paris1972

Here is midweek, our house hunting continues and just cloudy,rainy ,cool nice typical Breton weather in May. Some of the new buzz around are;

The Cannes Film Festival is going on with the stars walking on the Croisette, Michael Douglas, Steven Speilberg,Nicole Kidman,Cindy Crawford, Georgia May Jagger,Bérénice Bejo,Alain Delon,Sharon Stone, Lana Del Rey,  and many others arriving. This year the President of the jury and the jury are

Président du jury :
Steven Spielberg

Les membres du jury :

Vidya Balan
Naomi Kawase
Nicole Kidman
Lynne Ramsay
Daniel Auteuil
Ang Lee
Cristian Mungiu
Christoph Waltz

the selection for this year’s films are;:

Behind the Candelabra de Steven Soderbergh
Borgman de Alex Van Warmerdam
Grigris de Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Heli d’Amat Escalante
Inside Llewyn Davis de Joel et Ethan Coen
Jeune et jolie de François Ozon
Jimmy P. d’Arnaud Desplechin
La Vénus à la fourrure de Roman Polanski
La vie d’Adèle de Abdellatif Kechiche
Le passé d’Asghar Farhadi
Like Father Like Son de Kore-Eda Hirokazu
Michael Kohlhaas d’Arnaud Des Pallières
Nebraska d’Alexander Payne
Only God Forgives de Nicolas Winding Refn
Only Lovers Left Alive de Jim Jarmusch
Shield of Straw de Takashi Miike
The great Beauty de Paolo Sorrentino
The immigrant de James Gray
Touch of sin de Jia Zhang Ke
Un château en Italie de Valeria Bruni Tedeschi

and the official site is http://www.festival-cannes.fr/ going on until May 26 2013.

This weekend is the nuit des musées or night of museums with many opening for free on May 18 saturday. Some of the best presentations will be of

Musée National de l’Orangerie, the students of the music conservatory will play pieces of jazz in the room or Salles Matisse-Picasso, from 21h30 to 23h30. THe Musée Carnavalet will show scenes of the Trois Mousquetaires of Alexandre Dumas in the gardens every three quarter hour from 19h30. Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature will have several artists , stories ,concerts until   midnite. Musée des Arts

23h. The Petit Palais will have some new works  from its reserves such as paintings by Félix Ziem,the sculptures of Jules Dalou, and the collection of medals. The Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie, will have public conferences and guide visit to it s temple from 19h to 23h. The musée du Général Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Musée Jean Moulin in the 15éme arrondissement will have the theater presentation of Prémier combat:La Croix text from Jean Moulin from 19h to 20h30 reservation is obligatory at tel +33  01 40 64 39 44. Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet, expo on the «Mystérieuses cités d’or» you will see dances and music of the students of the national conservatory. The Musée de Balzac, evening dedicated to woman as Balzac saw them. Musée national de la Marine, models and marine stories by the students of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs.  This is all in Paris.

While in the region of Île-de-France, you have the following favorites;

Musée d’art et d’histoire de Melun in Seine et Marne dept 77, a theater spectacle at 20h30, 21h30 and 22h done by the company of the castles of sand or  compagnie Les Châteaux de sable. My nostalgic favorite the Musée Bossuet in Meaux also dept 77, passarelle of Venetian costumes until  23 h, and musical nights with carriages until midnite. Musée départemental de préhistoire d’Ile de France at Nemours,dept 77.  You will see the last mammouth found in France, baptise  Helmut. At the famous Chateau de Fontainebleau, dept 77, you will see the  grands appartements until midnite with an animation around the theme of lights and bulbs in the exterior gardens. Maison natale de Louis Braille at Coupvray dept 77, the native home of Louis Braille to start on his system of writing. The musée rambolitrain ,another nostalgic favorite in Rambouillet dept 78 Yvelines. collection of trains toys, and vapor train ride in the garden  from 20h to 01h only 1,50€. The musée français de la  photographie in Biévres dept 91 Essonne, guided visit ,and shops around the photo, creation of photograms with an inscription at tel +33 01 69 35 16 50. Musée des années trente-Espace Landowski, at Boulogne-Billancourt dept 92 Hauts de Seine, visit to the collections, the kids are invited to do their creations ,until midnite. Cité de la Céramique, at Sévres dept 92, porcelain expo on the music instruments in porcelain!done by Nicolas Frize. The musée de l’Air et de l”Espace at Le Bourget, dept 93 Seine Saint Denis; kiss the nose of the Concorde and an air orchestra playing music until 22h45.

