When Linda Cope is offered a one-year posting in the world’s most popular destination, Paris, husband/writer Gord goes along for the ride. Gord and Linda settle into an apartment on rue Barbette on the Right Bank of the Seine in Le Marais, a neighbourhood rich in controversy, culture, and craziness—in short, their kind of place.
Gord finds his role in the “cast” of Le Marais as a Canadian househusband in Paris. As he makes his way through the months, struggling with dictionary French and ex-pat fever, sampling all the delicacies the boulangeries can offer, befriending shopkeepers and street people, Gord records his musings on Le Marais and the people and history that live there. Here are exuberant vignettes of Parisian life—the curse of the Vespa, the thrills of balcony gardening and fishmonger oysters, discovering Beaujolais Nouveau Day (and the morning after)—the odd and fascinating tales that just don’t make it into guidebooks. Such are the many moments that create A Paris Moment.
“I enjoyed chumming with Gordon Cope around the Marais, his Parisian neighbourhood.”– Toronto Star
“Whether you’ve been to Paris or just wish to go, Cope’s travel memoir is an inspiration.” — Calgary Herald
“Above all, Paris is exciting and unpredictable. When you walk out the door, says Calgary-based writer Gordon Cope in A Paris Moment, you don’t know what — or who — you’re going to encounter. “Cherry blossoms, riot patrols, or Chinese lanterns hanging on the lampposts. The day springs to life as a full-blown performance, and if you are not part of the audience, you are part of the cast.” — Elle Canada
“Calgary writer Gordon Cope has struck gold with A Paris Moment.”– FFWD
“Written with a wonderful turn of phrase and a wicked sense of humour…”– W.O. Mitchell Book Prize Press Release
“With a wonderful turn of phrase and a wicked sense of humour, Gord Cope provides an intimate account of his year in a magical city.”– Books for Everybody
Photos from the trip:
