This is my latest from my belle France; And it 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 CCCXC is 390 ! ,with another dandy round of news of my belle France, of course, chosen by me; there are many others. Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Paris Olympics swimming test competition in the Seine canceled due to too polluted water, The decision was made not to have the swimmers dive this Sunday morning from the Pont Alexandre III, in the center of Paris , The French Swimming Federation (FFN), together with World Aquatics (the international federation), points to a water quality below acceptable standards , World Aquatics imposes for this bacterium a rate of less than 1,000 CFU per 100 ml so that the competition can take place. However, the last statement, dating back to 24 hours, reported 1,300 CFU per 100 ml.
The rue de Richelieu will regain its luster from this major axis of the 1er and 2éme arrondissements, Expansion of the sidewalk, planting of trees, reduction of car traffic to a single file, From the Square Louvois, rue de Richelieu which connects the Grands Boulevards to Place André-Malraux in front of the Comédie Française, looks gray It is precisely to prevent the three bus lines (39, 74 and 85) which take Rue de Richelieu from meeting stuck in traffic jams that the City/town hall is studying the possibility of reserving only buses the north/south direction of traffic north of rue du 4 Septembre. No longer able to access the sector via the Grands Boulevards, motorists would be authorized to take Rue de Richelieu in the opposite direction (in the south/north direction) on the portion located between Rue du 4 Septembre and the Grands Boulevards. There you go less lanes for cars !
At the heart of the endless summer construction site of the RER C, traffic is again interrupted intramural for work until August 26, 2023 on line C. In the dark tunnel, located at the level of the Seine, between Invalides and Pont-de-l’Alma on RER line C, earplugs should be worn to withstand the continuous noise of the drills.,
The Henri-IV tunnel is in turn taking on color thanks to graffiti artists. As part of Paris-Plages, the City has invited two artists, Babs and Sarah Viault, to repaint the entire Henri-IV tunnel (4éme). The monumental work is in progress to create a 50 meters long fresco. Free guided tours are organized every weekend until the beginning of September 2023.
Journey to the end of train line H take a peaceful walk in Pontoise in the footsteps of Camille Pissarro, its Saint-Maclou cathedral, its peaceful walks along the banks of the Oise. You can go to Pontoise (Val-d’Oise 95) by three different routes. We choose train line H, from the Gare du Nord, in forty minutes.
123 years since it was done! in the tunnels of metro line 5, a historic site, North of line 5, users have to deal with more than three weeks of cut line between Gare du Nord and République. Behind the palisades hides a colossal project to preserve the century-old vaults of the Paris metro. The renovation of the vaults between the Gare de l’Est and Jacques Bonsergent stations, a 600 meters track of the 5,250 m2 of vaults in a tunnel built under Boulevard Magenta. passengers are forced to transfer to metro line 4,
The Musée de la Monnaie de Paris opens its doors free of charge in August and its exhibition “Money in Art” is accessible free of charge, Inaugurated in 1775, the neoclassical building is worth a visit in itself. Although the institution no longer manufactures current currency, it continues to produce collector coins and medals. Although the workshops are closed in the summer, you can still admire the place where the medals for the 2024 Olympic Games will be produced. An exhibition called “Money in Art” with nearly 130 works, from ancient Greece to the present day, are presented there. From the very first Western gold coin, called “Créséïde”, named after King Croesus, to Andy Warhol’s “Dollar sign”, the museum offers a real journey through fiduciary time.