and I close with a Bagel yes the popular American bagel is here to stay thanks to places like this one, you must stop by in Paris .L’Atelier du Bagel, 31, rue Saint-Lazare – 75009, Tél.+33 01 44 63 71 59. Open mondays to fridays from  11h30 to 14h30, and monday to Saturdays from  19h to  22h30 (eat in or take out as well as deliveries) webpage http://www.latelierdubagel.com/

Cheers Enjoy France!

This has been a nice long five days weekend due to holidays and rest days in France. We have done many things but for later, now let me tell you what’s going on in my part of the world.

First ,the Zoo at Pont Scorff  is celebrating 40 years this  year wow!  You have five hours of visit in a nice setting from an effort of local people who care about these animals; a nice family outing for a day near Lorient and me; see the new baby elephant born there… http://www.zoo-pont-scorff.com/

And ,then several events coming up that I like and chose for my blog, go there ,they are good. First, at the museum of fine arts or musée des Beaux-Arts of Quimper you have the exhibition of  De Véronése à Casanova an Italian journey until September 30 2013. http://www.mbaq.fr/expositions/en-cours/article/exposition-temporaire-de-veronese-a-casanova/backto/expositions/

The Tara Oceans Polar Circle trip will depart from the Cité Eric Tabarly on May 19 at 14h, expo will be shown free on may 18 and 19 in Lorient. This is a sailing expedition and grand for the whole family, one of our favorite spots here. http://oceans.taraexpeditions.org/en/tara-oceans-polar-circle-2013.php?id_page=1256

The nice post cards museum Cartopole near me at Baud will have a free admission day during the Nuit des Musées Saturday May 18. All about post cards and history of the region thru post cards ,unique and nice. http://www.cartolis.org/exposition.php in French but go here to know about schedules and admissions remember that day is free admission, Renseignements ( horaires, tarifs… )

Get closer to nature and come to the Fête de la Nature, all over France and of course the Morbihan dept 56 where I live, here a nice show is done May 18 and 19 at Gestel, in Domaine du Lain, free admission, Saturday from 14-19H and Sunday from 10h to 19h; http://www.fetedelanature.com/decouvrir-le-programme/animation?id_animation=2803

More on the music scene come to Astropolis in pays de Brest from July 4-14 2013. Some good artists like Pachanga boys, Elisa do Brasil etc will be performing live. Here are the artists  http://astropolis.org/ete2013/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=107

City center Brest on May 25 the Le Printemps des Sonneurs will be back with big band style from 14h to 19h with bands marching and a big Fez Noz by 20h at the Caréne. Tourism of Brittany info here http://www.tourismebretagne.com/a-faire/les-evenements/le-printemps-des-sonneurs , in French but a bit of history of the Celtic big band you will encounter in pure traditional ambiance, http://kevrennsantmark.magix.net/website/#Un peu d’histoire

Not officially in Brittany but very well connected is the festival Les 3 eléphants held in Laval, from May 2′-26 2013. Great music especially from Don Cavalli,woodkid, Sallie Ford etc, the whole line up is here; http://www.les3elephants.com/programmation/

The Festival du bout du monde at the presqu’ ile de Crozon dept finistére 29 from august 2-4 2013 will be back with the great one Joe Cocker, Yasmin Levy, Cali,Amparo Sanchez, Kool and the Gang, and Jacques Higelin to mention my favorites, a must. The program here, http://www.festivalduboutdumonde.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=9&Itemid=200

