This is my latest from my belle France ; as we are into Spring, but with rainy days However, is that 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 , And for those non Roman CCCLXXXV is 385 ! ,with another dandy round of news of my belle France , of course, chosen by me; there are many others. We have done quite a bit of house work and waiting for less rain to continue, Spring is in the air ! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
There will be work to adapt metro line 11 continues. They require regular closures in 2023. Thus the line will be closed: evenings from 22h, from Tuesday to Thursday inclusive, until September 28, 2023; Sundays May 14 and 21, July 9 and 30, August 27, 2023. The closures will allow testing of the new MP14 trains on the existing line in view of the extension. We invite you to refer to the corresponding metro, bus, RER and tram lines
In order to renovate the spaces of metro line 5 of the Gare d’Austerlitz train station, work is being carried out from November 2022 to December 2027. Objective: a better designed station to better navigate. 2023-2027: Continuation of the renovation of the viaduct, construction of the new discussion room on the Cour Museum side, start of mechanization work in the spaces December 2027: Opening of the new discussion room on the Seine side, final renovation work on the spaces from the Gare d’Austerlitz Metro line 5 station will have to close for 6 months from October 19, 2023 to April 18, 2024 inclusive, during which time trains on line 5 will not stop there. During this closure, travelers will be invited to go to the surrounding stations, favoring Saint-Marcel, which is more suitable and closer to the Austerlitz station, or to make their connection upstream. Due to the renewal of the sleepers on the metro line 13 viaduct, traffic will be interrupted between La Fourche and Gabriel Péri stations, from April 8 to 10, 2023 inclusive. A replacement bus will serve the stations affected by the closure. In addition to the replacement bus, you can take buses 54 and 28, or part of metro line 14, during the closure. All above reported by RATP on my email alerts,
The contours of the famous opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, scheduled for July 26, 2024 on the Seine river, are gradually becoming clearer. Between 140 and 170 boats will be involved in this event where 10,000 athletes will be present on the river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, an unprecedented nautical parade on the Seine at the limit of Ivry, and get them from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Trocadero, 6 km further west.
How Paris has become the world capital of self-service electric scooters cycle paths and municipal regulations have favored the development of these services, the future of which will be decided on Sunday April 2 during a citizen vote. The future of electric scooter rental companies in the capital is at stake this Sunday, April 2, the operators of “free floating” scooters are awaiting the result of the call for tenders launched by the town hall of Paris… in 2021. The three authorized winners to stay will finally be appointed in June 2023. Another invasion of Paris soon to look like just another capital City!! Sadly.
The zone à trafic limité or limited traffic zone (ZTL) in the center of Paris, which aims to prohibit traffic in the hypercentre to vehicles without reason to stop, will see the light of day in early 2024, just before the Olympic Games, confirmed the Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris, The first four arrondissements, plus the parts of the fifth, sixth and seventh located between boulevard Saint-Germain and the Seine via the ban on so-called transit traffic, which represents 50% of current traffic, according to the City/town hall The police headquarters is located in the heart of the perimeter planned for the ZTL, on the Île de la Cité. For the former prefect, the town hall project risked causing “difficulties for the movement of emergency and police services on the outskirts of the area” as well as a “negative impact for the economic activity of the capital” Of course, but for the mayor of Paris this is not important but only her ecologist friends that put her in the seat, Paris be aware ! webpage : https://www.paris.fr/pages/paris-cree-une-zone-apaisee-dans-le-centre-de-la-capitale-20426#quel-calendrier
