Yesterday, June 26th, was a big milestone: the tenth anniversary of Eye Prefer Paris. Time has flown and I can’t believe it’s already been ten years since I wrote my first blog post.
About This blog
This blog is about how a native New Yorker dreamed of moving to Paris …… and what he discovered once he got there. Come live this Paris dream vicariously through the eyes(and ears) of Richard Nahem. He writes his blog from his 18th century apartment overlooking tree-lined Place St. Paul in the fashionable Marais district of Paris.
Three months before I started Eye Prefer Paris, I hardly even knew what a blog was, as blogging was still in its infancy. The idea came to me by an off the cuff suggestion someone gave me when trying to solve a problem. In early 2006 after I recently moved to Paris, I started to write a journal about what the experience was like and someone said I should turn it into a book. I started to put the journal into chapter form but after that I wasn’t sure where I would go with it. Explaining my dilemma to someone, they suggested I start a blog to build readership so I could attract a publisher for the book and post each chapter as a blog post. I liked the idea of putting my book into a blog format but realized after I posted the fifteen or so chapters there would be no more blog. So I went back to the drawing board and decided to start the blog with original content about my daily experiences of living in Paris.
I had no idea what I would write about, where it would go or who would read it. All it would take would be time and a little faith that I would find an audience. Fast-forward ten years and 1946 blog posts later, Eye Prefer Paris has changed my life immeasurably and has been one of my most rewarding experiences of my life.
So many amazing and unexpected things have come from Eye Prefer Paris including Eye Prefer Paris Tours, my photography career, professional travel writing for other magazines and websites, travel opportunities, my postcard subscription series and best of all, the gift of exploring Paris on a daily basis and sharing it with you.
The most rewarding part has been the connection with my readers. I’ve made countless online and live friendships and I’ve also been thrilled to meet many of you on my tours after years of faithful readership.
I want to thank you from my heart for your loyalty and generous support during mostly good times and a few of the bad times. Your kind and touching notes when my mother passed away in 2012 helped immensely and your recent donations for Vincent’s film After Louie helped Vincent reach his Kickstarter goal and fulfill his dream.
Enough with the mushy stuff, let’s celebrate and have fun with a quiz and some prizes.
Below is a 10 question quiz, a question for each year. Subscribers, an easy way to access my postings is to go directly to the blog http://www.ipreferparis.net. From there, look on the right sidebar under archives and you will find archives from every month since July 2006. Another shortcut is to go to the categories list and access postings from there. For example, for a question about a Parisian of the Month, click on Parisian of the Month and all of them will come up. You can email the answers to [email protected] and the deadline is Wednesday, July 4, 3PM Eastern Standard Time . Contest winners will be announced next Tuesday, July 5, 2014 along with correct answers. Please note contest is only available to residents in the U.S. and Canada.
1. 2006- What rock concert did I attend in July 2006?
A-Rolling Stones
B-Guns and Roses
C-Elton John
D-Elvis Presley
2. 2007- What fashion exhibit featured a top French fashion designer with a prominent choreographer?
A- Jessica Simpson
B- Karl Lagerfeld
C-Jean Paul Gaultier
E-Alber Elbaz
3. 2008- Who was my first Parisian of the Month?
A-Brigitte Bardot
B-Susan Shup
C-Pascal Fonquernie
D-Marcel Proust
4.2009- Which concept store that included a bookshop, restaurant, and vintage clothing department opened near the Marais?
A-Colette
B-Merci
C-Sears
D-Top Shop
5. 2010- Which restaurant on the Ile de Cite did Lynn and I have our Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats?
A-Chez Janou
B-Le Select
C- Dennys
D- Au Bougnat
6. 2011- Which store featured holiday windows with Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel?
A-Printemps
B- Galeries Lafayette
C- Le Bon Marche
E- Target
7. 2012- What famous Parisian did I come close to meeting in his private garden?
A-Jean Moreau
B- President Hollande
C- Marion Cotillard
D-Napoleon
8. 2013-Which restaurant serves the delicious Bresse chickens?
A- Le Coq Rico
B- Chicken Delite
C- L’ami Louis
D- Bofinger
9. 2014- What musical based on a classic American musical film had it’s premiere in Paris?
A- The Color Purple
B- Singin in the Rain
C- Footlose
D- An American in Paris
10- 2015- What country and region did Vincent and I take a beach holiday at?
A- France, the Riviera
B- Italy, Puglia
C- U.S. , Coney Island
D- Portugal, the Algarve
Now for the prizes! The first 10 people who submit the correct answers will receive the following prizes.
- A 10” X 12” photo print of my Paris rooftop photo
- A copy of the new edition of Writers in Paris by David Burke published Paris Writers Press
- A copy of The Angels of Paris by Rosemary Flannery
- A 7.5" X 10" photo print of Nuit de l'Opera by Meredith Mullins
- A copy of Mad about Macarons by Jill Colonna
- A 11” X 14” photo print of Woman in Yellow by Ellen Feldman
- A copy of Sade’s Publisher by Jean-Jacques Pauvert translated into English by Lynn Jeffress published by Paris Writers Press
- A copy of French War Brides in America: An Oral History by Hilary Kaiser
9. A packet of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards- Eiffel Tower series
10. A packet of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards- Window box series
I look forward to your quiz answers and sending off your prizes.
I've followed your blog for years, starting in the US and now that I live in France, I'm not eligible to enter and win a prize?
Posted by: M Drips | June 27, 2016 at 09:03 AM
Congratulations on your 10th anniversary! Although I am fairly new to your blog, I have enjoyed reading it immensely. Getting to see Paris through your eyes has been such a treat. Thank you for sharing your personal stories and your talents with us. Here's to the next 10 years! XO Cheryl
Posted by: Cheryl Turner | June 27, 2016 at 04:52 PM
Congratulations and kudos for following your passion! Thank you for generously sharing your home, life and adventures. Especially on cold winter days when Springtime in Paris and your pictures are a much needed escape! Best to you and Vincent.
Posted by: BL | June 28, 2016 at 04:26 AM