Blog | Page 10 of 21 | 39vaugirard

McDonald’s restaurant to be placed inside food court at Carrousel du Louvre

The first is that the Louvre, in a situation they can’t control, will have to co-exist with the odeurs of a MacDo in its midst. … PARIS — French culture and American convenience will come together in December — thanks to plans by the McDonald’s restaurant chain to hang its shingle in the shadow of the Louvre. … The McDonald’s will be installed in the food court of the underground mall adjoining the museum, known as the Carrousel du Louvre, as the fast food chain fetes its 30th anniversary in France, McDonald’s France said.

Not really my thing, but LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY COULEURS ET LUMIÈRE at the Musée du Luxembourg 16 septembre 2009 – 17 janvier 2010

His look as a painter in terms of color and composition, his passion for exoticism and his innovations in the glass field make him, from1900, becoming a leader of the American design whose reputation goes until the great European capitals: he will compete with the great European glass makers of the end of the 19th century. The splendid ornamentation, the careful work, the spectacular effects and original in their lights and colors which are the main characteristics of his glass production (blown glass vases, stained glass windows, lamps and items) put him in the heart of numerous artistic movements of his time, from the Arts & Crafts and the American Aesthetic Movement to New Art and Symbolism. The exhibition will gather about 160 works (stained-glass windows, vases, lamps, items, jewels and mosaics, drawings, watercolors and photos of the time) which reveal the noteworthy contribution of this creator to the glass industry such as the whole of the decorative arts.

Paris on Less Than $100 Per Day – Fantasy?

However, the issue isn’t whether it’s possible as a parlor stunt, but how could you have a fulfilling Paris experience while skipping most of the things around you. It’s hard to imagine a once in a lifetime Paris vacation spent entirely outside while trying to avoid museum fees, but there is a free Sunday of the Louvre. … Best advice if you really want to stick to this budget: get a hotel outside the city on the RER line and zip in in the morning and go back out to sleep.

Say goodbye to the “bise?”

That said, there are things you can do to help avoid the flu, like obsessively washing your hands, trying not to touch your face, and avoid close contact with strangers and friends, such as the ever-present “bise.” … Some French schools, companies and a Health Ministry hotline are telling students and employees to avoid the social ritual out of fear the pandemic could make it the kiss of death, or at least illness, as winter approaches.

…The New York Times ran a story the other day ( Swine Flu Upsets Rituals of Greeting ) as well on relative risk levels of different contact, and the bise, or even Hollywood-style air kiss was right at the top, so look for less kissing and touching in the months to come as we all suffer through the season.

News Flash! Picasso Museum Closes for Two-Year Renovation

Not just some guy who broke the mold and then rode the gravy train for the rest of his life (examples too numerous to mention), Picasso morphed throughout his life, making art whenever his hands weren’t busy with women, food or drink. … Feel free to shed a quiet tear from either of your unevenly spaced, asymmetrical eyes: the Picasso Museum in Paris closed its doors on Sunday and will not reopen them to visitors for more than two years as it undergoes an extensive renovation, The Associated Press reported. The 32,000-square-foot museum, which opened in 1985 in Paris’s Marais district, holds about 5,000 pieces of art by Picasso, including paintings, sculptures and sketches, but was only able to display between 250 and 300 at a time.

The decline of French cuisine in Seattle Times Newspaper

We are just back after 14 days in France, and after having read this article in the Seattle Times, I quizzed everyone I know about the supposed “decline” in French food. … Elsewhere, it’s caveat emptor though the odds are still higher in Paris than in San Francisco for good that tastes like the primary ingredients, rather than slop reconstituted from a can off the Sysco Food Services truck. … It’s nice to kick the French off their high horse, and real data trends seem to indicate that the French are eating more fast food including McDonald’s.

France Miniature

Our friend Patrick Mikla always surprises us with ‘inside’ discoveries of Paris and France. From the time we met him some 15 year ago, I can remember each and every one of our adventures. The latest is France Miniature. He took the day off and took us Élancourt, a town about an hour drive outside… Continue reading France Miniature

Marie Antoinette et Hameau de Reine

Finally visited the Hameau de Reine. Expected a small garden and of course, it’s fit for a Queen. It even has a little farm and a zoo. Lovely for kids to visit and the houses on the property are actually for normal people.

Hotel Villa Madame and the provenance of Rue Madame

I just learned of the provenance of the fabled street, rue Madame, that crosses rue de Vaugirard, where our apartment is located. It was named after Marie-Joseph-Louise, “Madame” de Savoie, the wife of Xavier-Stanilas “Monsieur” de Bourbon, Count of Provence and the future Louis XVIII. In 1790, “Monsieur,” the current owner of the Luxembourg Palace,… Continue reading Hotel Villa Madame and the provenance of Rue Madame

What is it Quiz #2 – common objects in Paris

Here’s a tricky one, since you usually see it in a different color. When I snapped this picture with my iPhone, I wished I was getting the couleur normale,

but now I’m glad it’s a bit off.

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