Dena De Clute
Author
World Geography Wednesday Studies France
One Summer in Paris…
Some readers ask how I researched Paris when writing THE WRATH OF NIKE – especially since it influenced the title theme. Am I French, with this doozie of a last name? Did I once live in France?
What gives??
When I was in college, I spent a summer in Paris studying European sustainable design practices through my university’s study abroad program. Being Cajun French (and with student loans being what they are), I was lucky to take advantage of an affordable opportunity to visit my roots and get a little European polish along with college credit.
OK, fine. I just wanted to wink at cute Parisian guys over glasses of red wine in chic bars named after black cats. Don’t judge me.
It’s the Journey, Not the Destination!
That summer instilled in me an enduring love for good coffee, pastries, and international travel. A desire that was partially satisfied when my husband and I moved overseas for nine years as oil expats.
Both of my kids were actually born in Europe, so it’s understandable that I want to instill this love of cultural curiosity in them, as well.
When writing THE WRATH OF NIKE, it was awesome going through my scrapbook to write certain scenes, pulling out my tattered and dogeared metro map to find which stops my characters needed to get off.
Yes, Google Maps would’ve been more efficient. But it’s the journey, not the destination, right?
Teaching Kids About France
If you missed my first post, WGW is where I teach my kids about a foreign country via food, maps, a movie, and travel photos (if I’ve been there). I don’t stress about planning the lesson, because as the Dutch say, “Small hands are easy to fill.” They’re grateful for anything interesting that I throw at them.
Most of the international food I buy is pre-made, as I don’t have time to shop for exotic ingredients I’ll only use once and would probably prepare incorrectly anyway. Shortcuts aside, it’s still my family’s favorite night of the week.
It helps that they’re not skittish about eating weird foreign cheese, because nearly every country has one.
Unsurprisingly, for one of our first WGWs, we studied France. We watched Nat Geo Kids videos on Paris, and perused my collection of art books for French artists and the historic Parisian art scene.
Cooking Easy French Food
We ate Coq-au-vin, haricots vert, frites, and French bread with brie and chèvres, then had macarons and madeleines for dessert. My husband and I drank Cab Sauv and let the kids have Perrier from wine glasses, which they thought was gross.
Afterwards, we watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which I hadn’t seen before and thought was slightly terrifying. The kids noticed that Quasimodo had been quarantined for 20 years, and they empathized.
Here are a few more photos of France, before and children. If you’re interested in seeing Paris in a parallel universe, you should read book 1 in The Infinite Crossroads series: THE WRATH OF NIKE.
