French women know one can go far with a great haircut, a bottle of champagne, and a divine perfume.

–Mireille Guiliano, author of “French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure”

If a French woman is the quintessential woman, Catherine Deneuve is the quintessential French woman for her generation.

Source: The Myth of the Perfect French Woman isn’t New, but it’s Not Getting Old Either – French Morning

French women are viewed by many as the quintessential model for women: elegant, classy, thin, mysterious. Ever wonder where this view started? According to a lecturer at La Sorbonne, it all started at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris (“Exposition Universelle”). The Fair showed off many French technological achievements — the Grande Roue de Paris Ferris Wheel, escalators, and talking films, to name a few — but the first thing visitors to Paris saw at that time was an effigy of a French woman, wearing fashionable clothes and an ‘insouciant’ attitude. She appeared on the scene at the precise moment when French businesses needed a unique way to market their products (though I’m not saying they were conscious of this need). Virtually overnight, a star was born: the image was used to promote French fashion and beauty and luxury products. To own these products was to be as beautiful and remote as that 1900 image. French fashion and beauty products, and by extension, French women, became synonymous with style, elegance, class.

Coco Chanel’s influence on French haute couture is unparalleled.

Coco Chanel (1883-1971) was 17 years old at the time of the 1900 World’s Fair. Like all French women (and men, for that matter), she would have seen how this beautiful, fashionable, non-chalant image was a driving force in French culture. She certainly wanted to be on the inside of this force rather than outside looking in, but having been born into poverty, she either had to marry well or make her own fortune. Having learned to sew while living in an orphanage, she started work as a seamstress, and eventually opened her own millinery shop. Her business took off when an actress of the time wore her hats in the play Bel Ami in 1912.

We’ll never know if it was the ‘insouciant’ attitude that influenced her early designs, but whatever it was, she made jaws drop by designing elegant, casual clothes in fabric previously reserved for men only. Casual clothes? Pants! A revelation for women at the time. She went on to design suits, “the little black dress,” handbags, and perfume, her most famous being Chanel No. 5. (You know the story, don’t you? The 5th formula that the designers presented her with was the one she liked; Chanel No. 5 is now the world’s best selling perfume.) Coco Chanel may not be the first French designer to design perfume — but she perfected it.

Today, Marion Cotillard carries the torch of the quintessential French woman.

With this as background, French Morning reports that La Sorbonne offers a course during the summer months on the myth and reality of idealizing French women. What do you think? Do you think French women have an edge over all others? I can only say this: When I was last in Paris and walking along the Champs-Elysees, this well-dressed young French woman walked by, and every male head in a 5-meter radius whipped their head around to take a look. Many American women think men don’t appreciate feminine women; my experience says otherwise.

Something to think about the next time you meet a woman who has that…certain something…that je ne sais quoi (“I do not know what”) that holds your attention.

Au revoir!

Image of Catherine Deneuve in a 1979 ad for Chanel No. 5 by Classic Film, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Coco Chanel by Hto2008, Flickr, CCBY 2.0. Image of Marion Cotillard by Studio Harcourt, Wikimedia Commons, CCBY 3.0.

Reference: “Exposition Universelle, 1900” by Wikipedia, CCBY 3.0.

There is dread, but in the face of this dread, there is a nation that knows how to defend itself, that knows how to mobilize its forces. And, once again, will defeat the terrorists.

— French President Francois Hollande, on the terror attacks committed on November 13, 2015.

Click here to read the French President’s full text.

Today I am a writer without words. I am shocked and dismayed over the events that took place in Paris yesterday. I pray for the victims and their families and all French citizens. I commend French President Francois Hollande and his ministers for taking decisive action. He has shown himself to be a true leader of his people. May he continue to be the leader his country so desperately needs in this horrific hour.

Au revoir.

France has many prehistoric sites to explore. One such site is the Lascaux cave paintings discovered on Sept 12, 1940.

If the National Museum of Natural History in Paris doesn’t satisfy your Inner Paleontologist, France has many prehistoric sites to visit.

Four teenagers discovered Lascaux cave when they followed a dog down a narrow passageway on September 12, 1940. Click here for more information from History.com on the 15,000 – 17,000-year-old cave paintings from the Upper Paleolithic Period.

Au Revoir!

Click here for location of National Museum of Natural History, Paris (Google Map).

Address: 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris (5th arrondissement).

Click here for driving directions to Montignac from Charles de Gaulle Airport (Google Map).

