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 CLIIII May 3, 2017
The old guinguette Cabassud on pylons over the waters of the Ville-d’Avray. The same ones that inspired the impressionists painters and also, Alphonse Daudet and Boris Vian. If you rest your arms on the railings of the park surrounding the lake you see a house with blue roof where lived Corot. The best paintings from the lake now hangs in museums from Strasbourg to Washington DC. Today you can come to see popular themes shown here on each Thursday per month like May 25th White night, (soirée Blanche). June 22nd ,the les Paillotes show you the crazy years around Jazz; July 13 eve of the National Day (Bastille) a bal musette plays with the air of the Amants de Saint-Jean and the La Java bleue. Finally, by September, you will have wine tastings of the new millésimes or year of French producers. Go to Les Etangs de Corot, 55, rue de Versailles, Ville-d’Avray (92)
The great hotel de Crillon is getting closer to open with its total renovation, located at the Place de la Concorde the Salon des Ambassadeurs is done, an ultramodern bar is in this historic place , all historical corners of the hotel were renovated and restore to its famous glamour. In the Salon d’hiver, the ceilings a work of art has been restored completely, on the upper level the view is fantastic over the Place de la Concorde. The Salon des Aigles was a great technical knowhow to bring it to its former glory. In the basement, 90 meters long by 30 meters wide, two levels were done without having to move the façades built in 1758! There is a pool! of 14 meters long, and on the kitchen almost all is done with 7 elevators to bring the meals quicker up. You just need to wait to fit in on its 81 rooms starting from 1 200€, or the 33 suites and 10 signature suites (where two were design by Karl Lagerfeld) at a price not yet reveal lol! This is Paris
There are exhibition of the master call « Picasso Primitif », in the museum of du Quai Branly, until July 25th. And the museum or musée Picasso de Paris has an exposition entitled “ Olga Picasso “, a Russian dancer and first wife of the painter, shown until September 3rd. The Fondation Cartier reopen its door after the renovation were done with a wonderful exposition entitled « Autophoto » , the automobile photograph from all angles since the early 20C by the great names, all until September 24th
And we are cutting time from next July 2017 coming and going from Brittany to Paris. this is the new line of LGV all the way to Brest. Time to discovered this town sang by the poet Jacques Prévert , that is hosting the 40th anniversary of his death. The where the fresh wind, artistic, and architecture, blows in his hidden heart… OF course , some increase in fares are in order too! The LGV will allow to bring Rennes to Paris in 1h25 from the current 2h04. The price increase will be from 4-6€
You can discovered the city of Brest (see my other post do search) and the best value are the Oceanopolis aquarium or the marine museum in the castle. the oceanopolis has a new pavilion call Bretagne Some anecdotes of Brest: You have heard of the « tonnerre de Brest » lighting of Brest, it comes from the noise that was made with the canon shot to announce the attempt escape of a detainee in the harbor. You have heard of Jean Gabin, that made a film there “Remorques“,and asked that his ashes were disperse in town harbor that was done on November 18, 1976. The American lieutenant James Reese (and his musicians of the 369th infantery regiment) who was the first one who played jazz in France to the public while the American troops landed in December 1917. 800 000 American soldiers landed at Brest during the First World War. The famous cake Paris-Brest ,created in 1910 by a pastry chef from Maisons-Laffitte (dept 78 Yvelines!!) in honor of the bicycle race linking the two cities ; that explains the form of the bike wheel. The Quartz, the national scene of Brest, one of the most frequented in France
Some news from France CLV May 9, 2017
See the last studio of Eugene Delacroix, the house was founded by George Desvalliéres and Maurice Denis after the end of WWI at place de Furstenberg in the district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. In 1932 the society of Friends of Delacroix made the effort to save the house and turn it into the museum. The museum became part of the National museum title and from 2004 part of the Louvre. The museum is just finished to be renovated, and allow to come intime with Delacroix, but also, Cezanne, Picasso, Gauguin, Bernard, etc. See their work in the exhibition “Maurice Denis et Eugene Delacroix, from the Studio to the Museum” . Until August 28 at the musée Delacroix.
A new promenade will be coming on board in Paris soon. This one to add the ones reserve for the walkers and lovers of history in the heart of Paris. There are some already by the 12eme (rue Claude Decean) , 14eme (rue des Coulmiers), 15eme (lineal of 1,3 kms and space of 3,5 hectares), 16eme (between rue d’Auteuil, and chaussée de La Muette), and the 18 eme (rue du Ruisseau). Next the runners, walkers visitors and locals alike will be able to run/walk the Petite Ceinture that was during the Second Empire ,the railroad tracks for goods and passengers bringing 39 millions travelers each year to Paris. It is schedule to be useable for 2018, and to open by the 20eme (open to the public by the rue de la Mare and rue Ménilmontant), 14 eme (between the promenade Broussais,and the avenue du Général-Leclerc near the old train station of Orléans-Ceinture.) ,and on the 17eme (along the boulevard Pereire west of the place de Wagram and rue de Saussure)
Festival des Vieilles Charrues in Carhaix, a crazy musical rendez-vous and now the biggest music festival in France (in terms of spectators). July 13 to 16 2016 Come see the history and folkclore of Brittany in the Festival InterCeltique de Lorient, the annual Celtic musi and culture get together in August 4-13 2017. And this year the invited country is Scotland! see the Festival du Bout du Monde (end of the world festival) a music festival that blends influences from many parts of the world in an amazing setting,the Crozon peninsula; from August 4-5 2017.
