Well I am back and so much to tell you on my latest and new info from my collection of Some news from France! The belle France is popping, airports, train stations full;and even if the weather has been raining and cold as down as 3C in Paris, the people are out and so was I.
Some of the nice places to go is Elmer, a cellar grocery store with a nice selection of wines such as montlouis-sur-loire of Jousset, Saumur from the Domaine Bobinet, beaujolais de France Gonzalvez, wines for house wine from the côtes catalanes and Riberach. They are at 19, rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth, 3eme. No telephone yet ; wines from 5 euros a glass and -20% on the bottles you take home. tapas foodies between 5 -18 euros. More here: http://elmer-restaurant.fr/
Another one is Chéri bibi , a wine bar, diner, grocery store all in black and yellow deco with marble and wood. Natural wines such as VDF blanc Ad Naturam from the Château Lassolle, arbois Tôt ou tard from Jean-Baptiste Menigoz. They are at 50, rue d’Espagne, 64200 Biarritz. Tél. +33 (0) 5 59 41 24 75. wines between 3 -7 euros a glass, right of cork of 10 euros , lunch menus at 12€ 16€ and 19€. diner dishes from 3-19€. More here: http://tourisme.biarritz.fr/en/eating/search/cheri-bibi/RESAQU064FS00212
Enyaa only steps from the Palais-Royal, on the foundations of the house of Molière deco with old stones and clear woods along with bottles of Champagne and Sake. The house has about 60 references such as Agrapart, De Sousa, Larmandier-Bernier, etc, and about 20 of saké such as from Kyoto, Nagano, Tochigi etc. Located at 37, rue de Montpensier, 1éme. Tél. +33 (0)1 40 26 78 25. Menus from 29-48 euros, lunches , and from 58-88 euros dinners. You can mix and match food and wines from +40 and +60 euros. Champagne between 9 -17 euros glass and Saké from 9 -11 euros glass. More here:http://www.enyaa-paris.com/index_eng.html
Séptieme la cave is here along the Bastille,in the annex of the restaurant Septime,that is the meeting point of the internationals of hipsters 7/7 taste wines in any language from whites reds and bubbly of France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Géorgia from 10 to 80 euros. Located at 3, rue Basfroi, 11éme. Tél. +33 (0) 1 43 67 14 87. wines between 5-12 euros a glass right of cork for 7 euros and dishes from 4-14 euros. More here:http://septime-lacave.fr/
More moving to the La dilettante with a revolving selection of wines from all of France and beyond with a cellar of more than 800 references such as a glass of morgon from the Domaine Joseph Chamonard or a barbera d’alba of Mascarello. Located at 11, rue du Faubourg-Bretonnière, 21200 Beaune. Tél. +33 (0)3 80 21 48 59. wines from 3,50 to 10 euros per glass; dishes between 9-18 euros. More here:https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-dilettante-beaune
Steps from the wonderful Vieux-Port of Marseille you come to the Cave des Papilles. The sister location of the one in Paris has more than 400 references mostly bio from côtes-du-jura Champ d’Aubert 2015 of Valentin Morel ; and several jars of olives and lemon while having a VDF Nino 2014 of the domaine Es d’Aqui. Located at 84-86, rue de Grignan, 13001 Marseille. Tél. +33 (0)4 86 26 54 16. wines betweeen 5-10 euros in the restaurant. Lunch formules at 24€ and evenings at 35€. More here: http://www.lacavedespapilles.com/blog/la-cave-des-papilles-ouvre-a-marseille
Hidden in a small area in the 4éme of Paris, precisely at 40 rue des Blancs-Manteaux,you have the boutique Terres de café. A usual place to taste coffees from specialists or the grands crus from the world over. The « Geisha Bar » is an initiation to the botanical varieties the most fragile of the world coming from the forests of Geisha in Ethiopia. A coffee of purity flowery aromas that is part of the best offered by the bar. Some of them are the Marcala Uluma from Honduras, with white flower and peach, and the Yeti Yanqii, with its fruity and spicy taste available all for sale and tastings in all five boutiques in Paris of the Terres de café. Geisha Bar in the Terres de café at 40 rue des Blancs Manteaux, 4éme. Open tuesdays to saturdays from 9h30 to 19h , Sundays from 13h to 18h. More athttp://www.terresdecafe.com/content/49-boutiques
