tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295983112024-03-27T19:17:05.376+01:00If It Does Not Happen in Paris, It Will Never Happen at AllLife, Times and Images from an American Expatriate in the City of LightsJust Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-28489429953680724242007-06-19T21:42:00.001+02:002008-04-22T22:14:09.365+02:00Paris, je t'aime<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><ul><li><span style="font-size:100%;">One City. 10 Million Hearts. One Love Story. One Film.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;">Fall in love with Paris 18 times.</span></li></ul><span style="font-size:100%;">In the summer of 2006 a special film was released in Paris called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%2C_Je_t%E2%80%99aime">Paris, je t'aime</a> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Paris, I love you</span>. The concept was to invite 20 of the best film makers to create 20 five-minute films of Paris, one for each <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_arrondissements_of_France">arrondisement</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_arrondissements_of_France"> in Paris</a>. The list of directors includes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Salles" title="Walter Salles">Walter Salles</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_Cuar%C3%B3n" title="Alfonso Cuarón">Alfonso Cuarón</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tykwer" title="Tom Tykwer">Tom Tykwer</a>, <a ref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Van_Sant" title="Gus Van Sant">Gus Van Sant</a>, <a ref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Craven" title="Wes Craven">Wes Craven</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Payne" title="Alexander Payne">Alexander Payne</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurinder_Chadha" title="Gurinder Chadha">Gurinder Chadha</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_and_Ethan_Coen" title="Joel and Ethan Coen">Joel and Ethan Coen</a>. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Only 18 films were included in the final version but still each film shows the diversity of Paris, the different lives one can lead in Paris and certainly the different interpretations of Paris, and especially love in Paris.<br /><br />The film is released in the United States in June 2007. It is a very special film and not to be missed. Do not be afraid of watching a film while reading many sub-titles; there is a mix of languages, mostly French and English. The actors are French, British and American movie actors, some quite well known. Interestingly, some of the better known actors play minor supporting roles.<br /><br />One can find several trailers and even several of the films by individual directors on the internet. Here are some that I really enjoy...<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/nSZOGywlhzE"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/nSZOGywlhzE"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-00697929185964491 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/nSZOGywlhzE"></a><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nSZOGywlhzE"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nSZOGywlhzE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iH-WQ_THij0"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iH-WQ_THij0"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iH-WQ_THij0"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-00697929185964491 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/iH-WQ_THij0"></a><object style="font-family: arial;" height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iH-WQ_THij0"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iH-WQ_THij0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></span>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-31738879149771071822007-06-19T21:11:00.000+02:002007-06-20T07:26:56.808+02:00The Simple Things in Paris<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1VXcPoukySey6jlt7ZKFEHUiw4gJlIGQxx8kIi9PvNPUl20kd31K_Ch9beWnkAOfPvNd6yZfahoduSdOg_y2PJ_0-DXPEGxMd8qzQatxqRQBK0KLyDAAo3uy6tGNfkhcIcx-cQ/s1600-h/Jardin_de_Luxembourg+Gate+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1VXcPoukySey6jlt7ZKFEHUiw4gJlIGQxx8kIi9PvNPUl20kd31K_Ch9beWnkAOfPvNd6yZfahoduSdOg_y2PJ_0-DXPEGxMd8qzQatxqRQBK0KLyDAAo3uy6tGNfkhcIcx-cQ/s320/Jardin_de_Luxembourg+Gate+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077857701743895602" border="0" /></a>Very often I walk through the streets of Paris in the neighborhoods where I live. There is always something new to see, people, buildings and quite often small objects almost hidden from normal view. I like the ancient door knobs, small stone steps and the iron bars constructed to protect doorways from cartridge wheels and now automobile wheels.<br /><br />One day while walking past the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_du_Luxembourg">Jardin du Luxembourg</a> in the 6th arrondisement where I live, I noticed part of the iron entrance gate to the gardens, finely crafted with an interesting pattern. It was a strong image against the cobble-stones and very typical of the images I enjoy in Paris.<br /></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-13366249566614826062007-05-03T20:30:00.000+02:002007-06-19T23:24:42.007+02:00Honesty and Lost Rings in Paris<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">There are many, many honest people in Paris, certainly the great vast majority. But then again, there are some people in Paris of less means and morals who take advantage of us honest people.<br /><br />Take advantage of honest people ?? Isn't there the old saying "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can%27t_Cheat_an_Honest_Man">You can't cheat an honest man</a>?" This saying is quite true but let me tell you what happened to me and you can decide if I am honest or not.<br /><br />Tuesday was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_of_May">May 1st</a>, a national holiday in France and all stores were closed except for a few local <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89picerie"><span style="font-style: italic;">épiceries</span></a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grocery_store">grocery stores,</a> the French version of the American <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawa_Food_Markets">Wawa</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7-11">7-11</a> convenience stores. They are open late in the evenings and often on holidays. I was dying of thirst because of the warmer than usual weather and dreamed of a cool drink of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pellegrino">San Pelligrino</a> water. I picked up two bottles and a few other essentials at the local </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >épicerie</span><span style="font-size:100%;">.<br /><br />I left the store, crossed the street and noticed out of the corner of my eye as I passed, that a man nearby was bending over picking up a shiny object on the sidewalk. I thought at first was a bottle cap of some other junk. I stepped almost directly over his arm as he picked up the object and I kept walking.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">That's when he spoke.<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Excusez-moi, Monsieur. Vous avez laissé votre bague ici." He showed me a large gold wedding band.<br />"What? No, it is not my ring, Monsieur."<br />"Mais oui, c'est à vous."<br />"Mais non. I have no ring."<br />"Mais oui, it is your ring. Well, if it is not then give it to your woman. It will make her happy. It is a woman's ring."<br />He hands me the ring. Indeed it is heavy. Apparently gold. "Um, no. It is not mine."<br />"I cannot wear it. I am a man," he said. "Give it to your woman." He turned and walked away.<br />"Well, OK. Merci, Monsieur." I turned and walked away.<br />He turns again. "Ah, Monsieur. S'il vous plait. I am hungry. I don't have enough money for a baguette."<br />"Um. OK. Take some change." Hmm. He is honest but only needs money for a baguette. I gave him a few coins from the change still in my hand.<br />"No, that is not enough. Just a little more. I gave you the ring."<br />"Well, OK, here is two euros but nothing more." And I walk away.</span><br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">I was thinking that it was better that I have the ring rather than this roughly dressed man. At least I could return the ring and this other man would have not returned it, he would have sold it. Then I thought that if I could not find the owner then perhaps I could sell it for a few euros. But it would be a waste. Those few euros would mean nothing to me. The ring would mean a fortune of memories to the poor woman who was given and had loved the ring. The proceeds from the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">ring would also mean many meals to the roughly dressed man, who was frankly more honest than me. My head was spinning. It was the worst possible outcome. Everyone lost something.<br /><br />I though a lot about the poor woman who lost the ring. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hebqWbcpKh68kbReM7gffpT9lmQ_fRWb12UpHyJULAXU45_eXoriFYN9m7brEYCTrtT-yoHr-4r7XtctGaoZ2sS74AOapQ74ZxiujrelujVntOm9vZfHl54FXe9rgFtQlME0zg/s1600-h/Bague.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hebqWbcpKh68kbReM7gffpT9lmQ_fRWb12UpHyJULAXU45_eXoriFYN9m7brEYCTrtT-yoHr-4r7XtctGaoZ2sS74AOapQ74ZxiujrelujVntOm9vZfHl54FXe9rgFtQlME0zg/s320/Bague.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060439942284318066" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">How will I give it back? </span><span style="font-size:100%;">At home I wrote a little note simply stating </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Une bague</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (a ring) and my phone number. I would place this little sign near the wall and sidewalk where the ring was found. I thought that if this woman searched for wedding band she would see the sign and understand. Certainly I would insist that she describe the ring when she called. Certainly I would not ask for a reward but if she insisted, I would accept two euros since I had given the honest man two euros. This would be my compromise so that both of us would gain. If I did not hear from anyone in six</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> months, I would sadly sell the ring. It would have been replaced by the woman by this time. Six months was the limit I set. Six months was fair.<br /><br />A day passed and then I thought, is this correct ? Is this moral ? What would someone else do ? I 'googled' for </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >morality</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >morality test</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and other words seeking advice.<br /><br />Then somehow I 'googled' </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >lost ring</span><span style="font-size:100%;">.<br /><br />Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!<br /><br />Sucker !!<br /><br />What a fool I am.<br /><br />One of the apparently famous tourist scams in Paris is the "lost ring" scam. A stranger, an <span style="font-style: italic;">honest man</span> bends over to pick up a "lost" ring and offers it to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_%28victim%29"><span style="font-style: italic;">mark</span></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">. Negotiations follow and the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >mark</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> gives money to the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >honest man</span><span style="font-size:100%;">. The </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >honest man</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> does not accept the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >valuable</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> gold ring because it is not his, not the right size, against his religion, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >blah</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >blah</span><span style="font-size:100%;">. It turns out that the ring is brass and almost worthless. The <span style="font-style: italic;">honest man</span> walks away with more than he paid for the ring and the <span style="font-style: italic;">mark</span> walks away with a worthless ring, a few euros poorer.<br /><br />What a fool I am... and I consider myself as 'street wise.' What would you have done ? Did I do the right thing or was I less than honest ?<br /><br />Now I am thinking that I will get rid of this <span style="font-style: italic;">valuable</span> ring by appearing to pick up this "lost" ring in front of one of the many tourists in Paris this time of year. I have no doubt that there is only this one <span style="font-style: italic;">lost</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">gold</span> ring circulating among all of us honest people of Paris.