Why Travel To France

An American in France writes about the good, the bad and the quirky

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2008-9-25 7:13pm

We heart Apple season (well I guess we heart all seasons) where we live and this wheelbarrow is about the third one of apples we’ve harvested in the last month or so - from only one tree. By the way, if we didn’t live here in the countryside I probably wouldn’t even be familiar with the French word for wheelbarrow, which is une brouette, just in case you were wondering. My city dwelling family members in the U.S. tease me about this to no end (because I used to be such a die-hard city person), and they sometimes tell people that I am a farmer now. I’m not but I’m actually fine with that.

So many people just leave their apples to drop off and rot on the ground, I mean hundreds upon hundreds of precious, yummy pesticide-free apples, which makes no sense to me but whatever. We can never have enough apples; bring ‘em on, we say.

So far, I’ve only made pectin (with the greener ones), apple compote, and lots of apple (plus other fruit and veggie) juice, but I really would like to try to make some chaussons aux pommes (French apple turnovers) and some tartes aux pommes (apple tarts/pies). You know, do something French with these apples, since they’re French afterall. Maybe I’ll try making something this weekend if I’m not too lazy.

tags: france, french, apples

2008-9-24 1:52pm

My book arrived in the mail today! A French expressions dictionary is perfect for my lack of attention span these days. Just open up a random page and learn something quickly. And voilà, quoi.

Some of the first items we fell upon were unknown to my sweetie, so there’s a good chance that many expressions in this book will not be that practical because even French people aren’t familiar with them. However, there are definitely some silly ones, good for a laugh. Here’s one I thought was fun, and like many French expressions, involves food.

avoir le persil qui dépasse du cabas - to have parsley overflowing from a basket (or grocery bag) - means that your pubic hair is exposed (because your bathing suit is too small or you haven’t shaved depending on your perspective). Example: Je ne peux pas aller à la piscine, j’ai le persil qui dépasse du cabas ! (I can’t go to the pool because my pubic hair is showing! (or because I haven’t shaved!))

tags: france, french, french expressions, parsley, pubic hair

2008-9-22 5:47pm

From Timesonline:

“France may be home to some of the world’s finest wines but it could be about to join the tiny club of Muslim states that forbid their promotion on the internet.

Winemakers and other players in the drinks industry are fighting to avert a ban on advertising, sales and even vineyard websites that has been looming ever since a court ruled that the internet should be included in France’s strict laws regarding alcohol advertising.

The Heineken beer company was forced by the ruling last February to block French access to its corporate site. Since then, some of the biggest drinks brands have shut out French visitors for fear of prosecution. “Today in France, the sight of a bottle of wine has become as offensive as a picture of war or pornography,” said Daniel Lorson, a spokesman for CIVC, the industry body of champagne producers.

The industry complains that it is being demonised and that an internet ban would penalise hugely one of the glories of the French economy and the national heritage. A click from France on Courvoisier cognac, for example, elicits the message: “Sorry, the regulations of your country do not authorise us to give you access to our site.”
Web users from France are even banned from dropping in on Orlando wines in South Australia, because they are owned by France’s Pernod Ricard drinks group. The site does, however, welcome visitors from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Even the…. Read the article

tags: french, internet ban on advertising alcohol, strange

2008-9-22 5:27pm

it would look like Artus de Penguern!

While feeding my chronic insomnia a couple of weeks ago, I was happy to find this late night French movie that actually was not like the variety of French movies where someone (or everyone) kills themselves at the end by jumping out a window. Instead, it was a very silly one called, “Grégoire Moulin contre l’humanité” (Gregoire Moulin Versus Humanity). Of course, lots of people die in this movie too, but it’s all in good fun. In a nutshell, Grégoire Moulin contre l’humanité is black comedy that seems to take inspiration from Amélie, After Hours (by Martin Scorsese!) and a drop of Reservoir Dogs, mixes them all together in a nutty 90 minute film. (Gregoire Moulin contre l’humanité was released the same year as Amélie, just six months later.)

Watching the main character played by Artus de Penguern distracted me a little because he constantly reminded me of a pensive and anguished older brother of Robert Downey Jr. If de Penguern looks familiar, you might remember him from his role as Hipolito, the failed writer in Amélie.

Related: Another celebrity mating

tags: france, french, Artus de Penguern, Grégoire Moulin contre l’humanité, Gregoire Moulin Versus Humanity, Martin Scorsese, Robert Downey Jr., Amelie, Reservoir Dogs

2008-9-21 3:10pm

The PSAs in France rock, and I really like this one launched by l’Institut national du Cancer that began airing on September 14 (and runs through October 8 on TF1, France2, France 3, Canal+, M6, TMC, TV Breizh, RTL 9, Planète Thalassa, Arte, Vivolta, Paris Première, France 4, LCI, National Geographic, Voyage, and TF6).

In just 30 seconds, the spot called, “le voyage intérieur‘ takes a serious subject, colon cancer, and de-dramatizes it with this funny-faced “cancer cell.” The ultimate goal is to reduce the fear factor, and hopefully get people (ages 50+) to consider getting tested for colon cancer, which is the second cause of death by cancer in France. (Lung cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in France.) If it is detected early, 9 out of 10 cases are cured.

Click on the image or here to watch the 30 second spot

tags: france, colon cancer, psa, early detection, early prevention, second leading cause of death

2008-9-20 11:22am

From AP:

“After tainted baby milk, now toxic chairs from China.

Customers in France who bought Chinese-made recliners are complaining of stinging allergic rashes and infections.

One customer, Caroline Morin, said yesterday that she was stunned to learn the chair she bought last December appears to have caused the skin problems she says she suffered for months.

“You sit comfortably on something and in fact you have a bomb under your butt,” she said.

The French distributor, Conforama, warned clients in July that some of the chairs and sofas presented an allergy risk “in rare cases.” It has withdrawn them from sale and now says the health problems were linked to an anti-fungal chemical in the chairs.

The case gained attention this week following French media reports exposing problems suffered by people who bought the chairs.

One was Dolores Ennrich, who says that because of long-term illness she spent a lot of time sitting in the recliner she purchased in March 2007.

She says she suffered painful eczema and skin infections on her left thigh, back, and left arm.

“It went away, it came back, it went away. That went on for more than a year,” she said. “It is very painful.”

Conforama says it has severed its commercial ties with the Chinese supplier, Linkwise, and told its other suppliers to no longer use the chemical, dimethyl fumarate, to prevent mold.

Linkwise is based in the manufacturing hub of Dongguan in southern China.

A man who answered the phone at the company said yesterday that the firm is working with the Chinese government’s quality inspection watchdogs to investigate the problem. He would not give details.”

tags: france, conforama, dimethyl fumarate, anti-fungal chemical, toxic furniture

2008-9-19 5:02pm

The unsmelly version.

tags: france, epoisses, chateau d’epoisses

2008-9-18 5:22pm

I was recently at a dinner party and someone recommended that I get some DVDs of Raymond Devos, a famous stand-up comedian (as well as a humorist, clown and “fake” Belgian). She thought I’d really enjoy his humor. Immediately, another person in the group blurted, “She’s not going to understand that!” and continues, “there are too many expressions that will just go past her.”

Obviously, I didn’t appreciate his asinine comment at all. Admittedly, he may have been right about what he said, but he shouldn’t have said that JACKASS comment out loud. What a jerk.

He is now on my HATE list.

Anyway, last night on the news, they announced the release of a new dictionary called, On va le dire comme ca, and I had to get it! I just ordered it even though it is 30 euros. It’s sort of the first of its kind, apparently, and explains 5000 French expressions and sayings (in French). As a non-native French speaker who is always trying to learn new words and expressions, this kind of information comes slowly, and painfully, like in conversations. And it doesn’t help when I immediately forget what they mean.

With this dictionary, it’ll be nice to have most if not all expressions I’ll ever come across, conveniently located in one book.

tags: france, french, dictionary, french expressions, unpleasant dinner guests

2008-9-17 7:03pm

Tired of the constant criticism aimed at the wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, specifically that the wines were “crap,” an independent vintner responded with a revolutionary and rebellious idea and created, “Le vin de merde” (Shit wine). The wine label will be hard to miss if you ever see it on a shelf because there’s a big fat fly on it as if it were sitting on a pile of poo. Brilliant and funny publicity stunt. The wine, however, is supposedly not crappy at all. Would make a fun dinner party gift.

tags: france, wine, le vin de merde, great publicity stunt, shit wine

[via Canal+]

2008-9-16 2:44pm

Embracing the philosophy that the dangers and risks of cell phones are REAL, our very awesome grocery store, Morvan Bio, is adopting the same policies that healthcare facilities have put in force for years, that is, banning mobile phone use in their establishments. Hospitals in France (and even in the U.S. and elsewhere) do not allow the use of cell phones for obvious reasons.

We only recently noticed this “no cell phones allowed” sign on their door, but I think it’s been enforced since their opening about a year or so ago.

Good for them! I hope other businesses will follow suit.

Morvan Bio
10 bis Avenue Charles de Gaulle
71400 Autun France
Telephone: 03.85.52.44.44

tags: france, cell phone dangers, morvan bio, harmful radiation

2008-9-15 6:33am

From AP:

“Plastic forks, disposable diapers, drafty houses _ if it hurts the environment, make it cost more. That’s the message France’s government wants to send with a raft of proposed new taxes.

France’s ecology minister said Sunday the government is considering a “picnic tax” on disposable dishes to encourage people to use reusable plates and cups instead.

Speaking on Europe-1 radio, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said the plan wouldn’t stop at picnicware. For example, she said, “We could make it so that in all public maternity wards, you would be taught to use washable diapers.”

She said a new carrot-and-stick plan already applied to cars is being spread to other environmentally damaging products such as paints and detergents.

The plan offers a bonus of up to $7,000 to buyers of fuel-efficient cars, but as of next year it will slap extra fees of up to a few thousand euros (dollars) on the cost of heavy polluters like SUVs.

The idea is meant to change the habits of both consumers and manufacturers by getting people to calculate the environmental cost of their waste, though some critics _ even within the Finance Ministry _ fear it could crimp growth.

Kosciusko-Morizet said the plan could be spread to some 20 other types of products, from paints to household appliances and detergents. She said the tax would be determined based on the “recyclability” of the product, among other things.

And she said it could even be extended to homes, based on how energy-efficient they are.

The financial details of the taxes have yet to be worked out. Some will be introduced in the 2009 budget, which the government will present at the end of the month.”

tags: france, environment tax, picnic tax

2008-9-05 5:43pm

tags: france, pumpkins, squash

2008-9-04 9:53am

Tired of shlepping your guide books around Paris? If you have an iPhone, you might want look into Frommer’s Paris Guide, which fits nicely on your favorite mobile phone from Apple. This is basically the hard copy guide book, but in a digital and more convenient format.

While we’re on the subject of i-things, Apple is rumored to be announcing new iPods next Tuesday, September 9, so keep an eye out for that. By the way, iPod Touches are basically iPhones without the phone (but with internet), so most (if not all) iPhone apps should be able to work on these.

Frommer’s Paris iPhone App (You must have iTunes installed on your Mac or PC to view this)

tags: france, paris travel, travel guides, frommers, iphone apps

2008-9-01 7:01pm

Effective today, these new silver 5 euro coins will be in distribution all across Europe…as if we didn’t have enough coins! I wish they would get rid of the copper coins, especially the 1 cent ones that are roughly the same size as a grain of sand.

tags: france, money, new euro coins, 5 euro coins, pièce de 5 euros

[via]

2008-9-01 11:47am

The Parti Socialist (PS) just wrapped up their L’université d’été, a summer camp-like convention for French politicians. This year it was in La Rochelle (I’m not sure if the venue changes yearly). Here’s the extremely long-winded Francois Hollande, the premier secrétaire of the socialist party with the mayor of La Rochelle, Maxime Bono, in the background.

Previous dialogues: The Dalai Lama and Carla Bruni, Michael Phelps and Alain Bernard, Sarkozy and Qaddafi, Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

tags: france, politicians, ps, francois hollande, L’université d’été

2008-8-31 1:53pm

Have you changed your driving habits in France to be more environmentally friendly? Do you drive a hybrid or electric car, or have you given up your car permanently? Do you use biofuel? Did you join a carpool? Do you have any other tips related to reducing gasoline consumption? France 5 Television wants to have a word with you. Please call 01 56 26 16 76 if you’re interested in participating in a television show featuring people in France trying to change their lives to live more green.

tags: france, hybrids, peak oil, carpooling, green living in france france 5, television

2008-8-30 6:55pm

Here’s a new, ultra-handy, free dashboard widget for Mac users who speak and write French. It’s a French dictionary that is much easier to use than the tangible leaf through (with your actual hands!) version, as well as even an online dictionary. Install and off you go. Just hit F12 to access your dashboard and your dictionary will be waiting for you. Download it here. If you use it often, please consider donating to the developer.

tags: france, french, widget, dictionary, dictionnaire, dashboard, mac

2008-8-29 5:13pm

tags: france, notre dame d’amiens, cathedral, amiens

2008-8-29 1:32pm

From the rawfeed:

“France’s national train service (SNCF) is offering 1,000 USB TRAIN TICKETS in a trial. The tickets also contain a unique-ID RFID chip that provides wireless “easy pass” access to trains. By plugging the card into a PC USB port, the users’ computers are automatically connected to the SNCF web site, where they can make payments and get schedules. Schedules can be downloaded to the card. The cards work like a debit card — passengers buy some amount — say, 100 Euros — then the fare is deducted each time they ride. The cards also serve as photo ID, with passengers’ pictures on the outside.” Link

tags: france, sncf, train travel, usb train tickets, weneo

2008-8-28 8:47am

From electronista:

“French cellphone carrier Orange has admitted to imposing artificial limits on its 3G broadband network, reports say. The confession comes after complaints from a number of iPhone 3G owners, who in testing their download capacity discovered that they were limited to a maximum of 400Kbps, as compared to the 1.8Mbps possible on T-Mobile’s German network.

Most 3G networks are limited to a peak speed of 3.2Mbps, although some may support 7.2Mbps. Some upset Orange subscribers have been able to get their speeds raised by technicians, who have altered individual accounts to push speeds as high as 3Mbps. Customers have further alleged that the cap may be a violation of Orange’s service agreements, and a petition for proper 3G access has been formed online.

An Orange representative contacted by FranceInfo has stated that the cap is actually pegged at 384Kbps, and applies not just to iPhones but all devices on its 3G network. The limit was aimed at “preserving the stability of the network,” according to the representative, but Orange has since decided it will raise download speeds slightly; by September 15th, the cap should be 1Mbps.”

tags: france, iphone, 3g, 3g network speed, orange is evil

2008-8-27 11:48am

Here’s some kooky celeb trivia in France from bittenandbound:

“Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are eligible to receive $2592.81 in parenting subsidies [for 6 kids] each month as residents of France.

Jolie gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne on July 12. The couple have three adopted children - Maddox, six, Pax, four and three-year-old Zahara, and a biological daughter, Shiloh, who was born in Namibia two years ago.”

tags: france, Chateau Miraval, CAF, Brignoles, jolie pitt, child support

2008-8-25 5:44pm

Previous dialogues: Michael Phelps and Alain Bernard, Sarkozy and Qaddafi, Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

tags: france, dalai lama, carla bruni, sarkozy no show, china’s slave

2008-8-24 6:30am

From autobloggreen and ecolotrader:

“We heard that MDI, the creators of the AirCar - excuse us, the “Compressed Air Vehicle” - broke off all commercial relations with Miguel Celades, who had been carrying its commercial operations for a while. We tried multiple times to contact Mr. Celades for further explanations, but couldn’t. So, we turned to MDI’s new webpage and other sources for the information.

The good news is that MDI is still working on their vehicle and has taken some steps to get it on the road. The French environmental website Ecolo-Trader has unveiled a picture of the first MiniCAT model with regular car plates, which should mean it’s road-worthy and has received all the legal requirements from the French Ministry of Industry. MDI’s MiniCAT has an range of 80 km while running exclusively with compressed air and, thanks to a system which heats compressed air (using fuel), the range can be extended even further. According to the website, which refers to the Southern France newspaper, MDI is planning a second factory to increase output of the MiniCAT. The model will be on display for the Paris Motor Show and on sale in France at the beginning of 2009.”

Note: The license plates look like they’re from the Var region in the south of France around the cities of Toulon and Draguignon.

[via]

tags: france, air car, mdi, minicat, guy negre

2008-8-23 9:18am

This time the uranium leak is in Pierrelatte, which actually shares the same nuclear power facilities as Tricastin, where the last two leaks were found, but the media has been suspiciously removing “Tricastin” from this news and are making people think that Pierrelatte is not in the same place. Well, it IS in the same place.

Tricastin and Pierrelatte are villages next to each other and they share the same nuclear power site, referred to as “Tricastin-Pierrelatte.” Pierrelatte happens to be in the Drome department and Tricastin is in the Vaucluse department but they are literally “across the street” from each other. Areva, the company responsible for the nuclear power plants, is the very same company responsible for all of the other uranium leaks in the area, and again is saying that it is a “small” leak and therefore of little consequence.” YEA RIGHT. article (in French)

Links: more uranium leaks, Greepeace suing Areva

tags: france, real estate, uranium, contamination, radioactive leaks, tricastin, pierrelatte, corporate lies

2008-8-22 7:15pm

tags: france, travel, bretagne, cancale, brittany

2008-8-21 2:27pm

Before the weather gets too chilly, I thought I’d mention the village of Cap d’Agde, where being butt naked is obligatory. If interested, you’ll still have time to enjoy the sun à poil (in your birthday suit).

The village of Cap d’Agde, also called, “The Naked City,” is a seaside port and resort along the Mediterranean not far from the cities of Carcassone, Nimes and Montpellier. (in the Hérault department, in the région of Languedoc-Roussillon). It is supposedly the world’s largest naturist village. “Naturism,” which many people call nudism, is legal so it isn’t uncommon to see families walking around naked in supermarkets, shops, banks, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers, camp sites, etc. The beach in Cap d’Agde, which extends across 3 kilometers of beach, enforces a “nudity mandatory” policy, which means you MUST be nude there. I’m not sure what happens if you have any clothes on. Do the police rip them off of you? Are you arrested for wearing a sock? What happens in the COLD winter?

So anyway, this is a place where you can literally let it all hang out, perfect for an even tan with no bathing suit lines. Definitely not for everybody, and for the most part, it’s really no big deal - But don’t be led to think it’s entirely a wholesome place to vacation with the kids. Cap d’Agde is a lot of things.

While it IS perfectly okay to vacation here with kids, the place fulfills a whole spectrum of expectations, primarily regarding sexual satisfaction. For example, during the day families and kids are at the beach to have fun in the sun, but at the same time, others may be scouting the territory to find potential sexual partners for the evening or couples will be looking for other couples to switch partners with. Say, you’re invited to a party one night in the village. It would very a rare occasion if that party didn’t involve gratuitous non-committal sex with multiple partners. In other words, it has some innocence but on the other hand, anything goes. So with all the swingers clubs scattered amidst the family shops and restaurants, and the people, voyeurs and all (yes there are naked voyeurs here), it all seems pretty relaxed. For some reason these two incongruous communities: happy family fun and the old school naturists, and the sex motivated swingers with pierced genitals, work harmoniously side by side.

tags: france, travel, nude beaches, cap d’agde, naturism france, naked city

2008-8-21 8:32am

From AP:

“France’s broadcast authority has banned French channels from marketing TV shows to children under 3 years old, to shield them from developmental risks it says television viewing poses at that age.

The three companies behind BabyFirstTV are Regency Enterprises, a film and TV production company that is a partner of News Corp.’s Fox Entertainment; Kardan N.V., an investment group based in the Netherlands and Israel; and Bellco Capital, a private Los Angeles-based investment fund.”

tags: france, television, france bans tv for babies, baby first tv, baby tv

2008-8-20 6:49pm

I wish they had these organic raw milk vending machines in my area, but these are in L’Arbresle situated in the Rhone region, not far from Lyon. The vending machines operate 24/7 and are found in 3 communities nearest a Champion supermarket.

Bring your own container to be filled or use one that is available at the vending machines. One liter costs 1.10, which I think is a great value. The milk has not been treated in any way and is simply stored at 3°C. 300 liters are stored per day, and the container is thoroughly cleaned and filled every morning. You can also get raw organic milk at the farm directly: Le lait de la ferme.

Le Lait de la ferme
Contact: Gerard Gayet
La Gondoliere
69930 Saint Laurent de Chamousset
Tél : 06 80 42 92 44
Mail : ggayet@terre-net.fr

tags: france, rhone, l’organic raw milk,vending machines, l’Arbresle, Gérard Gayet

[via]

2008-8-20 5:44pm

From hotelchatter:

“Picture this: A hotel guest, sleepless after a night spent at the posh Marriot Champs Elysees, asks the concierge for help getting an emergency passport.

Unfortunately, his directions were wrong. The concierge of an American hotel, a five-star hotel at that, had sent us awry. We … “ Continued:

tags: france, paris, hotels, marriott, Champs Elysees

2008-8-20 10:57am

Previous dialogues: Sarkozy and Qaddafi, Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

tags: france, michael phelps, olympics 2008, alain bernard, world record

2008-8-18 7:40pm

The life of animals according to man. Funny French vignettes here. (You don’t need to know how to speak French to understand these.)

[via]

tags: france, La vie des animaux selon les hommes, comedy, skits, french

2008-8-16 3:31pm

While I’m doing my best to eliminate junk food from my diet, my sweetie, on the other hand, remains true to some “non-foods” that nobody should be consuming. He was eating this so-called ice cream sandwich thing at my parents-in-laws and we joked about the kooky name, “Nacho.” I dunno, but that alone would make me not want to eat it unless it was crunchy, salty, melting with cheesy goodness and bursting with jalapeño peppers. Well, I guess it’s sort of shaped like a taco, which is remotely related. I don’t think there was any actual cream in this “ice cream,” and I’m almost positive it isn’t from France. Was this a bi-lingual dictionary disaster?

tags: france, nacho ice cream, junk food, snacks, calling something it isn’t

2008-8-15 5:40pm

Dinan, in Bretagne (Brittany)

tags: france, dinan, bretagne, photos, brittany

2008-8-14 2:26pm

Tucked away in Chennai, India (southeast coast of India in the northeast of Tamil Nadu), you’ll find an usual and unexpected establishment: a French baking school. The school was created by 25-year-old Alexis de Duclas, a graduate of Essec, one of France’s top business schools, and 24-year-old certified French baker, Antoine Soive, who had previously worked in one of Alain Ducasse’s Michelin star restaurants.

Together, they work toward helping the “Untouchables” in India,* (also called Dalits) the very bottom, absolute lowest level of the Hindu caste system. Their objective is to train and certify the untouchables in the production of French baked goods and pastries, so they will later be more fairly integrated into society and regularly employed. The inspiration to found the school came after a fateful meeting with Ducla and Father Ceyrac, a Jesuit missionary who had worked with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charities to support children and people in distress in India. Many, many months later, Ducla launched his baking school.

Ducla’s school is the epitome of corporate social responsibility, with social issues being the very core of the business, while still maintaining the ability to literally and figuratively “make dough.” Ducla wanted to prove that humanitarian projects can also be profitable. The school is run by the Charity Education and Rural Development Trust. Classes are also funded by philanthropists from India and France. Ducla’s business manages to make a reasonable amount of profit by selling their products.

Students are chosen based on their “untouchability” therefore they must be from economically weak areas and they must be motivated. That is the criteria for selection to this unique school. Along with cooking lessons, the students are also required to take English, Tamil and Science lessons. The training is rigorous and students are required to wake up at midnight and work through the night. After two years of intensive training they should be ready and equipped to handle anything from a fancy gateau for a five star kitchen, to petit fours for a high end restaurant.

A couple of years after the launch of the school, Ducla opened La Boulangerie, a French bakery/ cafe in Anna Nagar West in Chennai operated and maintained by Untouchables (15th Main Road, Anna Nagar West, Chennai 10 Tamil Nadu, India), serving, croissants, cakes, breads and sandwiches.

*Who are the Untouchables in India?

Untouchables in india are branded as impure from the moment of birth. Approximately 1 out of 6 indians (160 million people) live and suffers at the bottom of the Hindu caste system. India’s Untouchables are relegated to the lowest jobs, and live in constant fear of being publicly humiliated, paraded naked, beaten, and raped with impunity by upper-caste Hindus seeking to keep them in their place. Merely walking through an upper-caste neighborhood is a life-threatening offense.

Nearly 90 percent of all the poor Indians and 95 percent of all the illiterate Indians are Dalits/Untouchables, according to figures presented at the International Dalit Conference.

tags: france, alexis de ducla, la boulangerie, chennai india, Anna Nagar West , untouchables

2008-8-13 5:48pm

From the Boisset Family Estates press release:

“…….”This year, Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles,” states Jean-Charles Boisset, President, Boisset Family Estates. “In addition, we will simultaneously debut Fog Mountain, featuring the first organically-farmed California Nouveau in 750ml PET bottles, to highlight our commitment to reducing the wine world’s carbon footprint by producing locally.”

“It is critical in today’s time, with the scarcity of our planet’s resources and the known environmental impacts of human activity, that we consider whether we should still ship thousands of cases of wine in heavy bottles via air throughout the world in order for the wines to arrive on time for their annual release date in November, when we can reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by more than half through a responsible choice of packaging.”

….Boisset Family Estates owns and imports Mommessin and Bouchard Aîné & Fils - two venerable Burgundy wine houses each with deep historical traditions in Burgundy and Beaujolais….”

