A Parisian idyll

This past June, I was invited to take part in the kind of adventure I'd dreamed of when I first started writing books about European history: a tour inspired by my third novel, The Paris Deception! Alongside the lovely folks at Worldwide Quest and Classical Pursuits, I accompanied a group of 16 readers on a trip through time to explore occupied Paris, as depicted in The Paris Deception and Suite Française, by Irene Némirovsky. We also had a few magical days in Reims, learning about champagne making and the impact of the occupation on the Champagne region. All in all, a spectacular trip... looking forward to returning in 2027!

Day 1: The trip started, as all my European adventures do, staggering through the streets in a jetlagged haze, kicking the tires on my high school French in the hopes that it's still road-worthy. I challenge my dormant proficiencies in the appropriate manner: by successfully ordering a glass of rosé and a plate of cheese at a brasserie in Montparnasse. Feeling smug, I assist an American woman next to me with her order, informing her that I acquired my effortless fluency during a three-month exchange to the Loire Valley as a high school student -- however, my success is undercut slightly when the waiter informs me that I speak with an unmistakably Québeçois twang.

Day 2: The tour officially kicks off with the arrival of sixteen lovely tour guests, who I greet, alongside our intrepid leader Melanie, at a welcome party followed by dinner at Le Dôme. We talk about The Paris Deception; dessert arrives in the form of a millefeulle cake larger than my head. Is this heaven?

Day 3: Melanie meets me for breakfast and tells me one of the guests needs the services of a doctor. Can I get the rest of the tour group across the city for our appointment at an art conservation lab while she sorts out medical care? Of course I can - but when we arrive at Atelier du Temps Passé, I'm informed that the bilingual conservator who was going to speak with us is out sick and I get pressed into service as a translator. For the next several hours, my language skills are seriously put to the test as I assist Annette, the atelier's brilliant owner, in explaining the nuances, skills and tools of art conservation, and while I do mistake the word for glue for leather, we manage to make our way through an explanation of this fascinating profession relatively unscathed. It's the highlight of my trip, not least because art conservation labs are magical places where works of art are brought back to life, but also because making Annette's acquaintance feels, in no small part, like I'm meeting Sophie, the protagonist of The Paris Deception, in the flesh. We end the day at Musée Picasso, squeaking in on the very last week of the museum's exhibition on Degenerate Art. Being in the same room as so many works of art that were targeted by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg -- works of art I've spent so many hours with in my imagination -- is beyond moving; I leave with a very, very full heart. After everyone heads back to the hotel, I meet up with friends who also happen to be in Paris for dinner in Le Marais, and we end up at a party on the banks of the Seine. The champagne is cold, the welcome is warm, and it's the perfect end to a perfect day.

Day 4: Historian and author Lisa Pasold takes us on a historical walking tour of Montparnasse, giving us an arresting look at what Paris went through under the Occupation. We rest our weary legs outside Simone de Beauvoir's apartment before paying our respects to her and Jean Paul Sartre at Montparnasse Cemetery. I'm asked where in the cemetery Dietrich is buried, and while I did choose a specific place for him when I was writing the book there happens to be a (real) service happening near my (fictional character's) gravesite, so we visit Serge Gainsbourg instead, then end the day at the Musée de la Libération, learning about inspiring people who resisted the German occupation -- often at the cost of their lives.

Day 5: Author, historian and musician Samuel Lopez-Barrantes takes us on a walking tour of Le Marais as experienced during the Occupation, and it feels like I'm walking in Fabienne's footsteps as we traverse the cobbled streets of this historically Jewish neighbourhood. We attend a cooking class at Le Foodist, where Frédéric, our chef and host, keeps our hands busy and our glasses full -- all while keeping us laughing so hard it's a wonder we get anything down on the plates. I learn the distressing truth about the amount of cream (and salt! and nutmeg!) in potatoes au gratin, and yet manage to choke down every delicious bite.

Day 6: On our final day in Paris, we reunite with Lisa for a visit to the Jardin des Tuileries... and of course, the Jeu de Paume. Seeing the Degenerate Art exhibition made me emotional, but the floodgates truly opened at this point, back at the museum where it all began. In the afternoon, we caught back up with Samuel for a visit to the Musée de l'Armée at Les Invalides for a little military history. As everyone packs up, I manage a quick buzz over to La Boutique Maille to stock up on my favourite mustards. When will Canada ever catch up on serving mustard by tap?

