To an outsider, Paris may seem like a big city, but to those who live here it’s more like a village. I was lucky enough to be connected to Jessie Kanelos Weiner – an American food stylist and illustrator based in Paris – through mutual friends on several sides. Jessie may be better known to many as The Franco Fly, her blog where she documents her travels and work, from a collaboration with The Kale Project, to rapid fire “6 Second Street Style” iPad sketches of Paris Fashion Week. And to help make Paris a little smaller, Jessie was the stylist on the Camion Qui Fume book (for those of you who don’t know it, this burger truck was Paris’s first real food truck, and typically a 1.5 wait to get your hands on one of this delicious burgers). I’m a huge fan of Jessie’s work, and loves the different styles and mediums she explores through her illustrations. Mille mercis, Jessie! –Anne

last trip taken:
Florence, Italy

Last trip to Florence

next trip on deck:
Japan

one place you would go back to again and again:
The past few years we have discovered several islands off the coast of Brittany, including the rough landscapes of Belle-Île-en-Mer and Île-aux-Moines, a tiny island with excellent beaches and French preppiness at its best.

A taste of Brittany

place you’d most likely recommend a friend go visit:
The Côte d’Azur. We go twice a year to visit my in-laws in Nice. It is a terrific launching point to explore quaint coastal towns and Italy.

Pissasaladiere, and edible postcard from Nice

preferred method of transportation:
Car

place you’ve never been but dying to go:
Greece.

place you’d never go back:
Houat, a tiny island off the coast of Brittany. Moments after arriving at the most beautiful white sand beach I’ve ever seen, my foot had a run-in with a razor clam and ended up in the emergency room for the rest of the day.

most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
Turkey! I have been twice and continually inspired by the natural wonders in Cappadoccia and Pamukkale, and the beauty of Istanbul.

Exploring the caves of Cappadocia, Turkey

how do you prepare for a trip?
Although I often ask friends for recommendations, I prefer discovering with my own two feet.

how do you record your travels when you’re traveling ?
If inspired, I sketch. And I take along my photographer hubby.

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
Food !

Inspiration in Florence.

what’s in your “designer travel kit” ? 
Usually I take a Moleskine watercolor notebook and Windsor Newton watercolors. But on my last trip, I brought along my ipad with the Paper by FiftyThree application and a Bamboo Stylus pen. Although not as precise as paper and paint, it’s mess-free and perfect for quick sketches.

My newest sketching companion.

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
I take extensive notes during a trip and try to blog shortly after.

Sketching.

favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
Food

LINKS

• blog: thefrancofly.com
• portfolio: jessiekanelosweiner.com
• twitter: @thefrancofly
• facebook: facebook.com/thefrancofly
• pinterest: thefrancofly

P.S. I’m teaching MAP MAKING again on Skillshare. It will be ongoing, but the next round starts May 28th! Sign up here!