This California company, importing wines from France, claims to be innovative and eco-minded.

Read the whole press release

tags: france, california, beaujolais nouveau, wine in plastic bottles, landfill problems, PET bottles, toxic

[via]

2008-8-13 8:56am

I haven’t given up on my attempts to support indie game and software developers, particularly those in France, so I’m featuring a small, time waster of the day called, “Hog Pop,” just released by Jean-Philippe Sarda, the same guy who brought you that fun yet infuriating Parallel Parking game.

With Hog Pop, your mission is to pop a required number of bubbles, but I haven’t seen any hogs yet.

Pop now!

More games:

How well do you know your world?
Cities Game
How Well Do You Know the World Map?
Ouverture Facile
Jeu chiant
L’expresso empoisonné
Run n Roll
Recyle
The Museum
Parallel Parking Game
Ladybugs
Boulangerie the Game
Solitaire

tags: france, games, hog pop, independent game developers, french, Jean-Philippe Sarda

2008-8-12 6:14pm

In our world that has unfortunately embraced the notion of “planned obsolescence,” when I encounter quality-made, let alone hand-made items, AND made in France, they stand out like stars amidst the dark universe.

In a small village not too far from where we live, we walked by an unassuming, “blend-in-the-background” studio and I’m happy we actually noticed what was inside because we saw these flowers in pots:

Nope, they aren’t really flower pots, they’re leather purses! Aren’t they totally adorable and original? They are one of a kind and there are several whimsical and unique purses inside this handbag artist’s studio: an haricot purse, carrot purse, and my favorite, an eggplant purse. Sorry, but the photo of the aubergine was too blurry to post.

We talked with Sylvia, an expat from Switzerland, who is the creative mastermind behind these works of art and we chatted a bit. She’d mentioned that she took several purses to a luxury handbag store in the south of France, a fancy store that sells designer handbags. The owner of this store had rejected her purses because he said, “They are too nice and well-made.” He wanted purses that would break in a matter of months so customers would return to buy new purses. Grrr!

Her purses, wallets, etc. - are all made out of high quality leather. They will last forever. These are also unique. As an artisan specializing in purses / wallets (and other maroquinerie / leather goods) in France, she is by law, not allowed to make more than 6 of the same style items. This isn’t a problem, she says, because it gives her more freedom to be creative with new styles.

And creative, she is. Look at this watering can key chain holder.

Here’s her “book purse.”

If you’re not into these playful designs, she does make more “serious” styles as well. Everything is impressive.

I love that these purses are so much fun, different and one of a kind (or at most 6 of a kind). It’s perfect for people who want a designer purse that no one else has. It’s a shift from mass produced to niche unique, which I feel is becoming a nice trend. The “mass market” used to be considered as highly demanded and therefore of quality value, but that is simply no longer the case. In reality, mass produced purses, even if they’re designer brands, represents a recognizable label that exists because of savvy marketing/advertising executives calling out to a shallow, broad appeal.

Niche items, like these purses, have much more value, are beautiful, and they will last a long, long time. Note: You can also order custom made bags from Sylvia. If you’re interested in purchasing any of her works, check out her purses at the following link below:

One of a Kind Handbags Made in France

tags: france, unique handbags,handbags, purses, made in france, leather, niche purses

2008-8-12 9:24am

From the nyt:

“The National Front, the French anti-immigration party, is selling its historic headquarters to a Chinese university to raise cash, the party’s leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, left, was quoted on Monday as saying. Mr. Le Pen, whose slogan in several presidential campaigns was “Keep France for the French,” confounded predictions by reaching the runoff in the 2002 presidential election. But stinging defeats in last year’s parliamentary vote have left the party deep in the red. The magazine L’Express said on its Web site that Mr. Le Pen believed that the university, which he did not name, wanted to turn the building, in the Paris suburb of St.-Cloud, into a French-language school. He did not give the sale price, but L’Express reported that it would be as much as 15 million euros, or about $22 million.” [Link]

tags: france, china owns france, national front, le pen, ironic, greedy, fascists, hypocrites

2008-8-11 10:26am

Previous Dialogues: Laurent Voulzy and Alain Souchon, Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

tags: france, dalai lama, gaddafi, sarkozy snubs the dalai lama, china’s french poodle

2008-8-10 7:10pm

A couple of days ago Apple yanked one of the listed iPhone apps from the iTunes store. The app with a $1000 price tag (actually $999.99), brilliant in my opinion and funny to boot, displays an image of a glowing red ruby that would always remind you (and others when you show it to them) that you are rich enough to afford it. That’s all it does. I’m serious.

The kooky thing is: EIGHT people bought it! Really. So the German developer, Armin Heinrich worked for approximately one hour to churn out this app and voila, he made over 5,000 bucks. ($8,000 minus Apple’s commission) And according to the LAtimes, the buyers were 6 Americans, 1 German and 1 French person. (or someone living in France). Did they think they were getting an actual ruby? Or do you think they just wanted it and could kick around a thousand bucks just like that? Did they show it to other people? Are they proud of it?

tags: france, i am rich, iphone applications, ruby, insane

2008-8-10 4:00pm

^{“Paris Mushrooms, it’s when they’re in your mouth that they’re the happiest.”}

Aside from this ad promoting Champignons de Paris (button mushrooms) in France being very, very cute, I’m wondering why the mushroom industry (if there’s a mushroom industry) needs to advertise in the first place. Is there an overproduction of mushrooms? I rarely see ads for other veggies like cucumbers or celery or artichokes or for any veggies, ever; really, this is strange to me. Is there a silent mushroom consumption grève (strike) or something? … So much so that mushroom farmers need a push from ads?

Just a couple of weeks ago, our neighbors asked us if we had any extra mushrooms they could borrow because they couldn’t find any anywhere near our neighborhood. My sweetie, being even more of a conspiracy theorist than I am (yea, I know! unbelievable but true!), suggested that the radioactive leaks lately have been compromising the mushrooms, which perhaps were then removed from the market. Apparently, mushrooms excessively absorb radiation, which is an enormous help to people around…unless they eat those mushrooms…

tags: france, mushrooms, champignons de paris, radioactive contamination, uranium leaks

[ad via]

2008-8-10 3:12pm

From AFP:

“The Dalai Lama kicks off Tuesday an 11-day visit to France that threatened to spark a crisis between Paris and Beijing, until President Nicolas Sarkozy quashed speculation he would meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Planned more than two years ago, the Nobel peace laureate’s French visit turned suddenly political after a Chinese crackdown on unrest in Tibet in March that sparked international outrage in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.

Sarkozy’s initial threat to boycott the Olympic opening ceremony, together with rowdy pro-Tibet protests during the passage of the Olympic flame through Paris, fuelled a months-long diplomatic spat with Beijing.

And a decision by the opposition-held Paris city hall to name the 73-year-old spiritual guide an honorary citizen further fanned tensions.

Though Sarkozy decided last month to attend Friday’s opening, noting progress in talks between China and the Dalai Lama, he failed to prevent a wave of protests targeting French commercial interests in China.

Speculation over a meeting with the Buddhist leader in France since then continued to pour oil on the fire, with the Chinese ambassador in Paris warning of “serious consequences” for bilateral relations.

The French leader’s office finally announced Wednesday that no meeting would take place, saying it was the Dalai Lama’s decision.

The Dalai Lama’s representative in France Wangpo Bashi told AFP that the “timing is not right”, saying a meeting during the Olympics risked setting back talks between Tibetan and Chinese parties.

Instead, Sarkozy’s wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy — who under French law has no official function — will attend the inauguration by Dalai Lama of a temple in southern France on August 22.

On Wednesday, the Buddhist leader is scheduled to meet some 250 senators and deputies from the French parliamentary group on Tibet, before holding talks with leaders of the French Tibetan community.

The rest of his August 12-23 stay will be devoted to religious visits, in the Paris region and elsewhere, and a six-day teaching cycle in the western city of Nantes.

“It is first and foremost a spiritual, religious visit,” said Bashi, who heads the Tibet Bureau in Paris. “That is how it was always intended.”

France is home to an estimated 770,000 Buddhists, according to the French Buddhist union, three quarter of them of Asian origin.

The Dalai Lama has visited France a dozen times since 1982, meeting with city or government officials and once with the president, the late Francois Mitterrand, in 1993.

France’s left-wing Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and junior minister for human rights Rama Yade have both said they would be willing to meet him, but no such plans have been announced.

Sarkozy has been accused at home of flip-flopping on the issue of the Olympics and undermining France’s credibility in China.

Critics note that other Western leaders, including of the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Britain have met the Dalai Lama in the past two years without jeopardising their relations with Beijing.

Speaking from the Olympics opening ceremony, Sarkozy insisted Friday the meeting “has merely been postponed”.

The Dalai Lama’s representative confirmed that a meeting would take place before the end of the year.

China sent troops into Tibet in 1950 and officially “liberated” it the following year. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking independence for Tibet and of fomenting unrest in the territory to sabotage the Olympic Games.

The spiritual leader insists he wants autonomy and religious freedom rather than independence for Tibet, and has sent Beijing his “prayers and best wishes” for the success of the Olympics.”

tags: france, dala lama, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso

2008-8-10 1:54pm

I’ve more than had enough of the clichéd sexist depiction of French maids, and the misuse of “ooh la la.” First, French maids don’t look like this. Ever. Secondly, if there were any French maids like this, which there aren’t, they would never say “ooh la la” in a light-hearted, provocative way, drinking wine and sporting a mini skirt and some fish net stockings.

Although these wines are from the south of France, the California company’s marketing people are obviously NOT French. I do see the silliness and play on words here and the wine might be legitimately good, but stop it, already!

In retrospect, I’m beginning to love the wine labels with the pissing fat guys.

[via]

tags: france, wine labels, french maid, cliches that refuse to die, wrong

2008-8-08 6:06pm

2008-8-08 9:45am

Two nights ago on the evening news Francoise Laborde lightly mentioned that there was yet ANOTHER uranium leak at the Tricastin nuclear power plant near Avignon. This makes a reported 3 radioactive leaks in the last couple of months, and 2 leaks at the same plant. Only partially paying attention, I wasn’t sure I heard correctly. Me, “Wait. WHAT??!” But the subject was over in literally 20 seconds. No elaboration of any kind. This seemed like substantial news but it was slipped hidden in between back to school news and international news (video archive Edition du Mercredi 6 Août 2008).

Me: That nuclear power plant in Tricastin is 30 years old or so, and it’s encountering more and more problems.

Him: Yup.

Me: Is this an accident waiting to happen, here? I mean, it’s literally falling apart at the seams.

Him: Probably.

Me: Should we get the hell outta Dodge?

Him: Dodge?

Me: Should we leave France? I don’t want to be here when that things blows. You know, a French Chernobyl.

Him: Don’t worry about it. It probably has already blown.

Me: Um. Great. No wonder I’ve been feeling so crappy lately.

Link: Tricastin: Encore une fuite cachée? (in French)

tags: france, uranium leaks, tricastin, radiation, contamination

2008-8-08 8:23am

From time:

“Too much wine, it is known, can cause violent behavior. But few have gone as far as the grape growers of France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region, the world’s biggest wine-growing area by volume. Hurting from overproduction and cheap imports and punished lately by the rising cost of gas, a small group of local winegrowers has resorted to “wine terrorism” in a violent attempt to shock the French government into helping them.

On July 26, police arrested a vineyard farmer from the region for production and possession of illegal explosives. Apprehended in a hospital where he was being treated for injuries suffered when those explosives unexpectedly detonated, 34-year-old Jérôme Soulère confessed to police that he’d been responsible for the July 2006 bombing of a tax-collection office in a neighboring village. He also admitted, police say, to authoring the failed bombing last year of a site the Tour de France was set to pass the following day.
Those incidents are just two of many in a series of violent and destructive acts by local grape growers over the past three years that has targeted public and private buildings, supermarkets, tanker trucks hauling cheap imported wine, and businesses accused of gouging growers with ever shrinking prices. Claiming responsibility: a clandestine group known as….”

Read the full article

Related: Don’t Mess with French Farmers

tags: france, wine, vandals, wine lake

2008-8-06 7:16am

Get ready to pay more for snacks, anything considered fattening and food and beverage items deemed generally unhealthful.

The French government needs money! Forget about them caring about the health and well-being of the people, they’ve blatantly come out and stated they will tax these foods because it will be another tool to help the country’s financial recovery.

What are they taxing? “Certains produits “trop gras, trop sucrés, trop salés qui ne sont pas de stricte nécessité” Products that are too fatty, too sugary, too salty, that aren’t of strict necessity will be taxed a whopping 19.6%. Even one of the last remaining affordable items in France, wine, will be subject to this tax. KWA?!

This law will not go into effect for a while, so you have some time to try to accept this new change, which will be hard to swallow for many junk food junkies.

Article: Le Monde

Related: Roasted Chicken Flavor Potato Chips, Ketchup Flavored French Fry Chips, Smoked Ham Flavored Bugles

france, tax on junkfood, deficit

2008-8-05 6:22pm

From reuters:

“A herpes virus is killing young oysters in France because they have spent too much energy developing their sexual organs rather than their natural defenses, an oyster crisis team has found.

Scientists have spent weeks investigating a mysterious surge in mortality among the mollusks that the French love to devour with lemon and white wine.

France’s main marine research institute, Ifremer, set up the crisis team on July 3 and its members have been working flat out to understand why 40 to 100 percent of oysters aged 12 to 18 months were dying in all but one of France’s breeding areas.

An Ifremer spokeswoman said on Monday the team had established that a virus called Oyster Herpesvirus type 1, or OsHV-1, was killing young oysters, helped by unfavorable weather conditions that had weakened the mollusks.

“We had a warm winter followed by a rainy spring, which caused high levels of planktonic plant life to develop,” spokeswoman Johanna Martin said.

“This meant that the oysters were particularly well fed and spent a lot of energy developing their sexual organs to the detriment of their natural reserves, leaving them vulnerable to OsHV-1,” she said.

There is no cure for OsHV-1.

Ifremer is continuing its investigations and admits that other factors could be contributing, such as toxic seaweed or Vibrio Splendidus, another virus present in France this year.

France produces about 110,000 tonnes of oysters a year, according to Ifremer data. It is the world’s fourth biggest producer after China, which alone accounts for 83 percent of world production, followed by Korea and Japan.

All of France’s oyster breeding areas, of which 90 percent are on the western coast, are affected by high mortality rates except one area at Arcachon in the southwest. Scientists do not know why Arcachon oysters have been spared.”

2008-8-03 6:54pm

This new music video by Laurent Voulzy has been playing way too much on TV lately…

Previous Dialogues: Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy, Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

france, music, laurent voulzy, alain souchon, jellybean

2008-8-01 6:19pm

Sage in my garden.

france, sage, garden, herbs

2008-8-01 6:01pm

There’s one region where you will never be disappointed by the street side-made crêpes: Bretagne. I don’t know how or why or what exactly is the reason for this. The butter? Perhaps crêpes are the regional specialty because they are so good here. No. They aren’t just good here; they’re the BEST. It doesn’t really matter why, I suppose; it simply suffices to accept that it just is like this in Bretagne - and now I know. I also know now that I have to get back there for more. I had a simple salted butter crêpe, which melted in my mouth. My stomach grumbles thinking about it.

france , travel , bretagne , brittany , crêpes , street food , butter

2008-8-01 12:11pm

From the timesonline:

“The world economic crisis has hit borrowers in the US, banks in Britain and homeowners in Spain. Now it has claimed perhaps its most startling victim to date: the Gallic gastronome.

Lunches are being skipped, dinners shortened and apéritifs overlooked as the French cut back on their most cherished pleasure in an attempt to save their euros, according to new figures. Restaurants, bistros and cafés are reporting an historic drop in takings this summer amid signs that le pays de la gastronomie is turning to sandwiches and picnics.

Chefs say that the rare customers still reserving tables are resorting to one-course meals and a single glass of wine, sipped with glacial caution.

Diners are tending to abandon les entrées, les desserts and e café under a drastic cost-saving drive, they say.

“People have a lot less money now so when they go away on holiday, they have to chose what to spend it on and they often decide to cut the food budget,” Francis Attrazic, the vice-chairman of the French Union of Café, Restaurant and Hotel Owners, said.

“Lunch is disappearing almost completely a lot of the time, people don’t always have an apéritif any more and the evening meal is being lightened.” A survey by his union revealed a fall of up to 30 per cent in restaurant and café custom in tourist regions this month compared with July last year.

The study suggested that the number of holidaymakers is stable but that they are spending less on food. The findings do not apply to foreigners, notably the British, Germans and Russians, who are still dining in style. The French, though, are forgoing les plaisirs de la table.

On the French Riviera, for instance, restaurants no longer have a key role for holidaymakers, who tend to prefer a sandwich at lunchtime and a show rather than a meal, the survey said. In the south west, chefs said that their restaurants were alarmingly empty at midday and in the evening.

Interviewed on Europe 1 radio yesterday, a café owner in Toulouse said: “People just don’t have enough money to hang around in bars any more.

“And when they come, they consume a lot less wine, no more than is strictly necessary. They make their glass last a long time and they don’t knock back one glass after another these days.” Guy-Noël Chatelain, a partner in OC&C consultancy, which spe-cialises in consumer trends, said that the French were rediscovering the picnic and the sandwich to make a dwindling disposable income go farther.

His words were borne out by the Saint Martin canal in Paris yesterday where Raphaëlle Davin, a 26-year-old office worker, was eating a salad she had bought for €6.60 (£5.18). She said that she would have paid double that for a meal in a restaurant.”

france, french, changing eating habits, troubled economy, tightening belts , weak spending power, france, pouvoir d’achat

[source]

2008-7-31 6:13pm

All kinds of fun events take place in France during August. Here’s a small selection:

August 1 - 3
20è Festival International de la Marionnette / 20th Marionnette Festival - Mirepoix - Every year the lovely arcaded medieval village of Mirepoix becomes a stage for puppets and puppeteers! More info

August 2
Fête du lac / Lake Festival - Annecy - Every year Annecy’s lake becomes the beautiful backdrop of this celebrated festival featuring music, dance and memorable fireworks festivities. More info

August 7
Course des Anes / Donkey Derby - Trouville-sur-Mer, 2pm-5pm - free - This is an annual event in the seaside town near Deauville called Trouville-sur-Mer. When fancy schmancy Deauville holds its posh horse racing, Trouville-sur-Mer offers a more laid back alternative. More info

August 9
Fête de la carotte / Carrot Festival - Créances, (Normandy) France - How can you pass up a festival dedicated to my farm fresh favorite juice-able veggie? Don’t miss the lunch or dinner, either. You probably know what’s on the menu. Call ahead to make reservations to attend the meals: Annie Auzou au 02 33 17 09 91.

August 10
La Pourcailhade / La Fête des cochons / Pig Festival - Trie-sur-Baïse - Starts at 9:30am - Time to pig out at this annual event with a pig squealing contest and sausage eating contest. More info

until August 15
L’heure du ciné - Movie Time - Nantes, 10pm Wednesdays - Free films every Wednesday 10pm in the Nante’s most verdant areas. Bring a picnic and enjoy dinner and a movie out in an open, lush space. More info Also: see Paris’ Open Air Cinema (La Villette) and Parc de Choisy

August 17
La Force Basque / Strongman Competition - Saint Palais - It’s all about muscle power in one of the most beautiful regions in France, Basque Country. Watch heavyweights lift a boulder! More info

August 23, 24
Fête de l’oignon rosé / Pink Onion Festival - Roscoff (Bretagne) - The regional AOC specialty of sweet, pink onions take center stage at this celebration of one of the most healthful and yummy veggies around. More info

August 28, 29
Rock en Seine - Domaine National de Saint Cloud - This rockin’ 2 day outdoor event is held in the Saint Cloud park just outside Paris. Showcase acts this year are: REM, Amy Winehouse, Rage Against the Machine, The Roots. More info

tags: france , events in france festivals , travel

2008-7-31 1:39pm

Excerpts from Motherjones:

“….events this month show that life as a nuclear-powered nation is far from la vie en rose. In mid July, the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) announced a leak from a cracked pipe at a nuclear fuel plant in the southeastern Drôme region. It said the leak was small and had not contaminated groundwater. Such was not the case, however, on July 7, when about 75 kilograms (165 pounds) of untreated liquid uranium were spilled at the Tricastin nuclear plant in the Vaucluse, north of Avignon. As the French began to repair to the countryside for their storied six-week summer vacations, those in this corner of Provence were being told not to drink the water—or swim or fish in it. One swimmer at a local lake told the Guardian that people had been ordered out of the water “as if there had been sharks in it.”

The incident was given a low rating in terms of risk, but the French nuclear watchdog group CRIIRAD (Commission for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity) reported that the amount of radioactivity released into the environment was 100 times higher than the site’s limit for an entire year. The Tricastin facility was temporarily shut down, the water ban remains in effect, and the French government has begun testing the water around all 59 of its nuclear plants.

Such dramatic events were bound to make headlines, and even had some media predicting a chill in France’s long love affair with l’énergie nucléaire, which it embraced during the energy crisis of the 1970s and never let go of. But in fact, the idea of France as a model of safe, affordable nuclear energy is largely a myth, and the current situation hardly an aberration. Incidences of radioactive contamination are common in France, which has had no more success than any other country in solving the intractable problem of radioactive waste. At the Tricastin site, for example, about 770 tons of nuclear waste have been buried for the past 30 years, and four smaller incidents took place in 2007 alone, according to CRIIRAD.

Nuclear contamination even threatens the twin sacraments of French life, wine and cheese. In May 2006, Greenpeace reported that low-level radioactive waste from a nuclear dumpsite had been found in the groundwater near the Champagne vineyards of eastern France. A report released earlier the same month on contamination from an older nuclear waste facility in La Hague, Normandy showed radioactivity more than seven times the European safety limit in local underground aquifers, which are used by farmers for their dairy cattle in a region renowned for its Brie and Camembert.

…Several studies have found elevated levels of childhood leukemia around the Normandy site.

…President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has made it clear that he wants France to become an ever-bigger exporter of both nuclear-generated electricity and nuclear technology… In a speech given just days before the Provence nuclear spill, Sarkozy said: “More than ever, nuclear is an industry for the future and an indispensable energy source….We can be electricity exporters when we have neither oil nor gas. This is an historic chance for development.”

The head of French Greenpeace’s nuclear campaign recently accused Sarkozy of behaving “like a traveling salesman for Areva.”

Read the full article: 4.5 Billion Years in Provence

2008-7-29 3:20pm

Excerpt from the latimes:

“…On the menu - There’s not a burger or Happy Meal in sight. Instead, rigatoni with boletus mushroom sauce, a fresh chèvre sandwich on sun-dried-tomato ciabatta with olive-tomato tapenade, and a nicely balanced strawberry tart. Other sandwich offerings, all about $6.75, included sweet and prosciutto-style cured ham on pain de campagne (country bread), sliced roast chicken, and smoked Norwegian salmon (both on ciabatta). Crudités are served with tapenade and lemon tartar sauce (about $8.65); the daily entrée special on a recent visit was sliced chicken in a French Basque-style sauce of tomatoes, onion and sweet red Espelette pepper, with rice and salad (about $15).

For that same price there are also formules (combo menus) — sandwich, salad, quiche (such as onions, mushrooms and lardons, or bacon) or pasta (such as farfalle with a seafood sauce made with squid and mussels), plus frites, a drink and dessert. Gaufres, anyone? The waffles are served plain, or with powdered sugar, chocolate sauce or Chantilly cream. Wines include a Guyot Côtes du Rhône and Georges Duboeuf Mâcon Villages. Service is fairly friendly and the clientele varied — a recent drizzly weeknight drew a large group of twentysomethings and various twosomes and threesomes ages 16 to 60…” Read the rest

2008-7-29 2:25pm

Last night’s untimely tempest left the garden marvelously wet and alive this morning so I stepped outside early to take photos before work. Just above my blueberries was this spider, which caught me by surprise and created a blood curdling scream (from me), the kind of scream that shatters anything shatterable. If anyone in the neighborhood was still sleeping beforehand, they certainly weren’t after that.

There are actually two webs side by side with another smaller spider, so after googling “scary striped yellow spider” I was relieved to discover that these are very undeadly garden spiders. Whew.

According to wikipedia, the smaller spidey is the male and the larger (photographed above) of the two is the female. When they do this side-by-side web thing, it means they’re getting ready to mate.

After mating, the female lays her eggs, placing her egg sac into the web. The sac contains between 400 and 1,400 eggs. These eggs hatch in autumn, but the spiderlings overwinter in the sac and emerge during the spring. The egg sac is composed of multiple layers of silk and designed to protect its contents from damage; however, many species of insects have been observed to parasitise the egg sacs.

Aren’t you happy you came to my blog today? Ew. Over a thousand of these creepy crawly things in my garden. Of course, I shouldn’t complain because at least they aren’t deadly.

This ends today’s arachnaphobic Arachnid lesson of the week.

tags: france spiders in france mating rituals

2008-7-28 6:18am

Previous Dialogues: Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan, Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

tags: france, barack obama nicolas sarkozy

2008-7-26 6:46pm

Visitors from other countries who’ve come to France know that it’s expensive here. But guess what? It’s expensive even for the people living in France! Prices have skyrocketed nonstop since 2002 and even the prices for the items that were usually very affordable, like vegetables, have increased exponentially. Over the last six years, it’s been continually increasing, and over the period of this last year alone, the cost vegetables increased by 18%. The media reports that the industry is blaming the bad weather.

