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| The Independent Traveler's Newsletter PAGE TWO |
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| The Independent Traveler's Newsletter PAGE TWO |
| ICI ET LÀ |
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in France or France-related events taking place in the United States & elsewhere between now and the publication of our next issue. In France. . . NEWS:o In April the EU court backed France's ban of UberPop service months after making a similar decision in a case in Spain. UberPop uses amateur drivers with customers through a phone app; UberX is still legal in France as it uses licensed professionals throughout European countries. The ruling also said France did not need to notify the European Commission about their decision as Uber argued. [source: AFP] o France's weather has been out of the ordinary since June when powerful rainstorms damaged homes, destroyed vineyards and flooded roads. In May alone there were 182,000 lightning strikes nationwide, double the previous record set in 2009. Hit especially hard were parts of Normandy and areas of eastern France near the border with Germany and Switzerland. Fires also erupted in Portugal as the temperatures there rose to triple digits as the heat moved in from North Africa. However, grape harvests begin this week, and France's winemakers believe the heat could not have come at more opportune time. They had heavy rains in the spring. The current dry heat has helped the vines combat mold without vignerons having to harvest the grapes early to avoid the fruit shriveling had there been a drought this year. [source: AFP] o France will offer 400 hours of French lessons, double what it has offered in the past, to refugees to help them integrate into society. The lessons will increase to 600 hours for new arrivals who are particularly struggling to learn the language. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said French efforts to integrate migrants had "lacked ambition" and the country needed a policy "worthy of our republic for all those to whom we give the right to stay in France." The government will also double to 24 hours the "civic training" courses for refugees, designed to explain French values as well as practical information such as how to obtain work, healthcare and housing. Many recent arrivals found the current 12-hour course overwhelming but Philippe said that an understanding of fundamental French values such as liberty, fraternity and equality was "not an option but an obligation". [source: AFP] o Soon to be on display in a French museum, a rare dinosaur skeleton, discovered in Wyoming in the US in 2013, was sold at auction at the Eiffel Tower on June 4th by a British collector. The carnivorous allosaurus is said to be the only one of its species to have been discovered. The price paid was more than two million euros, or about $2.3 million. [source: AFP] o Emmanuel Macron was hailed by the International Monetary Fund as a 'reform leader' and they hailed France's economic recovery as "impressive". While France avoided falling into the hands of a far-right, anti-establishment government in the 2017 election, other European countries, most recently Italy, have not followed that same path. The rise of Eurosceptic parties is rising across the continent. The IMF warning that increasing trade tensions, geopolitical uncertainty and other negative matters could weigh on the private and public balance sheets. About Macron's government, they said, "In its first year in office, the government has established an impressive track record of reforms aiming at addressing several of these challenges." [source: AFP] o Celebrity French chef Joel Robuchon died of cancer at the age of 73 on August 6 in Geneva, Switzerland. After a busy and successful career and several Michelin-starred restaurants, he 'retired' at the age of 50 only to return by popular demand and create Atelier restaurants, where guests could sit informally around the kitchen at a counter and observe the preparation of food. With Ateliers around the world, he had a total of 32 Michelin stars in 2016, a record, and had 31 stars, five of which were 3-star restaurants, at the time of his passing. o Mamoudou Gassama became an instant celebrity when he scaled the facade of a Paris apartment building in Spider-man fashion to rescue a 4-year old boy who was dangling from a fourth floor apartment balcony on May 26th. An illegal immigrant who arrived in France last September from Mali, Gassama gave little thought to the risk he was taking. It took him about 30 seconds to reach the boy. He had been working in the construction industry, but began his new Parisian life in June as a member of the fire service after his selfless rescue of the boy. Even more important to him, President Macron said that Gassama would receive French citizenship in recognition of his bravery and heroic act . He also received the 2018 BET (Black Entertainment Television) award for his selfless act. The boy's father is being prosecuted for leaving his child alone to go shopping and will go on trial in September. Watch the video here. o Nigel Lawson, the former finance minister of Britain who is credited with heading the pro-Brexit campaign ('Vote Leave') two years ago, has begun the paperwork for a 'carte séjour' to reside in France. Commentary from others about the potential relocation of the 86-year old included he "looks like a hypocrite" and that this decision "takes the biscuit" (or "takes the cake" as we would say in the US). He says he will not apply for French citizenship. He expressed concern, however, about expat Britons' healthcare coverage once Brexit is completed, but doesn't expect a trade deal between