We have many things to tell you about France, and Paris, and Versailles and well, all of them are a movable feast indeed!!!
One near me that I have been once, and will have promise to come back is the Institut Franco-Americaine de Rennes, where they will have American artists in Pont-Aven then and now :: conférence Thursday April 12 at 18h30 in English. The importance of Pont-Aven in the artistic development of Gauguin is well known. Less known is the fact that this village in Brittany was an artist colony created by American artists 20 years before Gauguin arrived ! Who were these artists and what did they create there ? When Americans returned to Pont-Aven as teachers and art students at the Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art, they were now the avant-garde, while Gauguin’s work is accepted and revered. How are these artists reacting today to the same history and beauty of Pont-Aven so admired for 150 years; by Caroline Boyle-Turner,she has an Ph.D. Columbia University in Art History. She has created the Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art where she was the Director from 1994 to 2008, and continue a career of conference lecturer. Free admission information at +33 02 99 79 89 23 | contact@ifa-rennes.org if you want to know more about the Institute, sponsored by the US embassy in France, see the webpage http://www.ifa-rennes.org/index.php?lang=en
New rules for the train travelers in France by SNCF the French railroad company. For those traveling in TGV and InterCités trains, first change will allow the traveler which the departure is cancelled or delay by more than an hour to have a proposal given, or reimbourse in cash if so wishes ,this is including the tickets that were originally purchased non remboursable as the Prem’s.In addition, the guarantee will be given even if the delayed or cancellation is not the fault of the SNCF. The other novelty is the clients without a seat given for the trajects of more than 1h30 will be replace by the onboard chief inspector including those in first class and given a discount coupon for the next trip going from 10-30 euros. All these two innovation will take effect by the end of this month or first of April.
and my train station of old the gare Saint Lazare is having a new look!!! 10 000 square meters full of shops, with 80 boutiques and hours open until 21h even 22h In the old room the Salle des pas perdus, the new hall has a glass gallery of 200 meters long; the work allows for 3 addtional floors, at the metro level and two more of parking to welcome 250 cars !!!yes!!! and 50 motos. The passenger information will be provided with 300 tv screens. This train station welcome about 450 000 passengers per day and almost 1600 trains. This is the second highest frequency in Europe just behind the other Parisien station ,gare du Nord. I mentioned in previous post a Burger King will open there too ,a first in France and comeback of the chain to France.
Enjoy the Art Fair at the Grand Palais, the art event of the year missed again, 120 international galleries on tap from March 29th to April 1st 2012 see it all here http://www.artparis.fr/2012/fr/
Another apartment site in Paris CobbleStay, for your lodging pleasure, check it out here http://www.cobblestay.com/?loc=interstitialskip
And yet another to live like a Parisien, and lodging plus private tours, Rue Amandine, http://www.rueamandine.com/
An American n Paris for private tours and walks of the city ,Michael Osman, check it out at http://web.me.com/parisfind/Discover_Paris/About_Me.html
This I have reported before the IN place in Paris now by a new neighborhood to tourist the 19th . I was there when it was being constructed by the impulse of the folks at St Christopher’s nearby hostal. See the activities at the La Rotonde Place Stalingrad 6-8, place de la Bataille, Stalingrad, Paris,75019 and the webpage http://www.larotonde.com/
And in French my favorite paper guide of Paris, and also online The l’officiel des Spectacles, see the site here http://www.offi.fr/ events, concerts, theaters, restaurants ,cinema, art, all the wonders of Paris in one little magazine, you can purchase at any tabac kiosk or maison de la presse.
Sad news need to post here asap, the poney club at the jardin d’acclimatation in Paris is going to close.My kids rode there when little, so sad to read in the Le Parisien newspaper that a company that runs it part of the group LMVH has decided to close the club. !!! It already had 600 members, 12 employees,45 poneys and 4 horses, there since 1997. Sad story.
Last but not least, a wonderful site to see all the subways,metros,and tubes of the world including Paris bien sur,http://www.amadeus.net/home/new/subwaymaps/en/
Enjoy Paris, France, and all French ::)
Paris1972-Versailles2003 