People stopped buying because of the these recent high prices, so now the prices are starting to drop. A little.

Still, for many of us, times are precarious financially, so the best course of action would be to be very careful about how we spend our money without resorting to the high caloric, trans-fatty, cheap, processed foods. Here are some ideas to help reduce your monthly grocery bills while trying to stick to healthful alternatives. Feel free to contribute anything I’ve missed.

General Tips

1. Shop locally. If possible, within a distance where you can walk to the store and back. This saves enormously on gas if you don’t have to drive. Bring a rolling cart if necessary. There are so many now that are actually cute.

2. Shop alone. Studies show that when you shop with someone, you spend more.

3. If you have to drive to the market, consolidate your trips and buy more so you don’t have to make as many trips.

4. Before going to the market make a grocery list even if it’s short. Bring it with you and make sure you stick to it. This will focus your shopping task and not allow for whim items. Not on the list? Don’t get it!

5. Don’t go to the market hungry. Eat beforehand. This will curb your impulse buying reducing any items you don’t need.

6. Get a basket. If you don’t have much to get, don’t get a cart because you’ll fill it up unnecessarily.

7. Shop in the periphery of the store. Usually, this is where your healthier options lie. You will find some cheaper items hiding but if not, this area will house the fresh produce.

8. Eat less and eat out less. This may be hard for some people. If that is against your beliefs and just HAVE to go out to eat, go out to lunch instead of dinner. You usually spend less.

9. Meat Eaters - reduce the frequency of meat. From eating meat every day, eat meat just once a week.

10. Pay special attention to price per unit. Some items are cheaper if you buy the smaller amount than a larger amount. This is a dirty trick by our beloved commercants.

11. Forget coupons. Some people swear to them but in France, the coupons are not that great of a deal (i.e., 10 cents off or so). Besides, many couponed items are for expensive and unhealthful processed foods.

12. Be wary about what is on “promotion” (on sale). Oftentimes it is not a deal at all. Other times, something on sale is not edible, meaning near rotten or expired. Remember: cheap doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Be particularly vigilant with meat.

13. Eat leftovers. Do not waste any edible food! Get creative with it and if you don’t know what to do with leftovers, try to find online recipes with items you have.

14. Grow your own, raise your own. Plant a garden of veggies, herbs, sprouts and fruit. This is late to start now and this is not a feasible option for some city dwellers. If you have the space, next year plant a potager/veggie garden, you will not regret it. Your veggies will be delish, you can skip toxic pesticides, and you will save so much money. And, if at all possible, have your own chickens for eggs.

15 Reduce and if possible eliminate junk food. Junk food is expensive, very unhealthful and puts on pounds. I know! This is hard.

16. Buy dry goods in bulk. Like dried beans, lentils, peas, rice and other grains. Know your beans, too. These are high in nutrients, usually a better value, and you can store them for quite a while. Plus, you don’t participate in wasteful packaging.

17. Eliminate eating at Fast Food places: MacDo’s, Quick, the American fast food joints, even Flunch. Ok, Flunch and other chain restaurants like it are cheap but….just leave them out, will you?

18. Check your receipts carefully. Sometimes money is wasted on mistakes.

19. If you grow your own fruit and vegetables, think about preserving them (mason jars) or dehydrating them - so they can last all year.

20. Eat produce that is in season. They are always cheaper in season.

Specific Tips

1. Wine - This comes from my dad-in-law, who is a wine connoisseur. Some of his favorite wines are half price at Aldi, so that could be a good resource for wine people. He’s seen the exact wines twice as expensive in Carrefour and Auchan. These aren’t just run-of-the-mill wines. Be flexible because they don’t often carry the same wines.

2. Negotiate for vegetables/fruits at Outdoor Markets - Merchants are really ok with you negotiating a better price. It’s no big deal. Besides, they know they’re overcharging you, so get them down in price as much as possible. Also, if you show up at the outdoor market before closing, you can get a really great deal. Many of them do not want to bother putting what’s left back into their trucks, so you can really bargain. In some cases, they just leave perfectly good veggies and fruit for the taking.

3. Make your own salad dressing - Most people I know do this already but if you buy the premixed version, try making your own at home. It’s less expensive, it’s better for you and you don’t have the same kind every time you eat a salad at home.

4. Frozen veggies vs. canned - If you can’t get fresh veggies, opt for frozen ones as opposed to canned. They tend to have more vitamins and nutrients.

5. Buy less expensive cuts of meat. If you’re used to getting, for example, filet mignon, faux filet or entrecôte, opt to get a bavette or ground beef. The bavette is a bit on the tough side so you might use it for stews and other long and slow cooked meals.

6. Don’t buy already skinned and de-boned pieces of chicken. Get their skinned versions as well as the pieces with the bone included. It’s much cheaper.

france, grocery shopping, Ways to Save Money on Food

2008-7-25 8:13pm

By now, you’ve probably heard about a correlation between cell phone use and cancer. But geez, you can’t listen to those things because you absolutely love your cell phone. Who doesn’t? You were so freakin’ relieved to find out that those popcorn popping celphones were a hoax. Don’t lie. This love you have for your cute electronic companion has conveniently ousted from your head any negative publicity your mobile beloved has received. You really want to ignore them! Here’s you, “cell phones are dangerous??? NAH….. Don’t be silly! Cancer? Pfff. That is ridiculous. I use mine all the time and I’m fine!”

Do you say that because you don’t WANT it to be true? You can want all you like but just because you don’t want it to be true doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

No one WANTED cigarettes to be the leading cause of death, cancer, heart disease and lung disease (among other things), did they? Many cigarettes smokers said, “they smoked all the time and they were fine!”

No one wanted to believe that the building material called asbestos would kill them. No one wanted to think that anything was wrong with their PVC window frames? Check your hospitals, do they have any PVC? Answer: No. “But the PVC pipes and windows were so cheap,” people say…

Hospitals also don’t allow cell phone use, or wifi for that matter. Do people wonder WHY? I wish they did.

The warnings have been around for a long time but it has been in French news more and more this year. I mean, you can’t let your peeps keep doing harmful things to their bodies, can you France?

French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin also went on France 2 TV and rehashed the well-worn theory connecting cell phone use with cancer.

In the U.S. neurosurgeons can’t admit that cell phones are dangerous and cause brain cancer, but they WILL admit that they NEVER put a cell phone up to their heads. Ever! What do BRAIN SURGEONS know, anyway!??!

Hang on. Aside from being rant-errific, I do have some useful information that might prompt you to reduce the amount of risk to which you subject yourself.

Both Europe and the U.S. have defined safety limits for exposure to radio frequency (RF) energy produced by mobile devices. The SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) or DAS (débit d’absorption spécifique) in France is a measure or index of the rate at which RF energy is absorbed by the body when exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic field.

In the United States the FCC requires that phones sold have a SAR level at or below 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg) taken over a volume of 1 gram of tissue.

In the European Union, the SAR limit is 2 W/kg, averaged over ten grams of tissue. For whole body exposure there is a limit of 0.08 Watt/kg averaged over the whole body.

What you can do: Find out the index of your mobile phone then act accordingly. If it’s too high, get a different phone that is safer. Here’s a chart with a list of phones and their SARs.

As an example, the new 3G iPhone’s SAR (or indice DAS in French) is 1.388 W/kg. The first generation iPhone was 0.974 W/Kg. Other examples: Motorola Razr2 v9 is 0.52. The Samsung SLM is 0.48. As low as some of the phone’s indices are, neurosurgeons STILL won’t put them up to their heads!

What you can do: Like neurosurgeons, DON’T put the cellphone up to your head. Use speaker phone mode. Note: Bluetooth devices and unshielded wired-earphones amplify the signal. In other words, they radiate more, NOT less.

What you can do: Remember that the industries will ALWAYS deny the existence of any dangers. Not only that, they are responsible for those “counter” studies that come out after researchers warn about the dangers of a product. Scientific studies have been suppressed by the cell phone industry and the government to protect their profits. Do not buy that game.

What you can do: Reduce your cell phone use to a bare minimum. Keep conversations short.

What you can do: Don’t let kids use the phone at all if possible. If they must, not for more than a minute at a time. Ideally, they should never use them or use them only for emergency situations.

What you can do: Turn your cell phone off when it isn’t needed and especially when you are driving your car. When driving with your cell phone on, the waves ricochet inside the car because cars are metallic, creating a Faraday Cage.

What you can do: When possible, keep the cell phone as far away from your body as much as possible.

Links: SAR, Get Little Kids Away from the iPhone and iPod Touch, Cell Phone Dangers Revealed, Patents Prove Cell Phone Dangers from Wired, Hidden Dangers of Cell Phone Radiation, Chemical and Cell Phones, Harmful Effects of Cell Phones, Hazards of the Wireless Age, Reduce Risks, Mobile Phones more dangerous than smoking

france, How to Reduce Your Cell Phone Risks, cell phones and cancer, SAR, Indice DAS

2008-7-25 1:48pm

Photo taken in Autun, France.

tags: france travel autun black cat friday ark

2008-7-25 12:19pm

Tired of climbing over the hoards of neck stretched tourists pushing their way to see the teeny tiny Mona Lisa encased in a glass prison in the Louvre? Then, check out Tania Ledger’s lawn in Croydon. She hired the 3D art expert who reconstructed the famous painting for the The Da Vinci Code film.

See more photos and read about it here

tags: mona lisa louvre lawn art london da vinci code chris naylor

2008-7-25 11:57am

Depending on your outlook on this reality TV show that mixes Big Brother with a huge chunk of Schoolhouse Karaoke, you may or may not be thrilled that the popular program is moving from Le château de Dammarie-Les-Lys, outside of Paris - to l’hôtel de Brossier, rue Charlot in Le Marais. Oui, en centreville!

The neighborhood is not amused.

tags: france reality tv star academy le marais hôtel de Brossier

[via]

2008-7-25 8:18am

Barack…ok, since we’re on a first name basis, BARRY is making his rounds in Europe and will be in Paris this afternoon to meet Nicolas Sarkozy. Everyone I know in France wants him to win this November. Yesterday in Berlin, he was greeted by over 200,000 people. I just find this overwhelming support amazing and very cool. Not ONE European I know supports McCain. Anyway, if you want to try to catch a glimpse of Obama, he’ll be à l’Elysée around 5-ish. Please tell him “Hi!” from me.

Actually, his visit reminds me that I’m glad I’ve filed my “Absentee Voting” application, and my ballot should arrive well before the elections. If you haven’t already done so, I’d like to encourage all U.S. citizens overseas to act now so that your vote is counted in the November 2008 presidential elections.

You can download the application here: FCPA Application (pdf)

Fill it out, then mail (or email) it to the local election officials in the last state where you lived and where you were registered.

For specific information about absentee voting, go here: Absentee Voting for Overseas Citizens

tags: france 2008 elections absentee voting from france barack obama

2008-7-24 2:32pm

Michel Reybier, owner of legendary Bordeaux winery Cos d’Estournel, recently bought the Napa Valley California winery, Chateau Montelena from Jim and Bo Barret. The purchase price was not disclosed. An executive committee comprised of Bo Barrett, managing director Greg Ralston, and the winemaker at Cos d’Estournel Dominique Arangoits, with Jean-Guillaume Prats, general manager at Cos d’Estournel as president, will oversee the future operations.

Years earlier, the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973 won first place in the “Judgment of Paris” wine competition, beating French wines in a blind taste test.

tags: france wine Cos d’Estournel Chateau Montelena bordeaux cabernet sauvignon chardonnay

2008-7-24 9:18am

I think there might be more visitors to Vimy from now on…

From afp:

“A French couple were given a four-month suspended sentence and made to pay one euro in damages to the Canadian state for making a porn video at a World War I memorial, officials said Wednesday.

The site draws around half a million visitors each year.”

tags: france travel vimy wwi memorial sex video one euro fine

2008-7-24 6:49am

From the iht:

“As a kid in Brooklyn Steven L. Kaplan ate pale sliced Wonder Bread like everyone else but had an epiphany in Paris as a Princeton student in 1962 when he happened on a small bakery on the Rue du Cherche-Midi called Poilâne and bought a bâtard which he filled with cheese and ate in the Luxembourg gardens. “I can still taste that first bite,” he says.

Kaplan went on to become a professor of history at Cornell University, always fascinated by bread as one of the principal actors in French life: it is bread, he says, that seals the social contract in France, the link between the government and the governed.

When in the United States Kaplan, from what he views as necessity, bakes his own bread. In France he is recognized as the bread authority, compared recently in Le Monde with Robert O. Paxton, the American historian who forced French eyes to open on the subject of Vichy. The occasion of the comparison was Kaplan’s new book, “Le Pain Maudit” (Cursed Bread), a study of an unsolved mystery dating back more than half a century but which lingers even in the memories of those not then born: the affair of the poisoned bread.

What became a national disaster began on Aug. 16, 1951, when the inhabitants of the small town of Pont-Saint-Esprit in the Gard region of southern France were suddenly stricken by frightful hallucinations of being consumed by fire or giant plants or horrid beasts.

A worker tried to drown himself because his belly was being eaten by snakes. A 60-year-old grandmother threw herself against the wall and broke three ribs. A man saw his heart escaping through his feet and beseeched a doctor to put it back in place. Many were taken to the local asylum in strait jackets. There was no treatment, no cure and only one possible explanation: something in the bread baked the night of Aug. 15-16 had caused the calamity….” Read the rest

tags: france Steven L. Kaplan Pont Saint Esprit Le Pain Maudit poisoned bread

2008-7-22 5:21pm

For non-French speakers, it can be a challenge, if not completely impossible to correctly pronounce some names of French wines. Here’s another one that is not very easy to pronounce but if you could, you might not want to pronounce it. I found this excellent wall paper covered with wine labels in a brasserie in Beaune (Burgundy). One particular wine label stuck out, called, “Montre Cul,” which means “show your ass.” Burgundy vintners are silly and fun, apparently. The great thing about this wine is that if you’re looking for it in a store and the salesperson comes to help you, you don’t necessarily have to try to pronounce it. Just mimmick exactly what the woman on the label is doing…. THAT should work.

That isn’t too much to ask, is it? I mean, try acting out this label.

tags: france travel montre cul fun wine labels

2008-7-20 4:21pm

More Dimanche Dialogues: Tom Hanks and Jean Reno, Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand, Florent Pagny, Zidane and Xavier Darcos

2008-7-19 4:40pm

The new iPhone 3Gs were sold out within hours of its availability here in France the other day. Oh well. You waited too long, and didn’t get one? Maybe you can get one of these new, plastic disposable Bic cel phones instead. They’re really ugly, they radiate a lot of un-heathy microwaves and they’re very hazardous to the environment because they end up piling up in the landfills eventually leaching BPAs, dioxins and other carcinogens into the land, air and water. I bet you really want one now.

Bic (yes, the same people who brought you all those hideous plastic florescent lighters and pens that leaked into your backpack and pockets) has teamed up with Orange - to launch the sale of these wonderful mobile phones on August 7. The phone will cost €49 (about $80).

tags: france iphone disposable celphones global warming horrible inventions bic

2008-7-19 12:39pm

Tonight, the City of Santa Monica in California will launch an interactive light installation / art festival called, “Glow” and the pier and beach will literally glow all night long. Think of it as an all night psychedelic light party with media art, performances, music and sculpture installations. I couldn’t help writing about my old socal stomping grounds.

This is the first ever event of its kind for the U.S., but the idea isn’t new. They’ve borrowed the idea from the annual Paris Nuit Blanche (White Night), which is the night Paris stays awake till wee hours of the morning, and millions of people attend this artistic block party of sorts. (By the way, this year the Paris Nuit Blanche takes place on October 4 and 5, 2008.)

Glow takes place tonight 7pm until Sunday 7am.

Here’s a description from the site:

“Glow will fill the hours between dusk to dawn with compelling, enchanting and effervescent sights and sounds situated in spaces and times that expand possibilities for where, how and when the public experiences contemporary art.
With the historic Santa Monica Pier and adjacent world-famous Santa Monica Beach as their space, artists were commissioned to create unique and inviting works of art that welcome the public to be both audience and actor for twelve celebratory hours. Inspired by the wildly successful Nuit Blanche in Paris, Glow takes its spirit from the fabled grunion that live in local waters and come ashore several times a year to spawn in the sand creating a momentary sensation of iridescence.”

Glow
July 19, 2008
7pm to 7am
Free to the public
WHERE:
The “GLOW” Zone, Santa Monica, CA (Ocean Avenue between Colorado and Santa Monica Blvd), Carousel and Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier, Ferris Wheel at Pacific Park, Palisades Park (at entrance to Pier on Ocean Avenue), Muscle Beach, in front of Loews Hotel at Appian Way.
Website: Glow (for current up-to-the-minute calendars, parking information, maps and schedules)

tags: santa monica travel glow nuit blanche

2008-7-19 9:55am

According to the independent, there’s an escargot shortage that is threatening French life as we know it. OH NON! Most of the snails people eat in France are from Eastern Europe. Gasp! Oui oui. It’s true. But now the snail harvesting profession there is frowned upon. NOT very glamorous. How will they supply this year’s snail chow down?? Hohum.

People should come to the forest near our house. There are GOBS of snails after a rain.

Anyway, here’s the article:

“A slow-motion crisis threatens the French way of life – the great snail shortage of 2008. Shell-shocked French food processors have warned that they can no longer obtain sufficient quantities of snails from eastern Europe, their principal source of supply.

What is the attraction of eating snails? Is the taste not just in the sauce? “If you eat the processed snails, yes,” she said. “Wild snails, they are quite different. Ah, the taste of a wild snail. That is very special and delicate.”" [source]

Related: Escargot Posts

tags: france escargots snails shortage

2008-7-18 5:50pm

The beach in Ambleteuse near Fort Mahon in the north of France.

tags: france travel ambleteuse fort mahon

2008-7-18 12:52pm

A so-called NEW uranium leak near Avignon was reported just a week ago, and now there’s yet another nuclear power plant that is leaking. This time it’s at a plant that is actually not very far from the other leaking plant - in Romans-sur-Isere, both managed by the unscrupulous, Areva. The suits are saying AS USUAL, that this leak is not dangerous to humans and can not harm the environment. I’d like to ask, will they drink the water?

Does this remind anyone of various past events assessed by other evil corporations? Remember how the tobacco industry said that there is absolutely no link between smoking and cancer? I saw the excellent French documentary (Tabac, le grand conspiration) on the tobacco industry just the other night on TV showing old cigarette commercials: “Cigarettes are good for you!” “Cigarettes make you feel better!” “More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette.” “Cigarettes have absolutely no effect on your health!” Please. How could companies get away with this type of criminal activity? How can they continue to do so even today? Easily.

Also remember, they claimed that ASBESTOS was perfectly SAFE! Tell that to all the millions of people who died from asbesto poisoning or mesothelioma, who are now dying of cancer from it.

There aren’t just two power plants in France that are leaking, and those aren’t new leaks. (France 2 interview with Roland Desbordes explains) Additionally, there are a lot more leaking hazardous materials into the environment and drinking water, and have been doing so for a while now.

With the nuclear power plant companies claiming that “all is well and there’s no need to be concerned about the uranium that has leaked into the environment. This is a MINOR event and humans are totally safe from this! There’s no impact!” - and on the other side with scientists declaring that these leaks are hazardous and certainly NOT safe for humans and the environment. Who would YOU believe?

My point: If you’re traveling in these areas or anything near a nuclear power plant, simply be aware of the risks. Check the CRIIRAD site, which is the Independent Commission For Radioactivity Research and Information. (In French)

Link: nuclear power in france, radiation leak in Normandy, 2nd Nuclear Power Plant Leak in July (in German), ridiculous old smoking ads, 10 bizarre cigarette commericials

tags: france uranium leak nuclear power plants radiation corporate lies areva nuclear waste

2008-7-16 6:50pm

Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a guy. I am not sure why people think I am. My name? Do I have a masculine way of writing? Perhaps. No matter. I suppose.

Anyway…As a GIRL, I do girly things like going to the hair salon. I love getting a good coiff every month but I actually haven’t found a solid, consistent, normal salon, a salon I can say is MY preferred place. In the nearly six years I’ve lived in France, I’ve tried many places, way too many, I’m afraid - but I haven’t found a salon I can call my “own.” Maybe I’m a little picky; I didn’t think so but most places feel forced and tense; the people seem like they are trying too hard and insincerity screams through stretched smiles and unnatural niceties; Some offer too much pampering. I don’t need pampering. Most stylists cut my hair precisely in a way that does NOT at all resemble how I asked for it to be cut. I simply need a really good hair cut, a relaxed environment and a salon that uses products that are safe and without any harmful chemicals (like Paraben and Pheoxyethanol). There aren’t any in my part of France so I started going to Paris to try different places. I just went to Coiffure et Nature, which is located near Bastille. It’s a very chill salon with rustic/chic decor. It’s not a fancy schmancy salon, so no one is going to bring you a colorful cocktail on a pillow, but it is cozy and comfortable. Actually, they do offer drinks while you’re waiting but it’s not on a pillow!

Coiffure et Nature also focuses on aromatherapy, natural essential oils, natural methods and organic hair products. Their hair color is ammonia-free and 80% plant extracts. Unlike other salons, you aren’t bombarded with perfumes and chemical smells upon entering the establishment. It’s totally unexpected but a welcomed relief.

I had a great coiff from Virginie, who not only cut it exactly how I asked (yea, that can happen sometimes!), she also really concentrated on the cut instead of trying to “entertain” me, which happens oftentimes at other salons. Phew! We did chit chat part of the time, and that seemed fine and natural.

The prices are very reasonable for Paris. I had a shampooing /shampoo, coupe /cut and brushing / styling, which cost 58 euros. Worth a return trip.

Coiffure et Nature
1, rue de la Bastille
75004 Paris - France
Phone : + 33 1 42 72 90 37
E-mail : contact@coiffureetnature.fr
Website: Coiffure et Nature
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm, Thursday, Noon to 9pm *
M: Bastille : Lines 1 - 5 - 8
Exit rue St-Antoine / boulevard Beaumarchais

* NOTE: ALL hair salons in France are closed on Mondays.

tags: france travel organic hair salon coiffure et nature

2008-7-16 8:31am

Ever since writing about the zero pollution, zero emissions French Air Car, I’ve gotten some comments and gobs of emails from people asking if they might be available in the U.S.

I don’t live in the U.S., people! I live in France. YOU tell ME. Rant over.

Soooooooooo… that being said, I stumbled upon some information that reports that the Air Car might be available in the U.S. by late 2009 starting at $15,000. That’s just around the corner, and if it’s true, this little ugly (in a cute sense) car could possibly impact life as you know it - in a positive way, that is.

A New York based startup, ZPM (Zero Pollution Motors), just like India’s Tata Motors, has licensed the technology from the French company MDI. They plan to release a hybrid version that will be a clean, efficient way to power your ride. For example, one tank of air is approximately equivalent to eight gallons of gas, an 848 mile range. The car’s air tank can be refilled in about three minutes from a service station, but it can be plugged in at home and refilled in about 4 hours, an electricity cost of about two bucks.

Availability of the MDI Air Car in France is still pending approval.

tags: france air cars zero pollution motors mdi

[via]

2008-7-15 7:35pm

Can we agree here? Meetings suck. So much so, we’ve decided that whenever we have to conduct a meeting, we will combine it with something enjoyable, something so good that we might forget that we’re actually having a meeting.

Apparently, most of the people we saw at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris last week, had the same idea. Even singer Laurent Voulzy was having a meeting there. (yes, our first French celeb sighting!) Like them, our meeting was held in La Galerie des Gobelins inside the hotel, during tea time featuring yummissime pastries created by World Champion Pastry chef and MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), Christophe Michalak, who, strangely looks like he could be my sweetie’s (heavier) brother.

You’re greeted, seated, then a cart of perfectly lined up pastries are presented to you. You then begin to drool. Choosing will not be easy but if you have the appetite and a few extra euros, choose more than one. Go ahead and be a pastry pig. Life’s short.

I wasn’t a pig, though I would’ve been had I not just eaten a late lunch. I chose a salted caramel religieuse that wasn’t too shabby. My sweetie’s choices had wild forest strawberries (the one on the left was excellent cheesecake-like creamy goodness.) He always has room for at least 10 two pastries and doesn’t seem to suffer any consequences from this sort of voracious and hedonistic behavior, which I find insanely unfair.

We debated about whether these were indeed the BEST pastries we’ve had. I can’t answer that unless I’ve tried ALL the pastries here, so we’ll have to come back to test them all… I can say, however, that I’ve had equally delicious pastries as well as perhaps even better pastries elsewhere. (Of course, they weren’t inside the Plaza Athenee)…

Hôtel Plaza Athénée Paris
25 avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris, France
Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 66 65
The tearoom is open from 3pm to 5pm. Expect to spend about 20 to 35+ euros per person (Pastries are 16 euros each).

tags: france travel french pastries Hôtel Plaza Athénée Paris christophe michalak pigging out in paris

2008-7-14 9:52am

tags: france travel happy bastille day 14 juillet

2008-7-13 4:36pm

Known for his raspy voice and chart topping pop songs, Florent Pagny (left) sung his tax woes in the song, “Ma Liberté de Penser” (My freedom to think), and even though this happened long ago, France is rather merciless and never lets neither him nor anyone else forget about any of their past predicaments particularly if they involve stepping over legal lines.