The new river link between Bonneuil and Gennevilliers takes trucks off the roads by the hundreds.Great deal !! A regular shuttle service on the Seine, loaded with shipping containers from Le Havre, rotates between Gennevilliers and Bonneuil-sur-Marne twice a week. These journeys have until now been made by truck on the A86 or the ring road. Webpage : https://www.haropaport.com/en/paris/port-bonneuil-sur-marne
Le Figaro newspaper has published its 2023 list of the least stressful cities in France, Aaaah, Paris. We cherish the city for its cultural and culinary richness, the beauty of its architecture, but also the calm of its lifestyle and the civility of its inhabitants… For several factors, living in Paris causes us stress, and this is not not the 2023 ranking of Le Figaro which will say the opposite: Paris shows up at no 24 out of the 25 cities which appear in the ranking, Le Figaro took into account several factors to establish its ranking, which are linked to the urban living environment: noise roads, transport failure rate, lack of vegetation, incivilities committed and population density. Unsurprisingly, with heavy noise pollution linked to traffic jams, metros and RER disrupted daily and high urban density, Paris did not shine. I am not surprise at all by these findings ! It was, however, the “micro-aggressions” of daily life in Paris that significantly lowered its score. Aix-en-Provence wins the prize for the least stressful city in France, ahead of 2 Angers and 3 Nantes 4 Le Mans 6 Nice 7 Toulon, 11 Marseille 21 Montpellier, 22 Lille, 23 Lyon and finally 24 Paris. Webpage : https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/le-palmares-2023-des-villes-les-moins-stressantes-de-france-20230322
A painting by Gustave Courbet which had been looted in 1941 by the Nazis in Paris. “The childish round” will be restituted to its former original owner’s descendants, This action comes after a complaint from the descendants of Robert Bing, owner of the painting. This work by Gustave Courbet, believed to have been painted around 1862, depicts children playing in a wood. The Spoliation Advisory Panel, a body created in 2000 by the British government, concluded on Tuesday “that the painting was seized by Nazi occupying forces because Robert Bing was Jewish”. According to the report published by the Panel, on May 5, 1941, two members of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, a Nazi force in charge of the thefts of works of art, seized in the apartment of Robert Bing, in the 16éme arrondissement of Paris, the painting of Gustave Courbet, author of “The Origin of the World”. The work had, according to the report, been purchased by Robert Bing’s maternal grandmother. Robert Bing was a resistance fighter from 1941 to 1944. He was arrested but released in January 1944. He died in 1993, after receiving the Croix de Guerre and the French Resistance medal. The painting was placed in Paris, at the Jeu de Paume, “for the benefit of the main Nazi collector, Hermann Goering”, the founder of the Gestapo. Glad came back, hopefully to be shown in a museum for all to see, Webpage : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-of-the-spoliation-advisory-panel-in-respect-of-the-painting-la-ronde-enfantine-by-gustave-courbet-in-the-possession-of-the-fitzwilliam-museum
The music of Adèle, the daughter of Victor Hugo, played this Friday March 31st 2023 in world premiere, The scores of Adèle Hugo were discovered, by chance, in a trunk of the family of the writer. For the first time, they will be performed in Besançon, the literary giant’s birthplace. She suffered from a depression that could be cured today, Old family trunks sometimes reveal unsuspected treasures. And that of the Hugos came to confirm this well-known rule of antique dealers, since it housed nothing less than a series of compositions signed Adèle, the daughter of the giant of French literature, Victor Hugo. the discovery of filled notebooks, lots of loose sheets, drafts, things written when she was a child, accomplished melodies written in ink by a copyist. The documents were signed by Adèle Hugo. Webpage: https://maisonvictorhugo.besancon.fr/programmation/lhistoire-dadele-h/
The Auberge Ravoux of Auvers-sur-Oise,in the Val-d’Oise dept 95, in which Vincent Van Gogh spent his last days could have become the smallest museum in the world, Everything was ready to accommodate a painting made in the town, 133 years earlier. But the event was canceled at the last moment. Still me do not know why, Webpage :https://www.maisondevangogh.fr/index-en.php