Britain and the EU. Editor's comment: One can't help but wonder if 'hypocrite' is a strong enough comment regarding someone who was so successful removing the UK from the European Economic Community which it joined in 1973, 16 years after its creation by the Treaty of Rome. o France vows to outlaw glyophosate weed killers within 3 years: that's President Macron's pledge as he once again campaigns for its ban. The senators refused earlier to turn the pledge into law, and, of course, Monsanto has been lobbying successfully against the ban for years. Its brand, Roundup, is suspected by many scientists of causing cancer, and the 2015 WHO study determined that it was probably carcinogenic. (A court in the US just awarded $289 million to a landscaper who sued saying that his non-Hodgkins lymphoma was caused by his use of Roundup.) The EU voted to renew the license for the product for five years in November of 2017, and France intends to charge the National Agriculture Research Institute with finding an alternative to glyophosate. The government denies it is being influenced by lobbyists. [source: AFP] o Billionaire aviation pioneer, Serge Dassault, died of heart failure on May 28th at his Paris office. He was 93. Dassault became the head of Dassault Aviation upon the death of his father in the mid-1980s, became the president of the French aerospace industries association, was the mayor of the Paris suburb Corbeil-Essonne for 14 years, took control of the conservative newspaper group, Le Figaro, in 2004, and was elected a senator in the right wing UMP party in 2004 and re-elected in 2011. His re-election as mayor of Corbeil-Essonne was annulled over allegations he paid for the votes of poor people (which he denied), and finally, he went on trial in 2016 on charges that he hid some 31 million euros from the French tax authority in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and the Virgin Islands. He was found guilty of those charges and fined 2 million euros in 2017, but spared from prison due to his age. [source: AFP] o On June 11th, French farmers blocked access to 13 refineries across France to protest plans to import palm oil for use in biofuels, claiming it jeopardizes their livelihoods. Total, the fuel giant, wants to import up to 300,000 tons a year of palm oil which environmentalists blame for the deforestation of rainforests primarily in southeast Asia. French rapeseed and sunflower growers will lose, saying that the palm oil producers do not abide by EU regulatory requirements. This is also a complaint about imported meat from South America and wine from Spain. A spokesman for the Young Farmers union said they are not against imports, but that the government should be consistent and apply the same rules to imports as they must follow or French agriculture will disappear. [source: AFP] o A baby was born on a Paris train on the 18th of June, and the capital's transport network has offered the newborn boy free rail travel until he is 25! The mother went into labor at the Auber station in central Paris, and he was born at 11:40AM with help from 15 people including emergency workers, police and railway staff. RER trains were halted on the line for about 45 minutes. [source: AFP] o Bouquinistes along the River Seine in Paris are seeking recognition from UNESCO as a world heritage treasure on the 'intangible heritage' list. Referring to themselves as "the biggest open-air bookshop in the world", they have been a fixture in Paris since the 17th century. About 1000 stalls belong to 226 registered booksellers lining both sides of the Seine, and they don't pay any rent for their spots. But, making a living has become increasingly difficult with competition from multimedia and selling mostly trinkets to tourists rather than literary 'tomes'. One seller thought the city should pay them as they are an attraction and something of a spectacle (in a good way). Olivia Polski, the City Hall official in charge of commerce, is pushing their campaign with the culture ministry that has the final word on candidates to be submitted in March of next year. She is hoping, too, that the 'postcard perfect bistros and terraces of Paris' will become UNESCO world heritage treasures. President Macron has lent his support to French bakers who say their crusty baguettes deserve recognition. [source: AFP] o The Mulhouse Zoo in eastern France welcomed two endangered clouded leopard cubs on July 5th. The zoo has not had cubs born since 2014, primarily because the adults tend to be very solitary individuals. The clouded leopard is notoriously secretive, diminutive and small, growing only to 24 to 36 inches long and weighing from 24 to 44 pounds as adults. [source: AFP] o Put away that cellphone! A law passed July 30th takes effect in September banning the use of mobile phones in schools, a pledge of Emmanuel Macron when he ran for office. All three tiers of French schools (primary, middle and high school) will be affected. Schools may make exceptions for using the phones relating to teaching, extra-curricular activities or for disabled pupils. Nearly nine out of ten French teens from ages 12 to 17 own a smart phone. The law helps reduce the viewing of dangerous online content and cyberbullying and expands on a law that's been on the books since 2010 prohibiting phone use during classes. [source: AFP] o In 1954 a French skier went missing in the Aosta region of northern Italy near the Swiss border. The remains of a body and skiing equipment were found in 2005 at 10,000 feet, but until now it had not been identified. A watch, glasses, pieces of his shirt with embroidered initials and expensive-looking wooden skis were found with the body. The investigators in Italy had no luck identifying the victim, so their findings were posted on Facebook asking people to pass the information around, especially in France and Switzerland. A French woman, Emma Hassem, heard the story on the radio and thought it might be her uncle, Henri La Masne who disappeared after skiing in a storm on his 35th birthday, March 26,1954, near the Matterhorn. Roger, Henri's younger brother, who is now 94, also came forward, and subsequent DNA tests confirmed the identification. CULTURE
