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 CXXXV July 1, 2016
Prohibited to drive in Paris, new law says all cars put into circulation before January 1997 ,but also minivans registered before October 1997 are not allowed to drive in Paris according to AutoScout24, some 600,000 vehicles are concerned in the Paris region. Also concerned two-wheelers on the road before June 1999, and heavy trucks and buses dating from before October 2001, but not vans, moving trucks, firefighters, tankers refrigerated trucks and vintage cars. The ban is valid from Monday to Friday, from 8h to 20h (heavy goods vehicles are prohibited 7 days a week). Ticketing will intervene only in October 2016 . The fine: 35 euros, or 45 euros for failure to have stamp (vignette). per City of Paris. (I got mine ! )
The exposition last summer of the magical theater Olympia “yesterday, today, and tomorrow”, allowed fans to discover or rediscover with photographs, film, stage costumes evoking the most memorable concerts of this mythical place. The renovations began in 1996 that helped rebuilt the Olympia 60 meters lower. An Underground street with an area for trucks dumping, parking for 16 trucks, 3 tractor trailers and unloading docks. To ventilate the room, four power air machines were installed doing 155K m3 of air per hour with opening to cool each seat and avoid tensions on the structure, when the public has too much noise and energy, the room is place on springs that helps when the floor collapse 10 cms. The Olympia has kept its logo with the deformed “O” symbolizing the contours of the city of Paris and the pedestrian bright letters from the time of Piaf.
The “Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping”, which opens today July 1st for 3 days, around the obstacle course on the playground of Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne. Metro line 1 Pont de Neuilly takes you there Many events around such as artisans, authors, photographers, and painters.Sunday at 14h30 the Christie’s House Orchestra will have an unprecedented auction of items from the obstacles course.
As told here before, the Navigo pass is going up from 70€ to 73€ per month from August 1st. In the same proportions or increase of 4,3% the subscribers from zones 2-3,3-4, ,4-5 will paid less than 70€. The metro single unit ticket will go up too, from 1, 80€ to 1, 90€ and increase of 5, 5% and the carnet or book of 10 tickets will cost now 14.50€ (an increase of 2.8%. RATP Just the latest news,the RATP is having free WIFI on several stations and point connect stations in others starting now. The 20 minutes free connections are at the following stations: Porte Maillot line 1, Chaussée d’Antin RER A, CDG étoile RER A, Gare de Lyon line 1, Gallieni line 3, La Defense RER A, Gare du Nord line 4, St Lazare line 14, Cité Universitaire RER B, Auber RER A. And the point connect stations are at St Denis Université, line 13, Bibliothéque François Mitterrand line 14, Val de Fontaney RER A, and Noisy le Grand RER A.
Some news from France CXXXVI July 4, 2016
The exhibition : THE AMERICAN FRIEND, THE FRENCH AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1775 – 1783) From Tuesday July 5 to Saturday, October 8, 2016 – Library of Versailles – Gallery of Foreign Affairs – 5, rue de l’Indépendance Américaine. The story has not spread enough of the initial help France and King Louis XVI gave to the new nation of the USA, from the Marquis de Lafayette to the less known Marquis de La Rouërie. By the way Happy 4th of July to all Americans wherever you are ::) And along these lines, we have the organisation Pershing – La Fayette doing a ceremony today at 11h at the monument of the same name, located on des Etats Unis ( United States) at Versailles and near the town of Ville-d’Avray (Hauts-de-Seine 92 ). The day of July 4 is not selected by chance because it’s the anniversary of American independence. The association will benefit to make the point on his project of restoration of the two statues of Pershing and La Fayette at the top of the monument. The statues are reinstall by June 13, 2017, that corresponds to the centenary of the arrival of General Pershing in Versailles
About 30 owners of old cars gave themselves an appointment in the Place Vauban (7éme) , near the Invalides to protest against the traffic restrictions put in place by the Mayor of Paris: since Friday, Cars registered before 1 January 1997 and powered two-wheelers before June 1, 2000 can no longer circulate in Paris workdays between 8h and 20h. Gathered under the banner of the French Federation of citizens motorists (FFAC), they denounced “unjust and environmentally ineffective measure“.
The hamlet (Hameau) and the Musée Fournaise, located on the île d’Impressionistes at Chatou , welcome starting today the exhibition “Beyond the Frame” of the American sculptor John Seward Johnson Jr. The 85-year-old artist is known for his bronzes life-size scenes of daily life, for its monumental statues and its reproductions in three dimensions from existing works. Three of them, inspired by famous Impressionist paintings, will be visible until November 7. It‘s ‘Dance at Bougival’ and ‘Two sisters’, two signed paintings Auguste Renoir, and “in the greenhouse” by Edouard Manet.
