After working as an art editor for a London-based children’s magazine for 15 years, Kate Merritt was ready to try something new. And so when the publishers she worked for began offering sabbaticals, Kate seized the opportunity to have a break and a bit of an adventure. She hoped to try something completely different and experience life in another country. She could have gone anywhere, but she chose Paris for its beauty, architecture, galleries, nightlife and how pretty it is in the spring.
FLOWER POWER
Her original plan was to take a year out in 2011, but now some nine years later, Kate is well and truly at home in France. I meet Kate for a walk and talk at one of her favorite spots in the city – the Parc Floral de Paris. Situated in the Bois de Vincennes in the 12th arrondissement, these extensive botanical gardens were once part of the royal hunting domain and then later used by Napoleon as a military training ground.
The modern Parc Floral was established in the 1960s following a successful horticulture show. Today the area boasts 28 hectares and some of the most stunning floral displays in the city. Kate is particularly fond of the annual dahlia competition in September and the flamboyant flower is a reoccurring theme in her work.
Kate may know Paris well now but had only been there a few times as a tourist before making the move. And what better way to get to know a city than living in different areas. She started out in the north-east of the city in Goncourt for a short time before moving to Belleville, and then finally to the 18th arrondissement near Jules Joffrin where she found “a lovely little apartment” that she rented from an American lady who spent half the year in the US and half in Paris. “It had views of Sacré-Coeur – if you stuck your head right out of the window and stood on tippy-toes,” Kate says laughing.
Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Living France.
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Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Living France.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company
If your current employer is happy to let you continue working for them after you move to France, there are a number of rules and regulations to be aware of to ensure you stay on the right side of the law, as Catharine Higginson explains
On vintage soil
Life in the vineyards of Aude is a dream come true for Leicestershire-born Katie Jones who now successfully exports her wines back to the UK, as Brigitte Nicolas learns
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
What happens if you are buying a French property but can’t attend the completion meeting at the notaire’s office in person? Matthew Cameron explains how a power of attorney can be used and how it works
In safe hands
There can be few more unusual homes than the 11th-century Château de Clérans, situated close to the Dordogne river in the Périgord Pourpre region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
Robin Ellis made his name as the original Captain Poldark but a diabetes diagnosis led the Tarn-based actor to add cookbook writing to his CV, as Richard Webber learns
My frugal France
Embracing modern technology could save you money and time on both the pleasures and essentials of life in France, says Laura Harley as she shares some of her favourite French apps
Hidden Talents
Moving to France enabled these three expats to switch off from busy careers and in turn discover new creative talents, says Gillian Harvey, who counts herself among them
Beauty to behold
With its legendary vineyards, charming old towns and rich gastronomy, Gironde is quintessential France at its best, as Alison Weeks discovers
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
A Dordogne town, a Charente city and a Pyrenean village all have a starring role in three new films hitting the big screen this year, joining a long list of French locations that have gone before them, as Vicky Leigh learns
A local's view
Trish and Mark Tyler run a beautifully restored chambres d’hôtes, set in six hectares of park and woodland near StÉmilion, which has a fascinating history