The succession of Pierre Cardin provokes a legal battle between his descendants, The couturier’s grandnieces have filed a complaint for abuse of weakness, aggravated breach of trust, fraud, forgery and use of forgery. They implicate the great-nephew of the designer who became president of the group in November 2020. The estate of fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who died at the end of December 2020, is the subject of an investigation, learned Agence France-Presse (AFP) Thursday, August 3 2023 from a judicial source. Pierre Cardin, who had no children, left a rich heritage: a holding company and subsidiaries, licenses, brands, as well as real estate, particularly in Paris and in the Vaucluse. The group’s assets are estimated at between 750 and 800 million euros depending on the takeover proposals, Jean-Louis Rivière, the grandnieces’ lawyer, told AFP. To be continue,,,,,
Located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, on one of the prettiest squares in Paris, the Delacroix Museum has prepared a crazy summer program punctuated by various and varied activities around art and culture . Free introduction to watercolour, writing, reading, theater or even origami workshops, works by Georges Sand… Eugène Delacroix’s lair will allow you to start or end your walk in Paris in style, accompanied by the passionate professionals. National Eugène Delacroix Museum, 6, rue de Fürstenberg 6éme, on August 26 and Delacroix and the arts: ’A mysterious bridge’ on September 18, 2023, webpage : https://www.musee-delacroix.fr/en/what-s-on/exhibitions/
The François Mitterrand Library has not finished organizing new exhibitions around influential artists in our history: this time, it is the impressionist Edgar Degas who is in the spotlight, and in particular his singular approach around black and white. He expresses it through printmaking and photography but also through drawing and painting: a journey that is both chronological and thematic will reveal to you his learning of black and white through the recurring motifs that feed his research. Degas in Black and White, François-Mitterrand Library 13éme, Until September 3 2023, webpage : https://www.bnf.fr/fr/agenda/degas-en-noir-et-blanc
The Île de Loisirs de Draveil or leisure island (Essonne 91) is known for its spaces in the heart of nature, its bodies of water and the activities it offers. It is possible to live around this exotic island but the prices of certain areas are high. The houses of the Cité Paris-Jardin, close to the Port aux Cerises leisure center, offer an ideal living environment for those who want to escape the concrete… Provided you pay the price, Nearly 200 hectares of greenery and ponds, made up of bodies of water, woods, meadows and wasteland. Activities galore: tree climbing, pony club, minigolf, swimming area… The île de loisirs du Port-aux-Cerises located in the very heart of the city, is also a popular area in terms of real estate prices.
You go discovering the discovering the discovering the carrière des 15 Arpents or 15 Arpents quarry, its geological treasures and its hidden river, Property of the Val-d’Oise departmental speleology committee, the underground quarry located under the forest of L’Isle-Adam conceals many geological gems and a rich and varied fauna. Guided tour of this exceptional site, which is also open to the general public. As soon as you pass through the heavy armored door that protects the site from intrusions, you get the feeling of starting a long journey through history, for a site whose formation began forty-five million years ago.
Go and test the 25-Bosses circuit in the forest of Fontainebleau, 17 km long, for 900 meters of elevation gain, this demanding nature course has become essential in Île-de-France to prepare for mountain outings. in Noisy-sur-École (Seine-et-Marne 77) discover this trail at the end of the 25-Bosses circuit, drawn in the Trois-Pignons massif, to the west of the A 6 motorway and the Fontainebleau forest.
Almost 80 years after the Liberation, a new book sheds light on this part of history at the local level. Bruno Renoult, a historian specializing in the subject, has just published a new book on the liberation of the Mantaise region. In “Yvelines combats 1944”, the person concerned looks at the retreat of Nazis troops in the Houdan-Montfort l’Amaury sector in August 1944. This area had become strategic for the army of the Third Reich because of its proximity to Paris and Normandy, where the Allies had just landed in June. reveals behind the scenes of the progress of the Americans, supported by the French resistance, and the fierce confrontation with the Nazis soldiers. Get the book here : https://www.librairie-du-collectionneur.fr/produit/123643-yvelines-combats-1944-tome1-15-au-25-aout-1944
The attendance of the oldest fair in France, which is held this summer in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, has dropped by almost 80% in recent days. Blame it on the rain and wind. Some showmen have even temporarily lowered the curtain. The Fête des Loges ,a month after its opening, on June 30, in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines 78), is celebrating its 370th anniversary, is frown.
The history of Gerberoy, the most beautiful village in the Oise,(60) is open to visitors the museum is now accessible to all , Three distinct spaces have been set up, each corresponding to a strong moment in local history: the hours of war, the pious hours and the patrimonial hours. The panels retrace in turn the pottery tradition of the village, the reign of the canons or the arrival of the painter Henri Le Sidaner, who brought the village back to light at the beginning of the 20C and made its reputation. Not to mention the many films shot in its cobbled streets, from Madame Bovary (1974) to Return of the Hero (2018). An interactive terminal proposes to discover the hidden treasures of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Pierre, Oise tourism webpage : https://www.oisetourisme.com/activite/musee-de-gerberoy/
The Château de Fougeret in the town of Queaux (Vienne), 40 km from Poitiers. The chatelaine calls them the “invisibles”. They almost forced her to flee her neo-Gothic jewel, but she ended up making peace with those annoying ghosts that now attract visitors in search of the paranormal.
