In my new life as retiree my blog is my biggest entertainement and before anything else, I like to thank everyone of my readers and followers to stay with me over the years since November 26 2010 !!! Thank you !!! I decided to trim some of my older posts in my series Some news from France and condense them as not to lose the most important parts, me think, of them, Therefore, this is my new work, the condense news of my belle France, Hope you enjoy it as I.
Some news from France LXIX May 5, 2012
Do you know Marseille will be the European cultural capital in 2013? yes and the whole city (second largest in France) is gearing up for it Needless to say the city is renovating and cleaning all over so construction still is some inconvenience if come by car like me ::) Traditionally the city is split in two along the Canebiére, with the south more residential chic and the north the vieux port and industrial.
The CDG airport at Roissy dept 95 Val d’Oise (notice is not Paris but popularly call the Paris airport) has new innovation coming such as a terminal 4 with a shopping gallery. It will come from the old terminal 2E and will be operational this summer. Capable of handling 7 A380 huge jumbo planes. The terminal 2E will house the flights from international destinations and the terminals 2F and 2G those from Schengen countries. The gallery will have over 6K sq meters of shopping space ! as well as bars and restaurants. There will be faster walking distance between terminals 2F and 2E as well as the gallery call Parisienne , all the personnel will be trained in customer service to provide the maximum of comfort. CDG Paris is the 7th traffic airport in the world, 2nd in Europe and transit 61M passengers in 2011.
We have the wonderful Fontainebleau castle, and the 2nd edition of the Festival de l’histoire de l’art or the festival of the history of arts. Right on castle property. This edition will have Germany as the invited guest of honor. It will be held from June 1-3 2012. Versailles ,Versailles here all about it, its wonderful I am biased but the most beautiful castle in the world !!! the Royal fireworks festivities will be June 22,28,29, and July 5 and 6 until 22h at the Grand Canal all done by Groupe F The great musical water plays are back, the Grandes Eaux Musicales, again until October 28 on Saturdays and Sundays The great event will be June 30th in the evening , call Le Grand Bal Masqué , whre there will be a big dance on the traditional music of the times with costumes and facemasks, this is Saturday june 30th from midnight to the sunrise. Be there is magical. The 9th symphony of Beethoven or La 9éme Symphonie de Beethoven, at the terraces of the Chateau de Versailles on Friday July 13 just before our National Bastille day with the orchestra of Paris , Frankfurter Singakademie of Frankfurt, West Eastern Divan Orchestra all under the direction of Daniel Barenboim
Some news from France LXX May 6, 2012
The academie de musique et d’arts sacrés de St Anne d’Auray or the sacred music academy of St Anne d’Auray near me is holding an event on organs in churches, it also train folks on choral singing,and organises expositions on the matter of organs. The Fêtes des enfants or children feast at the Domaine de Kerguéhennec in the hamlet of Bigan is on June 10th ,free admission for all, all for family fun in beautiful forest and castle, In nearby Baud up on road D768 from me, there will be the 15th Salon de la Carte Postale or post cards Sunday may 13 2012.This is at the salle du Scaouêt from 9h To 18h30 ,location Cartopole, rue d’Auray, At the Haras d’hennebont or national horse raising place, and principal one in Brittany you will have an exposition until Sept 30th of Simonne L’Hermitte ,painting of the life and history of horses with a visit to the Haras the site of horse in Brittany, beautiful indeed. Haras National, Rue Victor Hugo,Hennebont. We have at chateau de Suscinio near Sarzeau, the wonderful Sundays at the castle or Dimanche au Chateau, 6 Sundays from June to September from 15h, great encounters with the best artists from the region of Brittany, adults fare 15€ , not to mention ,here live and visit Anne of Brittany ,Duchess and two times Queen of France, and there is an exposition of her times here from May 19 2012 to April 2013.
Some news from France LXXI May 12, 2012
Lambert Wilson enters in the wax museum of Paris, musée Grévin,is a wonderful musuem to see in Paris at 10 blvd Montmartre, near metro grands boulevards. Rock en Seine the rock concert grandiose at the Domaine National de St Cloud, very near Paris will have a great programming for 2012
At the Paris Expo, Toutankhamon who reign ancient Egypt in the 18 dynastie will be on display until September 2012 every day except tuesdays and July and august from 11h-19h,Fridays unitl 22h,
Some news from France LXXII May 15, 2012
It is now at Paris, the 17th Fête du Pain, Parvis de Notre Dame, until May 21 , How about my sky team lounges at CDG and Orly, well relaxed you are in Paris and of course my Flying Blue frequent flyer program, the best
Some news from France LXXIII May 20, 2012
Now that we talk so much about EU, Europe and the union, why not remember who Jean Monnet was::: the founding father of the European Union lived not far from my current house in Versailles, at Maison Jean Monnet, 7 chemin de vieux pressoir, 78490, Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, open every day and mix hours but open on weekends as well. It is at this house that the Declaration of May 9, 1950 was first read creating the EU.
