Culture

Culture, Food, Museums and Monuments, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Travel with Kids, Where to stay

Even those who are on a budget, Paris is an unexpected pleasure

June 28, 2009

Of course, as I read this article in NY Times , I was reminded once again, the democratic pleasures of Paris... that the Proustian aspects of Paris need not be costly.... taste360.jpg IF YOU GO HOW TO GET AROUND The Vélib’ bicycle-rental system has become exceedingly popular. ... Le Bar à Soupes, 33, rue de Charonne; (33-1) 4357-5379; www.lebarasoupes.com, offers an excellent lunch deal: a fresh market soup, two types of cheese, bread and a glass of wine for 9.90 euros.

Apartment - 39 rue de Vaugirard - short term rental, Apartment neighborhood, Culture, For tourists only, Travel, Where to stay

If I could not stay at our place, this is where I would stay…

June 14, 2009
So many friends and others interested in traveling to Paris have been calling us to rent our place or to find other rentals and hotels for their summer holiday. Even though the economy is still in the doldrum and they say travel is definitely down, there are still many who are taking advantage of the recession and finding great values…read more
Culture, Tours and visites, Travel, Un peu différent, Where to stay

Paris Hotels are investing in their own bicycle fleet

June 4, 2009

Paris Hotels invest in their own branded bicycle fleet and picking models that reinforce the identity of the hotel. Le Meurice, the renowned hotel that occupies an 1835 palace across from the Tuileries, unveiled five retro-style bikes in the blue-green shade of the oxidized copper rooftops of the city, with matching helmets and front baskets emblazoned with the hotel’s gold logo. American and British guests in their 30s tend to be the most enthusiastic customers, according to the hotel; Le Meurice’s sister hotel, the Plaza Athénée, opted for zippy red bikes with panniers. lemeurice_bike.jpg

Culture, In the News, Understand France and the French

French spend most time in bed France is world’s most sleepy country – Odd News | newslite.tv

May 5, 2009

A study into the leisure habits of people from 30 countries found that the French spent by far the longest amount of time sleeping. ... American's were found to be almost as fond of their beds - with 8.5 hours - said researchers from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It seems to me the researchers have jumped from 'time spent in bed' to 'time spent sleeping' a bit too quickly ... remember this is the French we are talking about.

Culture, Economy and Exchange rates, In the News

Class Warfare, French styleFrench executive held hostage by staff | World news | The Guardian

March 26, 2009

He wasn't exactly stuffed in the back of car and kept in a cave, yet it's hard to feel too much respect for the kidnappers in this case, no matter what the demands. ... Last year, the English boss of a car-parts factory in eastern France was held for 48 hours in his office, sleeping on a massage table and being provided with blankets and sandwiches. ... In another incident last year, police stormed an ice-cream factory in Saint-Dizier to free a manager who had been held hostage by workers over job cuts.

Culture, Understand France and the French

Community website just for Francophiles

January 5, 2009

And when she was frustrated with that query and other "Frenchy" searches, she decided to create a site where Francophiles can get their French on wherever they are in the world. ... Our goal is to bring together people who have a passion for the French language and francophone cultures in the interest of promoting understanding and friendship. ... Francophilia's features include a personal blog, instant messaging with other online members, live discussion room for members, forum discussions, the ability to create and join special-interest groups, to publish and RSVP to events, to publish classified ads, to upload photos, videos and music, and more.   The site is in BETA now with more to come.

Culture, Museums and Monuments

France returns Matisse painting stolen by Nazis

November 28, 2008

200811280714.jpgPARIS (Reuters) - France returned to its rightful owners on Thursday a painting by French master Henri Matisse which was seized by the Nazis in 1941 after its Jewish owner fled anti-Semitic persecutions in Germany. ... In a story right out of the 2007 film, " The Rape of Europa ," the heirs and the painting were only paired after a German art historian made the connection using an internet database set up for this purpose. Anyone interested in the great art of Europe must see "The Rape of Europa" The film tells the story of the Nazi theft of thousands and thousands of artworks from private and museum collection before and during World War II, and details a lot of the destruction of priceless treasures due to the war.

Blogroll, Books on France, Culture, General, Understand France and the French

My favorite Paris blogs

August 2, 2008

If you are following France and Paris, here are a few places I like to watch to get a feeling for the culture and social movements: Ô-Chateau, a Paris wine-tasting company (with champagne cruises on the Seine!) ... We've always loved following Kristin Espinasses continuing travails as she inserts herself deeper and deeper into provincial French life in her French-word-a-day blog . Using examples from her life with her husband and two kids, she tells funny and often poignant stories of her life in France, including things she loves, hates and is just plain confused by.

Culture

Adieu to the 35-hour workweek in France

July 28, 2008

Sarkozy came in promising to make changes and this one was a big one for many of our friends who came to see 35 hours as being symptomatic of a decreasing work ethic in France. ... Unfortunately, for many white collar workers, who were forced to be out on vacation enough to make the 35 hour math work out, they had to make up the time by increased output at other times, either by staying late or working more elsewhere. ... It was a well-intentioned blow for the worker to get back something from "the man," but ended up hurting French society and decreasing further a positive business environment that fosters the very productivity the workers want to have a share in, threatening the long-term French economy.

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