It‘s time for the Tour de France bicycle race. Starting this year from the Mont Saint Michel on last Saturday, July 2. The 103rd edition placed under high security – as all the major sporting events of the moment – in the context of terrorist threat. Finally, today ,Monday, the peloton will start from Granville and then will leave the Department and the region, in the direction of Angers, Maine-et-Loire.
The monumental clock adorning the pediment of the Château in Saint Germain en Laye again gives the exact time. Done in the 1870s, it has been refurbish as part of the extensive restoration work . The enamelled lava dial has thus regained its original colors
From this morning, motorists who travel the A12 and the N10 roads will have to let go of the pedal. The maximum speed is reduced on these two sections by 20 km/h in both directions of traffic. It passes from 130 km/h to 110 km/h on the highway A12 between the triangle de Rocquencourt and tunnel of Fontenay-le-Fleury and 110 km/h to 90 km/h on the N10 between the tunnel and the interchange with the D910 . In Ile-de-France, four other areas are concerned; this is the case on the A115 in the Val-d’Oise, the A104 in Seine-et-Marne or even the N6 in Essonne. Advanced objective: reduce congestion, noise and pollution.
Some news from France,CXXXVII July 13, 2016
Tomorrow is the big party here Fête Nationale or National Day or old Bastille Day, 14 of July. IN Vannes we have the Fête Historiques with special presentation of the life and history of Napoléon III and in Brest the great Sailing event with the Hermione on tap (the boat that took Marquis de Lafayette to help the American independance) ,the replica of the boat.
L’Avant Comptoir de la Mer, 3, carrefour de l’Odéon (6eme) This is seafood and tapas from the great restaurant chain led by Yves Camderborde. I have been to the resto next door ,great place. L’Alcazar, 62, rue Mazarine (6eme).Tropical setting brasserie and concerts, used to come here a lot, it’s a great place , resto and then dancing
Musée de Cluny, 6, place Paul-Painlevé (5eme). Middle ages and one of the nicest places to visit, one of my first visits to a museum in France with a history professor of univ of Paris IV!
Musée Lambinet, for the history of Versailles a lot more than the castle. 54 boulevard de la Reine;built in 1751 the building in Louis XV style with 35 rooms of showcasing Versailles. Orangerie du Domaine de Madame Elizabeth (the home of the sister of Louis XVI also beheaded by the revolutionaries in 1794) ,26 rue Champ Lagarde , but you can walk from the castle up rue de Paris to no 73 on left hand side and go in to the park and the house is there as the city tells you. And L’Osmothèque de Versailles. 36 rue du parc-de-Clagny. This a perfum museum of all samples done during the monarchy and more, the original of Marie-Antoinette is here. You need to contact the tourist office for a visit.
Some news from France CXXXVIII July 20, 2016
Something to think about when deciding to buy real estate in France. If you have 1000 euros to pay for an apartment in Paris it will be enough to find something like a 25 M2 space or about 269 Sq feet!!! For the same amount you can buy a 53 m2 in Lyon, 59 m2 in Bordeaux, 73 m2 in Lille, 74 m2 in Rennes, 79 m2 in Marseille. At the other end of the scale the cities where you can buy the biggest size apartment are Saint- Etienne buys you one of 155 m2 , le Mans 133 m2 and Nîmes 117 m2. Source Les Echos journal.
Go up the tower or tour Saint-Jacques in Paris now open.This is the departing point in the city for the pilgrims to St James in Spain (Santiago de Compostela). You can go up the 300 steps . The tower is from the 16C and recently has receive complete renovation. At the top you can see a beautiful panorama of Paris. Paris Plage or beach is coming up!!! 3500 tons of sand arrives this morning by the Seine river. The voie Georges Pompidou and along the bridges of Change and Notre Dame. The festivities this year are extended for 15 days! until September 4th. However, the city has ordered 1500 tons less than last year
For a good meal at sweet prices. The restaurant the CasseNoix is a must even if a bit crowded, shining as a pearl in the 15th district of Paris. The chef, Pierre-Olivier Lenormand, indeed offers – for 34 euros – a spectacular entrance-main course-dessert formula, hallmark of good the bistronomy geniuses. And I had it recently as my office is nearby when in the city. (see previous posts on it) The CasseNoix, 56, rue de la Fédération,
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret ,his works has been made part of UNESCO World Heritage sites since this past Sunday. He is better known as Le Corbusier. The famous Swiss architect (d. August 1965) is finally recognized. In Paris, you can find him at the Cité du Refuge (13th) but also the maison La Roche (19th), the Switzerland Pavilion of the Cité universitaire (14th),the House of Ozenfant (14th), or even that of Dr. Pathak (13th) but also his apartment workshop ( 16th). The villa Savoye, Poissy, also of note in the Yvelines dept 78 . And do not forget the Festival Rock en Seine at the Domaine de Saint Cloud. August 26-28 , since 2003 one of the best in Europe. 5 stages in the heart of the French garden just like a country setting with music of Rock, Pop,Electro, etc. For the 2016 edition artists like FOALS, Iggy Pop, Massive Attack, Cassius, Eagles of Death Metal, Casseurs Flowters ,and many more …métro Boulogne Pont de Saint-Cloud | Pont de Sèvres line 10.