Note: Xavier Darcos is France’s Education Minister (though it would’ve been more ironic if he’d been the Finance Minister…)

tags: france florent pagny zidane xavier darcos taxes

2008-7-13 1:16pm

This is a quick fyi to alert you to today and tomorrow’s different hours at the Eiffel Tower, just in case you feel like being smushed between thousands upon thousands of sweaty people.

Today, July 13th, there will be no show and the last access to the Tower is 9pm. The Tower will close at 10pm. Tomorrow, Bastille Day, the 14th: Last access is at 6pm and the Tower closes at 8pm. The fireworks show will take place at 10:45pm from Trocadero. Times are subject to change.

Otherwise, normal hours of the Tower: Open every day, 9am to 12:45am. Last access is 11:45pm.

tags: france travel eiffel tower bastille day

2008-7-13 8:29am

Excerpt by Bernard-Henri Lévy from tnr:

America has changed. It was the conservative Samuel Huntington who said it in his latest book, “Who Are We?”: America is no longer a Protestant, Anglo-Saxon country, European by tradition and white by vocation, that cannot seriously imagine a black man running for the presidency. George W. Bush’s two terms? The swing to the far right the country took after 9/11? The campaigns by those opposing abortion, or the partisans of anti-Darwin creationism? Sure, one could see a marked tendency, a fundamental movement. Or one could also, as in my case, see the shock and desperate mobilization of an America that knows it is dying but is trying nonetheless to delay the moment when it realizes it must surrender.

Four years ago I was one of the first to acknowledge, after having heard, then met, Obama, the emergence of a meteor. I hope that today I will not be wrong in announcing that he will very soon be the face of the United States. In any case, I am marking my calendar.

Read the full article

2008-7-11 6:03pm

tags: france travel rennes

2008-7-10 7:32pm

From nowpublic:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy has risked causing a minor diplomatic incident with Japan by not holding a bilateral meeting with the country’s prime minister during the Group of Eight summit, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.

Sarkozy had meant to make an official visit to Japan before this week’s summit, but has since postponed it until next year. If he decides to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in August, it will be his second visit to China since his election as president last year, the paper noted.” [source]

tags: france sarkozy japan france relations cultural retard

2008-7-10 12:02pm

Will this be some sort of historic World Record for “First Lady’s CD Sales”? I think so.

Carla Bruni, France’s 1st Lady, will officially launch Comme si de rien n’etait / As if Nothing Happened, her third CD tomorrow here in France. I think you’ll find it to be pretty good if you like hearing about revealing, personal memoirs. There isn’t much about life after being married to Sarkozy (tant mieux / all the better.) Everything is original except a cover of Bob Dylan’s “You Belong to Me“ and an Italian song. I actually liked her first CD (Quelqu’un m’a dit /Someone Told Me) so I think this one might have some promise. All royalities will go the Foundation of France, which funds charities.

If you’re in the U.S. check out: Carla Bruni - Comme Si de Rien N’Etait - fyi: you can pre-order it now.

Links
Carla Bruni - Comme si de rien n’etait (France)
Carla Bruni - Comme Si de Rien N’Etait (release date July 22 in the U.S.) (U.S.)

tags: france music carla bruni Comme si de rien n’etait

2008-7-10 9:07am

From AP:

“Tests show that uranium levels are diminishing but have not vanished from rivers in southern France after a leak from a nuclear site, regional authorities said Wednesday.

The Commission for Independent Radioactivity Research and Information said the leak led to the release of radioactive material 100 times that which the site is allowed to release in a year. Greenpeace said the leaked waste was more than 130 times the permitted level.”

2008-7-09 6:46am

When I see stuff like this, a vending machine for bread…in France, seen in Arles by the blogger at pasta and vinegar (Thanks, Nicolas!), it nevers ceases to amaze me that the world can make no sense sometimes. That seems backwardly strange. A bread vending machine in France? Please. Are there NOT enough bakeries around??! This one is obviously non-functional and someone wanted it to be erased from the neighborhood without actually having to lift and move it.

I wonder what the bread was like. Was it sliced? Whole loaves? Was is good? Why did the machines exist? Do they still have bread vending machines in France? In the nearly six years we’ve been in France, I haven’t seen any (I might have not noticed them) but I think they are still around somewhere. Where? Inquiring minds want to know.

tags: france french bread vending machine arles

2008-7-08 6:59am

Nature et Decouverte, a French equivalent of The Nature Company, sure knows how to get your attention. While we were waiting at the cash register, we laughed at this book, displayed right at the entrance of the store. The book is called, Comment chier dans les bois, which means, “How to Shit in the Woods.” Yeah, we were tempted to get it but realized we already know how to do so.

Actually, it’s a book pour une approche environnementale d’un art perdu. that takes an environmental approach to a lost art.

Makes me wonder about how many are sold based on shock value.

tags: france books comment chier dans les bois green

2008-7-07 4:11pm

I guess it’s too fattening.

From breitbart:

“France’s bid, backed by famous chefs, to have its cuisine added to UNESCO’s list of world cultural treasures is likely to flop, a representative from the UN body said Saturday.
“There is no category at UNESCO for gastronomy,” said Cherif Khaznadar, president of the UNESCO assembly of states that have signed the convention to safeguard intangible cultural heritage.

Khaznadar said only the elements specifically identified in the convention can make the list of intangible heritage — and gastronomy is not among them.

“I am afraid that the presentation of a dossier on gastronomy will not get far,” said Khaznadar during a round table discussion at the first “Gastronomy by the Seine” festival held this weekend on Paris yachts.

UNESCO started its list of “intangible” cultural treasures such as dance, carnival or other rituals in 2003.

In 2005, a UNESCO jury including several French members turned down a request by Mexico to have its culinary tradition recognised.

However, the head of the group campaigning to gain cultural heritage status for French food said it should fit UNESCO criteria because it is “a major element of French culture.”

President Nicolas Sarkozy said in February that France would lobby for its cuisine to be added to UNESCO’s list of cultural treasures, calling it “the best gastronomy in the world.”

The French bid will be presented to the UN educational, scientific and cultural body next year, with a verdict due in in 2010.

For Michelin-starred chef Gerard Cagna, UNESCO’s recognition would “allow us to keep alive a fundamental part of our culture.”

Many in French food circles are still stinging from a blow delivered in 2003, when the New York Times ruled that Spain had overtaken its Gallic neighbour as the epicentre of the gourmet world.”

[source]

2008-7-06 5:53pm

The French, according to an international survey.

From time:

“Remember the tightwad tourist whose baggy shorts, frequent complaining and shouted questions about why none of the locals spoke any English made the ugly American the world’s Visitor From Hell? Well, it’s time for Archie Bunker to move over and make way for Petulant Pierre. According to a recent international survey, the French are now considered the most obnoxious tourists from European nations, and behind only Indians and the last-place Chinese as the worst among all countries worldwide. And it’s not only the rest of the world that have a gripe with the Gallic attitude: the French also finished second to last among nations ranking the popularity of their own tourists who vacation at home….” Read the rest

2008-7-06 5:44pm

Another conversation: Dialogue entre Daniel Balavoine and Francois Mitterrand

tags: france jean reno tom hanks sarkozy life’s regrets

2008-7-06 2:15pm

The Tour de France began yesterday! I haven’t been paying attention. Oops. Here’s the route (above) and to see street views from Google, go here. For more information, check out the official website.

Related: Tour de France Today in the Dreaded Le Creusot, Tour de France Route on Google Earth, Le Tour de France or AuTour de la France?, Tour de France 2006 - The Route

tags: france travel tour de france google street view

2008-7-05 10:53am

I’ll be in Paris next week for a chocolate fix and other things so I was trying to find the exact address of Jean-Paul Hévin’s place. I serendipitously stumbled upon these new chocolate abs on his website.

It turns out, since May of this year, you can get Les Tablettes de chocolat (abs of steel, 6 pack abs) without having to work out! Isn’t that excellent news?

In France, the equivalent of the phrase, “abs of steel” is, “les tablettes de chocolat” (chocolate bars). So, chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin, an MOF in Paris, has taken the concept one step further and has re-invented the les tablettes de chocolat, called “Abdominal bars,” which actually sounds more dietetic, if you think about it. What a sneaky trick. Far, Far, and light years away from being dietetic, these Jean-Paul Hévin chocolate bars seem like the best alternative to going to the gym for some abs. Of course, they aren’t THOSE abs we’re really thinking about.

There are three different kinds of abdominal bars: Pecs, Muscle and Fitness Bars. 

Pecs Bars
75% cocoa
Origin : Venezuela
Bean type : Criollo, Trinitario
Nose : powerful, manly
Taste : spicy touches of coffee and dry fruit, floral touches, slight acidity due to the bean fermentation.
Distinctive feature : intense aroma and surprisingly long taste, cocoa finesse.

2,20 € per 40 g bar

Muscle Bars
75% cocoa
Origin : Madagascar
Bean type : Criollo, Forastero
Nose : powerful, intense
Taste : acidity typical of Madagascar, touches of red and yellow berries.
Distinctive feature : intense freshness due to cocoa acidity.

2,20 € per 40 g bar

Fitness Bars
65% cocoa
Origin : Blend of central America and Africa
Bean type : Trinitario, Forastero
Nose : black chocolate, spicy
Taste : spicy, marked chocolate taste
Distinctive feature : sugar-free, suitable for diabetes patients

2,20 € per 40 g bar

Jean-Paul Hévin Chocolatier
23 bis, avenue de la Motte-Picquet
75007 Paris - FRANCE
Website

tags: france travel jean paul hevin chocolate in paris les tablettes de chocolate MOF abdominal bars

2008-7-04 5:54pm

From Le Grand Cafe Brasserie, 8-10, rue Saint-Jean, 62520 Le Touquet Paris-Plage, Telephone +33 (0) 3 21 05 52 71, Open 7 days, all year.

2008-7-04 5:34pm

We spent a gorgeous day with our niece, meandering around the village of Le Touquet Paris-Plage, a small beachtown in northern France. It didn’t occur to me until after we saw this restaurant with extra EXTRA large hamburgers, that today is the 4th of July. Happy 4th of July! We would’ve commemorated my birth country’s independence here at Jean’s Cafe, which is a restaurant à la americaine (and à l’anglaise) but we had just finished eating some tasty tapas just up the street. Incidentally, I don’t think I’d want the Hamburger XXL, especially one that costs 17 euros, just a little more than $26. (I might be tempted by the ribs, however.) I don’t think I’d want anything XXL unless it was a French pastry or artisanal chocolate or Italian gelato or a pizza pie from Giordano’s.

We couldn’t resist but ask Jean’s Cafe how XXL the Hamburger XXL was exactly because we all knew that if we had an XXL burger in the U.S., it’d be like a 5 pounder of ground beef, with an extra cheese-like substance, a head of iceberg lettuce, 8 sliced pickles (amusement park-size), a whole sliced onion, waterfalls of ketchup and mustard - all inside a bun the size of seat cushion. You know? Anyway, the XXL is 250 grams of hamburger meat, roughly a half-pound of meat. That’s a LOT for French people but maybe a measly morsel for Americans. Ok, it’s huge, I realize, but I keep thinking about that Simpson’s episode where Homer eats 4.5 pounds of steak… so a half a pound is…you know how the French say… Les doigts dans le nez. (literally, fingers in the nose, which is suppose to mean, “piece of cake”).

tags: france travel le touquet extra extra large hamburgers in france 4th of july

2008-7-03 7:07am

Read the article

2008-7-02 12:22pm

In sync with the new road safety laws in France regarding a vest and triangle to be kept in cars at all times, this amusing ad campaign was launched and features famous designer fashionista, Karl Lagerfeld. Via LA Frog (merci!)

C’est jaune, c’est moche, et ça ne va avec rien, mais ça peut vous sauvez la vie.

Translation:

It’s yellow, it’s ugly, it doesn’t go with anything (else), but it can save your life.

tags: france karl lagerfeld road safety ads

2008-7-01 6:47pm

Starting July 17, 2008, Air France offers nonstop flights between New York - JFK and Lyon, France. Delta will operate this new service, following a very convenient schedule on a comfortable Boeing 757-ER aircraft.

JFK to Lyon
Flight AF8987/DL174, departs 4:30PM and arrives 7:05AM (next day)
No flights on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Lyon to JFK
Flight AF8992/DL175, departs 9:30AM and arrives 12:15PM (same day)
No flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

*Remember to visit Les Halles de Lyon, perfect for the foodie traveler.

Air France

tags: france travel flights to lyon flights to jfk air france

2008-7-01 6:44am

Beginning today, cars in France must carry a gilet de sécurité / bright, yellow vest with 2 reflective stripes and a triangle de pré-signalisation / a reflective red warning triangle. These are to be used if you have an accident or must pull off the road for break downs and other emergencies. Note: The vest must be in the cab portion of the car, that is, where the drivers and passengers are, and not in the trunk.

The police will be performing random checks to verify that you have these obligatory items. If you’re caught without them after October, 1, you risk a fine of 90 to 135 euros.

You can sometimes get free kits with vests and triangle at a gas station if you have your oil changed or have your tires checked. Otherwise, they are available to purchase at gas stations for about 15 - 20 euros.

tags: france travel gilet de sécurité triangle de pré-signalisation road+laws+france mandatory+vest+triangle

2008-6-30 9:49am

From the iht:

“COLLOBRIÈRES, France: Christine Amrane says it is mostly about profit, not just protest and nostalgia. This isolated village has decided to accept the French franc in everyday commerce, along with the euro, and the colorful old bills adorned with French heroes and writers have got people thinking.

France is thought to be the beating heart of the European vision, but the last time the French voted on an earlier version of Lisbon, in 2005, they voted no - and polls say they would reject it in its current form….

Full article

2008-6-29 9:22pm

As a chronic conspiracy theorist and as a person who strongly believes that no politician is good, this imagined dialogue spawned from my various psycho suspicions. It’s a conversation between Late French Singer/Activist Daniel Balavoine and Late President of the French Republic Francois Mitterrand - based on a very well-known confrontation between the two on a talk show in 1980. (Here’s a transcription in French.) Perhaps more “Dialogues Entre Quelqu’un et Quelqu’un d’autre” in France will surface here if I remember to post some. Something for Sundays.

Anyway, back to the dialogue between two dead people.

During the fateful day on live French TV, it appeared that Francois Mitterrand, then running for French President, attempted to lure the youth vote by having the popular singer invited as a “trophy” guest on the live talk show. It was obvious that they had no intention of letting Balavoine say anything. So, Balavoine exploded in anger. He insisted on having air-time for what he had to say, and, in a nutshell, he was trying to represent young adults expressing that they shared a sense of hopelessness because of many unanswered questions and ignored problems. They no longer believed in French politics and policies and felt desperate. He wanted to warn world leaders, which seemed like a direct criticism to Mitterand, that if the situation did not improve, this desperation would surely result in devastating consequences.

I don’t believe Mitterrand was very pleased. That being said, I’m positive the communist party wasn’t very happy, either, with what Balavoine said about them. (He’d questioned what they REALLY did with the money they received.) Wait. Balavoine also criticized Gaston Deferre, who was mayor of Marseille at the time, remarking that he and his administration were not the best societal role models…

Daniel Balavoine was killed in 1986 in a SO-CALLED, “accident.” YES. I don’t really think it was an accident.

It could have been Deferre! Hold on. He also mentioned that M. Soisson, the Ministre de la jeunesse / the Youth Minister, is OLD! And how could a Youth Minister truly act on behalf young adults if he, himself, is old. It might have been Soisson!

tags: france daniel balavoine confrontation francois mitterrand not an accident who killed daniel balavoine?

2008-6-29 12:37pm

From iht:

France’s space agency, CNES put its entire UFO sightings archive on the web.

“The saucer-shaped object is said to have touched down in the south of France and then zoomed off. It left behind scorch marks and that haunting age-old question: Are we alone in this big universe of ours?

This is just one of the cases from France’s secret “X-Files” — some 100,000 documents on supposed UFOs and sightings of other unexplained phenomena that the French space agency is publishing on the Internet.

France is the first country to put its entire weird sightings archive online, said Jacques Patenet, who heads the space agency’s UFO cell — the Group for Study and Information on Nonidentified Aerospace Phenomena.

Their oldest recorded sighting dates from 1937, Patenet told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. The first batch of archives went up on the agency’s Web site this week, drawing a server-busting wave of traffic.

“The Web site exploded in two hours. We suspected that there was a certain amount of interest, but not to this extent,” Patenet said.

The archive includes police and expert reports, witness sketches (some are childlike doodlings), maps, photos and video and audio recordings. In all, the archive has some 1,650 cases on record and some 6,000 witness accounts.

The space agency, known by its French initials CNES, said it is making them public to draw the scientific community’s attention to unexplained cases and because their secrecy generated suspicions that officials were hiding something.

“There’s always this impression of plots, of secrets, of wanting to hide things,” Patenet said. “The great danger would be to…”leave the field open to sects and charlatans.”

He said many cases were unexplained lights in the sky. “Only 20 to 30″ could be classified as “Objet Volant Non Identifie” — UFOs that appeared to be physical objects, leaving “marks on the ground, radar images,” he said.

Even Gen. Charles de Gaulle, France’s wartime hero who became its president, got the UFO bug.

“In 1954, there was a wave of sightings of phenomena in France, and it went up to the highest levels of state. Gen. De Gaulle himself assigned … an aide and told him, ‘Look into this for me, study it to see if something needs to be done,’” Patenet said.

That year there were hundreds of sightings over several months, but generally there are 50 to 100 reported each year.

Only 9 percent of France’s strange phenomena have been fully explained, the agency said. Experts found likely reasons for another 33 percent, and 30 percent could not be identified for lack of information.

Other cases were impossible to crack. The most baffling were labeled “Class D aerospace phenomena” — which the agency defines as “inexplicable despite precise testimonies and the (good) quality of material information gathered.” Some 28 percent of sightings fall into this category.

Patenet singled out the January 1981 case of the saucer-shaped object that a witness said he saw land in Trans-en-Provence, a village inland from the French Riviera.

Some 2.5 meters (8 feet) across, the zinc-colored object made a whistling noise as it landed. The witness later drew a picture: It resembled a wok with a lid and legs.

“The machine stayed a few seconds on the ground and then left very quickly but it left marks that were analyzed and allowed us to determine that the ground had been heated up, that the object must have weighed several hundred kilos (pounds), and that surrounding plants underwent biological changes,” Patenet said.

“So something really happened. It really defies analysis.”

The agency said everything in the archive would be published, except for psychological reports about witnesses as well as their names.

Most of the time, Patenet said, witnesses were sincere about what they saw. “Very few look for publicity, because they fear most of all that they will not be taken seriously.”

Still, there were frauds.

In 1979, in Cergy-Pontoise outside Paris, a man showed up at a police station claiming that his friend had been abducted by a UFO — a bright light that appeared on the road and swallowed up his car. Several days later, the man purportedly reappeared in a field, emerging out of a sphere of light.

Investigators went so far as to test the man’s blood for signs that he had recently experienced weightlessness — and they found none. The agency labeled it a hoax.

Some cases took years to unravel. In 1985, two farmers near the Atlantic coastal city of Royan saw a burning object drop into a field nearby.

Experts initially concluded that it was part of the propulsion device of a recently launched satellite. Eventually, they realized it was a piece of leftover German World War II ordnance that spontaneously exploded four decades after the war.

Among the unexplained cases, one of the most perplexing concerned a 1994 Air France flight. While flying over the Paris region, the airplane’s crew noticed a large brown-red disk hovering in the horizon and constantly changing shape. The case “has never been explained to this day, and leaves the door open to all possible hypotheses,” the agency wrote.

So, do we have neighbors out there, after all?

“I don’t have an answer to that,” Patenet said. “Even if there is such a planet, given the size of the universe, what is the probability that two civilizations … will meet or come across each other? I really don’t know. It’s very complicated. It’s incalculable.”

CNES
___

Associated Press writer Angela Doland in Paris contributed to this report.

2008-6-28 7:53am

From the nyt:

“Next to the Palais de la Découverte, just off the Champs-Élysées, is a flight-of-fancy sculpture of the 19th-century poet Alfred de Musset daydreaming about his former lovers. As art goes, the expanse of white marble is pretty mediocre, and its sculptor, Alphonse de Moncel, little-remembered. For me, however, it is a crucial marker. To its right is a path with broken stone steps that lead down into one of my favorite places in Paris, a tiny stage-set called Jardin de la Vallée Suisse.

“He took some of the pathetic, shabby squares and gardens and transformed and adorned them,” said Claude Bureau, one of the city’s great garden historians who was chief gardener of the Jardin des Plantes for more than two decades. “He appreciated….”

Read the full article

tags: france travel hidden gardens in paris

2008-6-27 3:32pm

Dad-in-law showed me this pretty flowery tomato thing growing in their garden in the north of France but I kept forgetting what it was called so I repeatedly asked him about it. “Just think of the sexually transmitted disease, Syphilis, because that rhymes with Physialis, sort of.”

Rather an unpleasant association, but I guess it works. In the English speaking world, this delicate and beautiful plant is known as Physalis, Chinese Lantern, Strawberry Tomato, Winter Cherry, Bladder Cherry or Cape Gooseberry, and is a relative of the tomatillo in the Solanaceae family.

They are so delicate with a paper-like shell that really does resemble a Japanese or Chinese lantern. Add them to flower arrangements as well as desserts and meals for an artistic and exotic visual impact.

They have a unique flavor. Maybe it’s because I expect them to taste like tomatoes, I’m not sure, but they are a teeny tiny bit like cherry tomatoes and plums with a hint of pineapple and a strange unidentifiable aftertaste.

Note: The unripe Physialis is poisonous, so please avoid those. However, the ripe fruit can sometimes cause intestinal distress so please consume in small quantities…like one or two in a sitting.

tags: france physialis edible flowers potager chinese lantern

2008-6-27 12:20pm

From appleinsider:

“France Telecom’s Orange said Thursday it will launch Apple’s much anticipated iPhone 3G in France on July 17th with prices starting at 149 euro ($233) for the 8GB model.

Orange said its 3G network currently covers over 66 percent of the French population.

tags: france iphone orange

2008-6-27 10:11am

Check out the anuual Jazz Festival taking place at the La Défense Esplanade this weekend. La Défense can be a bit of a schlep from the center of Paris (unless you take a taxi) but if I think it will be worth it, especially to see Herbie Hancock (6pm on Sunday) who is a LEGEND. I Love him.

Bring along some friends, wine, glasses, a picnic and blanket or camping chairs to spend a perfect Parisian summer evening surrounded by music.

La Défense Jazz Festival - June 27 - 29, 2008
Esplanade - Place de La Défense
Friday, June 27 - Noon: Caravan Palace; 6pm National Jazz Competition
Saturday, June 28 - 1pm 6pm National Jazz Competition; 8:30pm Don Cavalli; 9:30pm Solomon Burke
Sunday, June 29 - 1pm National Jazz Competition; 6pm Herbie Hancock and Pura Fe
Website or Myspace
For more information: Call +33 (0)1 47 29 30 48 or Email: LADEFENSEJAZZ@CG92.FR

Transportation
Metro: Station Grande Arche de La Défense Line 1 RER A, T2 and Bus
By Car: Boulevard Circulaire, Exit: La Défense 4, Follow signs for “Parking Centre”

tags: france travel La Défense Jazz Festival free concerts in paris herbie hancock paris

2008-6-27 9:26am

From bbcnews:

“The French president has irritated female members of parliament by sending them what they say is an ill-judged gift to mark France’s EU presidency.

Nicolas Sarkozy’s office sent a sleek black case to all MPs, male and female, including a pale grey tie.

Socialist MP Aurelie Filippetti proclaimed it “yet more proof of male chauvinism in the political class”.

Others took it more lightly, gamely adding the ties to their outfits or even wearing them as headbands.

Junior minister Nadine Morano - one of Mr Sarkozy’s most loyal staffers - defended her boss’s blunder by saying that “even for a woman, wearing a tie can be nice,” the Guardian reports.

Some 18% of deputies in the National Assembly - a total of 107 - are women.

Mr Sarkozy chose many women for cabinet-level posts, including Justice Minister Rachida Dati and Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.

Women also hold the finance, higher education, culture and agriculture ministries and the health, youth and sports portfolio in Mr Sarkozy’s cabinet.”

2008-6-26 4:11pm

After getting a taste of a couple of French MOFs’ (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) awarding winning desserts and meals (Le Daniel and Paul Bocuse), we’ve since been on a mission to seek out and try out more and more (and more!) of them. Perhaps I’ll be shopping for new clothes here soon.

Les 5 Sens (The 5 Senses), a 2-year old modern and reasonably priced gastronomic restaurant in Avignon, is owned by Chef Thierry Baucher, an MOF. We were in the neighborhood last week, so we headed out with Jacques, Chloe and Noa (from Apres la sieste), in search of a yummy meal. Yes. We found what we were looking for and more. The meal was positively and incredibly memorable.

^{Chef Thierry Baucher working in the kitchen}

Note: You will notice that I forgot BOTH my cameras (I know. I’m a fired blogger!) so some of the photos were taken with the phone camera in very low light, and many of them just didn’t come out. I had to shrink the remaining of them. (The top photo is a scan from their business card.)

We sat outside in the courtyard on a beautiful, warm evening. The night kicked off literally with a bang starting with the amuse bouche, traditionally served before the first course. A small glass filled with a mixture of cucumber and tiny pieces of raw salmon.