Coming closer to home the Bartabas horse presentation in the Grandes Ecuries across from the Chateau de Versailles is inmense, my favorite horse show in France since 2003. The Musée Promenade at Marly-le-Roi, Louveciennes, by the La Grille Royale, Parc de Marly, From 1679 the folly of Louis XIV where only the inner clic could come, where magnificent statues and bust adorn the wonderful park now many in various museum in France including the Louvre. You know the Café Marly at the Louvre ,now you know where it comes from that name
Visit the wonderful impressionists movement at La Grenouillére, 6bis Grande Rue, 78290,Croissy-sur-Seine Here at the banks of the river Seine, Monet, Renoir, et others did meet here since 1869 and now many considered this date as the birth of the Impressionist movement in painting. From 1855 to 1928 all the great names of literature and painting got together here. The Belvédére at Montfort l’Amaury , where you will find the museum to Maurice Ravel, and house. Maison-Musée Maurice Ravel, 5 rue Maurice Ravel, 78490, Montfort l’Amaury. He purchase the house in 1921, died in Paris in 1937 , buried at the cementary of Lavallois-Perret (92). A master musicien, of such hits as Sarabande, Ronsard à son âme, and the world famous Bolero.
The Chateau de Monte Cristo, 78560, Le Port-Marly, another wonderful town in the Yvelines dept 78 Themes events happenned every day, theater shows , sculptures, book fairs, and the Mascarade spectacle in June 8-10, 2012 on fridays and saturdays at 21h30 and Sundays at 16h, see the events under Louis XIII with period costumes, and the participation of the old fencing club of Marly the Le Cercle d’Escrime Ancienne de Marly-Le-Roi. Come annually to the Festival de Bougival, May 24 to june 10 2012. A wonderful rendition from the Friends of George Bizet, wonderful shows of music plays, such as Quatuor Ebéne, Alexandre da Costa, Wonny Song, Shani Diluka ,the flamenco company La Lupi playing Carmen, and many others
At nearby to me Jouy-en-Josas you have the walks on history of known personages of our past. YOu have two circuits one of centre for about 2 kms 30 minsand the other of Metz 2kms 45 mins. The personages all have visited or live in the town over the years such as Patrick Modiano, Edgar P Jacobs, Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf, Léon Blum, Juliette Drouet and Victor Hugo, Louis Blériot, Jeanne Blum, Jean-Clément Daninos,Albert Calmette etc. By train you come here from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz on RER C direction Versailles Chantiers and 8 mins walking to town centre. ou can take a nice cruise on the Seine from Conflans-Sainte-Honorine You can have several options such as lunch on the boat in summer. Get out into the Oise to Picardie at Saint Leu d’Esserant, Auvers-sur-Oise, and to Vernon, and also into Paris on the Canal St Martin and bassin de la Villette. There is fireworks in the cruise to Maisons-Laffitte. You can see the wonderful museum of boat making there at the embarking area from June 17 to Sept 16 2012. and comments along the SEine on its history to the region, boat making that is
Some news from France LXXIII May 28, 2012
I will expand a bit about me, I learned to drive in the New Jersey ,New York City corridor, and you know what they said there, if you can make in NYC, you can make it anywhere ;YES! Driving in and out of Lincoln and Holland tunnels and crossing the George Washington Bridge prepares you for anything in car driving. I first was able to drive in Europe in Madrid, big city boy, had no problems there, then came Paris and France. Well I just came back from another trip to the area by car ,my Ford, the best. American name, German engineering ::) I come into Versailles and Paris in and out with it all the time. In Paris you need to know where the Seine river is ,and will give you directional support to find all things. There are signs in the city, more than any other, and if you know from a map where they are, and where in relation to the Seine, you will be fine. In Versailles all roads radiates from the chateau or palace, right in front is ave de paris, to your left looking out is ave St Cloud and to our right is ave Sceaux, the street of the train station rive gauche is Gen de Gaulle, and it becomes ave Gen Leclerc to your right next street you reach the Cathedral of Saint Louis, if you go from ave de Paris to your left you are in ave de l’Europe to the marche notre dame and continues on rue du mal Foch and the train station rive droite. Once on Foch turn left on rue de la Paroisse to get to collegiale Notre Dame. All was done in a square basis as per the king Louis XIV ::) And the ave de Paris becomes the N10 or D910 right into Saint Cloud and Paris as per the king.
Some news from France LXXIIII May 30 2012
One event dear to me is at Cluny in Paris. There will be an exposition on the archeological puzzle that is shown in the grand door of the abbey of Cluny III ,destroyed by man in May 8 1810. The show is going on until July 2nd open every day except Tuesdays from 9h15 to 17h45
You can light up one thousand and one candles at Vaux le Vicomte castle at the sunset each Saturday until October 6 from 20h to midnite. Call in French «Soirées aux chandelles» taking place at the garden design by Le Nôtre, and inside the castle.
There you go folks, a big task but a work of love to keep the best, me think of these wonderful older posts over the years, These are what I think worth keeping of my older Some news from France series, and I thank you, Again, hope you enjoy this post as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 