Day 7: Coaches pick us up first thing in the morning and haul us over to the Gare de l'Est (where Fabienne breezed her way past German guards with a Kirchner in hand) and we catch the TGV to Reims, the gorgeous historic city in the heart of the Champagne region.

Day 8: Adam and Stéphane from Tours in Champagne takes us on a walking tour of Reims, and while I'd expected the cathedral to be the highlight of the day, I was beyond delighted by the city's Carnegie library: the most spectacularly deco place. If ever I build a house, I'm dragging the architect to Reims to take notes. We then climb into a mini bus to visit Pressoria, an interactive museum dedicated to the art of champagne making. Fabienne and Sébastien would have gone wild for it!

Day 9: Our final full day in Champagne is a marathon: we wander along the Avenue de Champagne in Eparnay, have a lovely lunch, and visit a grand total of three champagne houses. The first, Maison Michel-Tixier, is a small family producer run by Audrey and Benoît -- Audrey is Fabienne brought to life, and once again I get the giddy feeling that I've just met one of my main characters. We carry on to Champagne Mercier, and while we're travelling through the wine caves on a small guage rail track, another book idea begins to percolate in my mind... Finally, we end up at Maison Pommery which is a wonderland of winemaking and large-scale art installations - but just when we think the day is done, Adam and Stéphane have set up a final surprise for us: a private tour of Maison Demoiselles, an art nouveau château located on the grounds! Scratch the bibliotheque: when I build my literary mansion one day, I'm bringing my architect to see THIS. Our final meal together is at the spectacular Brasserie Le Jardin located in the grounds of Château les Crayeres: we toast to the fun, the history, and the fact that we're leaving France with the same number of people at the end as we had at the start. Success!

I couldn't be more honoured to spend time with this wonderful group of people who chose to spend their holidays deep in the pages of The Paris Deception - it truly was the experience of a lifetime. Merci to Worldwide Quest, Classical Pursuits, Melanie, Lisa, Samuel, Stephane and Adam -- and of course to our intrepid tour guests for making it such a fun and memorable experience!

Day one: jetlagged, being held together with hope and a decent bottle of foundation

Did you really think I'd come to Paris and not visit Shakespeare & Co?

Not many leaves of grass to be found in this particular arrondisement, but Walt seems happy enough

Art conservation supplies during our talk at the Atelier du Temps Passé

We visited the Atelier du Temps Passé for a talk about Sophie's profession as an art conservator

Our translator cancelled at the last minute so I had to step in as Annette's translator.

We were lucky enough to catch the last day of Art Dégeneré, an exhibit

The Seine by night. Gorgeous

A walking tour of Montparnasse with Lisa Pasold took us past Simone de Beauvoir's apartment

Lunch at Baillote on Rue du Dragon

Montparnasse Cemetery, where (fictional) Dietrich is buried near (historical) de Beauvoir & Sartre

Cooking class at le Foodiste

Tour guest Norbert, who swapped his skills at performing heart surgery for chopping vegetables

Was this photo with Fredérick staged? I can't remember, I was laughing too hard.

Historian and author Samuel takes us on a tour through le Marais

Back where it all began...!

Bringing Sophie and Fabienne home!

The golden dome of Les Invalides

On our first day in Reims, I was able to sneak away for a quiet afternoon of writing

The bibliotheque of my dreams in Reims

If I lose my cool at seeing a card catalogue, did I have much cool to begin with?

Learning about the art of champagne with Adam at La Pressorie

A tour of Champagne Mercier's champagne caves

With Melanie, our intrepid tour leader, in the champagne vineyards above Reims

Tour of Champagne Pommery

Pommery's greatest vintages

At the Villa Desmoiselles

Maison Pommery's caves aren't just for champagne but for art installations

The glorious Villa Demoiselles on the grounds of Maison Pommery

Can I live here forever?

With all my wonderful tour guests... and Dom Pérignon, naturally

Back where it all began....