Paris1972-Versailles2003

It’s time again to tell you my latest rants about some news from France. An eventful post in my blog that I have enjoyed together with you for the last 12 years now!! And for those non Roman CCCLX is 365 , another dandy round of news of my belle France , of course, chosen by me; there are many others. We are in Summer ,and temps already back to canicule level so drink,,,anything, and we continue eating out in our veranda porch , grand! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The canicule is back ! This third round starts from last Sunday July 31 until (at least) Wednesday August 3. Sunday starts nicely with temperatures approaching 30°C in the northern half of France and exceeding 32-33°C in the southern half. Then, each day, the mercury will take 1 or 2°C higher to reach up to 35°C in the south. Temperatures could remain above normal for the season until August 8, so says Météo France !

This Tuesday (today), the prefectural services placed Paris and all the towns of Hauts-de-Seine (92) , Seine-Saint-Denis (93) and Val-de-Marne (94) in “drought vigilance”. The “vigilance” level, called “orange”, is the first of 4 levels of dryness. This vigilance does not provide for restrictions but for measures to encourage water savings: limiting the cleaning of cars, roads, sidewalks or the watering of green spaces, but also the reduction of water consumption to home , A heat wave is confirmed for the middle of the week, centered on Wednesday and Thursday with maximum temperatures between 34 to 38 ° C and locally 40 ° C, said Météo France. As a result, four departments in the South-East (Ardèche, Drôme, Gard and Vaucluse) and the Pyrénées-Orientales remain on orange alert. Fifty other departments, south of a line from Charente-Maritime to Alsace, are on yellow alert, The heat is on, and get out the cold ones lol !!!

Ricard, Coca-Cola and Nutella: despite the crises, remains the favorite products of the French ! The health crisis and inflation have upset many habits. But not the list of food items that we consume without moderation, and with regularity, over the years. we continue to consume, with imperturbable regularity, certain favorite products, as evidenced by the latest hit parade published by the Nielsen IQ institute for the first half of 2022. I only do Coca Cola once in a while ,the others nope !

Will the future “Paris Centre – Saint-Germain peaceful zone” keep the contours defended by the Paris City Hall? Or will it be returned to its original perimeter, the historic heart of the capital? Intended to eliminate all transit traffic in the heart of Paris, the project comes up against the reservations of the police headquarters and the mayors of the left bank arrondissements. The latter could win their case, and see their territory excluded from the zone. This intention by the mayor of Paris will create more havoc in Paris as it is now more trafic than ever due to closing of some roads !! The end is not near, be prepare for heavy trafic and overloaded public transist network for years !

Since 1996, the central and tourist section of the RER C in Paris has been interrupted every summer to consolidate the tunnel built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. And this should last several more years !! This summer again, work on the RER C continues with an interruption of the line since July 15. It must be said that they are dantesque. The objective is to consolidate the tunnel built at the beginning of the last century for the Universal Exhibition of 1900 in Paris, on the intramural part of the current line between the Musée d’Orsay and the Champ-de-Mars (7éme). On the ground, exposed to allow digging, we can still see the stones dating from this period. Part of the line that goes to Versailles so be aware folks.

Metro line 14 (Mairie de Saint-Ouen – Olympiades) is one of the most impacted. Due to the work, the stations on the line between Châtelet and Olympiades are no longer served until August 20. Please note that the entire line will also experience complete closures on August 14 and 21 until 4 p.m. On the RATP website, maps with the main alternative routes are available. For journeys between Gare de Lyon and Olympiades, replacement buses are in service. On the RER B side, modernization work between Gare du Nord and Charles-de-Gaulle airport is continuing. Heavy disruptions are therefore to be expected in August. On the weekend of August 13 to 15 inclusive, traffic will be interrupted between Gare du Nord and CDG2 Airport, substitute buses will be made available. Thursday August 18 from 10:30 p.m. and between Aulnay-sous-Bois in Seine-Saint-Denis and CDG2 Airport from 11 p.m., from July 4 to September 2 inclusive (except the weekend of August 15). the RER A, major disruptions are to be expected on weekends in August. There will be no trains between Nanterre-Préfecture and Cergy/Poissy on August 6 and 7 and August 13 and 14 (This is also the case for line J Saint-Lazare and Mantes-la-Jolie via Poissy in the Yvelines). Traffic will also be interrupted between Auber and La Défense every day from Saturday August 13 to Friday August 19 inclusive. On the lines of the RER C work started in July which is continuing. For C, the very impactful work started on July 15 will last until Saturday August 20 inclusive. Trains therefore remain canceled in both directions between the stations of Musée d’Orsay and Pontoise (95), Musée d’Orsay and Versailles-Rive-Gauche and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (78), Pont-de-Rungis (94) and Massy-Palaiseau (91). There too buses replace trains.