Suddenly, my sweetie let out a little scream. Then Jacques blurts a little “woah!” Next, Chloe and I followed. The chef had sprinkled Pop Rocks (candy) into the amuse bouche. Pop Rocks, remember those fizzy exploding candy things?! (also known as Action Candy, and in France it was called, “Frizzy Pazzy”) A memorable amuse bouche (with mouths snapping, crackling and popping) if ever I knew one.

Everything that followed was excellent, so much so that everyone was fully concentrated on their meal for a while, oohing and ahhing in between.

Each dish and the dessert was truly unique and absolutely wonderful, and there were always unexpected twists in dishes. There’s not much to say, really, except that you must try Les 5 Sens if you’re ever in Avignon.

I had to sample the cheeses by Josiane Deal, another MOF! They were superb, and the sorbet made with roquette, lime and mint, perfectly accompanied the cheeses, as well as being really refreshing and singularly different.

So the chef heard that the blogger from Why Travel to France was eating in the courtyard, so he came out to chat with us. Kidding. I’m not sure why he came out to talk with us, but it was very sweet of him, anyway. Give that man a raise!

A last note.

The bathrooms are impeccably clean, which means only one thing: the kitchen is very clean. You know, that cleanliness advice from Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential?

A clean kitchen is a must.
Another last note: The bathroom has black toilet paper, which my sweetie thought was blog worthy. I agree.

Les 5 Sens
Place Plaisance (the restaurant is not visible from the street so you must enter the courtyard)
18, Rue Joseph Vernet
84000 Avignon, France
+33 (0) 4 90 85 26 51 (reservations recommended)
Hours: 11:30am to 2:30pm and 7:30pm to 11pm
Closed Sunday and Monday except in July

tags: france travel les 5 sens meilleur ouvrier de france avignon restaurants

2008-6-25 5:04pm

You will go deliriously insane (in a good way) at the indoor food market of Les Halles (also called “La Halle”) in Lyon, particularly if quality Lyonnais cuisine does something to you. You simply cannot go wrong here with the 59 knowledgeable food traders and craftsmen, and anyone you’ve ever met from Lyon or anyone who has been here, will always recommend it to you. Sausages is the local specialty, but everything is good here. It’s the best of the best, apparently and many of the best chefs in the Lyon area shop here. So instead of going on and on about how great it is, which it IS, just enjoy the photos below, and make sure you get a chance to visit as soon as possible. For travelers, I’d recommend shopping here and have a royal picnic. It will be one the best picnics you will ever have…

Here’s a little sampler but there’s much, much more (breads, desserts, wines, chocolates, fresh vegetables and fruit, oysters and other shellfish, specialty restaurants…)

The famous La Fromagerie La Mère Richard, known for his yum Saint Marcellin cheese is here so make sure you experience France with the real deal.

Although escargots (snails) are a regional specialty of my part of France, Bourgogne (Burgundy), I bet these will satisfy anyone in need of their quota of calcium, magnesium and vitamin C.

Make sure to stuff your shopping basket with these bright and unsual macarons.

DON’T leave Les Halles without a sausage or 10. We bought 3 but now I wished we grabbed more. Like a dozen more…

Les Halles de Lyon
102 Cours Lafayette
Lyon (Rhône) France
Opening Hours: Every day (except Mondays & Bank Holidays) from 7am-7pm (closed between 12-3pm)
Website (to see all the vendors and for more info)

tags: france travel lyon les halles de lyon indoor food market french wine lyonnais cuisine

2008-6-25 11:22am

Arts & Management International, bidding on behalf of an unknown (to us) client, received the winning bid for Monet’s Le Bassin aux Nymphéas for $80.4 million. Bargain!

“Le Bassin aux Nymphéas,” from 1919, a large horizontal work measuring more than 3 feet by 6 feet, is from a series of four that Monet signed and dated and that experts consider to be among the most important paintings from his late period. Unlike most of his late works, which remained unfinished at the time of his death in 1926, this series was sold by him. One is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; another was cut in two; and a third is in a private collection, having been sold at Christie’s in New York in 1992 for $12.1 million, a stellar price at the time…

Read the full article at nyt

2008-6-23 7:28pm

From aol:

Where is the love, Parisians?

“… Radiohead were left with a row of empty seats at a recent French concert after a ticket giveaway backfired. The eco-friendly group announced 50 passes were available for their show at Paris’ Bercy Arena but fans could only get by cycling to their record label’s offices in the French city.

However, Parisians were not prepared to get on their bikes so 35 tickets went unclaimed. A source said: “Radiohead are using their current world tour to highlight their commitment to green issues. They advise all concertgoers to use public transport and are doing all they can to make their carbon footprint as small as possible. Unfortunately the French didn’t appear to share their noble intentions and roundly ignored the free ticket tactic.”

tags: france radiohead velib lazy environment unfriendly parisians

2008-6-23 6:19pm

While strolling through the largest garden of more varieties of bamboo than you ever knew existed (about 40), you would imagine that you’ve found yourself in a far eastern land, a place surrounded by exotic flowers and plants (impossible to pronounce), hearing only the waft of a gentle breeze combing through the long stalks in a bamboo forest.

The zen-like ambiance of this unexpected garden has actually placed you in the Mediterranean climate of the south of France, not far from the town of Alès and two kilometers (just over one mile) north of Anduze. There are 34 hectares devoted to the cultivation of bamboo and other exotic plants from the Asia.

We’ve been wanting to see La Bambouseraie for long time now, so while we were south we decided to take a drive (about an hour) from our temporary home base in Saint Laurent des Arbres.

To satisfy the thirsty bamboo, more than five kilometers (3 miles) of irrigation canals are discretely blended into the landscape. With the sunny climate, ideal soil and a dependable supply of water, the bamboo can grow more than a meter (3 feet) a day.

La Bambouseraie de Prafrance was founded in 1855, and is the very first giant bamboo forest in Europe. Eugène Mazel, a native of the Cévennes who made his fortune by importing spices, began his bamboo collection while traveling through the French colonies of the Far East. After purchasing the domaine of Prafrance from its owner, Anne de Galière, he began to build his dream bamboo garden on the property. It now features water gardens, sequoia trees from California, traditional projects (Japanese garden, Laotian village), a garden labyrinth, a greenhouse and a nursery.

Oh! and some dwarf Vietnamese pigs. They look pretty humungous to me, though.

The Japanese Zen garden is relatively new to the park (2001) designed very true to Japanese style. The sculpting of the landscape took inspiration from the year it was founded, which was the Year of the Dragon. The Japanese garden’s form is dependent on the body of water it surrounds, so you’ll see the water wind through the garden like a dragon, both existing in harmony with each other. Note that “dragon” is an anagram of Gardon, the nearest river…

Dragon in the Zen Garden

For the rest of the post and to see a lot more photos after the fold click:

Back to its history. Because the park required so much maintenance, Mazel exhausted his finances and went bankrupt in 1890. The bank, Crédit Foncier de France took over and managed the property until November 1902 when it was sold to Gaston Nègre. Nègre devoted his life to preserving and ameliorating the park (a large part of the collection had been lost through neglect).

The park was later passed down to his son, Maurice Nègre in 1948. He fought hard to restore the park, which had been damaged by the floods of 1958, but he unexpectedly died in an accident in 1960. Luckily his wife took over to continue her husband’s work. In 1977, her daughter Muriel and son-in-law Yves took over managing the estate and development of La Bambouseraie. Muriel continues to run the business today.

Remarkably, only about a dozen gardeners are required to maintain the public areas and the nursery.

Although La Bambouseraie is closed to the general public part of the year, the park is actually a year-around source of bamboo events for zoos all over Europe. It also holds winter expositions in major European capitals and sells nursery stock.

Though it’s not very French and there are no rides or lively attractions, it’s a beautiful place and worth a look-see if you’re in the area and if you appreciate gorgeous gardens. You will probably spend no more than about 2 hours here, less if you’re quick. With your admission fee, you receive a 30 minute guided tour, which is worth taking but not obligatory, and you can purchase bamboo plants and flowers for your garden or home at the nursery.

La Bambouseraie de Prafrance
30140, Générargues, Anduze, France
Telephone (+33) 04 66 61 70 47
Website

Open March to November, every day from 9.30am to 7pm.

More photos below:

Black bamboo

Easily stressed out bamboo

We really loved the striped bamboo.

See?

Sequoias from California live here too.

Waterfall inside the greenhouse

A quiet corner of the garden.

Poems inspired by a poetic place.

tags: france travel La Bambouseraie bamboo garden in france

2008-6-23 1:05pm

French company Louis Vuitton is up to its old misguided antics getting all litigious on guitarist, Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel). They’ve got their knickers in a twist over the fact that Navarro has been using a LV strap for his guitar. Um. I’d call that free advertising for LV! But nooooo. Louis Vuitton legal cronies sent the guitarist an ugly threatening letter expressing, “We have no doubt that this copying has been willful and is intended to trade upon the fame and cachet of the LV Trademarks to elevate the status of the infringing Guitar Strap, and of Jane’s Addiction.” Basically, they’re going to sue his ass if he doesn’t cease and desist his LV guitar strap use. Pffff.

Read about it on Dave Navarro’s blog, 6767

Related: Louis Vuitton is Suing a Darfur Fundraiser,
Getting Caught with Designer Rip-offs (Fakes) in France and Italy, iPod Cases from M. Louis Vuitton, Kawaii Contrefaçon

tags: france louis vuitton guitar strap dave navarro

[via]

2008-6-22 3:51pm

From Maureen Dowd:

“The French are different from you and me.

“I was seduced by his…”

Read the full article

2008-6-22 3:01pm

Remember recently how the media was reporting that France was heading for U.S. obesity levels? Well. It has arrived. I saw this store for large sizes 44 to 52, which is alarmingly huge. We’re used to seeing these stores in the U.S. where obesity is commonplace and has been for decades, but in France, it’s fairly new. I hope it’s a temporary thing.

I like that the French stores take a more “soft” and kind approach, and never say, “larger,” “bigger” or even “plus” sizes - even if they are for overweight and obese people. Toscan is a spinoff from Armand Thiery, but when we were shopping at H&M in this very same mall (Cap Sud) in Avignon, they had a large size section, which is relatively new.

What does this mean about France?

1. People are FAT! And are getting fatter! 42% of French women are overweight. The rate of adult obesity is 25%. With children, there was an overall overweight and obesity prevalence of 17.8%, with an overweight and obesity prevalence of 25.3% in boys and 16.5% in girls aged 11-14 years and 16.7% for boys and 16.5% for girls in the 15-17 year age group (from a 2007 study). 

2. The French can no longer indulge in disdain toward the U.S. when it comes to obesity. Don’t they LOVE to show supersize, bulging, ripply, jiggly Americans on TV!? That’s over, TF1.

3. French people are beginning to eat more processed foods. The weak buying power has forced many people to shop the center of the supermarket - meaning, the cheaper but more caloric items versus the fresh foods, which are found in the periphery of the market that are more expensive, less caloric but more healthful.

4. There is a need to monitor what kinds of foods get imported into France. Example, do they need to bring in GMO cereals ladened with corn syrup, trans fats, and other (as Michael Pollan likes to call them,) “food-like substances”? This is the government’s role: to protect its citizens.

5.  Risk Factors associated with obesity - will increase health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure in adults and children. This will also decrease the overall lifespan of the French.

tags: france obesity big sizes fat french

2008-6-21 11:51am

I bet you haven’t seen this many dickheads all in one place, ever! Anyway. These AIDS prevention ads (”Just protect yourself”) recently won a bronze medal at the Cannes Lions 2008, an international advertising festival. The style and quality of the illustrations are wonderful. I wonder if people find these very “French”?

Advertising Agency: TBWA\PARIS
Country: FRANCE
Executive Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen
Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen/Michel De Lauw
Copywriter: Xander Smith
Art Director: Jonathan Santana
Illustrator: James Jean

[via]

2008-6-21 8:12am

The late edition…

Flowers in Provence

tags: flowers fleurs france travel provence

2008-6-18 9:44am

We’ve been in the south for a few days now, of course staying at our favorite b&b in provence. Their chef popped in last night to make a yum dinner for a party of 11 people.

Before dinner.

Salmon and sea bass ceviche with a salmon rillette with basil and creme fraiche

Veal in raspberry sauce accompanied by asparagus and snow peas.

Panacotta in a red berry sauce.

tags: france travel apres la sieste provence b&b french cuisine

2008-6-17 5:08pm

From the nyt:

“When Youssoupha, a black rapper here, was asked the other day what was on his mind, a grin spread across his face. “Barack Obama,” he said. “Obama tells us everything is possible.”

A new black consciousness is emerging in France, lately hastened by, of all things, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States. An article in Le Monde a few days ago described how Mr. Obama is “stirring up high hopes” among blacks here. Even seeing the word “noir” (“black”) in a French newspaper was an occasion for surprise until recently.

Meanwhile, this past weekend, 60 cars were burned and some 50 young people scuffled with police and firemen, injuring several of them, in a poor minority suburb of Vitry-le-François, in the Marne region of northeast France.

Americans, who have debated race relations since the dawn of the Republic, may find it hard to grasp the degree to which race, like religion, remains a taboo topic in France. While Mr. Obama talks about running a campaign transcending race, an increasing number of French blacks are pushing for, in effect, the reverse.

Having always thought it was more racially enlightened than strife-torn America, France finds itself facing the prospect that it has actually fallen behind on that score. Incidents like the ones over the weekend bring to mind the rioting that exploded across France three years ago. Since it abolished slavery 160 years ago, the country has officially declared itself to be colorblind — but seeing Mr. Obama, a new generation of French blacks is arguing that it’s high time here for precisely the sort of frank discussions that in America have preceded the nomination of a major black candidate.

This black consciousness is reflected not just in daily conversation, but also in a dawning culture of books and music by young French blacks like Youssoupha, a cheerful, toothy 28-year-old, who was sent here from Congo by his parents to get an education at 10, raised by an aunt who worked in a school cafeteria in a poor suburb, and told by guidance counselors that he shouldn’t be too ambitious. Instead, he earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne.

tags: france obama hope

Then, like many well-educated blacks in this country, he hit a brick wall. “I found myself working in fast-food places with people who had the equivalent of a 15-year-old’s level of education,” he recalled.

So he turned to rap, out of frustration as much as anything, finding inspiration in “négritude,” an ideology of black pride conceived in Paris during the 1920s and 30s by Aimé Césaire, the French poet and politician from Martinique, and Léopold Sédar Senghor, the poet who became Senegal’s first president. Its philosophy, as Sartre once put it, was a kind of “antiracist racism,” a celebration of shared black heritage.

Négritude and Césaire are back. When Césaire died in April, at 94, his funeral in Fort-de-France, Martinique, was broadcast live on French television. The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his rival Ségolène Royal both attended. Just three years ago, Mr. Sarkozy, as head of a center-right party and not yet president, supported a law (repealed after much protest) that compelled French schools to teach the “positive” aspects of colonialism. The next year, Césaire refused to meet with him. Now here was Mr. Sarkozy flying to the former French colony (today one of the country’s overseas departments, meaning he could troll for votes) to pay tribute to the poet laureate of négritude.

That said, as a country France definitely sends out mixed messages. “Négritude is a concept they just don’t want to hear about,” Youssoupha raps in “Render Unto Césaire” on his latest album, “À Chaque Frère” (“To Each Brother”). A regular short feature on French public television, “Citoyens Visibles,” hosted by a young actress, Hafsia Herzi, celebrates French artists with foreign origins.

At the same time, it’s against the rules for the government to conduct official surveys according to race. Consequently, nobody even knows for certain how many black citizens there are. Estimates vary between 3 million and 5 million out of a population of more than 61 million.

“Can you imagine if French officials said, ‘Well, we’re not sure, the population of France may be 65 million, or maybe it’s 30 million’?” declared a somewhat exasperated Patrick Lozès, founder of Cran, a black organization devised not long ago partly to gather statistics the government won’t.

When he sat down to talk the other morning, the first two words out of his mouth were Barack Obama. “The idea behind not categorizing people by race is obviously good; we want to believe in the republican ideal,” he said. “But in reality we’re blind in France, not colorblind but information blind, and just saying people are equal doesn’t make them equal.”

He ticked off some obvious numbers: one black member representing continental France in the National Assembly among 555 members; no continental French senators out of some 300; only a handful of mayors out of some 36,000, and none from the poor Paris suburbs.

To this may be added Cran’s findings that the percentage of blacks in France who hold university degrees is 55, compared with 37 percent for the general population. But the number of blacks who get stuck in the working class is 45 percent, compared with 34 percent for the national average.

“There’s total hypocrisy here,” Léonora Miano said. She’s a black author, 37, originally from Cameroon, whose recent novel “Tels des Astres Éteints” (“Like Extinguished Stars”) is about race relations as seen through the eyes of three black immigrants.

“For me it was really strange when I arrived 17 years ago to find people here never used the word race,” Ms. Miano said over coffee one afternoon at Café Beaubourg. Outside, African immigrants hawked sunglasses to tourists. “French universalism, the whole French republican ideal, proposes that if you embrace French values, the French language, French culture, then race doesn’t exist and it won’t matter if you’re black. But of course it does. So we need to have a conversation, and slowly it is coming: not a conversation about guilt or history, but about now.”

“The Black Condition: An Essay on a French Minority” by Pap N’Diaye, a 42-year-old historian at the School for Advanced Study of the Social Sciences, is another much-talked-about new book here. “We are witnessing a renaissance of the négritude movement,” Mr. N’Diaye declared the other day.

The surge in popularity of Mr. Obama among French blacks partly stems from the hope that his rise “will highlight our lack of diversity and put pressure on French politicians who say they favor him to open politics up more to minorities,” Mr. N’Diaye said. “We in France are, in terms of race, where we were in terms of gender 40 years ago.”

He laid out some history: French decolonization during the 1960s pretty much pushed the original négritude movement to the back burner, at the same time that it inspired a wave of immigrants from the Caribbean to come here and fill low-ranking civil service jobs. From sub-Saharan Africa, another wave of laborers gravitated to private industry. The two populations didn’t communicate much.

But their children, raised here, have grown up together. “Mutually discovered discrimination,” as Mr. N’Diaye put it, has forged a bond out of which négritude is being revived.

The watershed event was the rioting in poor French suburbs three years ago. Among its cultural consequences: Aimé Césaire “started to be rediscovered by young people who found in his work things germane to the current situation,” Mr. N’Diaye said.

Youssoupha is one of those people. He was nursing a Coke recently at Top Kafé, a Lubavitch Tex-Mex restaurant in Créteil, just outside Paris, where he lives. Nearby, two waiters in yarmulkes sat watching Rafael Nadal play tennis on television beneath dusty framed pictures of Las Vegas and Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. A clutch of Arab teenagers smoked outside. In modest neighborhoods like this, France can look remarkably harmonious.

“Césaire is in my lyrics, and I was upset when people misinterpreted what I wrote as anti-white because négritude is the affirmation of our common black roots,” Youssoupha said.

Ms. Miano, the novelist, made a similar point. “There is no such thing as a black ‘community’ in France — yet — partly because we have such different histories,” she said. “An immigrant woman from Mali and another from Cameroon view the world in completely different ways. You also shouldn’t think there isn’t racism among blacks in France, between West Indians and Africans. There is. But ultimately we’re all black in the face of discrimination.”

Then she smiled: “Too bad I forgot to wear my Obama T-shirt.””

[source]

2008-6-16 9:24am

From the sunday times:
“His aides have warned him against designer sunglasses and “flashy” behaviour, but President Nicolas Sarkozy could not resist this latest indulgence. The French leader is to have his own version of the American president’s Air Force One aircraft, complete with luxury sleeping quarters, office and conference room.

Whether or not he wants to name the plane Marianne, symbol of the French republic, Sarkozy has his sights set on an Airbus 330-200. It is expected to cost the state about £150m and will be able to fly twice as far without refuelling as the jets that he normally uses.

A fashion designer will be commissioned to redesign the interior while Carla Bruni, the president’s Italian singer wife, is expected to take charge of the project.

Sarkozy, 53, who pledged to modernise France through a series of social and economic reforms, has been planning the purchase for months. He is said to be eager to have his own plane in time for France’s takeover of the European Union’s rotating six-month presidency in July, when he effectively becomes the leader of Europe.

Having his own aircraft will certainly put Sarkozy ahead of the British: the government announced in March that it was dropping plans for a long-haul private plane for use by senior ministers and the royal family, having concluded that it would be too costly.

The hyper-energetic Sarkozy is also expected in China in August for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and is determined to avoid the indignity of refuelling stops. On his first official trip to China last year, he was obliged to land in Siberia while the press flew nonstop to Beijing in a much larger plane.

His own aircraft would also spare him the embarrassment of having to go cap in hand to his bil-lionaire businessmen friends who have lent him jets in the past.

Yet the plan to splash out on a new plane has raised eyebrows, particularly as the government promotes reforms to reduce public spending. It was announced last week that one in every five French embassies was likely to see its budget cut and the number of countries receiving French development aid would be cut to between 30 and 40 from more than 100.

A designer aircraft seemed to contradict recent efforts by Sarkozy to get away from his image as “President Bling-Bling” – a figure addicted to flashy watches and luxury travel. It had seemed to make a mockery of the acute public anxiety about dwindling purchasing power and had resulted in a catastrophic drop in his approval rating.

Growing public approval for Bruni, 40, who is widely regarded as a steadying influence on the volatile leader, is credited with halting the drop in the opinion polls. As she prepares to bring out her latest album next month, the president’s aides have talked excitedly of the “Carla effect”.

One cartoon last week summed up the widespread sense of how much she has helped him by showing her entering Sarkozy’s office and saying: “I’ve won you five points [in the polls]. Don’t spend them too quickly.”

tags: france travel air bling one sarkozy

The aircraft was not the only item of presidential expenditure attracting close scrutiny. A Socialist MP campaigning to make the presidency more accountable over its generous budget complained that spending by the Elysée went up 8%, from £26m to £28m, in 2007 because of the hiring of extra staff, the remodelling of parts of the presidential palace and a jump in Sarkozy’s salary.

Some see this as the price to pay for a “hyper-presidency”: in his first year in office “Sarko” has shown a passion for visiting foreign countries unrivalled by any predecessor. Various presidential vehicles and aircraft clocked up 280,000 miles last year, a dramatic increase over 2006 when Jacques Chirac rarely ventured out of the palace.

One aide estimated that presidential activity had gone up by 300% since Chirac’s day, when France seemed to be slumbering. At the same time, expenditure on wine has dropped by 44% under Sarkozy, who is teetotal. He is also spending 40% less than Chirac on “diplomatic gifts”.

This seemed to be setting the right example. The government announced reforms last week that were intended to allow savings of some £6 billion a year by 2012.

One of the measures was Sarkozy’s election pledge to replace only one out of every two public sector workers when they retired.

The government also announced that it planned to change the way that it finances universities next year, allocating money on the basis of academic performance rather than size. This is expected to provoke another wave of protests after a series of big demonstrations in recent months against plans to cut the number of teachers.

Under the circumstances, the government had not been planning to make public Sarkozy’s plans to acquire a plane. It confirmed the details, however, after they were leaked to the press.

Luc Chatel, a spokesman, defended the project on the grounds that some planes in the fleet used by the leader, such as an Airbus A319, had been in service for many years.

“The maintenance cost of the planes,” he said, “means renewing them is less expensive.”

[source]

2008-6-13 6:50pm

GMO = Death

tags: france gmo death genetically modified food

2008-6-12 8:06pm

Usually when we get ready for a trip, we do a little research on specific accommodations if we’ve never stayed there before. It helps so much to see web sites that have participant reviews, so you’ll know what to stay away from, what to expect and simply plan from there.

Our recent trip to Bretagne (Brittany) did not involve this process because it was actually hard to find a B&B online with reviews - so we did take a huge risk by choosing a place with no user feedback. We found a lot of promising places on the internet but some only “sounded” great in theory. For example, we saw “Stay in a 17th century castle!” describing luxurious amenities etc. - the only problem was: there were no photos. Um. We need photos, people!

For instance, say we show up at a place that has no photos on their website. What are possible scenarios? A hotel from The Shining? Norman Bate’s House? The Cottage from The Undead? My point: Never stay at a place you haven’t seen!

Back to this post. We fortunately chose a place that did have photos on their website (though we couldn’t find any reviews). It looked promising and was run by a French family, so we thought we’d give it a try and stay there a whole week. It was awesome.

Le Manoir de Villeneuve isn’t just any ole bed and breakfast place. It is far beyond this category of B&B because it’s an elegant, relaxing 18th century estate in a huge French manor (more like a small castle) and it was a wonderful place to call home while traveling around in Bretagne.

The rooms are impeccably clean, comfortable and tastefully decorated. They will also be freshened up each day.

The bath is large and inviting. Each room in the manor has its own private bath.

You’ll wake up to find fresh squeezed orange juice, real raw milk from a farm nearby, luscious coffee or tea, fruit, baked breads and home-made, organic cakes and pastries. Who needs bacon and eggs? Here, no one. This is wonderful, wonderful breakfast, the French way.

The estate stretches across 6 hectares of land, which is enormous, so don’t be surprised if you run into some animals here and there when wandering around the vast “park” and side areas. Note: Donkeys are so soft!

An enormous advantage, and a criterion we require from our accommodations, is that it serve as a convenient base that is accessible to several points of interest. Le Manoir not only meets this criterion, but it also gives you the feeling that you are far from everything yet you are actually very close to Saint Malo, the beach, Ile de Bréhat, Dinard, Paimpol, Fort La Latte and both the cote d’emeraude / Emerald coast as well as the Cote de Granite Rose (Rose granite coast). Also, from here you are just an hour’s drive to Rennes.