Just over the other side of Normandy, we have one that I used to go and still goes strong ,so many oh my, but in July I will be traveling on business a lot so so, here it is for you. July 5-7 2013; the Festival Beauregard is a smash with this year The Smashing Pumpkins Local Natives, The hives, The Dusty rainbow experience, juveniles,Olivia Ruiz,  Benjamin Biolay,and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to name a few known ones. Of course ,it will be held as always in th wonderful Chateau Beauregard at Hérouville-St-Clair n Calvados dept 14. the festival site http://www.festivalbeauregard.com/en/ And while at it you might make it an extra time to visit the adventures in the park gardens of the castle and the castle too, http://www.beauregard-aventure.com/english.htm  The off and on resident owner is English and a friend from the Paris days.

Back close to me at Landerneau we have on August 9-11 2013 the Fête du Bruit or noise party with amongst others Snoop Dogg, Saez, Madness, Sinead O’Connor,and the Jim Jones Revue. http://festival-fetedubruit.com/programmation-2013

Another that I heard from collegues here is pretty good is the Bobital Festival at Parc du Louvre à Bobital or about 10 kms from Dinan. YOu can go by train there then taxi over or car pooling as the best way to reach the park is by car; you will see Cali here as well as Lilly Wood & the Pricks,and The Octopus amongst others. http://www.bobital-festival.fr/2013/?page_id=2625

Last at Brest a nice place under renovation even when I visit is now open, in the  château-musée national de la Marine de Brest, the reopening of the tours Paradis  allows five new halls for expos inside the historical museum here since 1923 . The nex expo is dedicated to the contemporary Marines presenting the arsenal of Brest from after the industrial revolution to our days And of cours on the night of museums or nuit des musées on May 18 it will be free to the public, http://www.musee-marine.fr/brest.html

Click on the following link for the programme in your region, about the museum night, or nuit des musées in France;  http://www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr/

Have a great end weekend everybody. Cheers

This is the eve to Labor Day, as the international day here, so I will be off resting, too bad it fell in the middle of the week so no bridge lol! The day is sunny a bit cool but nice darn.

The next big event in Paris is a foire a fairs better a fair than a war. The Foire de Paris with 3500 exhibitors!  From today to May 12 at  Porte de Versailles (75015). Open every day from 10h to 19h. Nightime on May 10 open until  23h. Admission is 12€ . Pass 2 days 18€. Free for the under 12 yrs old.  Here is the site , I love to go there for the Cultures du Monde section, enjoy it if you can, its great. http://www.foiredeparis.fr/

Over in Honfleur, that I will be in, is the Fête des Marins, (the feast of the mariners or seaman) the 152nd year!! where the boats go out,and its festive all around. I go for a more personal reason, my dear mother is buried at sea and the ceremony is of the blessing of those there buried or fallen in the great Normandy shores. The place is always magical for me and since she is there is a pilgrimage.  Here is the pdf file for the festivities http://www.ot-honfleur.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Programme-Fête-des-Marins-2013.pdf?3f49bb

And according to the French , where are you the most happy living, which region? well surprise that the top three are my favorites areas in France other than the Paris/Versailles combo of past working and living. Aquitaine, came in first with 93% satisfaction ,this is the area of the southwest where Bordeaux is amongst others. Then comes the Pays de la Loire, where the great chateaux are; and then comes Bretagne, yes where I am living now ,and I can attest to that, its great too. These are the top 10;

• 1ea. Aquitaine (93 %)
• 1ea. Pays de la Loire (93 %)
• 3ea. Bretagne (91 %)
• 3ea. Alsace
• 5. Rhône-Alpes (90 %)
• 6ea. Midi-Pyrénées (89 %)
• 6ea. Auvergne (89 %)
• 8. Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (88 %)
• 9ea. Languedoc-Roussillon (85 %)
• 9ea. Poitou-Charente (85 %)

By the way the Paris Ile de France region came in one of the last at 70% lol!!! Well like I said, living and visiting are two different things. Here is in French the real estate publication, http://www.lavieimmo.com/divers-immobilier/les-regions-ou-il-fait-bon-vivre-18154.html