Image of National Museum of Natural History, Paris, by Guillaume Delebarre, courtesy of Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

Turkish Airlines is the #1 ranked airline in Europe. It is a well-deserved reputation.

Tuesday. I arrived at Dulles Airport last night with too much time on my hands because I didn’t want to take Metro late at night. I read my booklet on my new phone, called T-Mobile a few times with questions, and sat around and waited. Turkish Airlines’ counter didn’t open until a couple of hours before takeoff so I was a bit bored. Once I could check in, I was able to go to the terminal, where there are more places to eat and simply more shops in general. While waiting to board I met a woman named Sharon who is getting married. She is meeting her fiancé in Barcelona. It was nice having someone to talk to at Dulles because I was there for a long time, I’m not much of a night person, and was very tired by the time we boarded. I believe what the experts say: You tend to eat too much when you’re tired. They aren’t kidding!

The flight left Dulles Airport on time at 11:30 P.M. I watched the Jack Ryan movie with Chris Pine and three other movies to make the time go by. (Well, 2 ½ more movies.) My legs felt a bit cramped, and it was much colder in the cabin than I’ve ever experienced before: Good thing I was wearing not only my blue cashmere Pringle V-neck sweater (with a white shirt) but also my black Ann Taylor wool blazer – I would have been freezing without the layers. (Now I sound like a J. Peterman catalogue.) What I couldn’t get over was how much space there was in the overhead compartments! The flight was full, yet there seemed to be plenty of room to be had in the overheads. I can’t remember that ever happening on another airline. The food on Turkish Airlines was very good. I only felt bad because the flight attendants woke up a seatmate so he would eat. He wasn’t too thrilled until he had some wine. A very handsome man was seated behind me. It made the flight more interesting, but I was also a bit suspicious, since he seemed a little TOO interested in me. He was, after all, a lot younger than I am.

We landed in Istanbul for a short lay-over before boarding to Paris. We had a PERFECT flight from Dulles. I couldn’t get over how clean the airport is in Istanbul. No drama, no loud noises. I did notice, however, a man sticking his head into the ladies bathroom to make sure everything was as it should be. I was not the only one who seemed to be a bit taken aback—the women in line seemed a little nervous about having a man putting his head into the ladies room—but they seemed to get over it. (They just eyed him a little suspiciously.) I had a cappuccino and talked to Sharon until I boarded my plane. Everyone around us who was on the flight talked about what a perfect flight it was. No wonder Turkish Airlines is top-rated in Europe. A fun fact I learned: Turkey isn’t part of the European Union so they can’t have a hub in Europe; this is why they have to fly from Dulles (and other cities) to Istanbul, and from there fly to Europe and other destinations.

Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline in a familiar passageway in Charles de Galle Airport, from “French Kiss.”

I arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport very late and very tired. We had to walk very, very far in the airport to pick up our luggage, and our trip included going up a few escalators. (And my feet were killing me!) We were cautioned not to get into a taxi with any driver who was hanging around the airport. We were told to only get a taxi outside certain doors because they would be legitimate taxis. We queued up and the line seemed to move…fairly quickly. Then it was my turn. The man who was assigning taxis asked me where I was going. I showed him a piece of paper on which I had written the name of my hostel, its address, and phone number. The first taxi didn’t know where it was. I was assigned another taxi and he told the man he THINKS he knows where the hostel is. Only as we started to drive away did I notice, much to my horror, it looked like he didn’t have a credit card machine. I doubted I had changed enough dollars to Euros for the ride. I was correct. He didn’t have a machine and he had to stop at an ATM to allow me to get cash. I was worried that this might be one of the machines that charges an exorbitant fee but it didn’t. I just wish I hadn’t been quite so tired.

Luckily, Plug-Inn Hostel has a huge banner outside its door, so even a weary traveler or cab driver would see it. I got in at 11:30 P.M. The staff person on duty first took my payment for the two nights I reserved. When I found out that my original understanding was correct – the hostel was 26 Euros a night, or $35 – I reserved a bed for the rest of my time here. I paid for that separately, though I was told I would have to stay elsewhere Saturday night because they were completely booked. Not a problem. Then, I was helped to my room and bed. I was in bed within minutes. It was a very smooth check-in process. The common area when you walk in is just as lovely as their pictures on the web. I just know I’m going to love it here at Plug-Inn Hostel.

Salut!

Image from “French Kiss” used by permission of Blu-ray.com.

