Well I am away from my area but need to give you some updates. The weather is gorgeous sunny and warm, its right in Spring and it shows Summer ::) temps in the Paris/Versailles axis will be from 9°C to 21°C for the next 10 days and rain is announce from May 15 on.
I am by Vannes, Morbihan and its also very sunny, and pleasant with nice breezes from the nearby Gulf/Ocean. The temps here are similar only highs will be 24°C and no rain in sight.
Something about French consumers , a study done by INSEE, the French govt statistical arm, says, the French are in 7th place in the ranking of big spenders in Europe. Leading the way are the UK and Luxembourg. The French spending habits are 13% above the average for the UE The French, eat more fish than the Germans with 18% higher consumption then the EU average. They drink more alcohol than the British with 20% above the UE average! ,and smoke less then the Spaniards with 28% less than the UE average.
The 64th edition of the Festival de Cannes is approaching tomorrow opening. Over 50 films will be shown to decide the winners by May 22nd with Robert de Niro as chairman of this year edition. The official webpage is here http://www.festival-cannes.fr/fr.html
From May 27-29, the Festival de l’Histoire des Arts will take place at the Chateau de Fontainebleau ,a gorgeous theme of the folies or looney periods of Erasmus; all about it at the official blog http://festivaldelhistoiredelart.com/
In the theme of the European Museum Night, the Chateau de Versailles will open the Petit Parc by 20H30 to create an event entitled “Nuit et bosquets, un bestiaire à Versailles” or nights and forests, a dresserroom at versailles. The activities will start by 21h30, by the cour d’honneur, the castle will remain closed. webpage http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover-estate
For all your gourmet needs, and great shopping from the best in the world go to the Epicerie de Longueil at Maisons Laffitte; one of my favorites hanging grounds, and coffee stumper place. Grand city dotted with a nice castle and horse racecourse of fame. The grocery store is at 28 avenue de Longueil which the main street to your left coming out of the train RER A from Paris. webpage http://www.epiceriedelongueil.com/accueil.htm
Walking along the Paris 15éme arrondissement the other day ,went to see a friend from Australia visiting Paris, and took some extra time before arriving to past by the Parc André Citroen, near the Seine river, metro Javel ,Balard or RER blvd Victor, done on the old automobile factories of Citroên. Here you have two small gardens call “jardin blanc” ,and “jardin noir” (these are between rue Saint-Charles and rue Leblanc), and are link to the main garden. There is a huge lawn square in the middle, bordering this square there are 6 serial gardens separated by a cascade and id with a metal color each such as gold/Or, Silver/Argent, and Green/Vert or Red/rouge. At the end there is a garden in movement or “jardin en mouvement” ; it is like a prairie in a natural state with flowers. to the south, there is the canal with more cascades and statues or nymphées,a cave where water spout with force. webpage http://www.parisinfo.com/sites-culturels/1283/parc-andre-citroen
And one of the best shopping in Paris is at Rue du Commerce, in the Quartier Grenelle, arrondissement 15 of Paris , especially a Sephora store with beautician services inside! And the good wine store Le Repaire de Bacchus at 86 rue du commerce; also a great bouillon , today converted into a cafe resto call Le Cafe du Commerce at 51 rue du Commerce, more on this later post ; and Gerard Darel at 24 rue du Commerce for great ready to wear outfits.
Expo at the Petit Palais ,the work of Charlotte Perriand , one of the great creators of furniture in the 20C,now turning into photography to re discover her . More than 380 photos and 70 furniture pieces are on display; from her entrance into the shop of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret in 1928, http://petitpalais.paris.fr/
Musée de Quai de Branly is showing the Mayas exhibition on Guatemala, 160 pieces of exceptional value will be on display. from 6 june to october, http://www.quaibranly.fr/en/programmation/exhibitions/soon/maya.html?S=1%252
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of France, Fréderic Lefebvre is going after Expedia, Hotels.com,and TripAdvisor for attack their false recommendations. Such as saying the hotel is full when in reality it is not!!! Announcing promotional tarifs when in reality they are the normal prices!!! or downgrade a 4 stars to a 3 stars/ This is part of the division of fraud of its ministry that is after informations that are tricks of the game!. To stop these gimmicks the DGCCRF have ask to demand the tribunal de commerce de Paris or the high court in commercial matters for fast and expedient investigation into these matters for a legal process started in April of 2010 against these outfits by the Hotel union in France Synhorcat. And now it is all over the news in France, article in French by Le Figaro, http://www.lefigaro.fr/conso/2011/05/10/05007-20110510ARTFIG00466-l-etat-s-attaque-a-l-hotellerie-en-ligne.php
Intercontinental Hotels Group announced a gain of 69 M $ for its first trimester of 2011,28% increase in net income and 9% in revenues . Disneyland has reduced its losses by 13% for a take in of 82?9 M€ for the year 2010-11. Ascott is coming to France !! They just bought the property of the old Hôtel Costes K and a vacant nearby building ,that once the transaction over, it will be the new hotel in Paris name Ascott Arc de Triomphe Paris.
Anish Kapoor opens at the Grand Palais, under the lights of the Parisien skies, the interior of this creation like a Leviathan, high of 35 meters (115.5 ft) will be the more or less scary. It is a spectacular plonge into a pre historic cave. A experience of the sensors and métaphysical like that of Stanley Kubrick in 2001, the Space Oddysea. http://www.grandpalais.fr/en/News/Current-programme-in-full/p-468-lg1-Current-programme-in-full.htm?action=search&page=1&evt_periode=next&evt_lieu=0&x=49&y=9
A new place to sample out in the Morbihan, at Vannes, La Pierre à Griller,30 ter rue Thiers; Tel +33 02 97 42 65 07. Great grill meats and wonderful steaks for a change in a seafront town. no web reservations at lapierreagriller@yahoo.fr . menus from 11,70€ just in front of Hôtel de Ville or city hall.
Cheers and looking forward to be back in my area.
And just in, the Normandie region is celebrating 1100 years of their foundation read all about it and festivities schedules in the official webpage for the events here http://www.happybirthdaynormandie.com/?lg=en
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
Leave a Reply