Since tomorrow is off day labor day, we have flea markets in Paris some of my favorites were/are:

On the 9ème arrondissement:
the street  rue Rochechouart is having a small market very friendly and cozy neighborhood gathering with about  80 tables  from 7h to 19H Rue Rochechouart, Métro Cadet

On the 12ème arrondissement:
the flea  Picpus  is been done on boulevard de Picpus, of course !  With about  100 tables with antiques items too. From 7h to 19h  Boulevard de Picpus, Métro Nation

On the  14ème arrondissement:
its happening at  place Maurice Noguès and goes on towards  avenue Marc Sangnier and avenue Maurice Noguès.  You have about  200 tables  with antiques and  new items ! From 6h to 18H at Place Maurice Noguès, Métro Porte de Vanves

You have on May 30th  the 5th edition of the La Veillée Food Stock on the roof of the Cité de la Mode et du Design. From 19h ,here is the fooding event, all so yummy and great music too, wonderful place ,and this year the place is great too the NUBA 36, quai d’Austerlitz, admission is 25€ webpage http://www.lefooding.com/evenements/2013/veillees-foodstock/#.UX_izJWEhfR

And until May 20 you have at Paris jardin d’acclimatation, Bretagne,yeah!!! with over 300 artists from the region showcasing their wares. You will see the «gwenn ha du» the famous Breton flag of black and white for three weeks.  The show will be from 10h to 19h, admission will be only 3€ adults. See more of it here, and do come to know my new region; in one of my top favorite parks of Paris, http://www.jardindacclimatation.fr/evenement/la-bretagne-au-jardin/

Baguettes are so important part of everyday life here that I could not wait to post this ,just in by the jury of the professional guilds of bakers in paris the top bakeries doing baguettes in Paris for 2013 are

1. Au Paradis du Gourmand – Ridha Khadjer. 156, rue Raymond Losserand, XIVe.

2. Boulangerie Raphaëlle – Sébastien Mayerts. 1, rue Feutrier, XVIIIe.

3. Boulangerie Damiani. 125, avenue du Clichy, XVIIe.

4. Christian Vabret. 27, rue Francois Miron, IVe.

5. Maison Cailleaud. 104, cours de Vincennes, 75012

6. Maison Landemaine – Yosuké Fijié. 56, rue du Clichy, IXe.

7. Dominique Saibron. 77, avenue du Géneral Leclerc, XIVe.

8.  Le Grenier à Pain lafayette. 91, rue Faubourg Poissonnière, IXe.

9. La Parisienne. 12, rue Coustou, XVIIIe.

10 tied. Claude Besnier. 40 rue du Bourgogne, VIIe.

10 tied. Samir Ben Habhab. 55 boulevard Gouvion Saint Cyr, XVIIe.

10 tied. Nicolas Marnay. 24, rue Saint-Martin, IVe.

Enjoy your day wherever you are. cheers

I just came back from more traveling,and already book for more next week, but did not want to tell you about the latest in France and especially Paris.

The new places for apero or small dishes a la French with an Anglo Saxon twist. My old work area has it good, Da Rosa Rive Droite,19 bis, rue du Mont-Thabor, Tél. +33 01 77 37 37 87. Open every day until  2h for the bar and  23h30 for the resto. Carte:from 15 €  (a glass of wine and a dish of tapas). No web.

The Grand Palais will have from June 10 to 22, the view on cinema from Fiat 500 automobiles!!! The biggest screen in Europe about  30 meters wide will project movies such as  Les Dents de la mer, Grease, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Annie Hallou and The Big Lebowski. In the heart of the nave there will be a big diner on orders from the Canadian chef  Gita Seaton offering «cheeseburgers, bacon & eggs, fried chicken and chocolate pudding». tariff of 10€s  adultes, 5€ under  12 yrs old.  Entrance and movies for 19€.