Rising animal abandonments, falling adoptions… the sad summer of the SPA, in search of foster families, With 2,590 animals abandoned in Île-de-France region alone between May 1 and July 27 ,and 11,461 in France, the shelters of the Humane Society (SPA) are literally overflowing at the end of July, So sad people do not realise these are lovabe creature and should be taken with responsability ! These will be prone to drop their kids too at the dire moments in life !!! We love animals !!!

The restoration work on the facade of the Saint-Eustache Church is on track. This project, which started in January 2022, should be completed in October 2023. The unsealing phase will end at the end of August. And the actual restoration work, which should last a year, will begin at the beginning of September 2022, The church will continue to be open.

An anecdote told in some of my posts, and have the priviledge to visit while working next door for several years, In Paris (9éme), a reservoir was dug under the Palais Garnier during its construction in the 1860s. This underground “lake”, which serves as a training ground for firefighters, has fueled many legends, including that of the Phantom of the Opera. In 2018, this vast tank, located 15 meters below the stage of the Opéra Garnier, was emptied for major cleaning , A secret body of water of more than 1,800 m2 in the heart of Paris, 15 meters below the stage of the Opéra Garnier.

This past Saturday morning at Aventure Land, the ticket office has barely opened when visitors are already crowding the aisles. The signs of a “normal season” for this outdoor amusement park located in Magny-en-Vexin (Val-d’Oise 95), after two years marked by the Covid. Aventure Land opened with new attractions perched in the trees for the busiest park in Val-d’Oise, and many courses in the trees including tree climbing and zip lines, webpage : https://www.aventureland.fr/

The Antoine-Vivenel museum wants to gain popularity. The cultural place is being transformed: new entrance, access for people with reduced mobility, new rooms… It will host an immersive historical center, the objective of which will be to present the different sites to visit in the Compiégnois region. Work began in early July last to open the Vivenel museum in Songeons park. A new entrance, but also an elevator, a reorganization of the reception, an immersive historical center. . The Antoine-Vivenel museum, located in the former home of the collector who gave it its name, is one of them. Webpage : https://www.musees-compiegne.fr/musee-antoine-vivenel/

All summer long, the Parc des Impressionnistes in Clichy (Hauts de Seine 92) hosts the Kiosque Contours, a festive guinguette where it is good to have an aperitif far from the bustle of the city. Webpage : https://www.ville-clichy.fr/actualite/5624/17-la-guinguette-des-impressionnistes-reprend-du-service.htm

At the Palais de Tokyo, Aïcha Snoussi and her sunken treasures Like an archaeologist, the 33-year-old visual artist stages the artifacts of a strange vanished civilization with fluid genres. A way for this Tunisian to show her attachment to queer identity. Webpage : https://palaisdetokyo.com/en/exposition/aicha-snoussi/

On the occasion of the bicentenary of Napoleon’s death, (re)discover the greatest moments of the Emperor’s life during this 50-minute screening. A return to the Napoleonic era, for an evening that reveals the legacy that his epic left behind. An unmissable show that promises to be majestic and monumental! For its 9th edition, the Nuit aux Invalides is thinking big and has a new immersive show in store for us that will amaze us! A colourful, 360-degree projection on the stone facades of the Invalides, which immerses us in total immersion in a wonderful world , The Night at the Invalides: Napoleon, The Flight of the Eagle, 129 rue de Grenelle 7éme, Up to September 1, 2022, Tuesday to Saturday, 22h in August, webpage: https://lanuitauxinvalides.fr/en

From September 3 to 5,2022 for its 7th edition, the new Traversées du Marais festival will take place, in collaboration with the Museum of Hunting and Nature, to highlight the diversity of places that will participate in the festival. The festival will take place in around thirty emblematic places in the neighborhood, through multidisciplinary and free artistic proposals. A great way to discover the Marais like you’ve never seen it before. Webpage: https://lestraverseesdumarais.com/

I like to give you out of many my favorite most beautiful beaches in the Basque Country of France,

We have Lafitenia, the well-kept secret of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, is our favorite! Unspoiled, bordered by an embankment of fern moorland enveloping a perfect cove, this magnificent beach is known to surfers who appreciate its “left wave”, slightly offshore. It is accessible from the coastal path, by a slightly steep descent in the embankment. A somewhat hidden beach, therefore, far from the main roads and of which we give each other the word among insiders…!