A bit on the market side we have amongst the specialise markets those from the fleas at Puces de Clignancourt (Saint-Ouen) or those in parc Georges-Brassens 15éme, reserves for old books; not too many have a fix site. However, at the Place d’Aligre (12éme)there is one of the few that are open every day except Mondays by about 40 stands selling all kinds of trinkets. Here you have the locals coming to do their groceries in the covered market Beauvau that is just next to the fleas. The OHVL,a leading French org that organizes some of the meetings by the boulevard Blanqui (13éme) on some weekends. Some others are held by the avenue Ledru-Rollin (13éme) or antiques on the street. More here: https://en.parisinfo.com/shopping-paris/93225/Marche-Beauvau-Marche-d-Aligre
Something that is going on as I write (latest by BFMTV shows Le Pecq near St Germain en Laye, Yvelines 78) is the raising of the water levels in the Seine river. It reach 4,15 meters (about 14 feet) at Austerlitz according to DRIEE coming down to going up again to 3,50 meters or about 11.5 feet. The announce continuing rains will make matters worse with rising water levels. The estimates by Vigicrues tell us rising to 3,80 meters and even 3,92 meters by this weekend or even higher. At Chatou the impressionist island it was 3.29 meters .The mayor’s office of Paris has decided to closed the roads along the river and the tunnel of Tuileries. More in French here: https://www.vigicrues.gouv.fr/niv2-bassin.php?CdEntVigiCru=7
UPDATE: this is the latest as of today January 23rd on the rising waters of the Seine river and many others in France going on as I write:
Expecting highs Tuesday 23 January at between 4.8 – 5,2 meters and prevision for Wednesday January 24 morning to be between 5.4- 5.7 meters . There are so far 7 train station closed until at least January 26; Saint-Michel Notre Dame, Musée d’Orsay, Invalides, Champ-de-Mars, Avenue du Président Kennedy, Boulainvilliers, Pont de l’Alma (already closed for renovation). The vigicrues water organism and the city of Paris had decided to close the roads under the Pont National both ways to the A4 autoroute. The tunnel des Tuileries and the underground Henri-IV. The roads along the river on the left bank or Rive gauche (pont de l’Alma to pont Royal). The roads along the river on the right bank or Rive droite (Tuileries to Mazas) are closed as well. The tunnel des Tuileries and the road voie Georges-Pompidou between the pont de Garigliano and the pont de Bir-Hakeim are closed. They have made the avenue Kennedy into a two way road between the streets or rue du Ranelagh and rue de Beethoven. The road of Valhubert 13eme district was closed since Monday. There are several buildings where access is not allowed along the Seine river as well.
This past wednesday the airline Ryanair, announce the opening of four new destinations from the airport of Beauvais-Tillé. Travelers will be able to flight to Slovania with Bratislava two flights per week, to Malta 2 per week, to Prague in Czech Republic 3 flights per week and to Thessaloniki Greece 2 per week. More here: https://www.ryanair.com/us/en/cheap-flight-destinations-list
Something wonderful in my old Yvelines 78 is coming. Saturday September 15 2018. You all welcome to bring your folding chairs around the lake of Corot in Ville d’Avray. From the scene of the « Au bord des bois… l’étang », or along the forest, the lake there will be solo singers, piano voices, musicians playing different pieces on a floating scene in the middle of the lake. The first edition of the Musicales de Corot. Jean-Baptiste Corot had done more than 250 paintings in the lake on this beautiful site right next to Versailles and Paris. They are hoping to make an annual event do come just the site is gorgeous More info email at lesmusicalesdecorot@gmail.com or by cellular tel +33 (0) 6.84.54.01.95. The place is here to keep an eye for the event in English: https://www.etangs-corot.com/en/une-escapade-bucolique/
The bicycle is coming stronger, who would figure many years ago on the start of the Vélib I took a ride around the Parc Monceau not believing it would work; well I was wrong it has. There are 107 new stations Vélib this week. Now the program is managed by Smovengo. There are other 200 stations waiting for connection with the goal of having them operational by end of January 2018. Later, to reach 1000 by March 31st with 1400 counting the nearby towns by next Spring. More here in French: https://www.velib2018.com/le-nouveau-velib/
And we keep opening lines of transportation all over. There will be a new deviation on the line Ribécourt-Noyon to go around the west of Noyon. The deviation will be of 3,5 km long linking Mont-Renaud to the axis Noyon-Roye. Also, will need work on the Canal Seine nord that will border the west of the town (see photo map).
