Poisson d’Avril
April 2, 2010
April Fool's day is said to have French origins. In 1564, France reformed the calendar, changing the beginning of the year from the end of March to January 1st. For those who resisted the new calendar and adhered to the old traditions, paper fish were playfully attached to their backs and they were fondly dubbed 'poisson d'avril.' or April fish.…read more
Don’t forget your Speedo if you’re going to swim in public pools in France
August 30, 2009
But spare a thought for France, where the opposite is true: local authorities regularly force men to ditch their Bermudas and parade in skin-tight budgie-smugglers for the greater public good. In French public pools, from the racing lanes of Paris to the open-air lidos and water parks of the south, anything bigger than Speedos is banned and you must hoist yourself into a posing pouch as a civic requirement.
... This sounds like another attempt to shore up French industry, but it does have a certain logic in a country trying to welcome differences, but at the heart, trying to make everyone into a Frenchman.
Tip for getting readers to your travel column – say Paris is #1 overrated spot in the world
December 9, 2008
This writer from the LA Times had a few unfortunate experiences with Parisians and therefore is writing off Paris, despite it being "one of the most spectacular cities in Europe." ... French waiters seem never to want to speak with me in English, even when it's clear they speak English as well as I.
... Other cities I happen to love that he thinks are "overrated" are Prague, Moscow, Athens, and Dubai (the only one I don't have data points on).
Google map directions to Paris from NYC
July 25, 2008
was like that - every day a new trick or utility that seemed to either amaze or help out. Google also may fall prey to its own success, playing it safe, killing off new product acquisitions after paying way too much for them, trying to "rationalize" its product offerings and business units, or just plain having their shareholders demand more in quarterly earnings, but for now they still have some fun. I tried to run this map from San Francisco, but had no luck.
