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 CLXVIII September 10, 2017
The museum Louvre Abu Dhabi has been announce to open on November 11, 2017. Another branch to spread the inmense work of arts and also give rotation to the existing ones for further showcase to the world. There is already one in Lens ,north of France as well as the original in Paris
The theatrical show of the film Grease will be the opener for the renovated theatre Mogador. Closed for a year after a fire the theatre will open again September 28 with Grease. Very exciting to have it open again as visited and passed many times by it while living near and working in Paris , The adventure is coming to an end at the street Impasse Berthaud (3eme), here Samy Odin, co founded with his father the museum of dolls or musée de la Poupée. Right now showing the exposition « Poupée des années 1980 »,as well as the permanent collections. You can still see it Tuesdays to Saturdays from 13h to 18H until September 15. On this date it will close due to the high rent and upkeep prices . There is a braderie or flea selling on some dolls going from a dozen euros to 950€ . However, the association will continue and will be done by reservation in his home in the 3eme arrondissement of Paris . It will still be worth checking him out there
At this place, Claude Monet collected works of impressionists art from the great ones like him such as Boudin, Corot, Renoir, Cézanne, Manet, and Morisot. The Marmottan museum reveal these works for long unknown of the public in a secluded area of the chic arrondissement 16 of Paris. The exposition in the museum will be a grand premiere that tracks works of art such as these ,hidden before within the most famous collection of the world. The work to find them was a real detective story and done with the help of the Museum d’Orsay, art historians, and the Marmottan museum itself.
Away from Paris at Normandy, Cherbourg, there is the 9th Biennale 9 du Art , celebrating the father of the Little Nemo in Slumberland. An American pioneer of the comics not well known to the public but it has inspired other authors. Winsor McCay was the one who created what was the interior scenes of our dreams many years before the Surrealists found soft clocks in a tree :J Until October 1er. No need to tell you the Parc de Sceaux, is a castle, parterre garden, bassins ,trees and just great for walkers and visitors to see just north of Paris in the plains of Hauts-de-Seine. A wonderful escape from Paris on any weekend is well worth the trip; we did often and highly recommended
Hunting is still big in France; just to get yourself a hunting permit to go hunting in a forest costs starting in 200 euros per year in near coast to several thousands inland such as the forest or forêt Solognote. They are located in all regions and for all pocketbooks ,you can add 150 to 1000 euros according to the game animal. Still cheaper than in other European countries except the East. I know coming this past summer from Spain , the cost of a monteria hunting spree in the west of the country can cost several thousand euros without anything exotic to go. In France, they were 1,8 million hunters down to 1,2M today, with an expensive price for the hunting permit of 400 euros with the federation. The hunting of wild small game is very popular here with stag deers, rabbits, foxes, wild pigs, hares, and buck deer hunted in Senlis, Rambouillet, Orléans, Compiégne, and Villers-Cotterêts from September to April. One of the more famous hunting run is the Le Rallye de Bonnelles in the forest of Rambouillet with the colors of the duchesse of Uzèz where participating cost 3000 euros a year. Last year in France were hunted 700-800 000 wild pigs, 550-600 000 stag deers, 50 000 buck deers, 5-10 000 rabbits/hares. The best to know is the magazine Le Chasseur français with 260K copies per month.. The official group is the Fédération nationale des chasseurs.
Susan Leiber and husband Kenneth traveled from Texas USA to do what her great granffather had done before. They were welcome at the musée de la Grande Guerre du Pays de Meaux (museum of the great war WWI in Meaux) In her luggage there were personal belongings of her great grandfather Lawrence Eugene Leea kept secret in a chest for many year until his passing in 1975. All his memories of almost 60 years from his service in World War I ; uniforms, helmet, paris map, translation book English-French, , spats , etc . The chest, also had letters to his family and to a certain Germaine, a French women of which he felled in love . Lawrence Eugene Leea served in France from October 1 1917 to August 11 1919 with 24 yrs old when he joined . He describes his passing by Versailles with the peace treaty was signed and later took the road into the French Riviera or Côte-d’Azur, as mentioned in his postcards still preserved . All will be display in the museum from November 11 when the exposition of photographs on the entry of the United States in the Great War (WWI). I have been to the museum and it is on my posts in my blog, this is the native town of my wife, so obviously I know the area very well ! Nice story too like many between the two countries
The race track of Chantilly (Hippodrome) organizes many running of horses and one of the most prestigious in France. They do have prelims for the most important race the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (with over 40K visitors) , the biggest race track run in the world held October 1st 2017. Another of my favorite places in France, here you have gorgeous views over the Castle and the Grandes Ecuries stables . The race track is bordering the forest of Chantilly with lots of tradition and elegance as well as the birthplace of horse racing in France. Chantilly gets about 40 days of racing per year with such famous races as the Jockey Club and Prix de Diane Longines in June. There is a training center with over 2500 horses,unique in the world. A demanding racecourse on the principal lane on a positive levelling on the last 600 meters claiming a selective course by the pros. That makes them come here to test the best ,since 1834! When the racecourse or hippodrome opened.