And Bordeaux is stepping out as the IN city. All along the Garonne river there is a renaissance of businesses and sites such as the new markets, contemporary arts museum the wine center and others. Until April 1 2018 come see the exposition « Schweizweit, il n’y a pas une architecture suisse », or there is no Swiss architecture . More info here! http://www.arcenreve.com/Pages/pages.html
Open last November in floating pools on the Garonne river been the vedette of the quai des Chartrons. The halles de Bacalan has 23 stands showcasing the gastronomy of the south west of France. Especially the delicious foies gras of landes of the Maison Paris. There is a restaurant to allow to cook and taste on site the product purchased. Open Tuesdays to Sundays at 10, esplanade de Pontac.Bordeaux; more here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/les-halles-de-bacalan-bordeaux
Bistrot du Fromager you come to smell taste and buy the goat and ewes milik cheeses! Nice finds from the area ,refine cold cuts and area wines ;try to get the terraces for the Garonne river glory. Have a petite tomme Aquitaine country cheese with the light haut médoc red of Château Lalande. The bistrot is also a cellar; open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 17h to 02h at 73, quai des Chartrons. Tél.+33 (0)5-56-98-17-08. More here:https://www.yelp.com/biz/le-bistrot-du-fromager-bordeaux?osq=bistrot+de+fromager
A classic new hotel the hôtel Seeko’o with sculptural lines in the middle of old buildings by the historic quai de Bacalan . The hotel has been called the « l’iceberg » or the glaçon=ice by the locals. It has 44 rooms with spacious bedrooms in a loft style and a suite of 55 sq meters with a big view of the Garonne river and its barges. From 110€ doubles at 54, quai de Bacalan. More here: https://seekoo-hotel.com/eng/
Then, of course wine Bordeaux so a museum about wines! La Cité du Vin Better go to the 7th floor (8th US) to the restaurant Le 7 offering a magnificent view over the moon harbor or port de la Lune, call as such for the curve in the form of a croissant over the Graonne river of the bridge or pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas. admission from 8€ Open very day at 134-150, quai de Bacalan. more info here: http://www.laciteduvin.com/en
The wonderful museum or Musée de Bayeux (Calvados dept 14), will go thru a renovation period estimates to be finishe by 2023,and will lend the famous tapistry of bayeux to probably the Britih Museum . The so called Telle du Conquest as it was called in the past recalling the invasion of England by William the Conqueror. So doing the lending what others such as French, Spanish, Germans and Scandinavians institutions had not done. More here: https://www.normandie.fr/tapisserie-de-bayeux-2023-une-nouvelle-etape-franchie-dans-le-projet-du-futur-musee
The museum page is here :http://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/la_tapisserie_de_bayeux_en.html
And for last, back to Paris to understand French architecture. What was the date of the profession of Architecture in France? .The elegant hotel de Soubise that houses the national archives will try to respond to this question. Until March 12 2018 the exposition design to build or « Dessiner pour bâtir » rends honor to the transformation of the Great Century that gave the masters of these works to us. The French architects of the 17C needed to wait until the middle of the 20C to received credit that first came to them by the anglo Saxons countries. Then, architects such as Claude Perrault (1613-1688), Louis Le Vau (1612-1670), Augustin-Charles d’Aviler (1653-1701), Jacques Lemercier (1585-1654), François Blondel (1618-1686), Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708), and his uncle François Mansart benefitted from documented publications in the French language. More here: http://www.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/en/web/guest/dessiner-pour-batir
And enjoy your Sunday wherever you are; I am back from the Philippines. Cheers!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 