The Nuit aux Invalides is back from now to May 7. The production of Amaclio and Bruno Seillier will take you to a ride into the history of France. The placing will be the cour d’honneur du Musée de l’armée. you see more in the webpage http://www.lanuitauxinvalides.fr/ The producers will be doing two more exciting shows like the  Les Luminescences d’Avignon, at the Palais des papes, and in next August  Les Écuyers du temps, at the château des ducs d’Anjou in Saumur.

You have new places for spectacles such as Anthea in Antibes with the first show La Traviata of Verdi, the show began at this salle in April 6, webpage for it http://www.anthea-antibes.fr/fr/

In an old industrial park, you have a new place for artists, dancers etc right below Paris, Vitry-sur-Seine, and A La Briqueterie, more of it at webpage http://www.alabriqueterie.com/

Right down the road at Blois, you have the Fondation du Doute, a new space for expositions, meetings, performances of art; webpage http://www.fondationdudoute.fr/

Right in an area near to me ,as used to go there frequently for restos and bar a new steakhouse a la French is open. The Beef Club, 58 ,rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, http://www.cityvox.fr/restaurants_paris/beef-club_200142021/Profil-Lieu , and since I am in the area do stop by at Toro, 74 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau  ,the real Spanish in Paris, webpage http://www.toroparis.com/

And for you tourists freaks, the WTO =world tourism organisation part of the UN just told us we went over the 1 billion tourist mark, see it here http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/2013-01-28/international-tourism-continue-robust-growth-2013

The new tourist site for one of my favorite cities in France, Toulouse, is SoToulouse and in English it is here the webpage http://www.toulouse-visit.com/ wonderful.

And let’s get SIDA over with will we, from June 28-30 2013 a series of concert for fund raising and fun for all. Some of the ones I know will be David Guetta, Django Django, Kery James,The Wombats, etc. It will be held at the Hippodrome de Longchamp, under the banner Solidays, and here is the webpage on how to get there and more, http://www.solidays.org/pratique/acces-horaires/

Until May 6 you have at the Opera Garnier de Paris, Conte de Fées with the opera Hansel and Gretel, see it http://www.operadeparis.fr/saison_2012_2013/operas/hansel-et-gretel-humperdinck/detail/ and if want to see work of light or lumiéres see Julio le Parc at the Palais de Tokyo until May 2013. First expo in France, webpage http://palaisdetokyo.com/fr/exposition/julio-le-parc

If you want to walk Paris with a local come and meet a greeter of Paris, a volunteer local Parisien who will take you around and show you the city. I know, walking Paris is best,and you can do but so many people ask me and I have no time ::) See the Paris Greeters webpage http://www.parisgreeters.fr/

See the beautiful gardens of the Chateau de Chantilly, one of my favorites in the region. There will be show casing there until July 7 2013,  under L’Enchateurs des Jardins, the art des jardin at the 17C and 18C. Official castle webpage http://www.domainedechantilly.com/domaine-de-chantilly/jardins-et-parc  , and from the region tourist office Oise, the gardens, http://www.oisetourism.co.uk/srit/detail/PNA/PNAPIC060FS0000B

If you want to catch the fine arts museum in Besancon go now, after it will be close for two years of renovations! Until September 15 2013, you have the Florilége, musée des Beaux-Arts, showing new works of recently renovated works of art and some never shown to the public before! A trip from the 14C to our days. webpage http://www.mbaa.besancon.fr/en/

About to the nord 59 and see the musée Matisse, a great collection of this great painter, started to use gouaches in 1947 and now 443 of his work will be in exhibit until June 9 2013. The museum is at Le Cateau-Cambrésis where nearby we have family. Webpage http://museematisse.cg59.fr/fr/Expositions/Matisselacouleurdecoup%C3%A9e/tabid/635/Default.aspx

The man of 40 castles or Bernard Magrez, is showcasing until July 21 2013 a series of paintings from his collection at the Chateau  Labottiére in the Medoc Bordeaux, wonderful works and great wine, guaranteed. The series at his institut is entitled Réves de Venice, Webpage http://institut-bernard-magrez.com/expositions/r%C3%AAves-de-venise

Of course, there is a lot lot more in France, but these are my favorites that I have been in the past and always look forward to what they have even if not in them for a while. Enjoy it. Cheers.