For a true, French B&B experience in Bretagne, we highly recommend Le Manoir in Lamballe. It is an ideal location to have as a base to explore many places. Coming back to the manoir and town of Lamballe is comforting and you’ll have a variety of things to do there. The town of Lamballe is beautiful and there are excellent restaurants, cheese shops, wine stores and specialty shops that will keep you well-fed and entertained.

The full time residents of the manor is a French family of five (a couple and three kids) and you might see them around, as well as their friendly Weimaraner, Tom. You’ll be greeted by a very gracious and sweet hostess, Nathalie, a former sign language translator. She will be your contact during your stay at Le Manoir de Villeneuve.

Le Manoir de Villeneuve
Contact: Nathalie Peres (French and English spoken)
3 Rooms, 1 Suite
St-Aaron, 22400 Lamballe France
Telephone: +33) 02 96 50 86 32 or +33) 06 20 81 16 28
Website: Le Manoir de Villeneuve (for more photos and rates)

tags: france travel bretagne bed and breakfast le manoir de villeneuve lamballe brittany

2008-6-11 4:22pm

Him: Look what I got at the market for you.

Me: What is it, sweetie?

Him: These jams. I knew you’d want to make fun of them blog about them.

Me: You’re the best. OMG. Gratte-cul (Ass Scratch) jam?! Vieux Garcon (Old Boy) jam?!

Him: (all giggly) You like them, don’t you???

Me: These are priceless. I love them. THANK YOU.

Me: Don’t you think they could’ve come up with a better name than Gratte-cul (Ass Scratch) jam?! and Vieux Garcon (Old Boy) jam?! Even calling something like Booger Jam seems better. The French are so funny.

Note: I’m not too crazy about how Gratte-cul tastes. Psychosomatic? I haven’t yet tried Vieux Garcon yet.

tags: france jams gratte cul vieux garcon ass scratch jam old boy jam franco-american+conversations confiture

2008-6-10 12:28pm

On Saturday, June 21, the day before the Patti Smith exhibition Land 250 closes, the Fondation Cartier is offering a final opportunity for the public to meet the artist, who will also be signing the exhibition catalogues.

This event will take place in the exhibition area, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Land 250, Patti Smith at the Fondation Cartier
261, Boulevard Raspail
75014 Paris, France
tel (+33) 1 42 18 56 50
March 28 to June 22, 2008
For more information visit the museum’s website: Fondation Cartier

Related: David Lynch’s work at Fondation Cartier,Ron Mueck in Paris

tags: france patti smith fondation cartier

2008-6-10 11:57am

The new iPhone 3G will be available for purchase in Orange stores across France beginning July 11. It’s thinner, faster, has a built-in GPS, among other features - and of course is probably a lot more expensive in France than in the U.S. (I can’t seem to find pricing, though.)

More information Apple (English), Apple (French)

tags: france iphone 3g apple

2008-6-09 12:03pm

Kewl. An Apple Store near the Louvre!

From MacworldUK:

“Apple plans to open its first retail store in France just near to the world-famous Louvre art gallery in Paris.

A report from leading French newspaper, La Tribune, explains Apple’s application for the store - to be situated under the pyramid in front of the Louvre’s grand entrance - has been approved.

Apple will build a two-story, 715 square metre store in space previously occupied by two shops.

On this, IFO AppleStore explains the store, “will host nine million visitors a year, of which at least 40 per cent are tourists.”

An Apple spokesperson said: “We are thrilled that our opening project of an Apple Store in the Carrousel du Louvre has been approved.”

Links: Apple Computer Stores in France, Apple Store in Paris, Apple Gets Green Light, Tribune

tags: france travel apple store louvre apple louvre

2008-6-08 6:17pm

^{I am aware of the air beneath me.}

In the U.S. when Jean-Claude Van Damme comes to mind, people will likely know who he is but it would invoke a high level of indifference. Most consider him a hasbeen, action-martial arts-actor who can do the splits. For the last 10 years or so, he’s made only direct-to-DVD movies, that even Jean-Claude Van Damme himself has called, “rotten.” He’s made back-to-back film stinkers but has still managed to make a name for himself. Maybe it was due to his flexibility, pecs and abs, and those famous “splits”? I wonder if he can still do those… Anyway. Because of the string of lackluster films and for his “wooden” acting (and no, I’m not talking about THAT video), he basically goes almost unnoticed. “Almost” because most people still recognize him. Remember the episode of him playing himself in Friends where he boasts he can crush a walnut with his butt cheeks?

That certain Friends episode just cracks open the surface of how the French perceive Jean-Claude.

In France, people see Jean-Claude Van Damme (who is Belgian, by the way) very, very differently compared to the U.S. He is a bit of a cult hero, not necessarily for his high kicks in cheesy B movies, but rather for his aphorisms that are inadvertently funny. He is hilarious and the French LOVE to make fun of him and the way he expresses himself in “franglais” - and they will NEVER, ever, let him forget anything he’s ever said that made them laugh. This is not to say they do it in a derisive manner, because while they do, in fact, mock him, they do it lightly and in a positive way, and despite the mockery, they find him unique and lovable.

Why? It’s sort of like this: JC says things that are like a cross between Yogi Berra’s quotes (”Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded” or “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical”) and “deep thoughts” from Jack Handy (“It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.”).

Since French TV is a lot about talk shows, you will find that you have a chance to see celebs up close and personal on all kinds of levels, and not just hear someone trying to plug their latest movie. That might be why JC isn’t seen the same way in the U.S. He simply hasn’t gotten enough online talk time to express his true self on English-speaking TV! I’m sure he’d say funny things in English, given the opportunity.

The most famous quote (that every French or French-speaking person is aware of) involves the theme of observation (insight), and JC talks about being aware using the word “aware” instead of the correct word in French (conscient), which throws the French into uncontrollable fits of laughter every time. I remember hearing another one from him where he says, “one plus one equals two but it could equal 11″ or something along those lines, and another where he remarks that if air was removed from the sky, birds would fall and so would planes.

He’s likable. He’s silly. Tout simplement. Just much sillier when he’s speaking French.

Knowing all of this about him now makes me appreciate him so much more and I am dying to see his new film called, JCVD, which is playing in theaters in France. It’s him playing himself but the movie is a fictional comedy. The teaser and trailer are hilarious, (The subtitles on the teaser are not that good, however.) and I think the movie is going to be great.

So. There you have it: why the French love JCVD so much. Well, they can’t continue the love for Jerry Lewis forever, can they? Maybe it’s time for someone new.

tags: france jean claude van damme jcvd aware

2008-6-06 3:01pm

There’s a bird sanctuary inside the beautiful Parc du Thabor in Rennes, which is where we saw this adorable bird couple while wandering and exploring nature inside a city with our buddy and favorite Rennais, Martin. (Photo by Martin, btw. Merci!)

Are they Parakeets of some sort? I’m not sure.

2008-6-05 3:12pm

From the telegraph:

“Erika La Tour Eiffel, 37, a former soldier who lives in San Francisco, has been in love with objects before. Her first infatuation was with Lance, a bow that helped her to become a world-class archer, she is fond of the Berlin Wall and she claims to have a physical relationship with a piece of fence she keeps in her bedroom.

But it is the Eiffel Tower she has pledged to love, honour and obey in an intimate ceremony attended by a handful of friends.

She has changed her name legally to reflect the bond.

She revisits the massive structure as part of a documentary on Five on Objectum-Sexual women. There are around 40 people in the world who have declared themselves OS, all of them women and many of them also Asperger’s Syndrome sufferers.

The OS term was first coined by Eija-Riitta Berliner-Mauer, a 54-year-old woman who has been “married” to the Berlin Wall for 29 years.

Before returning to Paris for her first wedding anniversary, Mrs La Tour Eiffel visits the Berlin Wall, where her affection for what many Germans see as a symbol of repression leads to an uncomfortable encounter with a member of the staff at the Checkpoint Charlie museum.

“I just don’t understand how some people can bring someone into the world like a child - an object - and then not love them,” she said….”

Read the full article

tags: france travel eiffel tower paris woman marries eiffel tower fetishes

2008-6-05 8:22am

The Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris is climbing on the SATC bandwagon and giving you the opportunity to step into the shoes of Carrie Bradshaw for the time of your fictitious TV life with an ultra-glamorous offer. Here’s what you get:

• A Cosmopolitan cocktail “Carrie’s favourite drink” for each person, served at Le Bar du Plaza Athénée.
• A chocolate shoe made by our World Champion Pastry Chef Christophe Michalak.
• Carrie’s “Must have” shopping booklet “All is about shoes”, listing the leading footwear names found on avenue Montaigne. Thanks to a VIP contact in each boutique, you will enjoy a personalised welcome.

For an additionnal fee of €1000, have a custom-made pair of shoes created by you with the help of a designer. The shoes are hand-made in four weeks and delivered to your home address.

2008 Rates
Based on a two-night minimum stay, double occupancy, including daily American breakfast:

Please note that the offer is subject to availability.

Deluxe Room € 810 / € 880
Junior Suite € 925 / 1030 €
Deluxe Suite € 1 700 / 2 300 €
Prestige Suite € 2 900 / 3 600 €
Presidential Suite € 3 810 / 4 800 €
Rates understood per night. VAT included.
Exclusive of Paris City tax: 1.50 Euro per person/day.
Subject to availability.

Toll-free Telephone Numbers: From France: 00 800 344 344 00; From US: 1 800 650 1842; From UK: 00 800 344 344 00; Australia: 1 800 686 054; Canada: 1 800 650 1842;

More information: Sex and the The City Hotel Offer

Related: hotels in paris

tags: paris hotels france paris hotel plaza athenee sex and the city travel for shoe fanatics

[via]

2008-6-04 3:18pm

Alrightee then. French tax payers will pick up the tab for people wanting to learn how to line dance in France. GA!

From timesonline:

“The French administration has moved to create an official country dancing diploma as part of a drive to regulate the fad. Authorised instructors who have been on publicly funded training courses will be put in charge of line dancing lessons and balls.

The rules, which come into force next year, come after the rapid spread of country and western in France, where an estimated 100,000 people line dance several times a week. Jean Chauveau, the chairman of the country section of the French Dance Federation, said: “It’s growing at a crazy rate. There are thousands of clubs and more are springing up all the time.”

He said the French shunned the square dancing that is popular among country and western fans in the United States because it involved physical contact. “They don’t want to take anyone by the hand or anything like that,” he said. But they were passionate about line dancing, where participants follow the steps without touching anyone else. “I think this corresponds to the individualism of our times,” Mr Chauveau said….

Mr Chauveau said the trend illustrated France’s “complicated and ambiguous” relationship with the United States. “We love American magic and the American dream,” he said. “But we hate Americans when we confront the hard reality of their behaviour throughout the world. We go for the cowboy hats but not George Bush.”

In a peculiarly Gallic approach to the phenomenon, French civil servants say line dancing should be submitted to the same rules as sports such as football and rugby. This means imposing training courses for line dancing teachers and a state-approved diploma for anyone who wants to give lessons or run clubs.

Amateur instructors will have to take 200 hours of training under the new rules. Professionals will get 600 hours, including such subjects as line dancing techniques, “the mechanics of the human body” and the English (or at least Texan) language. They will also learn how to teach line dancing to the elderly.

The cost of the courses, about €2,000 (£1,570) for the professionals and €500 for the amateurs, will be largely met by taxpayers. Mr Chauveau said the regulations highlighted the French state’s obsessive desire to organise all public activity. “France is the only country in Europe apart from Greece where sport is controlled through the state,” he said. “Line dancing is now ….”
Read the whole article

tags: france line dancing french the french have gone insane

[via]

2008-6-03 7:00pm

The 14th century castle/fort, Fort La Latte sits majestically atop a 70 meters (230 ft) high cliff along the Cote d’Émeraude (Emerald Coast) in northern Brittany. It is one of the most spectacular sites in Bretagne.

Built from the ground up on a small spit of land on the Baye de la Fresnaye by one of the oldest Breton families, Goyon-Matignon, the castle (known at the time as “Roche Guyon”), was first besieged by Bertrand du Guesclin in 1379. After Brittany became part of France, in 1490 it was unsuccessfully besieged by the English. Later, when the castle was known as La Latte, the Holy League really did it in and dismantled, plundered, devastated and set on it fire.

Between 1690 and 1715, the architect, Sir Garangeau, under the reign of Louis XIV, turned La Latte into a fort. They added military structures to defend Saint-Malo against English and Dutch attacks.

The final attempt to attack the castle was in 1815 by a few men from Saint-Malo during the “Cent-Jours”. Like their predecessors the attack was unsuccessful. It fell into disrepair during the 19th century and sold by the family in 1892, and is currently privately owned. In 1925 it was declared monument historique (historic monument), a place of historic interest and was slowly restored.

The Fort La Latte is a “must visit” if you’re in Bretagne. If you’re not into medieval forts, drawbridges and war paraphernalia, the views from the castle are absolutely magnificent. The surrounding area is breathtaking, and is great for mountain biking, hiking and picnicking.

We visited just about an hour before closing hours, which seems like a perfect time to go because we were nearly alone, wandering around the premises. Heaven, especially if you’re not into crowds.

If it seems like you’re walking on a Hollywoodian movie set, you actually are. Well, the fort is the real deal, but it’s been used as a backdrop for many movies. Notably, The Vikings with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, Ridicule by Patrice Lecomte with Jean Rochefort; Le jeu du roi with Marc Evans, Pierre Dux and Francois Matouret; Lancelot du Lac (made for TV movie) with Gérard Falconetti, La Danse de mort with Michel Bouquet; Metzengerstein with Jane Fonda; Chouan with Sophie Marceau and Philippe Noiret.

Fort La Latte
Open every day April 1 to September 30; October to March open afternoons, weekends, national holidays and bank holidays.
Admission: 4 Euros
Telephone: +33) 02 96 41 40 31

tags: france travel fort la latte bretagne brittany castles

2008-6-02 2:02pm

Strategically placed at the toll booth where you have to stop, you can’t miss this warning. Here’s what the sign says reminding people driving on the road to pull over and rest if they show any signs of fatigue. Or else!

Tired?
DEAD Tired?
After the first signs (of fatigue), Don’t go any farther.

2008-6-01 6:37am

This organic milk festival is today in Bretagne (Brittany). Sorry about the late notice.

Learn more about organic products and how their production respects the environment (non-GMO, no pesticides or chemicals) and animal well-being, via this festival that every department in Brittany is celebrating with concerts, theater plays, debates and more. This isn’t just the organic dairy industry. You’ll also find bakers, farmers and animals - and their products as well. Visit a number of participating farms to experience what “real food” raising and making (and eating!) are.

You can have an organic breakfast and meet the people who bring quality products to the public.

*Note: You must have a reservation.

La Fête du Lait Bio 2008 - Organic Milk Festival
June 1, 2008
Contacts by Department: Cotes D’Armor - Jean-Sebastien Piel 02.96.74.75.65; Finistere - Alex Lannuzel 02.98.25.80.33; Ille et Vilaine - Nadege Lucas 02.99.77.09.46; Morbihan - Celine Rolland 02.97.66.32.62
Admission: 5 €, 4€ Students and Unemployed, 3€ Under 12
Website: Fete du Lait Bio

2008-5-31 6:44am

I almost didn’t notice this fun street art in the pedestrian shopping area of old town Saint-Brieuc, Brittany France, and would’ve just walked by without taking a picture. Good thing I did a double-take!

tags: france travel street art bretagne saint brieuc brittany

2008-5-30 3:31pm

There’s an article in iht.com today that reveals the greatest mysteries of Stonehenge, namely, what the giant brooding stones represented. Apparently, the location was a a burial ground for several generations of a single, elite family.

This is interesting because a similar idea dominated our conversation when we were visiting the “French Stonehenge” in Carnac, in Brittany, France just about a week ago.

Carnac isn’t Stonehenge, clearly, but the place is 6000 years old (older than Stonehenge) and there is a dense collection of menhirs (standing stones, nicknamed the “Stone Army”) as far as the eye can see. Approximately 3000 of these standing stone relics are aligned in rows amidst the vast area of fields close to the Atlantic Ocean in Brittany. It is impressive too see them.

All sorts of theories and speculations popped up in our conversations about the stones’ origins: a challenging game, a landing field for UFO’s (hee), an endurance activity for physical stamina, to name a few - but what emerged as the most likely, was the cemetery theory. Not really far fetched since the dolmens and cairns in Brittany served funerary functions.

So many have ruled out the idea that the menhirs were part of a cemetery. We just have to respectfully disagree with that. Granted, there are no remnants of skeletons here, which is a reason researchers rule out a cemetery, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a cemetery! Our theory is that it WAS a cemetery, or perhaps, more accurately, a memorial for the thousands of Gaulois soldiers who left Carnac to fight against Romans their enemies at sea - and never came back. THAT is why there are no skeletal remains! Besides, doesn’t it look obviously like a veterans’ cemetery, Neolithic stye?

Later when researching this a little, I found some other theories. In the 50s and 60s, Breton children chanted the legend to tourists: All the stones were part of a Gaulois cemetery. The richer the dead person, the bigger then stone. Another theory tells the tale of Saint Cornelius. He was pursued by pagan soldiers all the way to the seashore, and with no boat to flee, his defense was to turned them into stone.

In any case, Carnac, is a well worth a visit but you will need a car to reach it. The largest city close by is Rennes, where we began and it took about one and half hours to reach Carnac from there. You can stroll among the menhir alignments freely from October to March, 9am to 5pm. During the busy season from April to the end of September, you are not allowed to pass the fenced and rock barriers - to protect the vegetation around the stones.

Links: Official Carnac website, DVD: Global Treasures: Carnac Stones Bretagne, France

2008-5-29 4:49pm

From applegazette:

“Apple announced today that television programming is finally coming to iTunes France. Top French networks like TF1, France Télévisions, Arte, Mediatoon’s Dargaud TV and Dupuis TV and US shows from The Walt Disney Company and MTV Networks are all available in the iTunes Store in France now.

Apple, again, shows us that they are moving to the variable price model. Television shows are priced at €1.49, €1.99 and €2.49 per episode.”

2008-5-27 7:23pm

For a country that is King of demonstrating against injustices inflicted on its people, I honestly don’t know why no one has done anything about the unreasonably high food prices, and now, gas prices. The fleecing of France by merchants charging exorbitant food costs began 6 years ago with the introduction of the euro. This is when we moved to France from the U.S. It has just gotten worse since 2002 and now we pay insane prices for food and well, pretty much everything. Food prices have increased by 45% in some cases. I recently saw peaches selling for 8 euros/ kilo (about $12 for 2 pounds of peaches). I like peaches, but not THAT much. (and those weren’t even organic.)

I’ve noticed in many cases, organic food is less expensive than the industrial food in large supermarket chains. When we’d shop in our organic store just a couple of years ago, there’d be few others shopping. Now so many more people (who have realized that organic is cheaper or the same price as industrial AND tastes better) shop in this organic market. Anyway.

So today in London, an awesome thing is happening: truck drivers are blocking the highway demonstrating their unhappiness about the increasing fuel prices. This makes it hard to move goods in and out of the city. When will this happen in France?

People in France are talking about how others should be demonstrating (like the truck drivers!), but thus far, no one has moved an inch except the fishermen but no one cares about them too much. However, there is something almost tangible is in the air and there’s a definite restlessness in the hexagon. Many people we know in France have begun to stockpile groceries in the event that truck drivers will paralyze the roads in France, and markets will not receive their regular deliveries. We stocked up on some extra things, too - just in case. Everyone is hoping, in fact, that this massive strike will take place despite an enormous inconvenience. Us, too because something needs to happen. The system absolutely HAS to change.

If not, we at least have extra provisions to last a while, which will save us unnecessary fuel used for trips to the market.

By the way, in France we pay about $8 a gallon for gasoline, so consider yourself lucky if you have to pay ONLY $4!

2008-5-26 5:17pm

Last week in Rennes, we ALMOST met miserable misfortune by NOT stepping into this place, Le Daniel, a patisserie. My sweetie stopped abruptly and said, “M.O.F.!”

“Wha?!”

“M.O.F.! M.O.F.! We HAVE to go into Le Daniel; he’s an M.O.F.”

“We just ate and I’m not very hungry. How do you know? And…What the heck is an MOF, anyway?”

“Meilleur Ouvrier de France! It’s on the window. He’s the best.”

By some miraculous and divine intervention of nature, my sweetie, who usually can’t find butter in the frig (when there’s only butter and nothing else in the frig), noticed the small print with “Meilleur Ouvrier de France” on the window whilst the three of us walked by briskly on our way to fnac.

“NEVER ignore an M.O.F. THAT is just crazy.”

So, we entered and sampled some things.

Before I go on with this story, I have some explaining to do about the “Meilleur Ouvrier de France.” It means “Best Craftsman (or Worker) in France” and this is a coveted award only given to the very best artisans of France every 3 years (since 1924). There’s a long list of categories so the M.O.F.. can be a pastry chef, a furniture maker, painter, saddle designer, all kinds of “craftsmen.” There’s a stringent process to earn this ranking and those who succeed keep their title for life. Their work is absolute pure quality, the best France has to offer. The people who earn this rank are all passionate about what they do and it shows in their work. So now I know that I should never ignore an M.O.F. You shouldn’t either, especially if you see an M.O.F. who makes pastries!

There are lots of very good patisseries in France (except near our house) but some really go beyond the call of duty and are ahead of others by giant leaps and bounds. Le Daniel was a true M.O.F. When the three of us ate our pastries, there was total silence. It was that good. I got a large salted butter caramel macaron and there are simply no words to do it justice.

We already want to go back. We have to check out his chocolates and ice cream!

By the way, do you know any M.O.F.s??? PLEASE tell me about them!

Le Daniel
13, Galerie du Théâtre
Place de la Mairie
35000 Rennes
02 99 79 33 81
Website: Le Daniel

2008-5-25 8:00pm

We were happy to have beautiful weather when we visited Île de Bréhat in Brittany, where I took this photo just a few days ago. I have more photos that I’d like to post as a mini-slideshow plus more travel info, so if I could just figure out how to do that, I’ll post it all this week. Stay tuned.

2008-5-24 11:50am

There’s a strange article that you’d imagine would come straight from The Onion but it’s from the New York Times. Ok, everyone many consider the nyt to be an equivalent… Anyway, it’s about an obsessive disorder, a “Sarkosis,” if you will, with the afflicted being passionately for or against Nicolas Sarkozy.

Sounds like a paid PR stunt attempting to increase Sarkozy’s popularity, if you ask me. But, for what it’s worth, here’s a tidbit:

“PARIS — Serge Hefez, a practicing psychiatrist, has identified a new mental illness among the French: obsessive Sarkosis, an unhealthy fascination with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

But Dr. Hefez, too, has been infected by the disease he was among the first to diagnose. And like any good analyst, he is fully aware of the problem, and the irony. The heated reaction to his article “was interesting for a psychiatrist and didn’t surprise me,” he said, laughing, “because it corresponds precisely to the …”

Read more

2008-5-23 6:34am

Nope. This isn’t photoshopped. There IS a real hair salon in Rennes, France that doesn’t enormously inspire anglophones to get their hair coiffed - named Hairlices. Hair Lice!

[Thank you, Martin, for the photo. Mine was a little too blurry.)

2008-5-22 2:18pm

If you happen to find yourself in Saint Malo, a small, walled port town in northwestern France in Brittany, and can only do one thing there, make sure it’s visiting what is facing the cathedral, which is a heavenly salon de thé called Bergamote. The tea and pastries and crepes are more sacred than the saints just across the way. It is really not to be missed.

Bergamote exclusively offers Mariage Frères tea, which is considered by many to have some of the best teas in the world.

After a day’s exploring of the fortified city and surrounding beach area, relax and take in the view of Saint Malo’s cathedral from inside Bergamote. Treat yourself to a little bit of heaven with a blend of the finest teas around. The teas are really excellent (I really like the “Eros” blend), and can match perfectly with the luscious house made pastries and crêpes. You will absolutely NOT regret it.

Bergamote Salon de Thé & Creperie
Place de la Cathédrale
Saint Malo France
Tél. 02 99 40 28 14
Open: Wednesday to Sunday 11am - 6pm
July and August open Tuesday to Sunday

2008-5-20 8:24am

We’ve been in Bretagne / Brittany (western France) for several days now, so I thought I’d post a quick blog entry while I have a minute. This photo was taken between Cancale and St. Malo along the Atlantic Ocean. It doesn’t quite do justice to the real beauty that is Bretagne, but that is probably because I need some photography lessons.

Stay tuned…more of Bretagne to come!

2008-5-17 6:36am

Yea, what else is new. I know. Anyway, when Calimero left a comment on the GMO (genetically modified organisms) post, I wasn’t sure what he was referring to until I watched a short clip from the (week) daily 5 minutes segment of the day’s highlights called, “Zapping” on Canal Plus. Watch it here (Select “ZAPPING DU 15/05/08″).

I’m enormously disgusted by these French politicians on the subject of allowing genetically modified foods into the French food chain. With Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, who happens to be a Minister of Ecology, She’s pro-GMO! She is working on PASSING laws to allow GMO crops. However, when asked what she feeds her son, she says he only eats organic food!!! “It’s a personal choice,” she says. WTF.

With Francois Vannison, a member of the UMP, he says he is not against GMO but does realize it can pose a risk of contaminating non-GMO agriculture and organic agriculture. OH-KAY.

More stupid politicians BOUGHT and OWNED by the evil Monsanto.