<br /><br /><br /><br />Here is some required reading for us honest people....<br /><a href="http://pollyvousfrancais.blogspot.com/2007/03/with-this-ring-i-thee-scam.html">PollyVousFrancais --> With this Ring I Thee Scam</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_trick#_note-0">Confidence Tricks</a><br /><a href="http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Victims/victims.htm">Schemes, Scams & Fraudes</a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti11.html">Tourist Scam Alert</a><br /></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-35715379491921422952006-12-07T19:41:00.001+01:002006-12-07T21:20:47.164+01:00France 24, on-line TV<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">JustmeinParis has often wished that one simple connection to the internet would bring voice, video, text and images directly to the television, local PC and please, just one, one portable telephone with one unique number that we can carry anywhere and talk with anyone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Internet Channel France 24</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yC2LYcHzcGY/RXho2XCDZQI/AAAAAAAAAAk/nAAujT4SVJY/s1600-h/France24.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yC2LYcHzcGY/RXho2XCDZQI/AAAAAAAAAAk/nAAujT4SVJY/s320/France24.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5005866268927157506" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">We are one step closer to this dream with the introduction of </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.france24.com/live/index.html">France 24</a><span style="font-family:arial;">. This on-line, live channel on the internet is a 24/7 news channel based in France and certainly France's answer to CNN. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Chirac">Jacques Chirac</a> proposed this concept four years ago and last evening at 7:30pm, the station president pushed the "go live" button. The broadcast is made on normal televisions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The rest of the world must go on line to <a href="http://www.france24.com/live/index_FR.html">France 24</a> to watch the broadcast.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In an recent interview Chirac said that France has it's view of the world and should broadcast this view that conforms with the French traditions and their concept of peace, humanism and globalism.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yC2LYcHzcGY/RXhuc3CDZSI/AAAAAAAAAA0/fLzDHTXk0F0/s1600-h/France24site.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yC2LYcHzcGY/RXhuc3CDZSI/AAAAAAAAAA0/fLzDHTXk0F0/s320/France24site.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5005872427910260002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On this live telecast, there are a French, Englih</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and Arabic versions but.. hmm, the Arabic version switched to English this evening. Well, this will be resolved soon I am sure.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Also this evening at 8:30pm France time, France24 introduced the full France 24 website. Wow, it's so cool to click between the French and English versions. The news stories are not exactly the same but they are quite similar and are broadcast in parallel. Certainly for the students of French, it is a great tool to improve the comprehension of French.<br /><br />It is estimated that this channel will reach 190 million viewers. Hey, why not be the 190 millionth at first viewer ?<br /></span></div><div> </div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-16583946869919302042006-12-06T07:14:00.000+01:002006-12-06T07:16:51.381+01:00The Crooners Busking in Paris<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YKLAb5HhJeqzR8CCKtnbBpoMJURZ7jzbLYFBCDP9p_QNDvBCaR7wCx-ZkZbFeJVrP1oqP6y8VTkn8zPS_b0RFm1LGobAy2YsXbd5Fc_Ry2FsppG53LBu16z66c3b5s8oHEEUQQ/s1600-h/untitled.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YKLAb5HhJeqzR8CCKtnbBpoMJURZ7jzbLYFBCDP9p_QNDvBCaR7wCx-ZkZbFeJVrP1oqP6y8VTkn8zPS_b0RFm1LGobAy2YsXbd5Fc_Ry2FsppG53LBu16z66c3b5s8oHEEUQQ/s320/untitled.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5005121886151208466" border="0" /></a>A friend Lucinda who writes for <a href="http://www.bonjourparis.com/">BonjourParis</a>, introduced me to a band she's passionate about, <a href="http://www.thecrooners.com/">The Crooners</a>, who got their start <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking">busking</a> in Paris. Here's what she writes about her discovery of the group along the streets of Paris...<br /></span></div><blockquote style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >The Crooners, dressed with old-fashioned charm, their hair worn long and shaggy, appeared to me on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_Mouffetard%2C_Paris">rue Mouffetard</a>, like a vision from a bygone era.</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >I learned they were not from <st1:state st="on">Colorado</st1:state> as I presumed, but were actually boys from upstate <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>, recent post-grads who had started a band during their days at Cornell. This is the dynamic, and the energy, the band will always capture, the “unbridled revelry” of three collegiate friends.</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >But unlike most college bands, the Crooners had artistic integrity—they were dedicated students of the old-school. There aren’t many of the Napster Generation who listened to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Dylan">Dylan</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole">Nat King Cole</a> as religiously as did the Crooners... Nyles Fitzgerald, Kevin Denton, and Chris Merkley.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Then again, Nyles of the famous washtub bass, had incredible mentors. While a student in Paris, he was able to train under and perform alongside his great-uncle, <a href="http://www.lostwandering.com/CDs1.htm">Danny Fitzgerald</a>, the “granddaddy of busking” who played with the best of them, including <a href="http://www.madeleinepeyroux.com/">Madeleine Peyroux</a>, and introduced Nyles to the world of street musicians and a to a swing revival that European culture had been catching onto since the early 1980s. Fitzgerald taught Nyles the almost technical art of street performance—how to discern the best spots to draw the attention of passerbys, without also attracting the notice of the police. Busking, for Danny Fitzgerald and later for the Crooners, was beyond a technicality—it was a way of life inseparable from the pursuit of art, connecting musicians to their listeners at the most basic, grass roots level.</span><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><a style="" href="http://beta.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=29598311&postID=1658394686991930204#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""></a></span> </div></blockquote><div face="arial" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" ><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oX7ExfH4KT0"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oX7ExfH4KT0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></object></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Brooklyn, New York is now home to The Crooners. They have gained wider following since their days in Paris (take a look at the <a href="http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=Yzf&q=the+crooners&btnG=Rechercher&meta=">references to The Crooners</a> or <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thecrooners">their '<span style="font-style: italic;">my space'</span></a>). The Crooners will always fondly remember their roots busking <span style="">on an unlikely and crowded street in Paris and drawing the attention of a crowd of passersby. </span></span></div></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-87158169240363777122006-12-03T22:32:00.000+01:002006-12-04T21:13:11.675+01:00Mois de la Photo-Off and Frédéric Tran<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">November in Paris, the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.mep-fr.org/moisdelaphoto2006/fr/10-home/default.htm">Mois de la Photo</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and the parallel </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.moisdelaphoto-off.org/">Mois de la Photo-Off</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> were indeed the highlights for the month when for JustmeinParis takes time to visit the new photography expositions in the more accessible formats (Mois de la Photo) and the more contemporary (Mois de la Photo - Off) formats.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0rSxqL5d23F4wTskZfEBUFXIIkBHUC3UQfVRRZrD2pHIXJRfZoCBRy73zE66xVWqBZt3Bh1hL5gNBvikWnqfpk01lgqSav1Yek7kJoudVnKKXtqkP-Ia50qnVUMDb53y4Zt3fA/s1600-h/mois+de+la+photo-off+FTran.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0rSxqL5d23F4wTskZfEBUFXIIkBHUC3UQfVRRZrD2pHIXJRfZoCBRy73zE66xVWqBZt3Bh1hL5gNBvikWnqfpk01lgqSav1Yek7kJoudVnKKXtqkP-Ia50qnVUMDb53y4Zt3fA/s320/mois+de+la+photo-off+FTran.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004421007618043394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Recently, I found myself at the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_du_Nord">Gare du Nord</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and there in the adjoining </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Magenta">Gare du Magenta</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> was displayed the photography of </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.google.fr/search?q=frederic+tran&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Frédéric Tran</a>. Frédéric Tran's too few photographs were displayed in large format along a wall of a hallway along with videos of photographs in series (taken by another photographer in the exhibition). This exhibition, as part of Mois de la Photo-Off, featured <span style="font-style: italic;">movement</span> and I thought there was no better way to pay tribute than to take a few photographs to "abstract" the work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Although a few people stopped to enjoy the photographs and videos of the exposition, most walked by without a glance. What a shame since Paris has wonderful art like this to enjoy and many new and exciting artists like Frédéric Tran offering contemporary art in places as common as a train station.</span><br /></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-71513709044717886312006-11-19T23:22:00.000+01:002006-11-22T22:03:37.834+01:00Paris Photography Galleries<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >After having visited <a href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/">Paris Photo 2006</a> and creating <a href="http://justmeinparis.blogspot.com/2006/11/paris-photo-2006.html">my blog on Paris Photo 2006</a>, JustmeinParis was ready for some serious photographs in Parisian galleries of which there are hundreds. Well, sometimes you are hot and sometimes you are not. Maybe it's just me but when I say, "I could have taken a photo like that" I often wonder why I did not take a photograph and another photographer is showing his images in a gallery. Here is what I found.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;" class="sousTitre"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">Jeu de Paume, Hotel Sully</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><br />JustmeinParis love to walk through the grounds of <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_de_Sully">Hôtel de Sully</a>, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_particulier"><span style="font-style: italic;">hôtel particulier</span></a>, from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Rivoli%2C_Paris">rue de Rivoli</a> to la <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_des_Vosges">Place des Vosges</a>. Every time it seems like a wonderful discovery of graciousness in Paris. This was my first visit to <a href="http://www.jeudepaume.org/site/frameset.php?idModule=1">Jeu de Paume</a>, the underground art museum and now showing the photographs of <a href="http://www.joelmeyerowitz.com/">Joel Meyerowitz</a> in a exposition <span style="font-style: italic;">Out of the Ordinary, 1970-1980</span> until 14 January, 2007<span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /><br />The years between 1970 and 1980 were not my favorite and photographs displaying life in those years do not strike me as especially rewarding. Considered to be slightly shocking at the time, <a href="http://www.joelmeyerowitz.com/index.html">Joel Meyerowitz</a>'s photographs are colorful, horizons out of line and certainly the antithesis of classic black and white art photography. Hmmm. They actually looked like snapshots to me. Looking on Joel Meyerowitz's <a href="http://www.joelmeyerowitz.com/index.html">web site</a>, I found his other photographs much more interesting than this exhibition.