Travel alone the Grande Ceinture, between Noisy-le-Sec and Épinay: trains of the future tramway T11 Express (former north tangential road) began to roll last week. The 11 km of new tracks, built parallel to the freight line of the Grande Ceinture line, will serve 7 stations, Epinay at le Bourget from Villetaneuse, Pierrefitte and Stains, Dugny – La Courneuve, in 14 minutes. A year of tests is planned, before the commissioning of the tram-train in July 2017. Extensions East to Noisy-le-Sec and West to Sartrouville (Yvelines) are planned in the years to come, but yet unfunded.
Meaux, place Henri IV. The townspeople are trying to reuse an old prison (b1854-1857) here abandone in 2005 into a cultural place to subsidied works of artistic workshops, exhibitions, courses.,etc. Good idea in my Wife’s native town and close to Disneyland Paris for cheaper alternatives for lodgings and restos.
Some news from France, CXXXVIIII July 24, 2016
The opening to the public of the garden of the Hôpital Saint-Louis (10éme) at 1 rue Claude-Vellefaux. All weekend between April 1 and October 31. The 9 400 m2 of the square of greenery in the heart of historic hospital buildings, created in the 17C by the architect of the place des Vosges! Lovely indeed, see it:
Halle St Pierre, 2 Rue Ronsard, ‘L’Esprit Singulier “ or Singular spirit’, some 600 works from the collection of the Abbey of Auberive. Among the 70 artists, major figures: Witkin, Boix-Vives, Fred Deux, and Combat. A nice place renovated when i worked in Paris and visited, and glad it continues so well. From July 05 to September 18, 2016, the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand offers exposure Globes in 3D. These objects made between the 16C to 19C are scanned the project “DNP Museum Lab”. FunFair at the Jardin des Tuileries, now for more than 20 yrs here and just across one of my old working areas, and my kids always love it This is an inmense fairground until August 21 2016 . Wooden horses dating back to 1900, enjoy a 360° view in the new big wheel (70 meters high) or have a scare in the ghost trains. The smartest can test their skills in the coconut shy or on the rifle shooting range, while the bravest can have a go on the trampolines and other slides. The Montmartre Grape Harvesting Festival, going on from October 5 –9 2016 by the vignes du Clos Montmartre On the agenda of this 83rd edition: fashion show, concerts, shows, film projections, exhibitions, workshops, guided tours, excursions, wine-tasting, taste trails with passionate artisans and producers, not forgetting the firework fired at the foot of the Sacré-Cœur
See the musée de montmartre at 2 rue Cortot (18éme). museum of artist painters like Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Kupka, Steinlen, Valadon, Utrillo and others. This is a must a highlight of the visit to the hill of Montmartre. From April 09 to October 10, 2016 the Musée de l’homme offers exposure the Korea and its origins, From December 1st, 2016, to April 23, 2017, the Musée d’Arts Décoratifs of Paris (pavillions Marsans of the Louvre) will have the exhibition: when the garment made a scandal or Quand le vêtement fait scandale.
From July 1 to August 28, 2016, the city of Nantes offers the festival journey in Nantes or les Voyages in the île de Nantes showcasing the latest innovations and less known works Every Saturday, the château de Vaux-le-Vicomte once again dives into the good old days, with its magnificent evenings by candlelight. Until October 1 2016. Until November 1st 2016 take the direct train from Paris Gare du Nord to Auvers sur Oise and follow in the footsteps of Impressionist painters such as Van Gogh 35 minutes from Paris; great ride really and more visitors if they do it year around La Grenouillére at the time of the Impressionists . Discover this charming museum which reopens after having moved. Until December 23rd 2017, Musée de la Grenouillére, Espace Chanorier ,Croissy sur Seine; great area home of the British School. The Great Fire of Saint Cloud simply the greatest firework display in Europe held in the park of Saint Cloud or Domaine St Cloud. September 10 2016
Until October 30th 2016 the Great Musical Waters of the Chateau de Versailles, the tops, of course you have to see it Royal Serenade at the Chateau de Versailles Rediscover the splendor of Versailles enhanced by the Royal Serenade, fountains and fireworks at nightfall. Until September 17 2016. The Feast of the Lodges, in the forest of Saint Germain en Laye until August 14 2016; From the famous ghost train to the timeless roller coaster, to line fishing and even rifle shooting, dodgem cars… visitors young and old come to enjoy the 200 attractions installed in the Saint-Germain-en-Laye forest. a great event we enjoyed as a family when lived nearby in Versailles.
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 !!!
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