The best part of this particular “zapping” is the animal with big eyes.

2008-5-16 1:57pm

“Lucky Boy” (that’s not very French!) is probably one of the most chill cats ever. He’s the cute mascot of the B&B in Carcassonne, Aux Anges Gardiens chez Patricia and Andre where we stayed not long ago. He IS lucky to live where he does and in fact, he is so lucky, he rubbed a little luck on me and I wasn’t at all allergic to him, when normally, it’s another *sneeze!* story.

2008-5-16 12:34pm

Celebrate tomorrow by showing how proud you are of your vegetarian or vegan self! - and fight against cruelty to animals.

In a nutshell, it is a festival of vegetarian and vegan pride and participants aim to do the following: 1) demonstrate against the inhumane treatment of animals; 2) show pride of vegetarianism and veganism; 3) denounce vegephobia; 4) defending their rights to express their opinions; 5) to act in behalf of animals - that do not have rights.

More information

La Veggie Pride 2008
May 17, 2008
2pm - Meet at Place Joachim du Bellay (Forum des Halles - Fontaine des Innocents) in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Métro Châtelet ou les Halles, R.E.R. Châtelet-les-Halles.
Telephone: 01 45 59 04 35 (Nathalie)

2008-5-15 10:48am

From reuters:

“PARIS - Hundreds of activists marched in Paris on Tuesday ahead of the expected approval of a law they say blurs the line between natural and genetically modified (GM) foods.

The bill lays down conditions for the cultivation of GM crops in France, Europe’s largest grain producer and exporter, and creates a body to oversee GMO use. The vote is due to take place late on Tuesday or on Wednesday.
Protesters, some wearing yellow hats in the shape of maize cobs and others dressed in white suits imitating scientists, gathered near the National Assembly to voice their opposition.

“We must give consumers the choice of eating quality products, with or without GMO,” said Jean Terlon, cook at the restaurant Le Saint-Pierre in Longjumeau, close to Paris.

While GM crops are common in the United States and Latin America, France and many other European countries are dubious about using the new genetic technology in agriculture.

France banned the sole GM crop grown in the European Union, a maize (corn) developed by US biotech giant Monsanto, in February because it had serious doubts about whether it was safe for the environment. GMO cultivation is still legal, however.

The new French law, which would implement a European Union directive adopted in 2001, sets the rules a farmer has to respect to grow GM crops. These include limiting dissemination of pollen to conventional fields.

The text is criticised by pro-GMOs who say it does not go far enough and by the antis, including deputies of the ruling majority, who say changes made in exchanges between the parliament and the upper house make it too lax.

LEGAL CONTAMINATION

Approved amendments include a rate of GM dissemination to conventional crops of up to 0.9 percent, a level fiercely contested by ecologists seeking to protect France’s biodiversity and organic crops from GM contamination.

“The problem of this law is that it legalises contamination because anything with a GMO content of less than 0.9 percent can be called GMO-free,” Romain Chabrol, a spokesman of the environmental group Greenpeace France, said.

The rate in Germany was set at 0.1 percent.

French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the new law would be the “most protective in the world”.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has repeatedly said he does not want to close the door on the technology or ban research so as to limit the number of biotech companies put off by the destruction of their outdoor experiments by activists.

French cooperative Limagrain, which has a 70 percent stake in the world’s fourth-largest seed maker Vilmorin, said this year its research unit Biogemma had moved its tests on GM crops to the United States after repeated attacks on its fields.

Such attacks would be more severely punished under the law.”

2008-5-15 9:36am

When you exit le Palais des papes (the Palace of Popes) in Avignon along Rue Peyrolerie (which is more of a ruelle), you will find yourself at Place Daniel Sorano, dedicated to the French actor, Daniel Sorano (1920-1962), probably most famous for his role in the 1960 film version of Cyrano de Bergerac (here’s an extract). The art painted on the building, a quasi trompe d’oeil features writers, actors and characters from plays, and it’s really unexpected when you see it for the first time. Avignon’s theatre is just around the corner.

2008-5-12 1:22pm

More fun stuff from wooster collective:

2008-5-11 12:11pm

From wired:

“So you’ve decided to leave the comfort of your nerd-friendly lair and head out to explore the larger world. Perhaps a conference in Bangkok beckons, or maybe a Linux gathering in Europe. Even a trip with the family to some deserted isle?

Whatever the case, no self respecting geek goes globetrotting without preparation, research and a serious stash of appropriate gadgets. To save you from having to scour the net, here’s Wired’s guide to mastering the art of high tech travel.

Inspector Gadget

Here’s the first question: what gear should you bring? Furthermore, how do you keep it powered up and safe from harm and/or theft?

For full details on what you need to make sure all your gadgets have plenty (and the right kind) of electricity, check out our Stay Plugged In While Traveling guide. Once you have your power adapters in order, it’s worth asking which devices you should bring and which ones you can get by without.

Laptops

The laptop is tempting, and in many cases a must-have, especially if your destination is a conference or meet-up. But if you’re just traveling for pleasure, a good internet cafe is all you need. Going “topless” also spares you the added weight and hassle of lugging a computer around.

If you do have to bring your beloved portable, PACK A CABLE LOCK. This gives quite a piece of mind if you want to leave your hotel room for a dinner without having to worry that your hardware is gonna be missing when you get back.

The availability of internet cafes abroad varies, but generally speaking, they are not hard to come by unless you get well off the beaten tourist path. Do some searching and see what those who have already been to where you are going have found.

Tip: Mac users take note, you will almost always find Windows PCs in internet cafes.

Tip: A number of internet cafes have started banning USB sticks, which ruins your ability to Carry Your Desktop Anywhere with Portable Apps. The practice isn’t widespread enough to preclude carrying a USB stick, but you may encounter a few spots where your thumb drive is frowned upon. On the plus side, more and more have Firefox installed.

Tip: Bring a USB stick that is…”

Read more

2008-5-10 12:03pm

From slashdot:

“Google has begun to scan the streets of Paris as part of its Street View service, but the company may be hindered from publishing them unedited. The reason? French privacy laws. Google may be forced to blur faces or use low-resolution versions of the photographs. The Embassy of France in the U.S. has a page devoted to French privacy laws, that says the laws are needed to ‘avoid infringing the individual’s right to privacy and right to his or her picture (photograph or drawing), both of them rights of personality.”

2008-5-09 1:44pm

When you see the famous prehistoric paintings at the Lascaux Cave in Dordogne, you must purchase your tickets in the village of Montignac. (Ticket purchase is not available on-site.) You won’t feel inconvenienced by this because Montignac is beautiful and worth a stop to explore its two different areas located on both sides of the Vézère River. On the right bank, there’s a feudal town with medieval narrow streets with architecture from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. On the left bank, the suburb with a convent and priory is an indication that Montignac used to be a harbor town, a place of artisans, crafts, arts and other sell-able goods.

More information about Montignac is here (in French).

2008-5-09 8:34am

From the guardian:

“Authorities in southern France fear a possible mosquito invasion in tourist resorts this summer and blame EU regulations which prevent them from using the most efficient insecticide.

For the first time since the early 1960s they cannot use temephos - a pesticide now banned by the European Union. Instead the EID says it is obliged to turn to a bacterium considered to be more environment-friendly, but which experts argue leaves little margin for error….”

Read more

2008-5-07 8:01am

From the guardian:

“Britain’s assault on French cookery has been stepped up by a Yorkshire bakery which has started exporting lorry-loads of baguettes across the Channel.
Fosters of Barnsley has used a legal loophole to beat local boulangers to a contract supplying the narrow loaves to the whole of the French railway system.

The order follows a double whammy for North of England butchers who stole Grand Prix d’Excellence awards earlier this year at Europe’s biggest black pudding contest in France. The Real Lancashire Pudding company went on to take two gold medals in the usually French and Belgian-dominated tasting organised by the Compagnons de la Gastronomie Porcine.

The baguette triumph, which has earned Fosters managing director, John Foster, the French media title of “most hated man in France”, is down to the firm’s expertise in making long-life loaves.
French local law forbids the use of fat which is key to the long-life process, Foster said yesterday, but competitors from elsewhere in the European Union can sidestep the ban, under European legislation. Building on the “rolling stock” order, the Barnsley bakery is now challenging the brioche market in France, using the same method.

“Their own bakers could give them a good product, but it didn’t fit the railway’s needs,” said Foster. “In Yorkshire we’ve a tradition of giving customers what they want. They asked for baguettes which don’t go stale and we said yes, we can do you them. We’re shipping the stuff out by the wagon-load.”

Foster said he had been surprised by the “cheek” of the mismatch between French and EU law but recognised a good sales opportunity.”

2008-5-05 6:41pm

This fun and kooky scopitone is from the 60s and is called, “Comic Strip” featuring Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot. From what I can tell, Serge is beckoning Brigitte to come into his comic strip for some serious SHEBAM! POW! BLOP! and WHIZZZZ!

Click on the image to see the video at YouTube.

2008-5-04 4:23pm

Isn’t this Hermès apple purse (and knife) adorable? Yes. It IS small and restricted in its use (ONE apple or keys or condoms or credit cards or change or an iPod Nano…some other stuff) but if it were bigger it wouldn’t be as CUTE.

Hermès

[via]

2008-5-03 9:13am

The baguettes made by the boulangeries near my place are not that great, sadly. I know! I’m in France so… what the??! Anyway, I might try to make some myself. Luckily, Baker’s Banter (King Arthur Flour) recently posted a step-by-step, HOWTO make your own baguettes.

Baguettes Do Try this at Home

2008-5-02 3:37pm

After our excellent adventures in Carcassonne chez Patricia and Andre, we were advised to stop by the quaint medieval village of Mirepoix, in the heart of the Cathare region, on our way to Sarlat just a few weeks ago, so off we went. I’d wondered if Mirepoix was where the famous mirepoix culinary method of combining carrots, celery and onions and using them in French cooking was discovered. Nope. It wasn’t.

With its 13th century oak arcades framed around the marketplace lined with shops and cozy cafes and bakeries, Mirepoix is worth a quick looksee. This is one of the last remaining examples of an arcaded village in France.

Actually, Mirepoix is a bastide built around the main square and the houses date from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

One of the most visited attractions in Mirepois is the Maison des Consuls, which showcases arcaded rafters that are carved with hundreds of unique portrayals of gargoyles, monsters, animals and caricatures of medieval social groups and professions, as well as ethnic groups from all over the world.

Mirepoix is host to an annual puppet and doll festival that takes place on the 2nd week of August (for information, telephone 05 61 68 20 72).

2008-5-01 8:19am

How could I not join my fellow Francophile bloggers who are writing about France’s Labor Day? Bonne Fête du 1er Mai! Happy May Day! 1er Mai, Fête du Muguet (that rhymes btw) is a non-working national holiday and celebrated every May 1st in France with the fragrant and delicate Muguet (Lily of the Valley) flowers. The French tradition is to give your loved ones bouquets of these adorable flowers to wish them happiness and to celebrate Spring’s arrival. (even though it still feels a bit chilly where I live but I digress.) If you don’t want to follow the original tradition of finding your own Lily of the Valleys in the forest (wait. shouldn’t they be in the valleys?), you will not have any problems finding someone selling them. It is the only opportunity and day in France to sell something without needing a license to sell. The only requirement is that you must sell your flowers at least 100 meters away from a flower shop. So, lots and lots and LOTS of people are out there pushing their goods in the form of cute little bell-shaped flowers. Prices will vary wildly. (re-posted)

2008-4-30 6:05pm

We went out to lunch the other day to an excellent brasserie in Autun (Burgundy), which I’ll try to write about some time later this week, hopefully. The restaurant was pretty packed and for some reason, “the suits” were sitting on one side of the restaurant, everyone else scrunched over on the other side. Anyway, my adorable and funny sweetie suddenly bursts out, “That lady is TOTALLY American!!” (talking about a woman just exiting the restroom across the restaurant)

Me: “Why? How do you know?”

Him: “Because she has a kleenex over the doorknob because she doesn’t want to touch it directly……you know, like you.”

Me: “That doesn’t mean she’s American. That means she’s psychotically germophobic …like me. Hey, don’t generalize. Wait! They always do tests on doorknobs and they find POO on them! You don’t want to touch that in a restaurant, do you, then eat dinner?”

Him: “Ok, yeah, but you even wrote about American Germophobia, remember? Anyway, it’s an American thing. You can’t convince me otherwise.”

Me: “Oh yeah. I did write about that. Nevermind that, though.”

Me: “Omg. I just heard them talking and yes, that lady IS American.”

Him: “SEEE!?”

2008-4-30 10:21am

Not being a fan of the overrated Louis Vuitton line of luxury handbags and luggage (and in general), this is another reason for me to take my dislike up a notch.

Louis Vuitton is suing a design student (Nadia Plesner) working with a Darfur fundraiser because their recent campaign called, “Simple Living” shows a refugee with a little chihuahua and expensive LV-ish handbag. Sound or Look familiar? As most of us sadly know, this combination of images only leads to one person: Paris Hilton. The raison d’etre of this design illustrates that people like Hilton get all of the media attention (and why?!), while much more attention-worthy important causes are being ignored.

All of the proceeds of the t-shirts and posters of this campaign are going to charity.

Buy a t-shirt now and support Nadia and Save Darfur

[via]

2008-4-29 9:14am

Leave it to outside-the-box thinking* French designer, Philippe Di Méo, to design tableware inspired by sex toys. The collection of erotic tableware called, Souper Fin (which is a play on words of “fine dining” and “super fine”), was designed in collaboration with renowned luxury companies Baccarat, Goyard, Cristofle and Orfèvrerie d’Anjou among others.




Souper Fin will be exhibited at L’Eclaireur (Paris) in July. Each item will be complemented with a specially created chef’s dish and recipe. (I guess so you know how to use some of the utensils!)

* Philippe Di Méo once designed perfumes based on sweat, tears and saliva.

Souper Fin

[via]

Tags: french, luxury, erotic, kinky, tableware, france, sex+toys, recipes, Philippe+Di+Méo, Reso

2008-4-28 8:51am

More Chinese haters of France. In this case, it’s a taxi driver that is refusing Frenchmen and dogs. What about French women? French children? Are they turning away French poodles? Bichon Frisés? The noyve.

I don’t think France cares too much if she’s hated but don’t you wonder why China is picking on France specifically - when there have been boycotts all along the world path of the Olympic torch? What about England? What about the U.S.? Japan? They tried to trample the Olympic torch, too.

And, and, and, what did dogs do to deserve that? Can’t we all just get along?

Apparemment non.

2008-4-27 8:02am

From yahoo:

“The French government will “suspend” the use of new software for recording the personal habits and affiliations of its citizens in a police database, following an outcry by civil rights groups.

But Synergie-Officiers supported storage of information about the race and religion of suspects and victims. In France some violent crimes attract tougher sentences if motivated by racial or religious hatred, and the union warned that if campaign groups want such hate crimes pursued more vigorously, then police need a way to identify the relevant information about attackers and victims during investigations.”

Tags: france, big+brother, privacy+threatened, software, civil+liberties

2008-4-26 8:19am

Do you get this ad? It might have worked if they added a short tagline (though that would have been a bit tricky)… Here’s a hint: Manix (King Size) sells extra large condoms…

2008-4-25 2:36pm

Related: Where to stay in Carcassonne

Tags: carcassonne, france, photos, medieval+city, aude

2008-4-25 1:18pm

With all of the GMO (genetically modified organisms) laws being passed here and there and everywhere so the public never knows what they’re eating, gardening is becoming the new black. Why be left to wonder if you’re eating pesticides and other toxins when you can grow your own food. More and more people are turning to their own organic gardening so they know exactly what they are consuming. But what about city dwellers? Those fortunate enough to have a large basement are turning them into hydroponic artificially lit organic gardens. Apartment people have to turn to other methods. This is where resourcefulness and ingenuity come in.

French product designer, François Clerc, has come up with something so purely awesome: Graine de pot, a biodegradable, expandable garden pot that is great for urban gardening. How does it work? Plant your seeds, expand as necessary, watch your veggies, say tomatoes or courgettes or peppers, grow, enjoy them all summer and later in the fall throw all of it including the pot out into the compost. Hopefully, your city collects organic rubbish or you can just give it to a friend with a garden for compost.

Now if you can get your hands on non-GMO seeds, you’re in business - but that’s another matter.

[via]

2008-4-24 7:44pm

There’s an old comic strip by Gary Larson in “The Far Side” with two pictures. One shows a person receiving a harp with the caption, “Welcome to Heaven. Here’s your harp.” The other has a guy receiving an accordion with the text bubble saying, “Welcome to Hell. Here’s your accordion.” That is EXACTLY how I’ve felt about the merits of the accordion. However, there is a little tiny exception to my loathing of the accordion - accordions playing musette, which is a genre of French music from the 20s, 30s and 40s (being most popular in the 40s) - though it is a type of music I can only take in small doses. VERY small doses. It does have its own charm. Here’s a sample from youtube.

Sure, you can listen to musette walking along the fake cobble stones in the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, if you can stand it over the cacophony of slot machines (don’t forget to buy a croissant for $10) - but I GUESS it’s probably better to be sipping coffee and people watching at an outdoor cafe somewhere in France with musette in the background. Luckily Today, I hardly ever hear musette in France…until just about a week ago in Sarlat (Southwest France in Dordogne).

Surprisingly, the music seemed to all come together and make sense, and it was fun to listen to. Maybe it was the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a jazz club’s “cave” in a medieval village. Maybe it was the company of good friends and a happy public. Maybe it was because we were in France. I dunno. In any case, the evening was filled with “musetty-jazz” fusion. Not strictly musette, it was a small, mostly jazz combo with the centerpiece instrument being an accordion. Of course when we initially entered the club and I saw the accordion, my first thought was Welcome to Hell!!

I’m glad I was wrong.

Is musette making a comeback? Would it have worked outside a stone wall lined cavern in a medieval village in Dordgogne, France?

I wonder.

Related Posts: from Sarlat

Get some music at Amazon: Musette de France (3 CD Set)

2008-4-22 3:57pm

Michel Fournier is at it again. Remember two years ago? He dropped out of the stratosphere from an altitude of about 130,000 feet (40 kilometers, nearly 25 miles) above the plains of Saskatchewan, Canada. This year he hopes to do the same while breaking the sound barrier and breaking some more world records.

From AFP:

“64-year-old retired French army parachutist said Monday he hopes to smash through the sound barrier with a record-breaking 40,000-metre (130,000-foot) freefall jump over Canada next month.

Michel Fournier hopes to set four new world records at once: for highest freefall parachute speed, at 1,500 kilometres (2,400 miles) per hour, 1.3 times the speed of sound, along with fastest and highest jump and highest air balloon flight.

The Russian Evgeny Andreyev made the highest recorded parachute jump with a 24,483-metre plunge in 1960, while the American Joseph Kittinger claimed an unverified jump of 31,000 metres in 1960.

The veteran French parachutist will take off from May 25 from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in a pressurised capsule, harnessed to a 161-metre helium-powered balloon, rising to almost four times the height of an airline flight.

Pressure will be let off gradually to allow him to exit and make his jump, wearing a specially-developed protective suit with two oxygen bottles, in conditions similar to an astronaut leaving his spacecraft.

Fournier told a press conference in Paris his jump would have “considerable repercussions for aeronautics and space, for medicine and high-technology.”

French astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy, who is sponsoring the project, said it could help shed new light on the behaviour of the human body at the speed of sound, with potential applications for future rescue operations in space.

The French army piloted a similar project in the 1980s, aimed at developing an ejector capsule for European spacecraft, in which Fournier was due to take part before it was finally aborted.

With more than 8,600 jumps to his name, Fournier holds the French height record at 12,000 metres.

His project, which drew teams of specialists in high-altitude and underwater conditions, spacesuits and extreme condition health experts, cost 11.8 million euros (19 million dollars).”

2008-4-22 9:35am

Commemorating Earth Day today, which marks the anniversary of the birth of the environmental movement, I thought I’d post a photo in appreciation of nature. This is a photo of the Calanques in the south of France, not far from Cassis. I never did get around to writing about the Calanques - probably because I had so many photos to go through - but I’ll try to get to it…some time…this year

Related: Earth Day - Take a deep breath and hear the sad story of mankind

2008-4-21 8:41pm

I know these Chinese guys didn’t mean for this to be funny and for all intents and purposes it isn’t funny, but still…

They just don’t GET it.

Hey, and Napoleon’s a pervert!

Related: Olympic Torch

2008-4-21 7:15pm

The Eurovision (the European annual talent show that has taken on a cult following)’s contestant from France is a guy named Sébastien Tellier. I like him; he’s fun and silly - though I’ve listened to the selected song and I have no idea what it’s about.

So, the big scandal in France is that he’s singing in English NOT in French. OMG!

So frickin’ what. The Belgian band, Ishtar, is singing in a non-existent language.

Anyway, that is sort of old news and I am a bit behind. However, when I watched the youtube video of “Divine,” the song he’s supposed to perform at Eurovision, I noticed something. Is it my imagination or is he not even in that video? Maybe, just MAYBE he’s in a couple of shots at most, but I don’t think that’s him lip syncing him - just other people wearing a wig and fake facial hair. Take a look at “him” at the pool. C’mon, that is totally not Sébastien Tellier. See, I told you he’s fun and silly!

Look.

This is what Sébastien Tellier looks like:

It made me wonder if Thomas Bangalter & Guy Man de Homem-Christo from Daft Punk actually perform in their own vids. It doesn’t really matter, I suppose.

But! Will the REAL Sébastien Tellier show up for Eurovision Belgrade (May 20) 2008? On verra.

2008-4-20 6:28pm

There are three new public service announcement videos just released by the Ministry of Employment that are pretty creepy, albeit effective. They’re aiming to encourage people to take care of health problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries related to work before they become debilitating.

All three start with an agonizingly LONG and PAINFUL, moan. Then you see why. EW!

Here’s what the PSA’s say:

Au travail il y a des petites douleurs qui deviennent insupportables.
At work, there are little aches that become unbearable.

Troubles Musculo-squelettiques.
Muscular Skeletal Pain

Parlons en pour les faire reculer.
Let’s talk about it to make it better.

Watch the videos here

2008-4-20 2:15pm

Jumping on the e-reading bandwagon like Kindle (except without a keyboard), Orange and partners Le Monde, Le Parisien, Les Echos, L’Equipe and Télérama are joining together to offer a wireless, touch screen mobile e-newspaper reader that resembles a flat, black Etch a Sketch (sans knobs). They are still testing the product.

The Read&Go has a storage capacity of 1 Gb – more than 200 newspapers – and also contains a e-library of thirty or so books (literature, comic strips, children’s and practical publications, etc.) provided by Feedbooks, Médiatoon (Dargaud, Dupuis, Lombard et Kana) and Mango editions.

I’m still waiting for an e-reader for my Nintendo DS. I’d use that!

More info here (pdf)

[via]

Tags: france, orange, e-reader, kindle, newspapers, wifi, touchscreen

2008-4-19 3:31pm

Lumiere Technology digitized the Mona Lisa and describes the process.

Watch the video

Tags: paris, france, mona+lisa, louvre, art, videos, digitzing

2008-4-18 6:20pm

From electronista:

“France-based Carrefour Group will launch a movie download service, the world’s second biggest retailer announced at the PEVE Digital Entertainment conference in Paris on Friday. The service will allow customers to buy movies or rent movies and rent TV programs. The Group already operates supermarkets, grocery stores and convenience stores that carry DVDs in Europe, and wants to expand its focus on entertainment, bringing it closer to customers.
Carrefour’s international non-food chief, Christophe Geoffroy, said the shopping experience would be simple and fast, with downloads taking about 3 minutes, suggesting a possible streaming experience. He went on to say video-on-demand market in Europe isn’t great, but is expected to grow. Some analysts predict Europe’s movie download market will be worth over about 690 Euros (over $1 billion) by 2011.

Carrefour isn’t the only or the first major retailer to seize the opportunity, as earlier this week, British retailer and grocer Tesco opened its own music and video site, with a larger focus on MP3 album and singles sales.

The group would continue to sell DVD videos at its current stores throughout France, Spain, Belgium and Italy, of which it has a 13.3% market share. Pricing for its downloads, nor a launch date, have yet been announced.”

Tags: france,, carrefour,, download+movies

2008-4-18 4:09pm

Seen near Bordeaux, France

Tags: france, bordeaux, simply+market, strange+english, french, supermarkets

2008-4-18 3:49pm

From macnn:

“Apple is in discussions with Orange about lowering the cost of the French iPhone, Les Echos reports. The newspaper cites an inside source, who claims that Apple is putting pressure on Orange to change to a subsidized pricing model, under which the public would have to pay less for the device. At present Orange is charging at least €399 ($635), making not only for an expensive product, but one of the most costly versions of the iPhone in Europe. Apple is said to be disappointed with sales of the iPhone in France, which recently crossed the 100,000 threshold, and in Europe in general. This is likely one of the reasons for price cuts elsewhere, which have seen the 8GB iPhone fall to £169 in the UK, and just €99 in Germany. Apple may also be hoping to clear out inventory in advance of a 3G iPhone release this summer. Orange is said to be willing to go along with Apple’s plan, but negotiating for a better revenue-sharing agreement in order to compensate for lower profits on each iPhone sold.”