Organized nationally by the National Institute of Crafts, the 17th edition of the European Days of Crafts is coordinated in Île-de-France region by the regional Chamber of Trades and Crafts. Meet from March 27 to April 2, 2023 in the four corners of Île-de-France to discover the immense variety of crafts through the know-how and talent of those who bring them to life. 370 fine crafts professionals from the Ile-de-France region will open the doors of their workshops, 97 collective events will be organized, 17 fine crafts training establishments will participate, as well as museums and monuments Webpage :https://www.journeesdesmetiersdart.fr/
At Hangar Y in Meudon,(Hauts de Seine 92) a new space that brings together exhibitions, outdoor works of art and workshops, in a place with a unique history. From March 22,2023 what was the first airship hangar in the world will become a new place of life and culture hosting exhibitions, an outdoor art trail, but also numerous workshops, heart of a space of more than 9 hectares. Built in 1879 from parts of the Machine Gallery at the World’s Fair, Hangar Y has long served as a place to test, store and manufacture airships. It subsequently hosted the first Air and Space Museum, but also many large-scale artistic projects. In 1963, the painter Marc Chagall moved there, for example, with his assistants to assemble his 220 m2 ceiling created for the Paris Opera. In 2003, the hangar was transformed into a military hospital by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet to shoot several scenes for his film Un long dimanche de fiançailles, or A Long Sunday Engagement with Audrey Tautou and Gaspard Ulliel. Hangar Y offers an exceptional view and light punctuated by works by some twenty international artists such as Christian Boltanski, Sarah Lucas, Shilpa Gupta, Ernesto Neto, Wang Keping, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Ugo Rondinone, Subodh Gupta or even Kiki Smith. , Installed on part of the vast domain of the royal castle of Meudon, the park includes a fragment of the historic garden designed by André Le Nôtre, official landscape designer of the Palace of Versailles under Louis XIV. In the middle, the Chalais basin offers us a peaceful setting, bordered by its historic reedbed and its pontoons that were once used by fishermen. An exceptional site which also hosts a children’s playground, picnic tables and benches, ideal for lunch in a friendly and bucolic atmosphere. Hangar Y 9, avenue de Trivaux , Meudon 92, Park open Monday to Friday from 10h to 20h and from 10h to 22h on Saturday and Sunday, Exhibitions open Saturday, Sunday and school holidays from 10h to 20h. Webpage :https://hangar-y.com/
The Villa Windsor, visited by Lady Diana a few hours before her tragic accident, is located a stone’s throw from the Bois de Boulogne, in the 16éme arrondissement of Paris, The Mansart foundation, was named responsible for its rehabilitation. Built around 1860, with 14 rooms and 11,000 m2 of land, it was initially called “Château Le Bois”. This building, inhabited by the Renault family for a time, was alienated by the French government during WWII, and will be occupied by General De Gaulle in person at the end of the 1940s. The City of Paris remains the owner, but rented it to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor from 1952 to 1986. As a reminder, the Duke is none other than Prince Edward, King of the United Kingdom for almost a year only, in 1937, having abdicated to marry to the American Wallis Simpson. With a reign of 326 days, Edward VIII is one of the monarchs who had the shortest reign in the history of the British monarchy, He lived in the villa with Wallis, who became his wife, until their respective deaths, in 1972 and 1986. The foundation’s project has not yet been unveiled, but provides for the opening of a café-restaurant, a permanent course on the art of living and furniture of the 20C, and also exhibitions ephemeral on themes related to the history of the residence. This will normally be possible in the summer of 2024, Webpage: https://www.fondationmansart.fr/villa-windsor-_l_FR_r_40.html
