Tuesday Web musings

I can already tell that this is going to become one of my favorite regular posts, i.e., the now-weekly Web roundup of cool things I’ve picked up the last few days while surfing the Net. At least, in the interest of sharing them with the wider world (or at least the little world of this blog) I’ll feel as if I’m being productive in reading all these different sites and blogs, rather than just being a French-inspired geek.

B. sent me this link to an article with a list of destinations most favored by women travel writers. See if you’ve been to any of them. (Although, seriously, it kinda lost credibility with me when it didn’t include Paris, of all places.) I’ve only ever been to Ireland, much to my chagrin, but not to the Burren. And I don’t think that you should be able to count New York City twice — isn’t Manhattan part of the Big Apple?

Left Bank resident Polly has a delightful blog about her life and adventures in the City of Light, appropriately named Polly-vous Francais? Love the graphic of the envelope with the cancelled stamps.

Okay, this is more of a fun link: The International Institute of Not Doing Much, which I guess is the lead sponsor for the Slow Down Now movement. Whether or not it’s officially or even unofficially affiliated with the Slow Food movement is still under question. Anyhoo, as I hope to review Bonjour, Paresse sometime soon, I thought this would be a good, uhm, warmup to the subject. It’s a tongue-in-cheek (I think) version of the Take Back Your Time Day movement, which had its heyday a few years ago upon the publication of its namesake book but has floundered somewhat of late. In any case, check out the link to “Slow Women” on the menu to the left of the IINDM site. Funny stuff.

Another blog of possible interest to the female Francophile is that of Coquette. Definitely a fashion-influenced blog, with lots of colorful photos and celebrity love thrown in to boot. The author is a “fellow Asian sistah” (to quote from one of her posts), so you know I already love her.

And while we’re on the subject of fashion and fun, check out this article on the Japanese luxury boom, despite that country’s economic woes. A $130,000-a-night Christmas suite with a bejeweled tree? If only. I’m with the businessman at the end of the story, though. Eventually, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff. (I also think it’s ironic, not to mention a little sad, that the luxury houses cater so obsequieously to their Japanese clients on the latter’s home turf, while still allegedly discriminating against them elsewhere.)

And lastly, a food blog I discovered while randomly clicking on links in Blogger’s Noteworthy Blogs list: Orangette. A very literary take on all things food, the writer — who just landed a gig writing a monthly column for Bon Appetit magazine — has been compared to M.F.K. Fisher and has been featured on the Food Network. Your appetite has been forewarned.