Well just notice had my Roman numerals wrong but then again nobody notice lol!!! Now I am ok at no 100. I am ,also, been away for a short while, so busy,and not traveling ::)

The latest unique thing about Paris is that LE LOUXOR at Barbés will be open again,closed since 1987!  It is a cinema opened in 1921 , closed in 1983 and then purchase by the city of Paris in 1987,renovations and voilà it will open on April 18.  170, bd Magenta, Paris 10éme,and the webpage http://www.cinemalouxor.fr/

Then, you come to the  Cinémathèque, here you will go deep into the subject, go along the passage Pommeraye de Nantes  build to it identical detail with its vitrines show windows, the photos of the films of  Jacques Demy.  This is the Parisien place par excellence with the echo of  Lola(1961),his first film and  «petit Jacquot de Nantes» ,the little jacques of Nantes that at  13 yrs old purchased his first camera, a  Baby Pathé. At the background music you will hear the nice songs composed by Michel Legrand, his brother.  There you see the chronologic of his life, scenarios, photos, model scenarios , paintings and advance of his films. 51, rue de Bercy Paris 12éme, and the webpage http://www.cinematheque.fr/

To follow on the libraries dealing with cinema cults and all about movies, the recommended ones are, 

Hors Circuits (4, rue de Nemours, XIe. Tél.: 01 48 06 32 43) ..to find a DVD never re edited or a book out of print. http://www.horscircuits.com/

Librarie Eyrolles (55-63, bd Saint-Germain, Ve. Tél.: 01 44 41 11 74)… to borrow like the brothers  Lumière(144 p., 18 €).http://www.eyrolles.com/

Dixit Librarie (3, rue La Bruyère, IXe. Tél.: 01 49 70 03 33)…for a guided guide on scenarios from the small to the big screen. http://www.dixit.fr/home.php

Librairie du cinéma La Chambre Claire (14, rue Saint-Sulpice, VIe. 01 43 59 17 71). ..for the making of the films in photos. http://www.la-chambre-claire.fr/photo-cinema/index.php

Ciné Reflet (14, rue Serpente, VIe. 01 40 46 02 72)… to offer a biography, scenario or collector’s book out of print. http://www.cinereflet.fr/

Imagigraph (84, rue Oberkampf, XIe. Tél.: 01 48 07 54 20)… for funding books and the latest editions. http://www.imagigraphe.fr/

Some places in Paris to really soak in that cinema world, of places of film,scenes, and the aura of Paris, my favorites are L’Auberge Pyrénées Cévennes (106, rue de la Folie-Méricourt) , no webpage. Le Grand Colbert,  (2, rue Vivienne) http://www.legrandcolbert.fr/ , Le Bristol,  (112, rue du Fbg-Saint-Honoré), http://www.lebristolparis.com/fr/bienvenue/, Hôtel Amour,  (8, rue de Navarin), http://www.hotelamourparis.fr/ ; Opéra-Comique,  (5, place Boieldieu), http://www.opera-comique.com/ , Bar de l’Entracte,  (6, rue Montaigne) ,no webpage, L’Athénée Théàtre Louis Jouvet,  (square de l’Opéra Louis-Jouvet), http://www.athenee-theatre.com/

And then some mythical cinemas of Paris,like the la Pagode (57, rue de Babylone) and his wonderful garden, http://www.etoile-cinemas.com/pagode/; and the Cinéma du Panthéon, (13, rue Victor-Cousin) ,and its spirited ciné club,  http://cinema.pantheon.free.fr/, the Grand Rex (1, bd Poissonnière) , and is gigantic sound system, http://www.legrandrex.com/ , and the Studio 28 (10, rue Tholozé),http://www.cinemastudio28.com/

And if you need to buy movie memobilia you need to go here and take a souvenir for real, Defrise, 23, rue Basfroi      http://www.defrise.fr/

Something to reminicent of Paris in a cloudy, rainy, very windy night in Brittany ! Cheers