A delicious drink and yes this is France in the Caribbean ! The story goes that in 1660: Nicolas Fouquet, Minister of King Louis XIV (Vaux le Vicomte fame), founded the Trois Rivières plantation , At the end of the 18C, a large landowner from the north of the island of Martinique, named Etienne Isaïe Marraud Des Grottes, acquired the property. He is the initiator of the production of rum. in the south of Martinique. It runs along high fields of sugar cane which will soon change, through the fermentation of the juice from the stems, into Trois Rivières rum. It is here, near Anse Trabaud, on a plot where the plantations are constantly whipped by the spray, that the brand has developed one of its most sought-after white rums: the Cuvée de l’Océan, sold in a singular bottle, in a monochrome blue , The rum co is now owned by Campari. Webpage: https://www.troisrivieresrhum.com/fr-fr/nos-rhums/
We already knew the Châtelet boutique, Flying Tiger Copenhagen is now setting off for the east of Paris and settling down rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine to continue putting glitter in our lives at a lower price. The concept ? Shops where you can find thousands of products to feel better, that you need or that you didn’t know existed. Decoration, sweets, tableware, stationery or small everyday objects, it’s the perfect spot to find a gift. The slogan is clear: “A richer life does not cost a fortune” Flying Tiger Copenhagen, 35/37, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine 11éme Open Monday to Saturday from 10h to 20h Grand opening was last Wednesday March 29th at 11h, Webpage: https://flyingtiger.com/
Well this is France, not just Paris the City of love but all of France mind you, Here are 20 naughty anecdotes revealed by Amorelie’s Sex report in 2023 to teach you more about sexual practices in France. And they are : 1.5% of people feel particularly turned on if someone strokes their… Feet. 2. 14% of people would like to have sex on the washing machine once in a while. 3. Only 4% of people talk about sex with their parents. 4. On average, men masturbate 9.7 times per month, compared to 3.6 for women…5. …and 39% of women never masturbate. 6. Besides, theoretically, there is a “masturbation gap day”, that is to say a day of the year when women stop masturbating compared to men: it is May 17th. The reason: women masturbate 62% less than men, or about 7.5 months abstinence! 7. Can you guess THE favorite position of the French? No ? It’s the doggy style, followed closely by that good old missionary and then the spoon. 8.4% of people have sex every day. 9. 1/5 of people want to try role-playing games. Same percentage for those who own bondage kits. 10. 32% of women prefer to be dominant rather than submissive during sex. 11. 22% of people prefer to have sex in the morning rather than at night.12. 26% of French people have as their ultimate secret desire the threesome where mixing is king. The majority of men (56% vs. 30% of women) imagine themselves with two women, while the majority of women (54% vs. 14% of men) prefer a threesome with two men. 13. While 33% of women use sex toys during masturbation, men are only 10%. Bonus: 27% of men think sex toys are more for women (and are wrong). 14. 37% of people watch porn at least once a month. 15. 31% of men have faked an orgasm, compared to 67% of women ! 16. 16% of people prefer to plan their sex. 17. 12% of women have an orgasm every time they have sex, compared to 28% of men. 18. 80% of men prefer romance to dirty talk. 19. 18% of people have a desire to play in public with sex toys. 20. Last but not least: 2% of people masturbate at work. Webpage: https://www.amorelie.fr/sexreport
At Les Marmotte ,you can eat one if not the best raclette, fondues and other Savoyard specialties at will. All with quality products, carefully selected. Located at 26, rue de la Grande-Truanderie 1éme arrondissement of Paris, Webpage :https://www.restaurantlesmarmottes.fr/
One last recipe for the faithful out there ! Easy, this recipe can be made in 10 minutes watch in hand ! This easy and quick, very light sweet pancake batter,(crêpe) made with rum, 3 eggs 1/2 liter of milk, 250 grams of wheat flour, 1 pinch of salt, 2 sachets of vanilla sugar, 2 tbsp of rum, Preparation : Whisk the milk with the eggs. Incorporate the flour by pouring it in spreading. Add the vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt. Add a little rum if you wish. Beat the mixture with a mixer for 3 minutes. The dough will be all the lighter and without lumps. Bon appétit !
There you go folks, another round of my some news from France coming to you freely by the road warrior travel guy . Hope you enjoy this post and do take care ,enjoy we are now in Spring, great, even if a bit rainy, And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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