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Ryan McGinley, Galerie du Jour, Agnès B.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.clampart.com/inventory/inventoryimages/assets/McGinleyRyanTree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 374px;" src="http://www.clampart.com/inventory/inventoryimages/assets/McGinleyRyanTree.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The all American road trip is a classic and the photographs by <a href="http://www.ryanmcginley.com/">Ryan McGinley</a> show his adventures on such an American road trip in 2005. Certainly the huge, huge color prints show the free spirit and reality of youth but I kept thinking that I took plenty of road trips a while back and nobody was naked. Why are these guys and girls naked? Did I miss something? Is this the <span style="font-style: italic;">new</span> road trip or was I hanging out with the wrong crowd? Finally I thought that my road trips were just as good but nudity was not important to us. Maybe I should have taken photos. Maybe my photographs would be hanging in a gallery somewhere. Well, I did not and they are not.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">Centre du Culture Suedois</span><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.si.se/templates/CCS_CommonPage____2640.aspx">Center of Swedish Culture</a> is located in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh">Marais</a> in an old <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B4tel_particulier"><span style="font-style: italic;">hôtel particulier</span></a>. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.si.se/upload/CCS/Bilder/Utst%C3%A4llningar/KorhonenManhattan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 202px;" src="http://www.si.se/upload/CCS/Bilder/Utst%C3%A4llningar/KorhonenManhattan.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Upon entry, I was struck by the open court with many small tables on the cobblestones. Every table was occupied by young people sipping hot chocolate and coffee and eating pastries from the cafe serving Swedish pastries.<br /><br />On display were the photographs of <a href="http://www.arts-programme.com/exposition.php?unid=1946">Nina Korhonen</a> and <a href="http://www.artphotocollection.com/pal.asp">Anna Clarén</a>. I found myself thinking that taking photographs of my mother whom I love, would be fine for the family but would I want to display these absolutely huge photographs for the world to see? This woman looks nothing like my mother. Hmmm.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">Aux Marches de la Chine, Galerie Fait & Cause<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">While walking to back to a metro stop, I stumbled upon <span style="font-style: italic;">Galerie Fait & Cause</span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);font-size:100%;" ><strong style="font-family:arial;">,<span style="font-weight: normal;"> 58 rue Quincampoix, 75004 Paris</span></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> that featured photographs of China t</span></span></span><a style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://natureproducts.net/Wu%20Jialin/Wu%2023%20farmers%20with%20water%20bu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://natureproducts.net/Wu%20Jialin/Wu%2023%20farmers%20with%20water%20bu.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">aken by </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><strong style="font-weight: normal;font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">Wu JIALIN. Finally, here were photographs I could enjoy. Displayed in black and white, these photographs showed a point in history not normally seen. These photographs showed not at all the ugliness of poverty in China although there was, nor violence, nor sensation. Images of daily life of a common man were taken with sensitivity. Wu Jialin once said that he was ashamed to take photographs of people in the street but I find the energy of photographer and subject shine through. This gallery is definitely worth a visit and better yet, there is no entrance fee.</span><br /></strong></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-23059354034031895482006-11-19T20:39:00.000+01:002006-11-19T23:10:15.147+01:00Paris Photo 2006<div style="text-align: justify;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_761.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 354px;" src="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_761.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/">Paris Photo 2006</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> in it's 10th year, was every bit as exciting to me as last year. Photographs shown here are not my own but from the Press Release of the <a href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/15/informations.htm?lang=uk">Paris Photo 2006 Press web site</a>. Paris Photo exposition was held at </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;" href="http://www.carrousel-du-louvre.abcsalles.com/fiche.aspx?o=1&n=634">Carrousel du Louvre</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, hosted 88 photography galleries and 18 editors from all over the world with France, the United States, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Spain England and the Netherlands being the most</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_607.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_607.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> represented</span><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Each art gallery displays its best photographs from the very early days of photography to the present representing the many styles over the years. These often rare and well-known photographs represent the best for the collector of photographs.</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />Countries of Honor<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">After honoring Spain in 2005, Paris Photo this year turns to the Nordic countries with special exhibitions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. A selection of 8 galleries were shown with special expositions of emerging artists.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />Expositions of Note<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" ></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:arial;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://monakuhn.com/">Mona Kuhn</a> was busy at a gallery signing her latest book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Evidence</span>, that shows alluring renditions of the human form. Her photographs appear as diffuse soft nudes from a fashion shoot with a small part of the photograph in focus.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ruudvanempel.nl/site/assets/images/home.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.ruudvanempel.nl/site/assets/images/home.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">At <a href="http://www.flatlandgallery.com/">Flatland Gallery</a>, this year's sensation as was last year, the photography of <a href="http://www.ruudvanempel.nl/site/">Ruud van Empel</a> and his huge, colorful, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">almost naive </span><span style="font-family:arial;">photographs with flat light and fine details like a modern-day <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Rousseau">Henri Rousseau</a>. Although he has taken photographs of many different themes, the most impressive of Van Empel's photographs show a single young black child either standing in a jungle surrounded by green foliage or the child's head half submerged in a pond full of water lilies and green plants.<br /><br /></span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_418.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_418.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Many people do not like the photographs of </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.lorettalux.de/">Loretta Lux</a> a German photographer, who's photographs of young thin children are disturbing in the misshapen large heads, flat light and strange old clothing and settings. Her photographs are also strange in that they are not as large as others at Paris Photo, but I find them intriguing in their oddity.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_643.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.parisphoto.fr/files/photo_image_643.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Finally in the last exhibition room, I found prints of my favorite photographer, <a href="http://www.michaelkenna.net/html/index2.html">Michael Kenna, </a>represented by <a href="http://www.cameraobscura.fr/">Gallery Camera Obscura</a></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> not far me in the <a href="http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/14e_arrondissement_de_Paris">14e arrondissement</a> of Paris. </span><span style="font-family:arial;"> There on a prominent wall were ten of Michael Kenna's wonderful prints. Each print was 9 inches square (20cm) framed and matted in a much larger 40x50cm frame oriented in portrait. The monochrome prints usually taken for several seconds of exposition, subtly blended from black to gray and white. These images are soothing to me and represent the "zen" of photography and indeed, several of his photographs are taken in Japan.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I was fascinated by seeing the prints of Michael Kenna that I had previously only known by his web site or by the few prints I have seen displayed in galleries in Paris. When I realized that the English voice discussing these prints was really this famous photographer himself, my day was complete.<br /></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-26075181677034241122006-11-12T19:24:00.001+01:002006-11-12T20:12:45.797+01:00Daniel Simon - Impressions<p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Having missed two almost two weeks of <i><a href="http://www.evene.fr/info/mois-de-la-photo/expos-photos.php">Le mois de la photo 2006</a></i>, the Month of the Photograph during November because of a business trip <span style="font-size:78%;">(zut!)</span>, I was excited to get out and enjoy a few galleries. This afternoon found me at the <a href="http://fr.photography-now.com/institutions/veran_I7583873.html?PHPSESSID=07ab4e590934d7b252a484adc4a2deb3">Galerie du Montparnasse</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XIVe_arrondissement">14<sup>e</sup> arrondissement</a> of Paris featuring <a href="http://www.evene.fr/tout/daniel-simon">Daniel Simon</a>, <em>Daniel Simon - Impressions</em>. Daniel Simon contributed photographs to hundreds of illustrated features during his 30 years with the <a href="http://www.gamma.fr/index_en.html">Gamma </a><a href="http://www.gamma.fr/index_en.html">Press Agency</a>. </p><p face="arial" style="text-align: justify;">His work involved working for French and International Magazines but also includes book covers, film and political posters. Daniel Simon's career is typical of the "agency photographers" from the peak of an era that was all about capturing news photographs with one thing in mind: publishing them. </p><p face="arial" style="text-align: justify;">The exposition shows original photographs and their published representations on magazine covers, newspapers and other full-page spreads. It was surprising to see the transformation of good photographs into graphics that we take for granted when we flip through a magazine. </p><p face="arial" style="text-align: justify;">Daniel Simon's photographs cover the well known of the epoch such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre">Jean-Paul Sartre</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Signoret">Simone Signoret</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Deneuve">Catherine Deneuve</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitterand">François Mitterand</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jospin">Lionel Jospin</a> in magazines such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Point">Le Point</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Match">Paris Match</a>. </p><p face="arial" style="text-align: justify;">The Exposition runs until 15-November, 2006. This exposition is another with free entrance during <i><a href="http://www.evene.fr/info/mois-de-la-photo/expos-photos.php">Le mois de la photo 2006</a></i></p><p style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://fr.photography-now.com/institutions/veran_I7583873.html?PHPSESSID=07ab4e590934d7b252a484adc4a2deb3"><b>Galerie du Montparnasse</b></a><br />55 rue du Montparnasse, 14<sup>e</sup> arrondissement.