#toread

#toread

#toread

#toread

#toread

#toread

#toread

Don’t let these very specific customs deter you if you’d like to bring a little something. There are easy options for gifts that will be appreciated and keep you in the host’s good graces. You can’t go wrong with very good chocolates, so if there’s a wonderful chocolate shop in your neighborhood, pick up a pretty box there. Nobody I know has ever said no to a bottle of Champagne (apparently bubbles don’t have the same rules as regular wine!). Even better is a specialty from your own region — an artisanal jam, a local honey, an interesting olive oil. The key here is that it’s something your host can enjoy on their own time, with zero pressure to incorporate it into the evening.

When I got stuck on what to take a host in Paris once, I brought a book that I knew would resonate with them.

#toread