o The works of Picasso and the Spanish Masters will be projected on the limestone surfaces of quarries by Carrières de Lumières until January 6, 2019. For locations and information visit www.carrieres-lumieres.com. o Paris' Musée Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac offers Paintings from Afar until January 6, 2019, The Little Explorer's Box of Delights until October 2018, Madagascar from September 18 to January 1, 2019, Cleaving the Air - The Japanese art of bamboo from November 27 to April 7, 2019 as well as other shows, conferences, scientific events and Open University. For information visit www.quaibranly.fr. o The Grand Palais will host Michael Jackson: On the Wall a tribute to his life, music, fashion and dance from November 23 until January 17, 2019. Details at www.grandpalais.fr.  o The resort town of Deauville in Normandy will once again host the 43rd American Film Festival from August 31 to September 9, 2018. Cinema celebrities, actors and directors, will once again descend on Deauville to gain recognition for their work from the Grand Prix for best picture, the Prix du Jury for best director, the Prix du Public for the audiences' favorite film, the Prix de la Critique Internationale for their best film selection, and several others. See the names of film icons and celebrities etched along the famous boardwalk, and see who will be added this year. Information and ticket prices can be found at www.festival-deauville.com. o Granville, Normandy is the place for superb fresh seafood and this year will be no exception. Toute La Mer Sur Un Plateau is schedule for September 29-30 this year, when visitors can enjoy langoustines, whelks and other delights from the sea, fresh out of the nets and served with white wine or cider. For details visit www.tourisme-granville-terre-mer.com. o The Château de Chaumont in the Loire has a fascinating history, the highlight of which is that it became the home in exile of Diane de Poitiers, Henri II's mistress upon the King's death. His widow, Catherine de Medici, 'traded' it for Château de Chenonceau where Diane had been residing. Today, the beautiful château is a museum and annually hosts its Festival International des Jardins - this year's theme is 'Garden of Thoughts', and it runs until November 4th. More information available at www.domaine-chaumont.fr. o Versailles Les Grandes Eaux-Musicales, until October 30, will delight visitors as they are encouraged to wander the château's formal gardens from one fabulous fountain to the next as jets of water spray to the rhythm of Baroque music. Details and directions at www.chateauversailles.fr. o Calais is the home of the Museum of Lace and Fashion which will present Haute Dentelle until January 6. The exhibit focuses on the use of lace by high-fashion designers including Chanel, Dior, Gaultier, Vuitton and Valentino. For all the details visit www.cite-dentelle.fr. o Paris' delightful Musée Jacquemart-André will host an exciting exhibit entitled Caravaggio's Roman Period - his friends and enemies from September 21 to the 28th of January, 2019. Nine of the painter's masterpieces, on loan from international museums, will be brought together for this exhibition which will look at his links to collectors, artists and poets of his time. His departure from Rome, never to return, came after he was sentenced to death after killing a man in a brawl. He went to Naples and continued to paint in his realistic, often imitated, style. For more information visit www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com. o If you plan to be in Montpellier between now and September 23rd, don't miss the exhibit Picasso - donner à voir at the Musée Fabre de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. As the promotion by the museum says, "The mystery of Picasso's work can be attributed to his continuously evolving transformations. He is the prolific artist whose style is both instantly recognizable and yet so extraordinarily elusive." Details at https://www.montpellier-france.com/. In the U.S. and Canada
o La Maison Française at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., will present five classic French films September through November, including Breathless, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo. It was director Jean-Luc Goddard's directorial debut and Belmondo's breakthrough as an actor. This 1960 film, co-starring American actress Jean Seberg, is one of the earliest and most influential of French new wave cinematic offerings. It will be shown on September 25th at 7PM. Admission to this and the other films is free, but online registration is required in advance on their web site. The other films are Paris Prestige (September 11), When the Cat's Away (October 9), Hôtel du Nord (October 23), and the concert entitled Formidable - The Aznavour Tribute (November 10). o
Film Series - Film Noir at the Aero
Theatre, 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, California:
September 6 though 9. More information at http://frenchculture.org/events/8499-film-noir-aero-theatre.
 o Festi
Jazz International de Rimouski, August 29 to September 2 in the
Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Québec, Canada, in the city of Rimouski. Details at http://festijazzrimouski.com/en/. 