<br />Metro : Edgar Quinet ou Vavin<br />Telephone : 01 43 22 72 77<br />Open daily 1 pm - 8 pm </p>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-23373338592096706212006-10-31T23:23:00.000+01:002006-11-01T08:40:48.314+01:00Busking in the Métro of Paris<p style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">We take the Metro in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city> at least twice every day, especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Metro_Line_4">line 4</a>, the city's second busiest line, from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montparnasse">Montparnasse</a> to and from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denfert-Rochereau_%28Paris_Metro%29">Denfert-Rochereau</a>. This line started in 1908 and continues to be improved. Another station at Maire de Montrouge is planned for 2010 and later more stations to the south.<br /><br />This commute could be a little boring to some people but I find that it never is even slightly boring. There are always strange characters, people doing bizarre things. Justmeinparis loves the little rough videos that show a slice of life in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>. Here is one taken in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_M%C3%A9tro">Métro in Paris</a> of someone <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking">busking</a>, probably near the station <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A8vres_-_Babylone_%28Paris_Metro%29">Sevres-Babylone</a>. And what better song than "Love Street" by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Morrison">Jim Morrison</a> (buried in cemetery <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise">Père Lachaise</a>) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors">the Doors</a>.<br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><object style="font-family: arial;" height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bmrIp5hvZ8c"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bmrIp5hvZ8c" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></object></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-81283366934964632722006-10-29T11:25:00.001+01:002006-10-29T13:08:23.626+01:00The Tragic Life of Édith Piaf<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Last night I went to the <a href="http://www.dejazet.com/">Théâtre Dejazet</a> in the <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Paris/3rd_arrondissement">3rd Arrondissement</a> of Paris to see <strong><a href="http://www.au-theatre.com/bdd/PageT/piaf.htm">Piaf, Une Vie en Rose et Noir</a></strong> with Jacques Pessis and Nathalie Lhermitte as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaf">Édith Piaf</a>. The title is of course a reference to her well known song <a href="http://www.paroles.net/chansons/23694.htm">Une Vie en Rose</a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Piaf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Piaf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I well knew that Édith Piaf led a difficult life but it was not until I researched before last evening and saw the show that I knew really how difficult it really was. Here are some points from the tragic life of Édith Piaf. </p><ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li>Legend has it that Édith Giovanna Gassion was born on the pavement in front of 72 r<i>ue de Belleville</i>, but her birth certificate states she was born in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belleville%2C_Paris">Belleville</a> hospital in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XXe_arrondissement">20th arrondissement</a> of Paris. She was named Édith after the executed British nurse Edith Cavell </li><li>Her mother was a 17-year-old girl, native of Italy, who worked as a café singer. Her father was a street performer. She was abandoned by her parents shortly after birth and was given to her maternal grandmother. </li><li>Returning a short time later, her father took the child and brought her to his mother, who ran a cheap brothel in Normandy, France. He then joined the army to fight in WWI. </li><li>From the age of three to seven Édith was blind. She reportedly recovered her sight after her grandmother's prostitutes pooled money to send her on a pilgrimage honoring <a href="http://therese-de-lisieux.cef.fr/ang/frameang.htm">Saint Thérèse de Lisieux</a> </li><li>From eight to fourteen Édith was deaf </li><li>Édith suffered from severe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgenetic_alopecia">Androgenetic alopecia</a> or male pattern baldness most of her life </li><li>In 1929, age 14, Édith left the brothel and joined her father in his acrobatic street performances </li><li>She soon separated from her father, going her own way as a street singer in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatier_Pigalle">Pigalle</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9nilmontant">Ménilmontant</a>, and the Paris suburbs </li><li>When she was about 16 years of age when she fell in love with a delivery-boy, Louis Dupont, and shortly after had a child, a little girl named Marcelle. Sadly, Marcelle died in infancy of meningitis. </li><li>In 1935, at the age of 20, Édith was discovered by a nightclub owner in the neighborhood Pigalle and changed her last name to Piaf, a nickname for <em>little sparrow</em> because of her small size. Her first record was produced in the same year but shortly afterwards, the nightclub owner was murdered and Piaf was accused of being an accessory. She refused to testify but was later acquitted. </li><li>Édith met and fell deeply in love with the boxer <a href="http://www.marcelcerdan.com/">Marcel Cerdan</a>. Later in 1949, Édith wanted that he join her as soon as possible in New York where she was on tour. Edith insisted that he take a plane rather than travel by ship. He was reluctant, fearing air travel but finally he agreed. The plane crashed into a mountainside in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azores">Azores</a> and all aboard were lost. Piaf never recovered from the loss of her love and took refuge in drugs and alcohol. </li><li>Édith Piaf never sang the obvious rhymes <em>amours</em> and <em>toujours</em>, "love" and "always". </li><li>Édith started detoxification in 1953 and started to travel throughout the world. </li><li>Piaf married in 1952 her first husband who was a singer. They divorced in 1956. </li><li>In 1958 she was in a serious car accident and took morphine for pain and relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse. </li><li>In 1959, Édith broke down during a performance in New York and thereafter survived a number of operations. She returned to Paris in poor health. </li><li>Édith met her second husband, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophanis_Lamboukas">Théo Sarapo</a>, in the winter of 1961. Théo was a twenty-six-year-old hairdresser-turned-singer and actor, and was twenty years younger than Piaf. They married in 1962. He rejuvenated her enough to make her last recordings and performances. </li><li>Piaf went to a small town in the South of France in early 1963 to recuperate but she fell in and out of a coma beginning in April 1963. At the early age of 47 on October 10, 1963, Édith Piaf died of cancer. Her husband Théo discretely drove her body back to Paris and announced her death on October 11, 1963. </li><li>Upon hearing of her death, Édith's long-time friend, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Cocteau">Jacques Cocteau</a> suffered a cardiac arrest and died. </li><li>The Roman Catholic Church denied Édith Piaf a funeral mass because of her lifestyle. </li><li>Piaf was buried in cemetery Père Lachaise on October 14, 1963. </li><li>Théo Sarapo, Édith's husband died in an automobile accident in 1970 and is buried beside Piaf in Père Lachaise.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite the dramatic and tragic life of Édith Piaf, she found worldwide success and was loved by everyone. The day of her funeral in Paris there were 400,000 people in the streets of Paris and 80,000 people at cemetery Père Lachaise. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Aznavour">Charles Aznavour</a> recalled that Piaf's funeral procession was the only time, since the end of World War II that all Parisian traffic came to a complete stop. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Édith Piaf's songs are still popular. Her recordings have been re-mastered and have brisk sales. Her songs have been sung by international artists like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong">Louis Armstrong</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker">Joséphine Baker</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlene_Dietrich">Marlene Dietrich</a>, <a href="http://www.rfimusique.com/siteFr/biographie/biographie_9109.asp">Johnny Hallyday</a>, <a href="http://www.rfimusique.com/siteFr/biographie/biographie_9105.asp">Serge Gainsbourg</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liza_Minnelli">Liza Minnelli</a>, and recently <a href="http://www.rfimusique.com/siteFr/biographie/biographie_8848.asp">Etienne Daho</a>. In 1997 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Aznavour">Charles Aznavour</a> made a virtual recording with her. Theatre productions like Piaf, <i>Une Vie en Rose et Noir</i> are common. Last night, the audience sang along with Édith Piaf's character. More than forty years after her death, everyone knew the lyrics by heart. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here is her song <a href="http://www.paroles.net/chansons/10001.htm">L’hymne à l'amour</a> that she dedicated to the love of her life, Marcel Cerdan. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NjR5xFZxZK8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-60585764600549764782006-10-25T18:34:00.001+02:002006-10-25T19:39:45.383+02:00Tapas Bars in Paris<p style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;">There is nothing like extending a vacation either through anticipation of things to come before a vacation, or of past memories of a great vacation. My thoughts last evening turned to the <em>Bars à </em><em>Tapas</em> that I found on my <a href="http://justmeinparis.blogspot.com/2006/10/andalusia-spain.html">vacation in Andalusia, Spain</a>. A quick search on the Internet found several Spanish restaurants and <a href="http://www.e-spagne.com/m12.html">Tapas Bars in Paris</a>. Little wonder since there are hundreds of <a href="http://www.google.fr/search?q=restaurants+in+paris&start=0&amp;amp;amp;ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official">restaurants in Paris</a>.</p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </div><p face="arial" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);">La Fonda, Bar à Tapas</span></strong></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">The first referenced on the <a href="http://www.e-spagne.com/m12.html">list of Tapas Bars</a>, <em>La Fonda</em>, is not terribly far from my neighborhood and after a walk past the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardin_du_Luxembourg">Jardin du Luxembourg</a>, I was in front of <em>La Fonda</em>, 173 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_Saint-Jacques%2C_Paris">rue Saint-Jacques</a>, not far from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panth%C3%A9on%2C_Paris">Panthéon</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ve_arrondissement">5th arrondissement of Paris</a>. This small, narrow bar was smoky and crowded but the tapas indeed were quite close to those I enjoyed in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusia">Andalusia</a>, although at Parisian prices. The Spanish, French-speaking hosts were welcoming and helpful in choosing the right combination.</p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Just three <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas">tapas</a> were enough to convince me..., roasted red peppers in tomato sauce; small roasted shrimp in garlic oil; and then, fried tender calamari with small lemon slices. Crusty bread and chilled, fruity white wine complimented the tapas and made this little corner of Paris well worth the stop for a not-so-heavy diner. <em>La Fonda</em> brought me back to the wonderful Tapas Bars and exotic Andalusia, Spain, and indeed made me smile thinking of vacations past.</p>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-89473687579229692622006-10-24T07:31:00.000+02:002006-10-30T21:50:53.200+01:00Jardin des Tuileries<p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/tuileries.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/tuileries.jpg" align="right" border="0" /></a>This last Sunday afternoon was warm although the sun was low and clouds sometimes obscured the sun. Many people walked in the ancient garden <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuileries_Palace">Jardin des Tuileries</a>, that extends from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre">Louvre</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_de_la_Concorde">Place de la Concorde</a> along the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Rivoli">rue de Rivoli</a></i>.</p><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Jardin des Tuileries was sponsored by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_de%27_Medici">Catherine de Médicis</a>, a very influential woman throughout Europe who was the Queen of France and the mother of three further kings. Today the garden is a popular destination for Parisians and tourists alike.