Northwest booksellers Suzanne Droppert, of Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo, and Janis Segress, of Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island, are teaming up and taking the book group international. Literary Paris is the theme for a week-long expedition that includes a visit to the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookstore and walking tours highlighting the historical footprints of famous artists, with visits to the cafés and markets that fueled and inspired writers such as Hemingway, Joyce and Fitzgerald.
Chuck and Dee Robinson of Bellingham’s Village Books recently returned from leading their own group of 14 on a Tale of Two Cities tour through London and Paris. The London portion included visits to the Shakespeare inspired Globe Theatre, the British Library and to many pubs on a crawl through Bloomsbury. “As soon as we got back they all said ‘OK, where are we going next?’ says Chuck Robinson.
If you’d like to be in Paris this October, visit Earthbound Expeditions’ Americans in Paris site for information on Droppert and Segress’s tour.
I lived at George’s place for a few weeks back in the spring of ’74. I’d been living in Paris since November ’72 -staying at all kinds of establishments -all over Paris -from Vincennes in the east to Neuilly in the West -and all points north to south of that great city -by far the memorable time of my life,-with the icing on the cake being invited by George to stay free at his Bookshop at 37, rue de Bucherie, 5e.
Hi kicked me out in the end, unceremoniously. No hard feelings though -just a simple ‘misunderstanding of intent’. I often re-visited the old place over the next 30 years on my bi-annual visits to Paris, and chatted amicably with the old man -whom, I believe, didn’t remember me anyway; probably not, though knowing George, he wouldn’t have admitted to it.
I’ll try and schedule my next trip to Paris to coincide with the 21st October -and catch you for a coffee -after all, I’m long overdue a visit to the old place, having not been for five years now.