Well news in my belle France happens fast and need to tell you more, always more. Therefore, 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 CCCLXVIIII is 369 ! , another dandy round of news of my belle France , of course, chosen by me; there are many others. We are coming to the end of Summer ,and temps came back hot like 28C then rainy but Fall is waiting by Sept 23rd. Times like this are great to be in our veranda and have a glass of wine, and we continue eating out in our veranda porch , grand! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The cardboard t+ ticket book says goodbye! The disappearance of cardboard t+ ticket books is taking place in three phases in RATP stations, During 2023: progressive end of the sale of t+ cardboard ticket books at all RATP network ticket machines and counters. In addition, the books of magnetic t+ tickets or the Origin/Destination ticket are no longer available from RATP approved merchants. If you are an occasional traveler or a tourist: Booklets of contactless t+ tickets will be available for sale at 2€, cheaper than the cardboard t+ booklets: On a Navigo Easy pass, sold for 2€ and reloadable afterwards from ticket machines sale from all stations and at ticket offices, from approved merchants or at any time with your smartphone via the Île-de-France Mobilités and Bonjour RATP applications.
In order to allow travelers to park their bicycles near stations , Île-de-France Mobilités is continuing to develop bicycle parking throughout the Île-de-France region. These bicycle parking lots are easily identifiable thanks to a uniform visual identity. The collective Bike Parking lockers are secured by: access control via a Navigo pass; video surveillance. All Île-de-France Mobilités bicycle parking lots are: accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; sheltered and lit; located as close as possible to stations and stations; easily identifiable (uniform visual identity). Daily / Monthly / Annual subscription paying 4 euros / 10 € / 30 € the RATP webpage: https://www.ratp.fr/en/
The Nuit Blanche (white night) October 1st 2022; for an adventurous stroll in the heart of historic Paris, designed as a large exuberant garden, from the Hôtel de Ville to the Canopée des Halles, passing by the Académie du Climat and the Théâtre du Châtelet… , many associated artistic events are offered in the center of Paris. Nuit Blanche continues north of Paris with a cosmic journey from the Parc de la Villette and the Canal de l’Ourcq, opening the way to the cities of the Greater Paris Metropolis, Aubervilliers, Bobigny and Saint-Denis. In the south, the fervor of the supporters filling the stands of the Charléty stadium resonates in the distance, or could it be the fever that has taken hold of the Molitor swimming pool with its psychedelic and sensual appearances? The route continues around these places in Paris, and behind the ring road, to the cities of the Greater Paris Metropolis, from Malakoff to Vitry-sur-Seine. Webpage : https://www.paris.fr/nuit-blanche-2022
The Place de la Concorde will soon be renovated ! The City of Paris plans to partially renovate it by the 2024 Olympics. The two fountains located on either side of the obelisk in Place de la Concorde will be cleaned from of spring 2023, Sculptures blackened by pollution and others whitened by the calcareous waters of the fountains. In addition, there are sentry boxes with smashed doors, rostral columns that have lost their marble slabs, rusting street lamps or loose cobblestones… Welcome to Place de la Concorde, in the very chic 8éme arrondissement of Paris. In the center of this vast mineral space of more than 8 ha, the golden tip of the obelisk of Luxor towers over the Tuileries gardens and those of the Champs-Élysées. From Place Louis XV to Place de la Concorde, First a royal square erected to serve as a setting for a monumental equestrian statue of Louis XV, the largest square in Paris was then transformed according to the upheavals of the French revolution, The Place de la Concorde, which took its current name in 1830 , has been for more than 250 years, a privileged witness to major French events. First place Louis XV, then place de la Révolution or even place Louis XVI, its name and its uses have evolved according to the jolts of history. It’s one of the jewels of Paris, But it’s also where everything happened for the French Republic (France).
The Eiffel Tower extinguished, swimming pools cooler… Paris unveils its energy sobriety plan to save money ! This past Tuesday, the City of Paris unsheathed its emergency plan to deal with the energy crisis affecting the country, the largest since the 1970s , Especially since its finances are in the red, forcing it to find 250 million euros to complete its budget. Oh oh oh life is good in Paris, more news to come here,,, The lighting of Parisian buildings and monuments is also the workhorse of the city. After the announcements relating to the extinction of the Eiffel Tower from 23h45 from September 23, the Hôtel de Ville, the Saint-Jacques tower, the municipal museums and the City/town halls of the city’s arrondissements, lit up until a morning hour, will now cease to be lit from 22h on the same date. On the other hand, public lighting is not affected by these measures for safety reasons. Life goes on under the Paris skies , just a bit darker….
