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 , CXLV January 3, 2017 .Ahh for my own sake, the CXLV is post No 145 in the series
Between 2009 and 2014, the number of Parisian went from 2 234 105 to 2 220 445. Or a loss of 13 660 inhabitants in less than five years. 14 out of 20 districts are concerned. Only four peripheral districts escape this trend and see their population increase between 2009 and 2014: the 12th, 14th, 17th and 19th. The reasons according to the mayor’s office is the lower birth rate affecting cities and an increase in the number of second homes in Paris. Not mention the high prices in Paris !
After the BHV, Galeries Lafayette ,and Le Bon Marché ;the Au Printemps will finally be allowed to open its doors Sundays. Employees working occasionally on Sunday in addition to their working time , can make up to 12 maximum Sundays per year and will benefit by Sunday worked 100% of the salary increase, a compensatory rest day due to work on a day not worked and 60€ child care assistance . And further, ,employees normally scheduled Sunday as a day of work will enjoy the same benefits with the exception of the compensatory ceilings of 12 Sundays. Great idea, finally catching up here in la Belle France.
This small structure created in 1960 in a beautiful 17C house surrounded by gardens, in the rue Cortot, and a high place in the history of art, where successive painters Auguste Renoir, Raoul Dufy, Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo came to paint and lived. Yet for four years the Museum of Montmartre is fighting for its entry into the fold of the Inter Museum Association which about 56 cultural venues in Paris and the and Ile-de-France region and proposes the Paris Museum Pass, which allows visitors free access to museums. Only here, Montmartre is excluded from the Pass. One museum I passed by on my last visit to Paris is the musée Jeu de Paume at the Jardin des Tuileries. Showing now Soulévements, L’histoire de la geste populaire. Until January 15 2017. 282 works coming from 105 lenders on 1000 sq meters of space with 210 enlevements seen by 21 partner institutions. It gives the space to the philosopher and art historian Georges Didi-Huberman.
something interesting and part of the French everyday life is the baguette well here is one of the best and most historical flour makers. The Bourgeois Mills settled in Verdelot, if not there by chance 25 kms west of the commune of La Ferté-under-Jouarres in the Seine and Marne, dept 77. Stones were made,for several centuries to grind the seeds. The last Mills closed in the 19C. “The Millers tradition continues: it was the best stone to crush the grain. There are millstones of La Ferté to Asia and South America as early as the 16C, the know-how of the millers of La Ferté who made these circular stones was recognized worldwide. Milling was good from the siliceous rock, stone as it is very porous. The stones was, also, used to build the houses of île-de-France region for the millers.
And to end with a bit of nostalgia for the Circus with CirkaCuba by Circus Phénix in the Pelouse de Reuilly, 75012 until January 15 in Paris and then on tour in France. These are Cubans artists doing their best which is dancing and acrobatic dancing acts
Last minute on the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi, The Louvre Abu Dhabi – annex of the famous Paris Museum in the Emirates – open end of 2017, on the island of Saadiyat, with two years behind the original schedule.The building housing the future Museum, in the form of rose of the sands and capped by a huge dome inspired by the traditional Arab architecture, was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel. Its construction, which started in January 2013, cost 582 million euros, according to AFP. A collection of 600 works of arts. The Louvre Abu Dhabi will bring together 8600 m2 of space, not to mention the outdoor areas , works of all civilizations and all periods, including contemporary arts unlike its French home . It has already built up a collection of more than 600 pieces including 300 loaned b French partner museums for the opening.
Some news from France, CXLVI January 11, 2017
The école nationale supérieure des Beaux-Art in the rue Bonaparte (6eme) is celebrating their 200 birthday,and many works on renovation is going on. A museum will be open to the public soon this year. It will showcase a roadmap on the alumni of the school and the entrance will be on the quai Malaquais. The visitor can walk by the Salle Melpomène, the Church of Petits-Augustins and the adjoining cloister, as well as the stained glass cover courtyard of the Palais des études and Amphithéatre d’honneur. The school was founded in January 1817 with heritage collection such as 450 000 works of paintings, molds, sculptures ,designs, photos, and stamps
And of course, the fines will go up , what do you think they put all those electronic radars? get more money because the death on the road continue to rise. Starting January 1, 2018 the idea of not paying a parking fine in Paris will go up from 17€ to 50€ n the arrondissement or districts of zone I in the 1er to the 10me and 35€ in the suburbs in zone II from the 13me to the 20eme. Of course, they tell you that in cities like London it is 96€ , and Barcelona is 55,50€ , to soften the blow but its here that matters. And that is not enough the parking meter will go up too from 4€ per hour in zone 1 but the more you stay the more you pay like 8€ for the third hour, 10€ for the fourth hour, 12€ on the fifth and to reach 6 hours will cost 24€ now to 50€, so a rise of 108 % ! In the suburbs of zone II the rate will be 2,40€ , the first hour to about 9,60€ starting from the fifth hour. Almost nothing, it’s an all out war on the car. And to add the Mayor of Paris Anne (Ana) Hidalgo is Spanish born from Cadiz lol!