How, with the advent of the July Monarchy (1830-1848), did Ingres, the prince of artists, become the artist of princes? You will explore this question at the Château de Chantilly: the exhibition will present you with a panorama of Ingres’ career, from his Parisian beginnings to his last years. More than 100 works from national and international collections, paintings and drawings, will allow you to understand the long and methodical work of one of the greatest French painters. Ingres, the Artist and his Princes, Château de Chantilly, Salle du Jeu de Paume, Until October 1, 2023, webpage : https://chateaudechantilly.fr/en/evenement/ingres-lartiste-et-ses-princes/
The Maison Caillebotte introduces us to figurative art from 1950 to the present day through the works of 47 artists from yesterday and today. A little-known but yet incredibly rich artistic style, which focuses on the line, the expression and the human. Organized in two routes, the exhibition immerses us in the remains of this art, before introducing us to new trends in figurative art. Figures. Another art of today, Maison Caillebotte, 8, rue de Concy, Yerres, Essonne (91) Until October 22, 2023, webpage : https://www.maisoncaillebotte.fr/expositions/2023-figurations-un-autre-art-daujourdhui-491.html
The La guinguette sur Seine located at the port of Ivry-Vitry installs until September 4, 2023 deckchairs, sandbox and parasols for exotic summer moments at the gates of Paris. Under the parasols or under a tree, it is possible to arrange your belongings for a picnic, to order tapas, ice cream, hotdogs or planchas on the spot In the afternoons from Friday to Sunday, free family entertainment has place from 14h to 19h, for unforgettable moments of sharing. And then for music lovers and evenings with friends, DJ sets and free concerts are organized outdoors under the stars. Port Ivry-Vitry tavern; 12, quai Henri-Pourchassé, Ivry-sur-Seine, Val de Marne (94) Until September 4, 2023, Webpage : https://www.ivry94.fr/1501/la-guinguette-du-port-ivry-vitry.htm
The Le guide du Routard (travel guide) has just released its selection of the 50 most beautiful villages in France on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, two of which are in Île-de-France. Direction Seine-et-Marne (77) and Val-d’Oise (95), to discover two medieval nuggets. these are La Roche-Guyon and Moret-sur-Loing. La Roche-Guyon has an undeniable cachet. Its big highlight: an imposing medieval castle leaning against a chalk cliff, with a view of the Seine, and whose orchard-garden is likely to charm you. The latter once belonged to François de La Rochefoucauld, the author of the Maxims, but it has also seen the parade of kings of France such as Henri IV and François Ier or even poets, including Victor Hugo. Moret-sur-Loing, a place that could almost be described as “perched on the water”. If its name means anything to you, it is because it has inspired many artists, and in particular the painter Alfred Sisley, to whom it owes its notoriety. A real cloak and dagger film setting, Moret-sur-Loing promises you a total change of scenery and above all a real journey back in time to the Middle Ages: homes of yesteryear, remains of fortifications, old stone bridge, medieval church , old mills and washhouses… Everything here brings us back to the time of the knights, so much so that you would almost want to dress up to go and enjoy a period banquet.
Like Brittany and Normandy, the north of France is now also a summer destination, a source of great discoveries. The Nord, this new south, To be convinced, go to Arras. Starting from the city of Pas-de-Calais,(62) this week we invite you to go north, to survey the slag heaps of the mining basin, to visit the towns and their heritage – Lens, Lille, Dunkirk , to walk along the Franco-Belgian border to the long beaches of maritime Flanders, which stretches from Platier d’Oye, east of Calais, to Ostend, Belgium. In Arras, it is from the Grand-Place, its Baroque facades, its 16C Gothic belfry and its Ferris wheel, that the walk begins. Although, the Great War or WWI left its mark with more than 80% of the town was destroyed , the city still enjoys a rich architectural heritage like the former Saint-Vaast abbey, now home to Today the Museum of Fine Arts, the citadel of Vauban, the cathedral… Very close to the Bollaert stadium, at the Louvre-Lens, is currently exhibited The Lacemaker, Vermeer’s masterpiece. In Lille, the full of culture will continue with, in particular, the visit of the belfry of the City/town hall or the Museum of natural history. Labeled European region of gastronomy for 2023, Hauts-de-France region, and more particularly Lille, can be proud of having a particularly dynamic culinary scene, thanks to the emergence of a new generation of chefs, Do not forget to test one of the city’s many chip shops or a waffle from the famous Maison Méert. Dunkirk, start with its Braek dyke, where you can stroll to the Saint-Pol lighthouse, a 36 meter high designed in the 1930s by the architect Gustave Umbdenstock. From there, you can easily pedal to Belgium, which is only about 15 km away. Without forgetting to stop over on the long beaches of Malo-les-Bains, Leffrinckoucke or Zuydcoote, to learn about sand yachting or the longe-côte, this typical aquatic walk in the area.
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 as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 