Roman silverware, Dagobert’s throne… after 12 years of work, the BNF Richelieu unveils its treasures, On the occasion of Heritage Days, the historic site of the National Library in Paris (2éme) will reopen its doors to the public, in a completely redesigned version. The oval room with impressive dimensions (43.7 m X 32.8 m for 18 m high) and its gigantic glass roof, its 16 bull’s eye windows and its kilometers of shelving. a few days before the opening of the historic site, scheduled for Heritage Days from September 17 to 18 2022. After 12 years of work and a project costing 257 million euros, the institution has resolutely taken a turn. That of a place open to all, far from its image of a somewhat dark and dusty refuge for scholars and students, without abandoning these missions of conservation and research assistance. Be there is awesome !
The Sacré-Coeur Basilica, soon to be classified as a historic monument ! (about time!!), pushed back the file because of the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of the Commune. At the next city council, in mid-October, Parisian elected officials will vote to authorize the State to classify the famous basilica as a historic monument. The white stone church perched on the Montmartre hill, the most visited in the city after Notre-Dame.
Right in the center of Marseille, on Cours Honoré-d’Estienne-d’Orves, the Grandes Halles du Vieux-Port opened on July 15 this year 2022. This joyful concentration of stalls where mouth-watering products can be tasted on site has the air of a small village. From Thursday to Saturday, the doors remain open until 02h (and midnight on other days)! Webpage : https://www.lesgrandeshalles.com/
One of the biggest real estate rental portals on the web, Rentola, has published a ranking of the best departments in France thanks to different studies, Based on studied data provided by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies ( INSEE) and exchanges with people who move often, the property rental portal has ranked the best departments in France. By determining a quality index ranging from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) and based on 7 criteria that indicate different aspects of quality of life: sport, agriculture, aging, crime, l education, standard of living, and housing, The top 10 are: Lozère (48) Savoie (73) Hautes-Alpes (05) Ille-et-Vilaine (35 Brittany) Hauts-de-Seine (92) Morbihan (56 mine!!) Haute-Savoie (74) Yvelines (78 my former), Haute-Loire (43) and the Jura(39).
The Château du Marais has found a buyer. According to the Bloomberg agency, the amount of the transaction could amount to 43 million euros. Eventually, the site should be developed by the new owner, Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky, into a luxury hotel. Located in Val-Saint-Germain (Essonne 91), the Château du Marais , renowned for its water mirror 550 meters long, webpage: https://www.lechateaudumarais.fr/
The Impressionist House, the residence where the painter lived from 1874 to 1878, has been rehabilitated. It opens to the public for the first time on the occasion of European Heritage Days, from Saturday September 17 2022. The house where the impressionist painter Claude Monet lived, 21 boulevard Karl Marx in Argenteuil (Val-d’Oise 95 ), with his wife, Camille, and their son, Jean, from 1874 to 1878. Webpage: https://www.argenteuil.fr/fr/actualites/la-maison-impressionniste-claude-monet
After 33 years of restoration, the ramparts illuminate the upper town of Provins as in the Middle Ages, work on the enclosure erected from the 12tC has just ended. An additional tourist attraction for the medieval city, which is celebrating the event this coming Saturday by adorning its ramparts with 129 spotlights, and with fireworks, The ramparts of the medieval city, here between the Tour aux Engins and the Porte Saint- Jean, saw their restoration end last week, Great !!! Webpage: https://provins.net/en/discover-visit/the-medieval-town-of-provins/
Yannick Noah, Véronique Sanson, Juliette Armanet..and many others at the Estival de Poissy, the stars come as neighbours, The French-speaking song festival, which now sails from Poissy to Achères via Le Pecq and Montesson (Yvelines 78), juggles between musical styles to appeal to all audiences. Kicking off on Saturday September 17 2022 with, to celebrate its 35th birthday, Véronique Sanson will open the ball on Saturday September 17 for a large free concert given from the Maison de fer, in the parc Meissonnier of Poissy , One week before the first of the 19 concerts at the festival in Poissy, Webpage: https://www.lestival.fr/