Tags: france, apple, orange, iphone

2008-4-18 2:34pm

From Michael Ruhlman:

“Eduardo Sousa, a farmer in the Extremadura region of Spain is, according to chef Dan Barber, raising geese that bear the best foie gras the chef’s tasted. The critical part of the story, though, is that Sousa does not force feed the geese. He apparently lets their inclination to gorge themselves, once required for migration, take care of the fattening and simply makes sure they have all they want—nuts, olives, etc., but no corn. This suggests of course that farmers who force feed their geese and ducks are simply controlling what the ducks would do naturally and that the folks who want to prohibit the production and sale of foie gras on the grounds of animal cruelty have one less leg to stand on.

I never thought they had any leg to stand on if they …”

Read the article

[via]

Tags: spain, best, foie+gras, food

2008-4-16 6:34am

Sadly, it happened. The last several years of SATC, CSI (aka in France Les Experts), and face it, all American shows - has shaken the reason out of Europeans. What am I talking about?

Take out coffee cups. You know, you see everyone with them. Everywhere. Those ridiculous disposable paper or worse, plastic cups with plastic lids. HATE those. Don’t we need to REDUCE our waste? Don’t we know that PLASTIC is evil and toxic? What is wrong with us? Are we stooooppid? Oui, je dirais.

We saw this poster on a cafe and felt sort of disgusted. I mean, these take away cups are for espresso so they are little disposable cups. Hello…maybe I shouldn’t be complaining since it’s not like a ventimongosize cup from Starbucks (which I HATE) but I can’t help it. An espresso in France, that’s like 3 TABLESPOONS of strong coffee right there in a teeny tiny cup with a handle through which you can’t even fit your fingers. It takes like 3.5 seconds to consume in a cafe. WHY do we need to have it to go?

2008-4-15 2:21pm

This parking lot sign has two messages. In French, you simply pay for parking at the machine before getting into your car. The English version is different. It starts out nicely and politely with the “Could you…” No question mark at the end though, but anyway. THEN! Lucky Anglophones, it gets even better for you. You see, if you speak English, when you come back to the parking lot, you get to PICK a car. Don’t want to get into your own car? TAKE another.

2008-4-15 8:51am

From iht:

“Nearly a year into his term, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has hardly mentioned the arts or culture. In late February, he said that French cuisine should be added to the Unesco World Heritage list.

Every French president since the Liberation has cooked up some such pharaonic new museum or opera house or library or initiated some legacy-minded cultural program, until now.

Sarkozy’s taste is said to be for…”

Full article

Tags: france, sarkozy, embarrassing, french+politics

2008-4-14 4:59pm

It just occurred to me that the bed and breakfast where we stayed in Carcassonne (southwest France) recently, was not only the first B&B we’ve stayed in in France, but it was also a real one, in the sense that you really are staying in someone’s house. In this case, you’re chez Patricia and Andre Ledu.

We loved it.

“Aux Anges Gardiens” means “With The Guardian Angels,” and you’ll feel like your guardian angels were watching over you when you selected this b&b as your home away from home while taking your holidays in Carcassonne.

Patricia and André fled a hectic lifestyle in Paris to embark on a completely new adventure with their B&B. They bought and embraced an 18th century “fixer upper,” took it under their wings and completely restored it. The result of their hard and thoughtful work is a warm, welcoming sanctuary where you’ll feel comfortable and cozy. The house and your hosts will quickly put you at ease and you’ll readily be able to settle in and feel at home. Aux Anges Gardiens is another one of those rare places where you’ll not want to leave.

The rooms are spacious and luxurious, and all have their own private bathroom, so you won’t have to share facilities with other guests in the house. You might be able to tell by the names of the rooms that this place is ideal for couples.

For example, we stayed in the room called, “la Chambre Nuptiale / The Honeymoon Suite” but you have other choices. Oui oui. How about “la Chambre Cocoon / The Love Nest” or the “la Chambre de Maitre / The Master Suite”? Does it sound like a perfect romantic getaway?

It is.

If you’re into more chill kinds of vacations, you will LOVE the patio and pool area at Aux Anges Gardiens. Grab some much needed French rays (remember your sunblock) out there, and laze to your heart’s content during your stay. You’ll be one happy B&B-er.

Since it is a real and true B&B, and we’ve talked about the first B (bed), you’ll be glad to know that the 2nd B, breakfast, is pure YUM. French coffee, fresh bread and baguettes from a nearby bakery, homemade jams, baked cakes made in-house, fruit, yogurt, fruit juices. The REAL breakfast of champions à la française.

Much like Après La Sieste in Provence, Aux anges gardiens is another ideal location that you’ll be able to use as a convenient base but in the region of Langedoc-Roussillon. The medieval city of Carcassonne is just minutes away. Drive or grab the bikes at Patricia and Andre’s to get there or to the neighboring lake. Nearby cities include: Toulouse, Perpignan, Narbonne, Montpellier, and if you have a couple of hours, you’re not very far from Barcelona. Just cross the border and you’ll be speaking Catalan in no time. On a semi-sidenote, from Carcassonne you’ll find really cheap flights to Ireland on Ryanair. I mean, really, really cheap (based on an advanced purchase): about 20 euros roundtrip. REALLY.

Back to the guardian angels. If you’re in the area for business or travel, consider staying at this absolutely fabulous B&B. You will not regret it.

Aux Anges Gardiens, Bed and Breakfast in Carcassonne
Open all year, highspeed internet, 3 rooms, breakfast included
Contact: Patricia et André Ledu (English, French spoken)
2 rue du Barry - hameau de Villalbe - Carcassonne - France
Tél. +33 (0)4 68 47 14 03 - cell .+33 (0)6 64 90 70 13
Email : floledu@aliceadsl.fr
Website: Aux Anges Gardiens, B&B in Carcassonne (more photos, rates and availability)

Tags: france, carcassonne, b&b, bed+and+breakfast, travel, ryanair

2008-4-13 3:04pm

From the festival of cannes website:

“Quentin Tarantino, who once declared having “devoted his life to cinema, his favourite obsession”, is to give the Cinema Masterclass at the coming Festival de Cannes, which takes place from May 14th to 25th 2008.

He was back in Competition last year with Death Proof (Boulevard de la Mort-Un film Grindhouse).”

2008-4-12 2:45pm

From kotaku:

“It’s spreading. To Europe. China’s Wii rip-off, the Vii, has apparently been reskinned for the French. This made in China machine plays six games (Tennis, Football, Boxing, Bowling, Ping Pong and Baseball) and retails for €40. Accessories include a bat and what looks like three spoons rackets. Yes, we’re calling it the “Ouii.”

Sigh.”

2008-4-11 4:55pm

On a lighter note, here’s today’s France photo. It’s a sculpture we saw at the entrance of a tunnel I think somewhere in the vicinity of Montpellier. It’s not particularly attractive but it does get your attention, if anything.

2008-4-11 12:56pm

Last night a special report aired on television (on the show Envoyé Spécial on France 2) about the Olympic Torch in Paris, and showed how the whole spectacle unraveled. While everyone expected a certain amount of unrest from France (and got it), there was some disturbing behavior reported that sent shivers down my spine. It reminded me of something I saw years ago on TV about what could happen in the near future. But, in fact, seems to be happening now.

About 5 years ago, there was a very short-lived (1 season only) but brilliant TV show called, Firefly. It was a Sci-Fi Western set aboard a transport starship with a small crew that took on unquestionably criminal moonlighting jobs. The backdrop was a starry landscape of deep space roughly 500 years into the future and everyone spoke some sort of hybrid of Chinese and Redneck English. Obviously, the implication of the state of the universe 500 years from now was frightening. It shows that the political, geographical and philosophical meltdown over the years eventually embraces China as master. It means China ruled the world.

Back to the Olympic torch event in Paris. The report showed cameramen and journalists all crowded on a truck just in front of the Olympic torch runners - obviously to capture the “glorious” Olympic moment. The French crew notices that the Chinese journalists do not shoot any of the protesters all around the truck; they simply ignore them and tape the torch. The Chinese people evidently will never see any of the human rights activists.

The French and other countries’ journalists, obviously, wanted to capture everything. At that moment, the Chinese cameraman notices being taped by the French, then alerts the Chinese security team about it, saying, “There’s a dangerous cameraman onboard.” Apparently, the Chinese security ordered the French police to remove them without question. Seconds later, The French police arrive and apologetically remove the journalists, who did have the permission to be present. While removing them, the French police said something to the effect of, “we have to follow orders.”

Clearly, it is obvious who is in power here. How could the Chinese have authority outside of their country? It’s strange to see them have all that power in France. They also did appear to be calling the shots in San Francisco, as well. Did you notice? I guess that’s what happens, U.S., when you owe China that much money. The U.S. borrows $3 billion a DAY from Japan, China, the UK and oil exporting countries. Do things make a little more sense now? Is this a reflection of what is to come? The signs of the times, they’re scary.

Could this submissive behavior on the part of the French have something to do with their recent Nuclear Energy deal worth 8 BILLION EUROS ($11.86 billion) with China? Does it have anything to do with the fact that so many French companies have installed themselves in China? Does “Made in China” sound familiar?

An aside: I’ve recently noticed that everything made in China has started to look like “Made in PRC” (People’s Republic of China). You don’t fool me.

Links: Made in China , Olympic Torch

Tags: france, china, olympics, 2008, torch

2008-4-09 3:49pm

We hit the road last Sunday from Burgundy en route to Carcassonne in the south of France. We took a little detour to check out the Le Viaduc de Millau / Millau Viaduct, which was open to the public in 2005. I thought I’d share some photos.

To cross the viaduct you must pay a toll, which is higher during the summer! The summer rate is: 7.40 euros ($11.62) - and the non-summer rate is 5.60 euros ($8.79).

The actual bridge crossing is supported by the cables attached to the top of each tower, which is why, I supposed, they call it a “Cable-Stayed Bridge.” Probably the most common view of the viaduct is from this viewpoint (above).

The bridge connects the autoroute from Paris to Beziers at the point where it is bisected by the Tarn River, which runs through a wide gorge between two plateaus.

The Millau Viaduct took 4 years to build. It stands 280 meters (919 ft) tall (which is higher than the Eiffel Tower and is considered the highest bridge in the world) - and is 2.5 kilometers long (1.55 miles). It cost €394 million ($619 million) to construct.

2008-4-07 8:37pm

As most people expected, Reporters without Borders did manage to get some attention during today’s Olympic torch relay in Paris protesting against China’s inhumane treatment of the people of Tibet. There was so much disruption everywhere that the last leg of the Paris torch relay was canceled.

Related: Photos from Paris Bloggers, Olympic Torch

2008-4-07 3:24pm

Oui! We knew SOMETHING would happen.

From iht:

“What was supposed to be a majestic procession for the Olympic torch through the French capital was disrupted Monday as thousands of people from around Europe, many with Tibetan flags, massed to protest the passage of the flame, forcing police officers to bring the torch onto a bus to try to protect it and causing the torch to be extinguished at least once.

A police spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with policy, said the torch went out “for technical reasons” unrelated to the protests, without offering further clarification. CNN reported that the torch was extinguished at least twice amid the melee, and The Associated Press said officials were forced to extinguish the flame three times amid security concerns.

Despite tremendous security, at least two activists got within almost an arm’s length of the flame before they were grabbed by police officers, The AP reported. Officers tackled numerous protesters to the ground and carried some away.

It was yet another unscripted moment in the passage of the Olympic flame, and the second time in two days that the torch relay had been disrupted in a European capital.

Some 3,000 police officers in Paris — on foot, horseback, roller blades, motorbikes and even boats in the river Seine — tried to prevent a repeat of the scenes in London on Sunday, when the torch’s progression through the streets turned into a tumult of scuffles. One man broke through a tight security cordon in the London protests and made a failed grab for the torch, and 35 people were arrested…”

Read the rest

2008-4-06 7:28am

A brand new website dedicated to Paris accommodations has recently launched and is looking for owners of hotels, apartments, gites, and chambres d’hotes (bed and breakfast) to be included on the site. If you know someone with a place to stay, please feel free to let them know about it.

Please register your Paris accommodation here.

2008-4-05 7:08pm

From the daily mail:

“French President Nicholas Sarkozy will boycott the opening of the Beijing Olympics unless China opens dialogue with the Dalai Lama and frees political prisoners, a French minister told Le Monde today.
Secretary of State for Human Rights Rama Yade said these conditions were “indispensable” for Sarkozy to attend the opening of the Games.

His warning comes as Government security forces fired on crowds of civilians, killing at least eight people in the Tibetan area of western China.

Xinhua news agency said rioters attacked government offices in Garze, Sichuan province, on Thursday, leaving one official hurt and others seriously injured.

Sarkozy is set to announce his decision on the boycott after consulting with his European counterparts and will be speaking as current president of the European Union.

“Nevertheless, three conditions are indispensable for him to go: an end to violence against the population and the release of political prisoners, light to be shed on the events in Tibet and the opening of dialogue with the Dalai Lama,” Tibet’s spiritual leader, Ms Yade said.

France calls on China to undertake “a really constructive dialogue with the Dalai Lama”.

“These discussions should be about the recognition of Tibetan autonomy and the spiritual, religious and cultural identity of Tibetans,” she added.

The French minister said 132 Tibetan monks had been arrested last year for political reasons.

“At the moment, China practises a politics of…

Full article

2008-4-05 11:57am

From woostercollective:

Artist: Duster

2008-4-04 6:03pm

From AP:

“French athletes said Friday they want to be able to wear a badge marked ‘For a better world’ at the Beijing Olympics to show support for human rights in the wake of China’s crackdown in Tibet.

The athletes plan to lobby the International Olympic Committee for permission to wear the badge, a symbol of their attachment to principles they said China is not respecting.

About 20 former and current French athletes, some already qualified to compete in Beijing this August, attended the unveiling of the badge. It shows the Olympic rings, below the words “France” and “For a better world.”

The badge is the result of several weeks of reflection among athletes in France about how they should respond to the events in Tibet and the broader question of human rights in China…

“The situation in China is certainly intolerable. I can assure you that it is insupportable for us sports people,” said two-time Olympic canoeing champion Tony Estanguet, in a brief address that was strongly applauded by the other athletes.

He said that boycotting the games should not be a solution.

One of the driving forces behind the idea was pole vaulter Romain Mesnil, silver medalist at last year’s world championships in Osaka, Japan.

Mesnil says China’s response to recent unrest in Tibet was a turning point for him. He had initially suggested that athletes wear a green ribbon or other signs to show support for human rights. That idea evolved into the badge.

“The fundamental principles of the Olympic charter are among the most beautiful messages that sport has given to man. This year, we will celebrate the Olympic spirit in a country that doesn’t respect these fundamental principles, or at least not sufficiently,” he said.

With their badge, athletes “are putting the Olympic values back into the heart” of the Beijing Games, added Mesnil.

Two-time French judo gold medalist David Douillet said that Henri Serandour, president of the French Olympic Committee, supports their action and would argue for it with IOC chief Jacques Rogge.”

2008-4-04 4:20pm

More adorable houses in France. This cute home reminds me of the elevated apartment we saw in Nevers.

This side faces the Isle River and has Perigueux’s famous cathedrale as a backdrop.

This side shows how to enter the house. I wonder where the ladder is.

2008-4-04 10:40am

From AFP:

“Orly Airport, one of the two big airports serving Paris, is to extract geothermal energy from deep underground to slash its heating bills, the facility’s owners said.

Two shafts each 1,700 metres (one mile) deep will be drilled on the airport’s perimeter to access a water table warmed by heat emanating from the Earth’s hot core.

Drawn upwards by natural pressure, the water will emerge at the surface at 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) and then be injected into the airport’s heating system. It will then be pumped back into the ground at a temperature of 45 C (113 F).

“We have the unprecedented luck of having hot water below our feet that can heat a large part of Orly without CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions. We are the first airport in Europe to do this,” Pierre Graff, who is chairman and managing director of Aeroports de Paris (ADP), said on Wednesday.

The project, launched after a technical and financial feasibility study, will cost 11 million euros (17.27 million dollars). The Orly-Ouest terminal, part of Orly-South, the airport’s Hilton Hotel, and two business districts will be hooked up to the system from 2011.

ADP hopes geothermal will meet a third of its heating needs and coincidentally save 7,000 tonnes of its 20,000 tonnes of its annual emissions of CO2, the principal greenhouse gas.

The neighbouring towns of Orly, located south of Paris, and l’Hay-les-Roses, already use geothermal.”

2008-4-03 4:09pm

From wwd:

“Make no mistake — Louis Vuitton is well-equipped for combat against counterfeiters.

Tonight, Vuitton is celebrating Takashi Murakami’s “© Murakami” exhibition with a “Brooklyn Ball” at the Brooklyn Museum featuring a special performance by Kanye West, the unveiling of a new camouflage print developed by Murakami and Marc Jacobs called Monogramouflage and a special installation designed to bring attention to one of the industry’s biggest travails — counterfeits.

But rather than simply hand out leaflets to alert guests about the importance of protecting original designs, the French luxury goods house will be taking a novel, somewhat intriguing route. Outside the museum, Vuitton is setting up 10 New York-style street vendors — not to sell fakes, but rather authentic Louis Vuitton product and special Monogramouflage canvases that Murakami has created specifically for the exhibition.

While it may seem lighthearted on the surface, the presentation is meant to underscore just how serious Vuitton executives are taking the counterfeit trade, and how diligently they are working to stop copycats from getting their merchandise to consumers.

“We always thought that counterfeit requires zero tolerance for several reasons,” Yves Carcelle, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, told WWD in an exclusive interview. “It’s a gray economy that escapes all rules of normal labor and normal economic rules and taxations, so it’s a bad thing for every state in the world. Secondly, it’s bad for any kind of creativity, research and development, because if you don’t protect intellectual property, why should people dedicate time and energy to create?”

Carcelle will highlight the issue in a press conference with Brooklyn Museum director Arnold Lehman and New York City deputy mayor Ed Skyler prior to the gala’s cocktail hour tonight.

Vuitton is no newcomer in the fight against counterfeiters. This year also marks the centennial of its first court case. In 1908, the brand won a ruling from the Paris Appeal Court to halt the distribution of look-alike trunks.

The luxury brand now employs a 40-member team that focuses exclusively on protecting its trademarks, designs, models, copyrights and domain names. The team is based in Paris, with regional offices in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Milan, Dubai, Buenos Aires and Guangzhuo, China.”

[via]

2008-4-03 12:58pm

Do most Americans even know who Tex Avery was? I’m not sure but the French sure know American cartoons and the people behind the cute characters from way back when. This year La Poste commemorates Tex Avery, a prolific American animator, cartoonist and director whose bold style broke away from the realism established by Walt Disney. Tex Avery would have been 100 years old today.

The French Post Office paid hommage to this great animator, and came up with the cutest postage stamps featuring Droopy, the mild mannered, monotone basset hound. Avery created Droopy in 1943 at MGM, which was originally called, “Dumb-Hounded.”

Everyone (I’ve asked) in France knows Droopy, and loves him. They’ll inevitably say, Droopy’s famous line in the most dreary, lifeless tone possible, “Vous savez quoi? Je suis heureux.” (You know what? I’m happy.)

Related: Stamps in France

2008-4-03 10:49am

From counterpunch:

“Nicolas Sarkozy, allegedly the most Anglophile (or rather Americanophile) president of the 5th Republic failed his Science Po degree in the late 70s because his English was so poor that he was barred from sitting the politics exams. In the run up to the war in Iraq, the allegedly “Anti-American” Chirac was able to explain the French position in English before the US media, a small feat totally out of reach for the monolingual Sarkozy.

Sarkozy did not have to make small talk in English when he recently met the Queen in Windsor Castle since the British Monarch is fluent in French. On this occasion, some may have warned the Queen that Sarkozy’s French is generally most unceremonial: his crude crack at a person who refused to shake hands with him at a Paris farm show or the derogatory use of the “tu” form to address strangers (in the French context, not a cool way to behave, but rather a condescending or bossy one) have become Internet hits. Meeting youngsters from the banlieues a few months before his election, Sarko boasted to the kids: “I speak like you, I could be one of you”. “Bling-Bling Sarko” confuses familiarity with vulgarity. As one of his critics in the French media cruelly put it: Sarkozy is not small, but low.

Before Sarko, the Gaullist right was not quintessentially vulgar and anti-intellectual. Charles de Gaulle was a well-read man who had the good taste to choose André Malraux as Minister of Culture. Georges Pompidou was an Agrégé de lettres and a student at the Ecole Normale Supérieure. The apparently less highbrow Jacques Chirac is a great connoisseur of Japanese civilization (and, some cynics might like to add, of his banking system) [and leaves the splendid Branly museum as a monument, Editors]. Sarkozy breaks with the Gaullist tradition on that count: he is a self-professed idiot. To one of his advisers who suggested that he visit a museum during a trip in Madrid, Sarko replied: “The idiot thanks you!” (Le con te dit merci!). The ironic jibe fails to conceal Sarkozy’s deep insecurity with regard to the world of knowledge in general and to intellectuals in particular. Sarkozy admitted hating school and underachieved as a student. Recently, he was heard fuming in public against “those researchers who find nothing”.

Sarkozy does not read and does not even pretend that he is in the least interested in literature or arts, which constitutes yet another break with the tradition of French presidents. He is the son of an immigrant from Central Europe who made it to the top of French politics without studying in the elitist Grandes Ecoles. These features should have earned him the sympathy of the French people as they like to back the underdog. However, Sarko has squandered this opportunity: his ostentatious nouveau riche profile and his courtship of the mega-rich have put off the whole nation.

In the end, Sarkozy may fail to substantially Americanize France if the French people find the political resources to defeat his neoliberal rampages through the economy. In the meantime, the country is run by a president who, like George W. Bush, thinks that the world is divided between “good” and “bad people”, that intellectuals are sissies and, last but not least, that it is alright to be not so educated, filthy rich and brag about it.”

Philippe Marlière teaches French and EU politics at University College London (UK) since 1994. He is also an activist on the left-wing of the French Socialist Party. He can be reached at p.marliere@ucl.ac.uk

2008-4-02 9:12am

From gizmodo:

“Ouch, that payback, it can be a bitch — Sony BMG, distributors of rootkit-installing CDs and litigious foe of P2P users worldwide, has just been busted in France for using pirated software on its servers. And it gets even worse: Windows admin tool developer PointDev says a Sony BMG was caught when an IT staffer actually called up for support and gave a pirated license number to the phone tech. That’s some pretty shady behavior for a company that’s rammed anti-piracy measures down its own customers’ throats — too bad it’s probably not going to feel the hit of the €300,000 ($475,000) lawsuit nearly as hard as the college students it routinely sues for $5,000.”

2008-4-01 7:30pm

With his approval ratings plunging into seemingly negative numbers, Sarkozy has been under extreme mounting pressure and stress to improve his popularity as was witnessed earlier in his presidential career. He has shocked the world by taking France by the horns (feathers) with his immediate action against immigration. His stance on “work more, earn more” slapped lagging chomeurs and professional “RMIistes” out of their beds. His marriage to a supermodel taller than him caused a stir outside of France. Of course, inside the hexagon, the French did not bat an eye, and wouldn’t do so even if he married a hairless dwarf monkey.

Although no one faults him for his singularity and take-charge attitude, the people of France expected an overall improvement in the quality of French life from Monsieur le president. Instead they got skyrocketing inflation and endless reportages of his love life. The public knows that during the myriad of marriage footage in the media, he was covertly passing unsavory laws - and le peuple is not pleased.

But in an unprecedented move to come clean, Sarkozy has offered complete transparency and divulged his intentions in an impromptu press conference today. He has decided to be open and honest about his plans for the country and has taken a vow of truth to disclose all plans and events to the public as they happen. He also plans to admit his recent “misinformations.” (We call those “lies.”)

He then continued to inform the media and general public of his recent decisions and actions, which are as follows:

1. He admits to having married supermodel, Carla Bruni, because she is a perfect trophy wife. He felt that having a beautiful, tall younger woman as a wife would boost his ratings. He, in actuality, hates Carla with the passion - particularly because she looks better nude than he does, speaks better English than he does, and everyone would rather talk to her and not him at cocktail parties.

2. Since the launching of the euro in France in 2002, the price of food and goods have gone through the roof, so much so, that many people are running out of money. They’ve had to resort to spending their savings. When France’s currency was the franc, even poor people could afford basic needs and still were able to save a little in the bank. Sarkozy realizes this and confesses that he does not care about poor people, so originally he had no intentions of any kind to make changes - but since today, he’s decided to bend a little and although it may sound shocking, he has decided to bring back the Franc. “Forget euros,” he quipped, “that currency is for pauvre cons.”

3. Regarding the Olympics in Beijing this summer, Sarkozy has urged everyone to buy a Reporters without Borders t-shirt and wear them next week, April 7, when the Olympic torch passes through Paris. “You must change the t-shirts a little, however,” he said, “please tear off the sleeves so that we all look like Rambo. Don’t forget to wear a bandana around your head, too”

Poisson d’avril!! April Fools!

Related: France Demands Worldwide Royalties

2008-3-30 6:20pm

On the way to the Olympic Ceremony, the torch will makes its way all over the world. For what it’s worth, it’ll be in Paris on April 7. Mark your calendars.

I don’t believe it’s going to be an eventless moment in history because 1) this is France; and 2) the most awesome Reporters sans frontières / Reporters without Borders will surely make an appearance. If you were able to see the initial ceremony in Greece a week or so ago, you’ll remember that some fearless reporters without borders crashed the party to demonstrate against China, which is the largest world prison for freedom of expression and human rights, among other things.

Stay tuned. And in the meantime, get a T-shirt to show your support of Reporters Without Borders - and please sign the petition.

Links: Torch Cities