DID YOU
KNOW? France was the
first country in the world to ban
THE BOOKSHELF - A Walk Through Paris - A Radical Exploration by Eric Hazan  The
author is a former surgeon,
the founder of a publishing company, and someone who chose to walk from
Ivry in the southeast to Saint-Denis in the north of the city more or
less following the 'meridian' or the imaginary line that divides the
east and west of Paris. Along the way, he brings history to life,
recounts memories of his own youth, relates important events that
may have taken place on a particular corner or in a particular
neighborhood, and describes the changes ~ whether positive or
negative ~ made to the city over time. He
gives his theory on the
closing of the iconic department store, Samaritaine, some ten years ago
under the pretense of 'security' ~ now owned by the well-regarded
Japanese company SANAA, that designed the Louvre-Lens. Plans are
for shopping galleries on the lower floors and a luxury hotel with
eighty suites above overlooking the Seine. He expresses hope that the
treasured Art Deco ironwork will be preserved and that the architects
avoid anything that will result in a disaster if money and luxury
overshadow the preservation of this fine traditional symbol of Paris. Hazan
tells of the political
conflicts that took place beginning in 1974 when Giscard became
president which gave him control of Les Halles as Paris hadn't had a
mayor since the Revolution. The renovation of Les Halles was
given over to Ricardo Bofill, a Catalan architect who would go on, a
few years later, to design the Antigone Quarter in Montpellier.
He won the competition for Les Halles, and his plan was to make a
monument within the city, a green area with architectural character
suiting French tradition, and a gathering place for people. The
construction began on the project, and then Jacques
Chirac became the mayor in 1977. The buildings, some three
stories high, were demolished. An enormous excavation remained
after new plans were adopted and part of it became the RER station. Tales
such as these are in every
chapter of this interesting book of Paris ~ you will learn things
you've never known nor will find in any history book. For
example. did you know that Henri IV was killed with a dagger by
Ravaillac while on his way to inaugurate the chapel of Saint-Louis
hospital? Well, perhaps you did know that, but did you also know
that this happened along the arcades of Rue de la Ferronnerie near the
Rue Saint-Denis? Were you aware that in 1709 there were riots in
the vicinity of Rue Saint-Denis at the end of Louis XIV's reign due to
the scarcity of bread? The later riots of 1827, the author tells
us,
were like "a dress rehearsal" for the revolution of July 1830,
insurrection rose in 1831, and the Saint-Denis area rose up again
during the cholera epidemic of 1832 ~ and many others followed in this
quarter in 1834, 1839, and 1841. He tells us that today you can
cross from the Rue Saint-Denis, a working class bit of old Paris, to
the
Rue Montorgeuil, "one of the most frequented by a young and well-heeled
bourgeoisie and by tourists from around the world." There
is so much to learn about
this south to north slice of Paris, and this is a book that Parisians
who, like the author, have spent their entire lives in the city would
truly appreciate. Certainly to outsiders it can be complex trying
to follow all the streets, boulevards and avenues Eric Hazan
describes. As one critic mentioned: having a good map of the
city handy as you read the book would be of benefit. But, this
book does something else: it takes a small, narrow portion of the
City of Light and reveals just how much history is hidden by the
metropolitan place we know today. As an American familiar with
cities less than 400 years old ~ Manhattan was a trading post
established by Dutch colonists in 1624 ~ Paris is so very rich in a
history than began between 250 and 200 BC when the Gauls settled the
Ile de la Cité ~ 2250 years ago. We
do recommend A
Walk Through Paris and
admire the author's knowledge and the research he must have done to
supplement that knowledge. For anyone fascinated by Paris from
antiquity to the present day, this book is an excellent place to begin.
A Walk Through Paris - A Radical Exploration by Eric Hazan English translation 2018 and published by Verso, an imprint of New Life Books, 6 Meard Street, London and 20 Jay Street. Suite 1010, Brooklyn, New York ISBN-13: 978-1-78663-258-6 UK ISBN-13: 978-1-78663-260-9 The author also wrote A History of the French Revolution (2017) and The Invention of Paris - A History in Footsteps (2011) as well as many other books.
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