Erromardie, a summer atmosphere, This is the largest beach in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Located north of the city, this “two-in-one” beach is separated by a small river, the Grand Isaka. Surrounded by campsites, it benefits from strong seasonal activity and the presence of fishermen on foot, who come at low tide to collect small crabs from the rocks. Great novelty on this site also popular for its restaurants, and since spring 2022, cars no longer have access in front of this sensitive coastal area

Grande Plage, the icon of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, From Sainte-Barbe point, the view opens onto the famous Luzian bay, with its dikes, the white facades of Ciboure, the fort of Socoa in the distance and , of course, the immense beach nestled in the perfect amphitheater of the cove of Saint-Jean. Here, everything is designed for relaxation. The impeccable blond sand, the absence of swell, the coastal promenade and the covered gallery La Pergola – the “planks” of Saint-Jean-de-Luz! , with its side-by-side restaurant-terraces, make up an ideal setting for a seaside stay.

And further south you have Hendaye, the border beach, Between the rocks of Pointe Sainte-Anne and the mouth of the Bidassoa, it is the last beach on the French Atlantic coast. Just before the Spanish border symbolized by the river, it is impossible to miss this long strip of fine sand of almost 3 km, considered by some to be the most beautiful in the Basque Country. Ideal for learning to surf and stand-up, safe for family swimming, it also welcomes volleyball players and joggers on its hard sand. Without a doubt, a real holiday beach! Enjoy them all !!!

Did I told you about the most beautiful villages in my lovely Bretagne/Brittany ? Yes, and here are some as told by various travel publications in France ! My favorites too,

Locronan, one of the most beautiful corners of France (Finistère 29) Its famous Grand’place, lined with Renaissance houses of dark granite, attracts many visitors wishing to take a leap into the past and pilgrims who come to accomplish the most famous troménie of Brittany.

Rochefort-en-Terre, a highly flowery Breton village (Morbihan 56) owes its remarkable state of preservation to two historical benefactors, first Anne de Bretagne, then in the 20C, the painter Alfred Klots. Falling in love with Rochefort-en-Terre, the American invested his fortune in the ruins of the castle and stimulated many tourist initiatives, including the first competition for flowered windows (now the villages fleuries de France!). Even today, spring sees the city adorned with a profusion of geraniums and other fragrant flowers. Winter is no exception, since the end of year celebrations are the occasion of a real festival of illuminations, for its wonderful Christmas market !

Ploumanac’h, a village at the end of the world in Perros-Guirec (Côtes d’Armor 22) It is a stopover of choice for hikers on the Chemin des Douaniers, attracted by the emblematic and very photogenic lighthouse of Mean Ruz. All in red stone, it opens the passage to the port of Ploumanach’, naturally sheltered from the strong currents that have sculpted the emblematic rocky chaos of the coast.

Moncontour, a medieval town in Brittany (Côtes d’Armor 22) This medieval town is the only one in the department to win the title of “Most Beautiful Village in France”. From this period, remain beautiful bourgeois residences. Imposing ramparts dating from the 13C and 14C still surround the city.

Landevennec, palm trees in Brittany (Finistère 29), The microclimate it enjoys sometimes earns it the nickname of “Little Nice”. Its abbey, founded according to legend by Saint Guénolé, still houses around forty Benedictines. Close to the building they now occupy, on the archaeological site of the former monastery, a museum retraces 13 centuries of Breton history.

The island of Saint-Cado in the Ria d’Étel (Morbihan 56), The stone bridge that connects the hamlet to the mainland is the subject of a very singular legend. At the request of Saint-Cado, it would have been built by the devil himself, persuaded to receive in exchange, the soul of the first creature that would cross the structure. Cunningly, the monk arranged for it to be a cat!

And here are two new tendance restos I am told by Paris friends looks good, open for August 2022, Of course, looking forward to taste them eventually,

Nestled in the heart of the famous neighborhood or quartier of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this address offers you delicious recipes to taste. La Diva des Près occupies the premises of a former historic butcher’s shop in the 6éme arrondissement. Moreover, we still find the old rotisserie remained intact inside the restaurant, as well as the incredible wine cellar. A trendy place, where pink clearly dominates the chic atmosphere of the restaurant , La Diva des Près, 79, rue de Seine 6éme, Monday to Friday from 11h to 02h, Saturdays and Sundays from 8h30 to 02h webpage : https://ladivadespres.com/

We remain in the spirit of conviviality with this beautiful address located in the Motte-Picquet neighborhood in the 15éme arrondissement or district. Here, we share the plates with a generous and sunny menu that will make you travel. In an atmosphere with a refined design, Abstinence makes it a point of honor to work exclusively in short circuit, with seasonal products. As for drinks, the restaurant offers around fifty wines with a French dominance and delicious cocktails signed by their team of mixologists. Abstinence, 47 avenue de la Motte-Picquet 15éme, Open 7 days a week, 12h 14h30 and 19h to 00h,webpage : https://abstinenceparis.com/

There you go folks, another round of my some news from France coming to you freely by the road warrior of this blog. Hope you enjoy the post and do prepare for an eventful Summer! And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!