This year is the coming out of a movie on the life of the late singer Dalida , very much in love by all Parisiens. It comes out today. At the place Dalida (18eme), there is a bust of Dalida on a throne in the butte Montmartre she made it home and lived for 25 years, from 1962 until suicide on May 3 ,1987. Her house was at 11, bis rue d’Orchampt ,that she purchased in 1962. Upon her death, the place was sold and made into apartments sadly. She went often to eat at the Moulin de la Galette, just steps from the house and had her usual table by the window, and on her last years she went here almost every day usually with friends. After her death , it is at the cementary of Montmartre that was put in the 18eme division, Dalida or Yolanda Gigliotti. RIP.
Some news from France CXLVII January 22, 2017
Sadly to hear one of my favorite chains of Restaurants Chez Clement is closing ;bankrupt due to the crisis in the trade going on since 2014. This is the chain known for it’s massive wood furniture and its pots and pans in copper hang on the walls loaded with flowers; it all started back in 1993. The holding company still holds many memorable properties that will still be open and working fine such as the Maison Lapérouse founded in 1766, Le Saut du Loup in the Louvre, Les Jardins de Bagatelle by the Bois de Boulogne as well as le Tir aux Pigeons, also, the Café du Rond-Point in the theater of the same name and the Hôtel Ermitage in the heights of the Saint-Tropez (Var).Chez Clement my sentimental favorite now gone had branches in the Champs-Elysées, Maillot, Opéra, Porte de Versailles, Saint-Michel, Bougival (78), Boulogne (92), and Petit-Clamart (92). I have eaten at the Opéra (Bd des Capucines) near the Le Grand Hotel Intercontinental, and Saint-Michel( Pl Saint André des Arts ),and Bougival in the Yvelines dept 78 where had celebrated birthday parties for my sons. Another that I have been is the La Rotonde de la Muette, 12 chaussée de la Muette (16eme) now reopen after renovation was finished. The decoration is Art Déco with wooden motifs à l’Americain, banc seats with cushions and sofa in red leather with tables in marble. This is sublime what coming to Paris is all about!
One that is gaining and just came from absorbing my fav place Wanderlust is the Nuits Fauves.32 quai d’Austerlitz,(13eme).It has 1500 m2 space with three clubbing rooms,and two exterior terraces; all great tecno ,and house music , admission depending who is playing goes from 10€ and up, the hours are from 23h to 6h(11PM to 6AM). And for jazz the legendary Caveau de la Huchette, 5 rue de la Huchette (5eme) ; Since 1946! listen to jazz until 4h or 4AM as well as the Blues… One of my favorites hangouts in Paris over the years here
Go, run to the Musée Picasso, but you can see a glimpse if little time (tant pis) at the CDG airport in the espace musée. The expo Picasso Plein Soleil or full sun Picasso is there now. At the museum thus, you have the largest collection of Picasso work in the world with over 200 000 pieces of archive and 5000 works of art. The expo at the airport comes from here on 22 creations from the hotel Salé in the Marais. The Institut du Monde Arabe has until February 26 the expo of the adventurous of the seas or Aventuriers des Mers. 1 rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard (5eme). From Sinbad to Marco Polo , from the Omeyyades to Alexander the Great, the biggest Arabs explorers will be showcase with more than 200 works of art. Nice and beautiful place indeed. And this show is endless because the scheme is of everyday life in France or Paris or anywhere. My good friend Olivier Giraud continues at the Théatre des Nouveautés,24 blvd Poissonniére, (9eme) not far from the gare Saint Lazare metro grands boulevards, the show “How to become Parisian in one hour?”