</p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Home of many statues and classic works of art, I found it strange to see a new artwork in the middle of a fountain that is <em>usually</em> surrounded by families, their children sailing colorful model boats. Families and ducks had relocated to other more classical waters.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/submarine%20jardin%20des%20tuileries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 222px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/submarine%20jardin%20des%20tuileries.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Daniel%20SMITH/Application%20Data/Windows%20Live%20Writer/PostSupportingFiles/bd79cf1c-1a13-46ac-bc1e-6ec45e2ea1f9/submarine%20jardin%20des%20tuileries%5B9%5D.jpg" atomicselection="true"><br /></a> </p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-90102881983817267372006-10-23T07:29:00.000+02:002006-10-25T19:24:13.296+02:00Andalusia, Spain<strong style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">A Short History of Andalusia</span></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/spanish%20palace%20copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/spanish%20palace%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />As a deviation from the life in Paris, JustmeinParis took a vacation in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusia">Andalusia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain">Spain</a>. It is very beautiful region and the cities really show the influence of history. There are huge “monuments” such as <a title="Alhambra" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhambra">Alhambra</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada_%28province%29">Grenada</a> that was always an Arabic palace and fortress. Others started as Christian churches before the 6th century like </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezquita,_C%C3%83%C2%B3rdoba">Mezquita</a> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordoba,_Spain">Cordoba</a> and when the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Arabs arrived starting in the year 711,</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Cordoba%20copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Cordoba%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> they built mosques sometimes </span><span style="font-family:arial;">over and as additions of the original churches. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">When the Arabs were pushed back some eight hundred years later, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Christians again </span><span style="font-family:arial;">modifi</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ed the mosques with additions or other changes. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">One can certainly see the Arab influence in the architecture. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">The Arabic palaces are quite beautiful such as the <a title="Torre del Oro" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_del_Oro">Torre del Oro</a> and <a title="Giralda" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giralda">Giralda</a> towers in Seville. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/spanish%20tiles.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/spanish%20tiles.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">They are much like those I saw in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morroco">Morocco</a>, with colorful ceramic tiles and arches. Certainly there is a long history in this part of Spain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><strong>Seville, Spain</strong></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_%28province%29">Seville</a>, you can visit the fabulous palace <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alc%C3%83%C2%A1zar_of_Seville">Alcazar</a> where Ferdinand and Isabella were married and where later </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Queen Isabella gave Christopher Columbus the funding and approval for a voyage to the Indies by going west.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div> <div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><strong>Mysteries of Christopher Columbus</strong></span></span></div> <div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />In the <a title="Cathedral of Seville" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Seville">Cathedral of Seville</a>, there are the <em>supposed</em> remains of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus">Christopher Columbus</a>. There is a set of statues carrying a coffin with a gold box inside containing the remains. However, <a href="http://www.routard.com/">Le Guide du Routard</a> says that Columbus has two sets of remains, one in Seville and one in Santiago, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Dominican Republic. I visited Santiago but do not remember visiting the site where Columbus was interred. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Another guidebook says that the DNA of the remains in Seville was compared with the brothers of Columbus (whose remains are known) and apparently it is not Columbus but an unknown even older unknown male ! Yet </span><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1017/p05s01-woeu.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">another article</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> describes the remains as the</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> illegitimate son of Columbus.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> There is still another article that says the results suggest there are that there is more than one person in this famous gold box</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. The officials in Dominican Republic have not allowed examination of the remains there. Oh, well, a little mystery during this year 2006, the 500th </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >anniversary</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span>of the death of Columbus. Who is enterred in the gold box in Seville, Spain ? The answer is not as obvious as <a title="Groucho Marx" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groucho_Marx">Groucho Marx</a>'s question, “who is buried in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Grant_National_Memorial">Grant’s tomb</a> ?” Expect an update from the research team.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><strong>Hillside Villages and Houses of White</strong></span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Oliva%20Spain%20copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Oliva%20Spain%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The small Andalusian villages with all white houses and buildings are quite a site. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">These villages started as a fortress or chateau on a hill and perhaps a church surrounded by walls. Sometimes these villages are found along cliffs such as Ro</span><span style="font-family:arial;">nda, Spain that negate the need for walls. Later as these villages grew, the houses clustered around the central hillside. The white color reflects the blazing summer sun.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/0610%20Ronda%20Spain9275%20copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/0610%20Ronda%20Spain9275%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Spanish Agriculture</span></strong><br /><br />The Spanish country is beautiful with many, many</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> trees of olives, almonds and oranges. The mountains are not so high in Andalusia and often covered with agricultural trees. There is an air of being hot because of the dried grasses and Mediterranean shrubs and plants. During the first part of October, the temperature was quite pleasant, into the high 80Fs. During the 10 days, it never rained.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Spanish Life</span></strong><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Spanish daily life is a little different that what I am used to. The mornings seem normal enough. I did discover a great breakfast with coffee and milk, orange juice and toast with a spread of fresh tomato sauce with olive oil drizzled over the top. Mmmm! In fact the orange juice is wonderful, (almost) always fresh and fairly cheap. There were orange trees as far as the eye could see around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia_%28city_in_Spain%29">Valencia</a>, Spain, and sure this is where Valencia oranges originated.<br /><br />Lunchtime is quite late, beginning around 2pm and lasting through to the end of the siesta around 5 or 6pm. Lunch was simple, large platters of cold cuts, olives and bread, sometimes the olives or a small snack are free with the drinks.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Flamenco%20copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Flamenco%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">After siesta, normal stores/shops open at</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> 6pm but the restaurants often do not open until 8pm or 8:30pm. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas">Tapas</a> bars often open a little later than restaurants. Mmmmm. I really enjoyed the tapas bars. One can buy small plates of various items such as fish, meats, vegetables, in sauces, simple or perhaps fried. These dishes can be bought together to assemble an entire dinner or just a snack. The Spanish </span><span style="font-family:arial;">sometimes ‘bar hop’ from one tapas bar to another until around midnight.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Flamenco</span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Flamenco%20ii%20copy.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Flamenco%20ii%20copy.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There are many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco">Flamenco</a> shows in Andalusia, some very much for tourists but in Seville there is a <a href="http://www.bienal-flamenco.org/">biennial Flamenco festival</a> and I am sure the level is quite high (there were no tickets left). </span><span style="font-family:arial;">There are many <a href="http://www.andalucia.org/flamenco/index.php?idioma=eng">types of Flamenco</a> but I could not recognize the styles in the two shows I saw.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-51225083531412838332006-09-30T09:26:00.000+02:002007-05-22T21:41:13.237+02:00Driving in Paris<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;">Do you like driving in Paris ? Watch this film (in normal speed) by Claude Lelouch but at the saying goes, "do not try this at home" ...or in Paris for that matter !<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ht6CBM7LTY0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ht6CBM7LTY0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-34707315334094268442006-09-29T21:39:00.000+02:002006-09-29T23:51:00.148+02:00Vacations in France<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Vacation Time</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Among my friends and especially my colleagues in the US who know more about the French vacation time, the French vacation time is a wonder to behold. Normally, five weeks of vacation is due to anyone in France. In my company in France, six weeks are given to each employee after the first year.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >A French Work Week</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Along with the normal six weeks of vacation, the French are required to work no more than 35 hours per week. The thought is that companies will have to hire more people to accomplish the necessary work if the workforce is limited.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:arial;" >The Results ?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Surprisingly, I find that, despite the fewer working hours in France, the same amount of work is accomplished on both sides of the ocean. That is, American and French colleagues work together, each accomplishing project goals on time. We have multi-country teleconferences and exchange e-mail on a daily basis.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >A French Workday</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It is quite interesting to observe the French arrive at the office. The French arrive at the office later than Americans, after 9:00am rather than at 8:00am or before. When the French arrive, there are many handshakes among the men and kisses with the women. Everyone takes coffee and chats about the news, weather, sports, etc., nothing too personal. And after, everyone returns to their office and works very hard. There are no social exchanges until lunch.