It’s that last 10-15% that makes you want to sit on your suitcase. What if it opened en route to your destination?

In “Packing Part I: How to Select Your Best Travel Wardrobe and Gear (For Women),” I explained how I made my wardrobe selections for my month-long trip to Paris, as well as make recommendations on what travel gear to take. Now for “Packing Part II: Packing So You Can Find It When You Want It (For Women).”

If you recall, I purchased three new luggage items: a travel handbag, a backpack to use as a carry-on, and a Samsonite spinner suitcase. I sprayed all of them with a fabric protector and allowed all three pieces to dry for 24 hours. While the luggage items were drying, I gathered together my wardrobe selections, travel gear, and my secret packing weapon, three sizes of Ziploc bags: sandwich-sized, 2-gallon, and the large Travel Space Bags ($7.99, found at the Container Store), along with sticky notes.

Ziploc Travel Space Bags keep your items organized and save space in your suitcase.

Packing using resealable plastic bags saves space in your baggage, time while travelling, and possible aggravation. If you want to find a particular garment, you can easily go through the bags, find the item, and repack. Without the bags, you have to constantly refold everything whenever you try to find a particular garment. (This is why I don’t use Eagle Creek Pack-It Folders and the like, though their higher price doesn’t help.) Talk about time consuming! Since it helps to use a color scheme for a travel wardrobe, you will probably have several items that are the same color: use a sticky note to identify these items, and put the note inside the bag.

Before you purchase plastic bags that save space by vacuuming out the air, think about this: Where will you find a vacuum cleaner at your destination so you can save the same amount of space for your return trip? One must learn to think ahead.

ELSA’S TIPS: 1) Buy several 2-gallon Ziploc plastic bag boxes because you will likely need more than you think. 2) When using Ziploc’s Travel Space Bags, put the bulky garment(s) in the bag and close the bag about ¾ of the way before rolling it from the opposite end (of the zipper) to extinguish the air. The way I read the directions, it appears you are supposed to close the zipper completely and then roll it…but if you do that the air has nowhere to go. (I tried several times.) 3) Pack items that you frequently wear together or use together in the same bag, if possible. I put a blouse and skirt together in the same 2-gallon bag, and in a sandwich bag I put band-aids and Neosporin.

After putting everything in plastic bags, follow a process of elimination of sorts: “Eliminate” items (pack them) by putting those that must be packed in each bag. For me, this meant my wardrobe selections, major personal care items, and my Swiss Army knife (which has a corkscrew, bottle opener and a small knife for winter picnics and use in the hostel’s kitchen) went into my suitcase to be checked. In my carry-on backpack, I then put everything I wanted on the plane with me: my 3-1-1 toiletries, guidebooks, travel diary, travel slippers, a sticky garment cleaner, and my 3 pairs of shoes. (Yes, this is more than most travel experts recommend, but my feet hurt when I wear any one pair too many days in a row.) I realized my travel blow-dryer would not fit in my carry-on, which in turn would crowd out my major toiletries that I could not bring onto the plane (thanks to the 3-1-1 rule). Since I was not going to do without my toiletries, I had to narrow down my garment selections by taking out SEVERAL items that were not in the black-white-grey color scheme. I also couldn’t take Epsom salt in a bag (to soak my feet in). As I have learned from travelling, it’s the last 10-15% of your items that make you want to sit on your suitcase to close it. (And what if it broke?!) Save yourself the aggravation and do a trial run by packing EVERYTHING you want to take with you on your trip. If you can’t fit everything you want to take, you won’t have to make bad last-minute decisions.

Using plastic bags to pack is not a new concept. But if you use this idea, be prepared for questions. Remember the U.S. Customs Agent I dealt with in Packing Part I? I was coming home from being out of the U.S. for a month: He gave me a very hard time because I packed using Ziploc plastic bags. I got the idea he thought only people who want to transport contraband use plastic bags in their suitcase. (In all honesty, he was already upset that I had not bought much for being a month overseas. There was not much to buy (that is, souvenirs) in Kazakhstan back then.) As I explained, “This way, when Customs goes through my lingerie, I won’t have to worry about it flying all over everywhere for others to see.” He put down the plastic bag containing my lingerie and looked me square in the eye. He could tell I meant business and sent me on my merry way.