The new museum in Paris ,opened last December 2016 is the Grand Musée du Parfum, all about perfums. In the 8eme arrondissement with over 1400 m2 (previous the fashion house of Christian Lacroix was here), 73 rue du Faubourg Sainte Honoré . You can smell the first perfume of Kyphi of the antique Egypt to Jicky de Guerlain a new beginning in perfumerie dating from 1889
Elsewhere, we have the wonderful Carnival de Nice coming up February 11 to 26 , almost like Rio (been to both). This year it will celebrate the “King of Energy” with a grand finale of fireworks and the burning of the monarch as an effigy. At Grasse, the cité des parfums where LVMH just installed the nose of its Dior and Vuitton. There is the musée international de la parfumerie and perfume houses like Fragonard, Molinard, and Galimard.
Some news from France CXLVIII January 25, 2017
At the famous Crypte archéologique du parvis Notre-Dame , 7 parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul II (4eme); you will find until May 26 , 2017 the expo L’or du pouvoir : de Jules César à Marianne. The story of money and gold coins in Paris.
And on my beloved Versailles, something wonderful on the court of Louis XIV and onwards to the French revolution, how to party! at the Chateau de Versailles And while in the city , just walk a bit further from the famous potager du roi and you will come to the wonderful Parc Balbi in Versailles; done for the Countess of Balbi mistress of the Count of Provence, brother of king Louis XVI
Some news from France CXLVIIII January 30, 2017
Let’s talk about those wonderful passageways in Paris. The passages; one is the passage des Panoramas entering by bvld Montmartre ; the first one to show up the sky with glass ceilings in 1805. It is a wonderful relic of Paris joining the Bourse with blvd Montmartre to go near the Théatre des Variétés. 20 years later in 1826 the Galerie Vivienne opens; gorgeously decorated housing relics of great name and taste such as the librairie Siroux (1828), and the caves Legrand (1880). The passage Verdeau ,passage Jouffroy, and passage Bercy .
The Paris transformation is going on, with new lanes ,trying to eliminate the car hopefully elections are near. The wonderful Boulevard Périphérique is 35 kms long, with about 1,2 millions vehicles each day, at a maximum speed of 70 kph (already reduce from 80) and an average speed of 38,9 kph due to traffic jams. The beltway road was finished in 1973 and still has about 100 000 folks living just off it. It has 99 radar cameras link directly to the control center by fiber optics. The goal is to change it for the better by 2030…. The Eco terrorists wants to lower the speed even to 50 kph which will be terribly ridiculous (they better go after the factories to and lower employment) . They are proposing to reserve two lanes to bus ,taxis, electric cars,and the auto sharing or covoiturage. The traffic lights will have tricolors or other panels to regulate the traffic flow and will have green areas (of course) along the boulevard concrete.
The wonderful Centre Pompidou is celebrating 40 years The musée national d’Art moderne, is in the 4e and 5e floor housing about 120 000 works dating from 1905 to 1965, where much is housed in the reserves of the museum for lack of space. The MNAM is the biggest museum of modern and contemporary art in Europe and the second in the world behind MoMA in New York,USA. However, the Beaubourg is the first loaner museum in the world. We can learn here about 250 languages or dialects from the popular English, German Spanish to also the lapon, Zulu or navajo. Beaubourg,is a trip in our world
She has 241 years old in need of conservation who is this girl , well the statue of the Dame Fortune, quai Conti (6eme) in the court of the Monnaie de Paris, it is going thru a participation campaign to restore it Somebody send a letter to the director of the Maison de Balzac in Paris asking for an advise on the chimney that was always call in his family the chimney of Balzac. Well it is !!! and nicely found The old guards’ room of Catherine de Médicis that was made into a boutique where the funds were consecrated to the botanic vocation has closed its door on January 6 according to the Le Figaro. After 20 years of existance as a boutique, the pretty library or librairie du jardin des Tuileries, located at the entrance of the wrough iron door has closed. The content has been send over to the Louvre library boutique
The Rétromobile from February 8-12 at the parc des expositions de la porte de Versailles (15eme) It will showcase the adventures of the secret agent Goldfinger 007 and show the Aston Martin DB5 car as well as many gadgets from the movie. The next rendez-vous is on Cinecittà when the studio Willy Rizzo (7eme) rends homage until April 1st in the show «Rendez-vous à Cinecittà» , photos but also designs from the many who passed by here. Names like Sophia Loren, Claudia Cardinale, Anita Ekberg etc the best of the Italian cinema of the 1960’s. Studio located at 12, rue de Verneuil (7eme. On February 7, 14, 21,and 28 2017 and with the resounding voice of André Malraux we honor WWII heroe Jean Moulin on the night at the Panthéon or La Nuit au Panthéon.
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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