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Lunch is a very social time and everyone enjoys talking with their colleagues. The day ends about 6:00pm instead of the American 4:30pm or 5:00pm. I believe the French work harder to get the same work completed. The Americans have the luxury of more hours to complete the work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After lunch the day is very busy with calls to the US, e-mail and such. The French are always busy and often leave the office quite late with meetings and business with the Americans.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Vacation ?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As required by French law, one must take two consecutive weeks of vacation during the time of June 1st until October 31st. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Not having taken the normal August vacation, I must tell you dear readers, that I will take my two consecutive weeks as required by law, during the first two weeks of October. I leave for Andalusia, Spain (the South of Spain) on the TGV tomorrow, Saturday 30-September.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Be well and look for another entry when I return in two weeks with many stories to tell and photographs to share.</span><br /></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-12976688242437465472006-09-26T20:57:00.000+02:002006-11-01T08:41:36.762+01:00"Busking" in Paris<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Busking</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Recently I found something with an English word I had not heard before. Not being familiar with the term, I immediately turned to </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> to find the meaning of </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking">busking</a><span style="font-family:arial;">. Ah, OK, we in the US usually refer to </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Street Performers</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. These performers give life to a crowded métro car and I enjoy their contribution. I found this small video by Michael Cleary and Matthiew Wilkinson that captures the spirit of <span style="font-style: italic;">busking</span> and displays a special flavor of daily life in Paris.</span><br /></div><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HCavEQYx3GI"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HCavEQYx3GI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></object>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-82584151979313127302006-09-22T11:51:00.000+02:002006-09-22T14:04:47.834+02:00France's TGV<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">25 Years of the TGV</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This year is the 25th anniversary of the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV">TGV</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> or the </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Train à Grande Vitesse. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Since the beginning of</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/gare%20de%20lyon%20ii%20TGV.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/gare%20de%20lyon%20ii%20TGV.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> the TGV, it has made travel much easier and quicker throughout western Europe, connecting to other train systems Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Spain. Some Americans call it the 'bullet train' of France but I have never heard it called that here. 'Bullet train' is generally a high-speed rail train especially refering to the trains in Japan.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">TGV Statistics</span> </div><ul style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><li>100 million passengers in France and Europe in 2005</li><li>1.20 billion passengers since the TGV started</li><li>650 TGV trains run each day in France</li><li>250 TGV train stations</li><li>260 km/h (160 mph) normal high speed</li><li>320 km/h (200 mph) normal high speed for TGV-Est, the new TGV to Reims and Strasbourg</li><li>50% of travel is by TGV for less than 3 hours duration in France</li><li>23 billion euros in investments of infrastructure over 25 years</li><li>65,000 employees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/gare%20de%20lyon%20ii%20TGV%20ii.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/gare%20de%20lyon%20ii%20TGV%20ii.1.jpg" border="0" /></a></li><li>2 of 1500 TGV drivers are women, <em>shame !</em></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The TGV continues to be improved. More high-speed lines are added each year. The TGV set the world record of rail speed of 515 km/h (320 mph) in 1990 on a test track but the rate of repair and maintenance was estimated to be much more than double. Still, normal speeds are increasing.</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Practical Matters</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I have traveled by TGV throughout France and find it very easy, effecient and comfortable. Living in central Paris, none of the seven major train stations are far. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">When I take the TGV from <span style="font-style: italic;">La Gare Montparnasse</span>, I leave home walking 25 minutes before the trains leaves. Even then, I have enough of a margin to take my time. Most destinations in France take less than three hours. No wonder most of the French take the TGV instead of a plane for travel under three hours.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Gare%20de%20Lyon%20iii.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Gare%20de%20Lyon%20iii.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Most often I reserve tickets via the internet via the national company <a href="http://www.sncf.fr/">SNCF</a> and pick them up at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Montparnasse"><span style="font-style: italic;">La Gare Montparnasse</span></a> at a machine. Rental cars can be picked up at destinations saving time and money.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">There is an even cheaper alternative than the TGV offered by a small company iDTGV. iDTGV purchases blocks of tickets for one or two TGV cars, usually just one scheduled per day. There are more restrictions but the price is worth it. The tickets are downloaded from the internet and printed on a PC / printer. Nothing could be easier or cheaper. I have paid as little as 25 euros for a fare than I have paid previously for 90 euros.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Still, in a photograph I took at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Lyon_%28SNCF%29">Gare de Lyon</a>, there was one unhappy traveler, stuck amid the busy travelers. Sometimes nothing works well.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-54333597932314651582006-09-21T07:13:00.000+02:002006-09-13T23:40:02.403+02:00How to Speak French in Paris<div style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">The Advantages of Speaking French</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/study%20french%20in%20paris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/study%20french%20in%20paris.jpg" border="0" /></a>This week I ran across an article in the <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/">on-line New Yorker Magazine</a> titled <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/shouts/content/articles/060918sh_shouts">In the Waiting Room; The Advantages of Speaking French</a>. The story is about a newly expatriated American living in Paris who abandones taking French courses because he finds it very difficult to learn French. He starts to simply respond to everything with <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">D'accord</span> means I am in agreement or "OK." The author never really understands what is being said; he just says <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span> being led from one situation to another, ironically like a prot<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >agonist in a French </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >existentialist</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">novel.</span></span> One day after saying <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span> several times at the doctor's office, the author finds himself in a doctor's waiting room in his underwear as fully dressed people enter and wait for their appointments. He has already said <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span> so he will not return to the examination room to dress and save his dignity.<br /><br />I can really relate to this story. There are times when I absolutely understand nothing of what is being spoken in French and I need something to say.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Things to Say in French</span><br /><br />I read another article about phrases to say the indicate that you understand, even if you do not.<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">- Hmmm. Ca veut dire quoi, ça ?<br />- Ah bon ?<br />- Bien sûr !<br />- Tout à fait.<br />- Voilà !</blockquote>Basically one can get the sense of the converstation and reply correctly without having understood a single word.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Negatively Posed Questions</span><br /><br />There are certain words to listen for when trying to respond. The French often pose questions in the negative looking for a positive answer... "<span style="font-style: italic;">Did you not watch the soccer game ?</span>" The answer is clear if one listens for the words "<span style="font-style: italic;">Did you not... </span>". The answer is always "<span style="font-style: italic;">Si,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> s</span><span style="font-style: italic;">i</span>" which means "<span style="font-style: italic;">yes indeed</span>" or "<span style="font-style: italic;">I did so...</span>"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/school%20entrance.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/school%20entrance.jpg" border="0" /></a> It does not matter what this means, the answer is always "<span style="font-style: italic;">Si, si</span>", a minimum of two times and sometimes three or four times depending on the emphasis you wish to convey.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Guy Talk</span><br /><br />The other day at lunch several of the French guys were talking about their houses (of which I do not have, living in an apartment) and the kitchen upgrades in which they were engaged (yawn). I had absolutely no interest but they were nice enough to invite me to join them for lunch. I am not a real homebody and even the English words are a challenge for me.<br /><br />For example... you tell me, what is the difference between a hammer, mallet, maul and gavel ? And then there are jack hammers, framing hammers, claw hammers, upholstery hammers, ball-peen hammers and club hammers. And these words are just for hammers. Well you get it. In French, speaking of the words for specific tools, how to use them and where to buy them was such a particularly specific disdiscourse that I never really understood a single word at lunch. I nodded my head said, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ah oui</span>? and <span style="font-style: italic;">Ah...d'accord</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">D'accord, je vois</span> quite a few times but I was really thinking of my next vacation in a warm place.<br /><br />Guy talk is absolutely impossible and the best possible recourse is to say <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/languag%20school.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/languag%20school.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Traps While Speaking French</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">D'accord</span> is such a great answer except when responding to certain phrases. When someone asks, <span style="font-style: italic;">How</span> ... or <span style="font-style: italic;">Why</span> ... <span style="font-style: italic;">Tell me about</span> ...., one cannot answer <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span>. It would not make sense. One must recognise those key words and come up with a reasonable response. This is not so easy, not having understanding the question in the beginning. I have found that I can always, shrug my shoulders, raise my hands and say <span style="font-style: italic;">bofff</span>......, blowing out some air like the French often do and then walk away. The French like to complain and they are very cynical and sarcastic so this gesture is quite a French thing to do. The other French person will certainly understand even if you do not.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">The Problem of Speaking a Little French</span><br /><br />I am at the point where I can speak French with ease and understand 98% of something that I have done before. Buying bread, groceries, asking directions... no problem. It's a routine. The problem is that when I speak French, even with an American accent, the French think I understand French 100%. Anything out of the ordinary or new and I am totally lost.