One of my favorite French designer house , Chanel ,and now its seamstresses adapt clothes for sick children ! The association created in Val-d’Oise (95) by little Élise, who died of cancer in 2019, organizes alteration workshops to allow sick children to have adapted clothes. Chanel seamstresses come to support her during these sessions at the Gustave-Roussy Institute in Villejuif (Val-de-Marne 94). The Élise Princesse Courageous association has already organized several clothing alteration workshops within the institute. The Gustave-Roussy de Villejuif is a regional center for the fight against cancer. This is one of the (many) side effects caused by the disease, and about which we speak too little. Cancer causes many changes in the body of patients, marked in particular by significant weight gain and loss, or even strong irritability of the skin. Cudos for Chanel and its seamtresses , my dear late mom Gladys was one working for other leading brands like Botany 500, Calvin Klein, London Fog, Van Heusen shirts etc,webpage: https://www.chanel.com/gb/
Tributes to Queen Elizabeth II of the UK (RIP)
When the Palace of Versailles pulled out all the stops for Queen Elizabeth II, Among her many trips to France, the British sovereign visited the royal city of Yvelines (78) three times: in 1948, 1957 and 1972. A record for a Foreign Head of State, It’s quite exceptional, it’s the only one to have come so many times. Queen Elizabeth II, who died this past Thursday September 8 2022 ,evening at the age of 96, regularly visited the French people, whom she particularly loved. Us too !
The polo community took advantage of a match of the Open de France on Sunday in Apremont (Oise 60 ) to salute the memory of the Queen of England, a great fan of this sport. Many of them have met her. At the Apremont farm on this sunny Sunday at the end of summer, the kick-off is imminent. Lined up in front of the small grandstand, the eight polo players freeze. Under saddle, even their mounts seem impassive. On the side, the few dozen amateurs who came to watch this quarter-final of the French Open are silent. In tribute to Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, who died on Thursday September 8 at the age of 96, the first notes of “God Save the Queen”, the British national anthem, sound.
It was her greatest victory on May 16, 1974, Queen Elizabeth II won the Prix de Diane at Chantilly, The only passage in the Oise (60) of the British sovereign, who died on Thursday,September 8 2022 marked in the minds. On June 16, 1974, Queen Elizabeth II witnessed the success of her mare Highclere at the Prix de Diane de Chantilly, under the gaze of many spectators. The Chantilly racecourse (Oise 60) found its audience, without gauge, last June 16 2022, for the 173rd edition of the Prix de Diane. Every year since 1843, the event crowns the best 3-year-old filly after a race of 2,100 meters. In 1974, it was the mare Highclere who won, to the delight of its owner installed in the gallery: the Queen of the UK, Elizabeth II.
And by now usual, ending with some foodies news
The Social Food has enough to drive us crazy. And starting this past September 10, 2022 we’re going to be totally crazy about their new hot dog corner, Poly. At Poly, we come to taste good New York-style hot dogs, From September 10, head to rue des Gravilliers, in the 3éme arrondissement to enjoy their good homemade recipes, Poly 53, rue des Gravilliers 3éme From Tuesday to Saturday from 12h (noon) to 17h. webpage pending
The 50 Top Pizza guide presented for the first time its ranking of the 100 best pizzerias in the world o arrive at this ranking, the transalpine guide was based on the model of the Michelin Guide in order to respect the anonymity of the visits but also on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, for the collective survey based on consultation with culinary experts. The results finally fell this past Wednesday, September 7, 2022 within the walls of the famous Teatro di Corte of the Palazzo Reale in Naples, the cradle of Italian pizza. For the first time, 100 pizzerias from all over the world were in competition. Among those selected, 40 were Italian, 25 European, 15 American, 15 from Asia-Pacific, 4 from Latin America and finally 1 present on the African continent. What a surprise one from Paris won the bronze medal… Well it is Peppe, held by Giuseppe Cutraro with already three addresses present in the 20éme, 5éme and 9éme arrondissements. Already elected best pizzeria in Europe 2022 and best Neapolitan pizza in the world, the restaurateur leaves with a more than honorable prize, that of the pizza maker of the year, Webpage: https://www.peppeparis.fr/en/
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 finishing Summer with a bang and welcoming Fall (here Sept 23rd) , And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
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