A Pause in Paris

Guest: Rain is a director, writer and cinematographer who lives in Beijing. Maria and Rain talk about pregnancy and having a child at 40, media in the East vs the West, functional medicine, aging parents, family, and their 20 year friendship. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW and rate our podcast! It truly helps us to reach more listeners 💫  Follow on Instagram @officialmariabel...

Guest: Lolo, an estate manager in Haiti and Maria’s best friend, joins for a heartfelt conversation on life in Haiti, Haitian cuisine, and the idea of friends as chosen family. They reflect on grief, difficult family dynamics, and the journey of quitting smoking, before moving into conversations about aging and spirituality. Along the way, they explore love in all its forms and the importance of m...

Guest: Sam is a community builder and brand manager. In  Belleville, Maria and Sam talk about the neighborhood’s migrant history, dating, fashion, skincare, and the complexities of menopause as they walk its hilly streets. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW and rate our podcast! It truly helps us to reach more listeners 💫  Follow on Instagram @officialmariabello Subscribe to the...

Guest: Paloma is an international lobbyist originally from Spain. Maria and Paloma tour the outside of the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens. They speak about the history of Paris, menopause in France, head vs heart and the importance of beauty. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW and rate our podcast! It truly helps us to reach more listeners 💫  Follow on Instagram @officialmariab...

Guest: Maria walks through Paris with spiritual coach Danielle in one of her most vulnerable episodes yet. Beginning at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church in Paris, their conversation explores spirituality, Catholicism, toxic femininity and masculinity, the pain of being cancelled, and the wounds we carry from our families. Maria opens up about quitting smoking, shame, guilt, and what happe...

Guest: Walking through the Marais and Rue de Rosiers with pharmacist, entrepreneur, and skincare goddess Dr. Ka. We discuss presence, beauty, and the art of noticing the city. Friends appear along the way, adding texture to the stroll. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW and rate our podcast! It truly helps us to reach more listeners 💫  Follow on Instagram @officialmariabello Subs...

Guest: This week I walk with my nephew and fashion student, Christian McDermott, through the streets of Montmartre. We talk being the only Queer or “Whatever” people in our families, dating French men, the artists of Montmartre and living a creative life. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW and rate our podcast! It truly helps us to reach more listeners 💫  Follow on Instagram @off...

Guest: Juliette Ménager is a dear friend and casting director of Emily in Paris. Strolling along Rue des Martyrs in the 9th Arrondisement, Maria and Juliette talk about uplifting other women, friendship, aging, and the realities of being a “star maker” in today’s creative world. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW and rate our podcast! It truly helps us to reach more listeners 💫 ...

Guest: Writer of three books on Paris and originally from Philadelphia. Maria and Lindsay wander St-Germain and l’Odéon on their way to the Luxembourg Gardens. They discover bookstores, restaurants, and the layered history of writers in Paris, talking candidly about their mental health challenges and celebrating that which makes them each unique. If this episode resonated, please leave us a REVIEW...

Guest: Designer and writer. On today’s walk, my friend Isabel Encinias and I go strolling in Saint-Germain in search of the site of Natalie Barney’s salon. Along the way we hear the history of other famous women at the turn of the century in Paris. We Flâneuse together and talk about going gray, dating at mid life and being inspired by Anais Nin’s erotica. If this episode resonated, please leave u...

At 54, I looked in the mirror and screamed, “Holy Fuck. I have a waddle on my neck!”.  So began my journey through menopause and midlife.  As much as I wasn’t prepared for my changing looks and hot flashes, I managed. I got the waddle fixed. Did copious amounts of therapy. Saw healers and shamans and did MDMA journeys. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t get out of the depression and despair that...