<br /><blockquote>- <span style="font-style: italic;">Bonjour madame, une baguette s'il vous plait.</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> (simple; just a baguette. I'm speaking French !)</span><br />- <span style="font-style: italic;">Oui monsieur, coupée en deux ?</span> <span style="font-size:78%;">(ah, what ? total confusion; what the heck does that mean ?!)</span><br />- <span style="font-style: italic;">um..., um, ... ah... d'accord.</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> (let's see if that works. If not I can always fake it and say 'boff'.)</span><br />- <span style="font-style: italic;">voilà monsieur</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> (wow, it worked. That must mean they cut the baguette in two pieces.)</span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Taking French Courses</span><br /><br />I took French courses during high school like many American students but for me the choice of taking French was mainly because the young female French Teacher was more charming and beautiful than the overweight, beer drinking, middle-aged male German Teacher.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/french%20words.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/french%20words.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />After I began a career with a global French company, I restarted my French training, first within a group of students and coworkers and then with private tutoring. Now that I live in Paris, I continue my French lessons with a private professor. That makes more than ten years of lessons. Some of us will never learn.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Speaking French with Confidence</span><br /><br />Confidence in speaking French is very imporant. Attitude is a key factor in interactions with the French. I certainly have advanced over the years but there are certain times when someone asks me a question very rapidly when there is a lot of noise or converstations nearby. There are times when I do not understand at all. I have a solution, however. I am confident in giving an answer and will act accordingly. I look at them straight in the eye, lean forward and I with all confidence possible, I say......... <span style="font-style: italic;">d'accord</span>.</div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-24828560531344540212006-09-18T19:59:00.000+02:002006-09-18T20:54:17.798+02:00Journées du Patrimoine, Paris; Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/chamers%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/chamers%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)font-family:arial;" >Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Sunday was overcast and cool and therefore a perfect day to visit another grand building, monument or site during the two-day <a href="http://www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr/">Journées Européennes du Patrimoine</a>, or European Heritage days in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>. Having waited in line to visit other wonderful sites on Saturday, it seemed easy to brave the crowds and the long lines to visit at other popular sites.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/ceiling%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/ceiling%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">Le Palais Royal</span><br /><br />The first noted residence of what would later become Le Palais Royal situated near the Louvre, was Cardinal Richelieu in 1624. This grand building is the site of many famous residents ever since. Now the home of the Minister of Culture and Communications, Le Palais Royal opens it's doors to the people of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> for two days per year. The many wonderful rooms blended old French traditions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/IMG_8537%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/IMG_8537%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> and new modern paintings and sculptures.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:arial;" ><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">The Offices of the Palais Royal</span><br /><br />Several of the conference rooms were dedicated to the Department of Finance and libraries that were certainly less elaborate and more functional. Most of the offices and desks were clean of papers and books but I had to laugh at a large office of workers with paper, books and references stacked everywhere. Certainly the French bureaucracy lives as it does in every government.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/French%20Bureaocracy%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/French%20Bureaocracy%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-64533443131812564172006-09-16T19:51:00.000+02:002006-09-17T00:15:58.943+02:00Journées du Patrimoine, Paris; Part I<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)font-family:arial;" >Journées Européennes du Patrimoine</span> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" face="arial"><br />Each year in September, for one weekend, the governments of European nations open the doors to buildings, monuments and sites to the public, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/chez%20jacko%20copy.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/chez%20jacko%20copy.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>The thought is to widen access to the government and foster good will among the people of the nation. This event, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Journées Européennes du Patrimoine</span>, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">European Heritage Days</span> or <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Doors Open Days</span>, started in France in 1984 and spread to other European nations over the years. Other nations even on other continents are sponsoring similar events.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Salon%20de%20Pompadour%20copy.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Salon%20de%20Pompadour%20copy.0.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><br /></div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">Exceptional Openings</span><br /><br />This year was the third year I was able to enjoy this grand event, sponsored by the Ministre de Culture. Memorable visits have included visiting the once-per-year opening of the Sénat de France, Manufacture des Gobelins de Beauvais et de la Savonnerie (hand woven carpets in the ancient tradition), Opéra, Hotel de Sens. Each visits offers a special look at France and it's culture.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">Palais de l'Elysée</span><br /><br />Last year the thought crossed my mind that to visit the Palais de l'Elysée would be excellent. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Salle%20du%20Conseil%20des%20Ministres%20copy.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Salle%20du%20Conseil%20des%20Ministres%20copy.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Palais de l'Elysée is the residence and offices of the President of France, Jaques Chirac. This thought must have crossed the minds of many hundreds of other people's minds last year and much before I arrived at the line end of the line it streched as far as I could see. The guard said it was too late to visit.<br /><br />This year I planned ahead, I rose early and arrived at the line at 8:20am. The tour started at 10:00am giving me plenty of time. Of course there was already a crowd in line and I walked to the end of the line. Walking to the end of the line took over ten minutes. The wait in line to the front door was three and a half hours.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Salon%20des%20Portraits%20copy.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Salon%20des%20Portraits%20copy.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the end, the visit was worth the wait as one can see from the photos.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Salle%20des%20F?tes"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Salle%20des%20F%3Ftes%20copy.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Most impressive was the State Dining room with a large table dwarfed by the immensity of a the dining room surrounded by curtains with a huge painted ceiling above. The table was perfectly set, chairs removed for the visitors to have a perfect view. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling high above.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">Hotel de Marign</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">y<br /><br /></span>Hotel de Marigny is the residence of visiting foreign states of head or other dignitaries. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/table.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/table.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hotel de Marigny is located directly across the street from the Palais de l'Elysée so those foreign dignitaries need not take the long motorcades across Paris. I was impressed by the luxury of the Hotel. Remember that Hotel once meant hostel since there was not really the concept of traveling like one does today. Hotels were permanent residences that sometimes hosted travelers.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">Hotel de Beauvau</span><br /><br />Hotel de Beauvau is the residence of the Secretary of the Interior, one of the most important posts in the French government. The post is currently held by the conservative Nicolas Sarkosky who is very popular and likely the next president of France. I did not take a photgraph of "Sarko's" desk. No computer was visible.<br /><br />The Hotel de Beauvau is quite large, not as elegant as either Hotel de Marigny or certainly the Palais de l'Elysée. There are many bureaucratic offices and functional rooms, without interest. Interestingly during World War II, there were interrogation rooms for French resistance fighters. Hotel de Beauvau was taken over by the Germans during WWII for their use, particularly by the German Gestapo. </div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-90004824836021395312006-09-12T20:51:00.000+02:002006-09-10T21:53:44.258+02:00Cemetary Père Lachaise, Paris<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Cemetaries in Paris</span><br /></div><div face="arial" style="font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"><br />Irrespectively of our religious thoughts, there are the practical matter of where we put our dead. Different cultures and places in the world deal with this necessity differently. Paris, being more than two millennium old, in no exception.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/PereLC%20leaves.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/PereLC%20leaves.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There is something intriguing to everyone about the old cemeteries in Paris. I recently bought a guide to summer walks in Paris and among the suggestions of parks and green spaces there were the cemeteries. There are 14 marked cemeteries within the city limits. I say <span style="font-style: italic;">marked</span> because there are certainly more cemeteries that have been built upon or forgotten. Not forgotten are the Catecombs of Paris, those underground caves carved into the limestone over the centuries to keep the remains of millions of Parisians, but the Catecombs are for another story.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Le Cimetière du Père Lachaise</span> in Late Summer</span><br /><br />Last Sunday, after being inspired by my adventure in the Cimètaire de<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/PereLC%20rue.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/PereLC%20rue.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Montparnasse on Friday, I ventured to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery">La Cimetière du Père Lachaise</a> for the sunny afternoon, taking Métro line 6 from Montparnasse to Nation then line 2 to station <span style="font-style: italic;">Philippe Auguste</span> in the 20th. The leaves are starting to turn yellow in many of the trees and families were strolling with babies in carriages along the cobblestone lanes. To me it seemed a dichotomy to enjoy such a pleasant afternoon among thousands of dead. And who were they, the tens of thousands resting here ? Certainly many are or were quite famous and known throughout the world in their time and indeed our own.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/PereLC%20statue%20iii.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/PereLC%20statue%20iii.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-weight: bold;">Death and Decay</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It is disturbing that there are so many magnificent tombs that have fallen into a state of decay, obviously being forgotten and lost by those who once loved the deceased.