I never liked this quote. But I think that I’m starting to develop a thing for shoes. I made 3 purchases last week that made me abnormally happy. Happy enough to blog about it.

A black lace bootie from Boho that I ordered on Lebelik.com

Black Crochet Women’s Classics Toms that I ordered from officialtomsshoesoutlet.net

Superga Beige Sneakers that I got from Superga store in ABC Achrafieh

Now I’m looking for the best way to stuff all my shoes in my tiny closet. Any advice?

You have 3 days to go check it. The fair is on from September 20 to September 22 from 3.30 to 9.30pm at BIEL.  You can check the program here.

Don’t miss the Generation War space, curated by Katya Traboulsi, that showcases the works of six Lebanese photojournalists: George Azar, Patrick Baz, Jack Dabaghian, Aline Manoukian, Samer Mohdad and Roger Moukarzel. They were all in their twenties, working as photojournalists in Lebanon in the 1980s.

Katya Traboulsi, the curator of Generation War, at her wedding.
Photo by Roger Moukarzel

As George Azar said to NOW: “It’s a really important time to think about that period to remember just how horrible it is and just how out of control things can get, how quickly a very civilized place can become a very uncivilized place.”

You can get the book documenting the Generation War exhibit from Librairie Antoine.

tadaaaa!!

440 000 exemplaires vendus, droits de traduction achetés par 27 pays, plusieurs récompenses, un film en préparation avec Marc Lavoine… j’avais de gros espoirs en tournant la première page de ce livre.

“La liste de mes envies” raconte l’histoire de Jocelyne, 47 ans, mercière à Arras. Elle est mariée à Jocelyn depuis 20 ans, et a 2 enfants qui ont déjà quitté le foyer. Jocelyne mène une vie simple, aime les livres et écrit un blog de dentellières. C’est une femme douce, gentille qui essaie de ranimer sa vie de couple. 18.547.301€ lui tombent dessus et sa vie est complètement chamboulée.

Pour certains, ce livre ne mérite pas tout ce succès puisqu’il nous livre une leçon de morale banale que “l’argent ne fait pas le bonheur” et nous présente une héroïne peu crédible dans sa simplicité. Mais malgré cela, j’ai beaucoup aimé la douceur et la délicatesse de ce livre.

Conclusion: Un petit livre -plutôt pour femmes- bien agréable à lire.

Countless Little Things post about Douma in Lebanon Traveler Magazine

Lebanon Traveler Magazine is a Lebanese tourism magazine with a very interesting content about local initiatives, Lebanon natural and cultural assets. It encourages tourists, both local and foreign, to explore the Lebanese countryside, engage in an adventure, join a tour, taste rural delicacies, discover villages and communities along with useful tips.

This is issue number 7 and I’m glad I discovered this mag. It’s full of colors and lively content that reflects the beautiful side of Lebanon.

Lebanon Traveler Magazine issue 7

You can get a taste of Lebanon Traveler Magazine before you buy it. Click here to flip-through it.

Aren’t these the cutest pillows?

Throw pillows
http://society6.com/viola/pillows

You can also find art prints, cards, canvases, iPhone & iPod cases, Laptop & iPad Skins at viola’ Society6 shop.

iPhone & iPod Case / Samsung Galaxy S4
http://society6.com/viola/cases

iPad Case / iPad mini
http://society6.com/viola/ipad-cases

Laptop & iPad Skin
http://society6.com/viola/laptop-skins

Follow Nadine’s blog here and stay updated with the latest releases!

Parc Monceau — including an Egyptian pyramid, a Chinese fort, a Dutch windmill, and Corinthian pillars!

Dalida graffiti in Montmartre – “To love is a mess… let’s love then!”

Le mur des je t’aime – With over 311 written declarations in 250 different languages, this wall has become a meeting place for lovers.

The Brentano’s library on Avenue de l’Opéra. This place is a treasure.

Statue of Liberty near the Grenelle Bridge on the Île aux Cygnes.

Not a lot of people know that Paris has her own Statue of Liberty if not statues! Another one can be found in Jardin du Luxembourg.

Also, on L’île aux Cygnes, you can exercise in this free outdoor fitness center!

Paris Outdoor Fitness – Why not exercise while contemplating the Seine and Eiffel Tower?

The Flame of Liberty above the entrance to the Pont de l’Alma – an unofficial memorial to Princess Diana.

A life-size copy of the torch of the Statue of Liberty can be seen above the entrance to the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in which Princess Diana died. The torch became an unofficial memorial to the Princess where you can always see flowers, pictures of her and letters, just like this one:

Letter to Princess Diana – Pont de l’Alma, Paris

And last, this is not exactly a “hidden” gem, but is always worth mentioning.

Angelina: Le chocolat chaud à l’ancienne

The Entertainer Lebanon is a pack of 2 books full of 2 for 1 offers from more than 200 merchants in Lebanon including fine dining, casual restaurants, lounges, nightspots, cafes, leisure activities, spas, health, beauty and hotel accommodation.

Some of the merchants are: Movenpick, Le Royal, Le Gray, Hilton, Iris, White, Al Dente, Burger King, Pizza hut, Domino’s Pizza, Kobe, Relais Foch, Momo at the Souks, Maki…

It has 3 vouchers per merchant that you can choose to use all at once or multiple times. And what’s interesting is that menus and merchants’ offerings are included in the book so you have all the information you need before using the voucher.

The second book includes hotel accommodation offers from around the world for your travel plans.

Most of the offers are interesting and I’m planning to make the most out of it. You can flip through the book here and check all the rules of use here.

The Entertainer is available at the main bookstores and you can order it online from Librairie Antoine website or The Entertainer website.

The most important part of your visit should be the hike in the Massif des Calanques. We only walked through the part of it located in Cassis since the massif extends for 20 km in length and 4 km in width along the coast between Marseille and Cassis, as you can see on this calanque map. Port Miou is the nearest of these calanques, and the easiest one to reach from the centre of town. You can take a taxi from the harbor, a minibus, the petit train touristique or even walk to the starting point of the hike.

The easiest hike is through the three calanques: Port Miou, Port Pin and En Vau. It takes about 3 hours one way, so leave early in the morning, wear good shoes, pack your own food and water (there is no place to buy). This hiking trail is called the “Sentier du Petit Prince”, after The Little Prince.

You can have your lunch right by this breathtaking shore while enjoying the gorgeous view.

And continue up the hills and be mesmerized by this view.

Once you are back from your hike, you can enjoy an early dinner at one of the restaurants by the port. If you are a book junkie like myself, you will know that the famous french author Marcel Pagnol was born in Aubagne, not far from Cassis and Marseille, and that his famous trilogie marseillaise Marius, Fanny, César has left an unforgettable mark in the history of the region. You will see it in the pictures hanged here and there, the souvenirs sold and the names of some bars and restaurants.

And so I found myself happily eating at Chez César along with my Marcel Pagnol book.

We walked down the small streets of Cassis until it was time to leave, and this magical day was over!