come to think of it, January is the perfect time to slow down, relax indoors and enjoy some of the great Christmas gifts Santa was kind enough to leave under the tree for you. In 2012, I am planning to learn more about photography, and I started building a book collection with these classics by iconic photographers.

They arrived with a mysterious card...

It read...

Merci Santa! It looks as if I, too, will be going back to school.


Santa has obviously decided my Chanel book collection (six titles and counting) would look much better with this brand-new book, written by Mademoiselle's surviving relatives. As I flip through the pages, I can't wait to sit down with a cup of coffee and start reading it. 

Oh, and color. We need more color to fight all that gray-ness. There is none in the garden at the moment, unless one counts the ubiquitous evergreen?! Well, I can't use my new Upla "besace" (modelled after the fisherman's canvas bag since the 1970s) quite yet, but it certainly cheers me up every time I see it hanging in my bedroom.

Upla, Paris Rive Gauche (Left Bank)

The Upla bag looks great on a bike too!

I could also bake a traditional "galette des rois" (king's cake), pour some Normandy sparkling cider and celebrate the new year with friends. Everyone secretly hopes to get the golden slice that includes the sought-after collectible "fève" (trinket) so they can become the new king or queen! This year, I found a brand-new collection of "fèves" through a French company and could not believe my luck: La Galette will taste so much better if Harry, Ron and Hermione are hiding inside it!

French Girl, a few "galettes" ago...

Will there be magic spells involved? I hope so...

Yes, there are things to do in Seattle to fight the winter blues. Whining about the weather is not one of them. Clearly, there is nothing we can do about the weather. This little story enabled me to get it out of my system. I feel much better already and promise I will not say another word about the rain. Not one. Nada. Rien. Zilch - at least until July.  By then, if large puddles are still on the ground (and they very well may be, seeing how everyone has been raving about our "exceptionally dry fall,") this French Girl is definitely getting out of town! 


Bring it on, Seattle. I am ready for anything you throw at me, and I will keep smiling [or at least keep my mouth shut.] I may not be able to muster enough enthusiasm to sing in the rain...

['sides, this was shot in a Hollywood studio,
 as I am pretty sure Gene Kelly lived in sunny California year round]

But I am certain my friends and I will be able to seize the [fun] moment when it presents itself. Carpe Diem, les amis (I knew those seven years of Latin in French public schools would come in handy sooner or later.) It is true what they say: The days are getting longer!

Merci, Dani!

Bonne année 2012. Happy New Year!


A bientôt!


Afterword: I found this fun story online a few days ago. It was written by an [exiled] Seattleite. I so enjoyed the part about the weather: Apparently, grey skies are digitally added on all Seattle photos so out-of-towners will not be tempted to move here. Cute. Obviously, a good sense of humor helps when you live in the Pacific Northwest (or in this case, Denmark!) year round. Am also guessing the author took most of his photos during the brief Seattle summer, roughly July 20-August 10.