Some news from France CLVI May 20, 2017
See the wonderful harbor or ports of Paris from a bit outside the city the port of Gennevilliers(dept 92). You can have boat rides here too by the tourist office of the dept at 62 route principale du port ,Gennevilliers, metro asniéres -gennvilliers-Les Courtilles line 13 or gare de Gennevilliers RER C. Or the Port de Cergy (dept 95) with beautiful wharfs on the river Seine where I have many lunches working in the area, you can do canoe-kayak pédalo, fishing, and accrobranche, 6 quai de la Tourelle, Cergy ,gare cergy-Préfecture RER A and Line L out of St Lazare. And of course the one inside Paris (dept 75) Port de l’Arsenal , just with the Bastille looking at you linking the canal de Saint Martin to the river Seine; and 170 boats enjoy the pergolas and walk the wharfs ; this is at 53 blvd de la Bastille 12eme; metro quai de la Rapée line 5
Two interesting anecdotes, the pool or piscine Georges Valleray, host the 1924 Olympics where Johnny Weismuller won 3 golds in swimming and in water polo, before becoming Tarzan. The pool is one of the rare ones in the city that has a covered roof covering the 50 meters pool. 148 avenue Gambetta,20eme. Also, the rare and interesting Salle d’Armes Coudurier. Opened in 1886, the oldest fencing club in Paris with keeping its authentic deco. The platforms of one meter wide by 10 meters long. It host many filming events and you can even try fencing in it 6 rue Git-le-Coeur 6eme
If you want to buy baseball/softball equipment in Paris, go to the best Diamond Equipment for many years and have visited. You can find anything to play the sports here. A bit tiny and loaded and if not there they can find it for you. See it at 75 blvd Soult, 12eme
Do you know Paris is vying for the 2024 Olympic Games? Many sites already selecting for the organising committee trying to convince the Olympic Committee to host the games competing with Los Angeles. They have divided the venues into Zone Grand Paris ,those around Paris like the Stade de France,Le Bourget etc, Those in Zone Paris centre like the Champ-de-Mars, Tour Eiffel,Champs-Elysées, Grand Palais, Esplanade des Invalides, parc des princes, roland Garros, etc and those in other zones or stand alone venues such as Arena 92, Zénith Paris, Chateau de Versailles, etc.
And what better place to smell sports than at the Bois de Vincennes parks. It is 3 times Central Park in NYC and covers 10% of the city land; created by Napoléon III covering 7,8 kms of creeks natural and artificial,(3,9 sq miles) English style in a 10 square kilometers (4,8 sq miles) space. You have fishing, canoe-kayak, cricket etc in a space that hosted the 1900 Olympic Games! On the municipal velodrome (La Cipale) built in 1896 and renovated in 2015 ready to host the next games…. You have the Théatre du Soleil founded here in 1970 by Ariane Mnouchkine in the old armament factory or cartoucherie! The Tour de France bicycle race the winner was crowned here from 1968 to 1974 such champions as Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil etc. We cannot forget the nice and famous hippodrome de Vincennes horse racecourse opened in 1863 hosting still prestigious events such as the Grand Prix de France, and Grand Prix d’Amerique. We all can indulge in the Cafe Casaques for afterworks (happy hours) from 19h to 23h . Not forget the Paris colonial expo of 1931 (where you can still see the pavillon Indochina with a replica of the temple of Angkor Vat) played out here and hosting more than 8 millions visitors you can still see the old Paris colonial expo of 1907 on the western extreme part of the park. See the temples for Cameroon and Togo now transformed into a pagoda, and hosting one fo the biggest center of Budha in Europe with a budha statue of 9 meters high ( 14 feet). Of course, cannot forget the Parc Floral or flower park and the Zoo. All magical all Paris
The thêatre Mouffetard and old marionnette theater now a show of puppets masks etc in a 230 seat theater featuring two shows 73 rue Mouffetard, 5eme Orlyval is celebrating 25 years !! with modern train wagons and additional signages on all its stations. Showing live time traffic on the RER B and Orlyval lines. The latest addition, the last navette leaves the airport at 23h35 (compare to 23h before) ;so you can take the last RER B to Paris in only 6 minutes! There is a new retro game area at CDG airport with 1980’s Video games on a new arcade at T2C, T3,and satellite 5 of T1; Featuring Pacman, Tetris,and Donkey Kong with a free game on each arcade. Retrogaming is the name; and by June two new areas will open at Terminal T2E hall K with 15 machines at your disposal. Passangers played 6 millions games in 2016! wow, it’s your turn!
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 