Some news from France CLXVIIII September 17, 2017
The open spaces such as the Théâtre de Verdure, Musée des Arts Forains, Théâtre du Merveilleux and the salons Vénitiens will be available this year. These are in the back of the Bercy Village, 53 avenue des Terroirs de France, 12éme See the wonderfully interesting wind tunnel of Gustave Eiffel at 67 rue Boileau . They were built by Eiffel in 1912 for the first trials in aerodynamics and now you know he did more than a tower lol! The wind tunnel could produce winds of up to 100 km/hr or about 62 mph.
The Caserne des Célestins (4éme) that houses today the cavalry regiment of knights of the Republican Guards. Ready to show you how they do their living such as steel work, leather horse mounts makers, helmets and sabre pouches etc. All in a beautiful architecturally done building where you can see the big stable or grande écurie, built end of the 19C . Located at Garde républicaine-Quartier des Célestins. 18, boulevard Henri-IV, (4éme)
The interesting museum or musée départemental des sapeurs-pompiers at Osny , Val d’Oise dept 95, you will find material and objects links to the firefighters going back to their history. Located at Musée départemental des Sapeurs-Pompiers du Val d’Oise. Rue William Thornley, Osny (95) While the centenary of the famous sculptor Rodin is going on, you can take a cruiser in the Seine river from one museum in Paris to the other in Meudon . Retracing the way he did it himself from the quaint villa des Brillants in Meudon to the Hôtel de Biron at rue de Varenne Paris. There will be a story telling of his life while in the cruise and the entry to both museum will be free. The event “En bateau avec Rodin” with reservation and 7€ admission to the boat.
On a city dear to me (used to work here) you find a wonderful collection of cars , a must for any car aficionado like me ! Auto Rétro Suresnes, 6th edition with over 200 cars! on the Terrace de Fécheray, 174 blvd Washington, Suresnes , Hauts-de-Seine dept 92 See the giants models of Playmobil telling the story of what it was in the medieval times at the Collége des Bernadins 20 rue de Poissy (5éme) Come to see the smallest circus in the world or le Plus Petit Cirque du monde,with the Colokolo company and their amazing surprises at the Impasse de la Renardiére in Bagneux, Hauts-de-Seine dept 92 The wonderful Palais du Roi de Rome in Rambouillet ,Yvelines dept 78. Built from 1807 upon the request of Napoléon Ier to be the residence of the sons of the emperor. However, it never was. Today , it is vastly change after the fire of 1830. The pavillon du Verger, houses today the offices of the Cultural bureau and the municipality Heritage monument administration ; it is from 1718 and conserve the decorations of wood and medallions from the end of the reign of king Louis XVI; located at Place du Roi de Rome, 78120 Rambouillet
The architecturally nice Hôtel Thiers to see the historical library of the Institut de France with more than 156 thousands works of arts with rare engravings, and books on French history. It was destroyed during the uprising of the Commune in 1871 like many buildings in Paris some never again saw the light; this one rebuilt in 1873. It was the home of politician and historian Adolphe Thiers who bequested it to the Institut de France in 1905 by his sister-in-law Félice Dosne to have it transform into a library dedicated to the history of France and Research. It is located at 27 Place Saint Georges (9éme)
Back again to Boulogne-Billancourt to tell you of the opening of a new museum dedicated to the work of Paul Landowski, sculptor in town and famous for doing the Christ Redemptor we all see in Corcovado Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Many times unknown to the general public even if did over 50 of such marvels of architecture in Paris. Some of these are the statue Sainte Geneviève on the pont de la Tournelle (5éme), statue Montaigne, rue des écoles (5éme), and the Monument à la gloire des armées françaises, place du Trocadéro (16éme), Fontaine de la Porte de Saint-Cloud (16éme). Paul Landowski ,also did the work of his life according to himself , the Le Temple de l’Homme , that is preserve in part in his museum musée Landowski and other parts in the Petit Palais of Paris. You see his work at the new museum, Musée Landoswki , Espace Landowski, 28 avenue Morizet, Boulogne-Billancourt,
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 