Samsonite Spinner

Here is how I packed:

CHECKED BAG (SPINNER SUITCASE)

2 prs. Black pants (1 pr.from Cache, 1 pr. travel pants)

1 black pencil skirt (for Mass at Notre Dame and my dinner cruise)

Black & White Herringbone 3/4-sleeved jacket (a little dressy)

Black Velvet Chico long-sleeved Button-up cardigan

Black & White striped Ralph Lauren long-sleeved blouse (a little dressy)

Black Jones of New York (Cotton) long-sleeved blouse

Black long-sleeved scoop-neck (Cotton) shirt

Black V-neck long-sleeved Ireland (Acrylic) sweater

Black long-sleeved (Cotton) turtleneck

White Long-sleeved (Cotton) shirt

Lavender ¾-sleeved (cotton/nylon) sweater with black detailing and bow

Black & White striped short-sleeved (Rayon/Nylon/Spandex) sweater

Black short-sleeved (Rayon/Cotton) turtleneck sweater

2 White short-sleeved (Cotton) shirts

Black Anorak hooded rain jacket

Blue Under Armor Zippered jacket

Black Cuddl Duds Long-sleeved undergarment

Grey short-sleeved (Rayon/Nylon) turtleneck sweater (had to take out)

Blue short-sleeved cotton blouse (had to take out)

Black & White Infinity Scarf (had to take out)

Black (Velvet) Scarf (had to take out)

Lingerie

4 prs. Black tights

Travel blow dryer

Hair spray

Baby wipes

Scissors

Nail care items

Personal care items not allowed on plane (including laundry soap and fluid makeup)

16 packs of personal Kleenex tissue (10 per pack) (packed in inside zipper, on top of suitcase hardware, as well as several grocery bags and a foldable, plastic shopping bag with handles)

Epsom Salt (had to take out)

Delicates laundry bag

Swiss Army Knife

Leather Fanny Pack

Ogio Backpack.

BACKPACK CARRY-ON

3 pairs of shoes (5 prs. socks inside shoes)

Travel bedroom slippers

Pajamas

Sleeping mask

Prescription

Magic Marker (to label food in hostel refrigerator)

Flashlight (to use outside and to navigate in the room without waking up roommates)

AAA batteries

3-1-1 personal items

Small lint brush

L’Oreal makeup remover sheets

Non-fluid makeup items

Foot roller (ball)

Travel books/Travel Diary/Pamphlets on new electronics (phone, camera)

Chargers for cell phones, camera

Pens

Umbrella

Hershey Kisses (had to take out)

Hugger Backpack by Baggallini Travel Purse.

TRAVEL HANDBAG

Filofax Daily Planner

Sunglasses

Reading glasses

Make up

Camera

Pocket Tissues

Pen

2 cell phones

Zella Yoga Pants, perfect for curling up in a plane seat for a night flight to Paris.

WORE ON PLANE:

Black Zella (Polyester/Spandex) Yoga pants

Black tights

Black Ann Taylor (Wool) blazer with pockets

Pringle blue V-neck (Cashmere) sweater

White long-sleeved (Cotton) shirt

Money belt w/money and passport

Purple overcoat (Wool) with black detailing (carried in bag on plane to protect it in overhead bin)

Black (Wool) scarf

Black Earmuffs

Black short booties

Earrings, ring, sports watch that could take abuse

To recap:

1. Prior to your trip, do a trial run by gathering together all of your wardrobe selections, travel gear and toiletries and pack them in your baggage.
2. Use resealable plastic bags (such as Ziploc) to store them in prior to packing, along with sticky notes to identify items that are hard to identify through the bags.
3. Pack using a process of elimination: Put what must go into each bag first, then prioritize what you would like to have with you on the plane.
4. Wear your bulkiest items on the plane, if possible, to save space.

If you need to convince yourself to spend the time packing with plastic bags:

1) They prevent you from having to refold everything when you want to find a particular garment.

2) They save space in your baggage.

3) They protect your items in your suitcase if they happen to fall out – whether as a result of your suitcase breaking or Customs going through your belongings haphazardly.

4) They are cost-effective.

Using resealable plastic bags involves an initial time investment, but well worth the payoffs.

Salut!

Ziploc Travel Space Bags image courtesy of Alibaba.com, CCBY 2.0.  Samonsonite Spinner image courtesy of Indulgy.com, CCBY 2.0. Ogio Backpack image courtesy of Ogio.com, CCBY 2.0. Hugger Backpack by Baggallini Travel Purse image courtesy of The Container Store, CCBY 2.0. Zella Yoga Pants image courtesy of Poshmark.com, CCBY 2.0.