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/PereLC%20Plastique%20Flower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/PereLC%20Plastique%20Flower.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Some<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/PereLC%20statue%20i.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/PereLC%20statue%20i.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>one once built<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/PereLC%20statue%20ii.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/PereLC%20statue%20ii.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> stately monuments, tombs, statues for their loved ones. Obviously those who did so follwed and are gone as well. The generations who followed were more and more removed.<br /></div><br />Walking through a grand cemetery such as Père Lachaise makes me think of my own mortality and the certainty of my death, then years later of me being forgotten. Death and eventually being forgotten will happen to everyone after dozens, hundreds or thousands of years. These macabre photos are my interpretation of that eventuality.<br /><br /></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-6553713797412981852006-09-09T22:39:00.000+02:002006-09-09T23:36:02.719+02:00Paris Left Bank Shops<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">La Boulangerie Poilâne</span><br /><br />This evening I walked along the rue de Vaugirard towards the Seine, taking a turn to rue du Cherche-Midi and walked by the original location of the famous bakery </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://www.poilane.fr/index.php?index_module=listings&index_theme=english&index_template=en_home.htm">Poilâne</a><span style="font-family:arial;">. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Poilane.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Poilane.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Pierre Poilâne opened this bakery in 1932 at No. 8 rue du Cherche-Midi in the Saint Germain des Prés district of Paris. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Pierre made a dense, stone-ground whole wheat bread with natural fermentation and baked in a wood-fired baking oven. Even after WWII, Pierre Poilâne continued his rustic craft despite the fact that white bread was much in fashion.<br /><br />The production of Poilâne bread was much expanded after Pierre's son Lionel t</span><span style="font-family:arial;">ook over the business in the 1970s. Today, the sourdough bread can be found in many supermarkets and</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> restaurants throughout Paris but we Parisians find the little original bakery a delightful place to buy the famous bread.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">La Fromagerie Barthélemy</span><br /><br />There are other small shops in the Saint Germain des Prés </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Barthelemy.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Barthelemy.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">area, such as the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">fromagerie</span> Bart<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">hélemy at </span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">51, rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris run by Roland Barthélemy. </span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Although he does not have a website for the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">fromagerie</span>, or 'cheese shop', many references of <a href="http://www.google.fr/search?q=fromagerie+barthelemy&start=0&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official">Fromagerie Barthélemy</a> can be found by searching Google. One reference quoted an American...</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><blockquote>"<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath.</span>"</blockquote><blockquote><i>W. C. Fields (1880-1946),</i><br /><i>American comic and actor<br /><br /></i></blockquote><i></i><blockquote></blockquote><i></i></div><p align="right"></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">Le Repaire de Bacchus</span><br /><br />There are other little boutiques that appear to be quite small and family run but are part of a large network. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Repaire%20de%20Bacchus.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Repaire%20de%20Bacchus.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">An example is <a href="http://www.fr.chateauonline.com/pages/gate.asp?mainurl=/pages/rb/affichedossier.asp?idZone%3D0%26idTag%3D0%26bPater%3DTrue%26tag%3D10281%26article%3D194864">Le Repaire de Bacchus</a> on 74 rue de </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Grenelle. Although one can certainly buy wine on-line and have it delivered, I find it interesting to buy in the little store.</span></div></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-12158547034024651712006-09-08T19:33:00.000+02:002006-09-08T20:00:12.151+02:00Montparnasse Cemetary, Paris<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Paris area <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Montparnasse</span> is quite lively with restaurants, theaters, cinema and other activities to draw a wide variety of people into the neighborhood. </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Cimetaire%20de%20Montparnasse%20i%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Cimetaire%20de%20Montparnasse%20i%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This late afternoon, however, I decided to visit a part of</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Montparnasse</span> that is quite the opposite and quite literally </span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >dead</span><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimetière_du_Montparnasse"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Cemetary</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Montparnasse</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> was established in 1824 from three farms outside and to the south of Paris. Since that time, Paris has grown and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">boundaries</span> have overcome and passed the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cemet<span style="font-family:arial;">e</span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">ry. Other cemeteries are found in Paris such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Père_Lachaise_Cemetery">Père Lachaise</a> in the northeast of Paris which is larger and perhaps more known to Americans.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Père_Lachaise_Cemetery"></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Cimetaire%20de%20Montparnasse%20iii%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Cimetaire%20de%20Montparnasse%20iii%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Cemetery</span> M<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ontparnasse </span>is the final resting </span><span style="font-family:arial;">place of many of the world's</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> intellectual and artistic </span><span style="font-family:arial;">elite such as </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Sartre">Jean-Paul Sartre</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_de_Beauvoir">Simon d<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">e </span>Beauvoir</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Beckett">Samuel Beckett</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, </span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Gainsbourg">Serge G<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ainsbourg</span></a>,<span style="font-family:arial;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sontag">Susan Sontag</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Bourdelle">Antoine Bourdelle</a> and many others. The many tombs, both old and new are facinating and in the late afternoon light took on a depth that lead to some interesting photographs.</span><a style="FONT-FAMILY: arial" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Bourdelle"><br /><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Cimetaire%20de%20Montparnasse%20ii%20copy.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Cimetaire%20de%20Montparnasse%20ii%20copy.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">There were other people visiting the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Cemetery</span> elderly people, caretakers of children and their young, tourists and those just seeking solitude among the tombs.<br /><br />Marble and g<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ranite</span> were predominate with many large family burial places. Often flowers both real and artificial were left. To me, the statues were the most interesting.<br /><br />Guards signal the closure of the c<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">emetery</span> by using police whistles as they walk along the main paths. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">When I heard the whistles fifteen minutes before the official closure at 6pm, I walked to the nearest exit but found the gates already closed by lock and key. I found a guard and we discussed the beauty of the c<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">emetary </span>as he walked with me to an open gate.</span></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29598311.post-76537651840585919102006-08-26T10:30:00.000+02:002006-08-26T11:17:50.918+02:00Japanese Weddings in Paris<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:arial;" ><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)font-family:arial;" >The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Japanese</span> in Paris</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Japanese%20Guide%20ii.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Japanese%20Guide%20ii.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Many people in the world hold a special </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">fascination</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> of Paris and none more so than the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. Anytime of the year there are </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> tourists visiting the grand monuments and more touristic areas of Paris. It is amusing to see how they pose and take photos of each other. They are much more skilled and posing than the Americans who seem to stand with stone-like grins.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)font-family:arial;" ><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Japanese</span> Restaurants</span><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> restaurants are replacing Chinese restaurants as Parisian favorites. Last year I witnessed the transformation of a Chinese restaurant along the Boulevard </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">du</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Montparnasse</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> into a sleek modern sushi restaurant. The old stone Chinese dragons remained on the sidewalk for two months before disappearing. A French friend swears that to stay competitive, the Chinese owners learn </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> cuisine and re-make their restaurant into </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, the Chinese serving </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, but I have not seen this. The </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> restaurants are really </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)"><span style="font-family:arial;">The Parisian Wedding</span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Park%20wedding%20copy.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Park%20wedding%20copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The highest form of </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> love of Paris is the Parisian </span><span style="font-family:arial;">wedding. As I understand, the formal </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" style="font-family:arial;">Japanese</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> wedding is held in Japan and then the entire wedding party is transported to Paris for another celebration and especially for photographs. It is common to see the wedding party in Parisian parks and near Parisian monuments.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Here is a wedding photograph (perhaps not Japonese this time ?) in front of the barracades of the Louvre.<br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: right"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/1600/Louvre%20Wedding%20copy.1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/615/3613/320/Louvre%20Wedding%20copy.1.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div></div>Just Me in Parishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118442380653313442noreply@blogger.com3