New book on life in Paris
FRENCH MEN? STICK TO THE WINE SAYS WELSH GIRL
OOH la la! A Welsh actress has released a tell-all book about her ‘love affair’ with Paris.
Lara Catrin had planned to fly out to the capital in 2013 before touring France to sample the delights of the continent.
But Lara loved Paris so much that she decided to stay there for the next two years.
And the 24-year-old from Felinheli documented all the magical moments of her Parisian adventure in an blog called Larking in the Lights.
She has now turned the online diary into a Welsh language book which chronicles everything from her disappointing dates to dodgy translations.
Former Ysgol Tryfan pupil Lara, who has previously appeared in S4C soap Rownd a Rownd, said: “I moved to France in 2013 and originally I was only going to stay in Paris for six months, but I fell in love with it.
“It was an amazing experience but it wasn’t always glamorous.
“There were times when I was very poor, it was very expensive but I suppose that’s the charm of the city.
“I don’t know who said it but it’s been said that you can live in Paris on nothing but wine and bread - it’s true!”
But despite living in a city famed for romance, Lara says her love life in the French capital was more of a “non non” than a “oui oui”.
She even went so far as to say that the wine in France is much better than the French men.
“I definitely advise people to stick to French wine, not French men, but maybe it was just my choice in French men wasn’t great,” she added.
But Lara’s experience of Paris wasn’t all about quirky encounters and culture.
Lara also recounts her experience of living in Paris during the infamous Charlie Hebdo attacks in January 2015.
During that incident, 10 journalists and two police officers were killed by two masked Al Qaeda gunmen in the French capital.
“It was very scary for everyone,” she said,
“It’s not something anyone expects to experience, especially in their home, and at that time Paris was my home.”
Lara’s Parisian adventure came to an end in 2015 when she decided she wanted to end her journey on a high. ● The book called Llyfr Bach Paris (The Little Book of Paris) is out in local bookshops now. Lara will be hosting a launch for the book this Thursday, November 3, in Galeri, Caernarfon.