The summer sales started yesterday and run until August 4. Having shopped in many countries, I can say that the French sales are the best. Since summer weather has not really started here, there is still lots of good merchandise in the stores.
The sales are regulated and here is a little more information about how that works. The dates of the sales must be clearly marked at the store, as well as the nature of the merchandise. An item can only be discounted if it has been in the store for one month or more. More items cannot be brought in during the sale. The price tags must clearly show the original price, the sale price and the percentage of the mark down. This is the only time when an item can be sold at a loss. There are 500 inspectors who work seven months of the year. They check prices before and during the sales and ensure that the merchants are following the rules. If they are not, the fines run from 1,500 € to 180,000€. Yes, 180,000€!! That must be for stores like Louis Vuitton.
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Friday, 22 June 2007
La Fête de la Musique
Didn’t we have fun!
La Fête de la Musique is a huge musical “party” that has France movin’ and groovin’. (Doesn’t that sound old fashioned?) It was initiated in 1982 by the French Ministry for Culture and is now held in hundreds of countries on the first day of summer each year. All musicians play for free and the genre runs from classical to techno.
Let me tell you how we enjoyed it. First, we decided to stop in at one of our favourite little bistros for a glass of wine at the bar. On our way, we encountered a French horn group. There must have been 20 of them and we stopped and listened a while. At Le Petit Verdot, we had our drinks, promising to return later for dinner and headed out into the streets of our neighbourhood again. We meandered listening to a Jamaican band at the Southwest Café, a rock group at Dada Café, a trio singing English pop at Place Ternes and a techno group at Place Tristan Bernard. At this last place, free tins of Pringles Gourmet Thai Sweet Chilli and Lemongrass flavoured chips were being handed out. They were good. It was around 9:00 p.m. and the streets were full of families with excited children who were having great fun dancing. Heading back to Le Petit Verdot, we heard several other groups including jazz and the French horns again who were moving about the neighbourhood. Most bands were set up on the sidewalks.
On our way home after dinner, we passed several more bands but headed back to the Jamaicans. There was a crowd of adults dancing in the street and we joined in and danced until midnight. Continuing our walk home, we stopped in at Stephane and Patricia’s, a little Italian, family-style bistro run by a brother and sister. The name of the place is actually Parigi Val di Taro! They had moved all the tables aside and were dancing to taped music. We had a quick dance with the owners and this time, we really went home. As we walked, I said, “J’aime mon quartier” – “I love my neighbourhood” and a couple walking ahead turned around and said “Nous aussi”- “So do we”.
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by Deborrah
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Monday, 18 June 2007
June 18, 2007 - Paris & Normandy
June 18, 2007
A week in and out of Paris
On Tuesday, I spent the entire day at La Défense where Tim works. I was helping with the election for the board of the cultural association that we belong to. Well, there was a little lunch and coffee drinking thrown in there too. I also paid a surprise visit to Tim.
The same day Tim had a late night with his wine-tasting club in Levallois. It was a beautiful summer night so I decided to cross the street to Edouard's for a glass of wine. Many of our local friends were there and I had a nice evening chatting and sipping champagne.
On Wednesday, we were in Levallois (two metro stops from home) at La Fermerie, a wine and cheese shop owned by a good friend. He was having a soirée Corse. All products came from Corsica. We tasted a donkey sausage (saucisson d’âne) and it was good. Âne translates as “ass” but…
We thought we would stay home on Thursday and planned a light supper and early night, but stopped for a glass at Caves Saint Vincent (aka Edouard's). A winery owner from the Côtes du Rhône stopped by with his wife, on their way to a light, early dinner in the neighbourhood; we know him but have never really talked much with her. Then Chloé, Edouard's wife arrived; she and Edouard had planned to have dinner somewhere together that night after the store closed. Chloé had never met either Jerome or his wife Josiane. This seemed to be an ideal opportunity for everyone to get to know one another and furthermore, Tim and I were hardly going to eat at home if everyone else in the neighbourhood was going out. Off we went to Chez Ly, the best local Asian restaurant for what turned out to be a pretty late night. It got even later when Jerome was called into another local restaurant by the effervescent owner Alexandre who insisted on opening a superb little white burgundy for us. Chloe and I had actually walked ahead and were nearing home when she received a call on her mobile to return to Balthazar. Very late indeed, but fairly typical of so many nights in the 17th. “
Friday – Edouard catered a déjeuner d’agneau au bitume (lamb cooked in tar- it is wrapped in tinfoil first). An event reserved for those who work on road construction and I'm not sorry! A glass at Edouard’s and then we really did have a quiet supper at Parigi Val di taro. Our friend Jackie joined us.
Saturday - another trip to Normandy. We had planned it as a beach day and one hiking day but the weather has not been very cooperative lately. While we have had some warm and even stickier-than-usual weather, summer has yet to arrive. We explored Houlgate and its bizarre houses in light rain. They are huge villas that look like they were designed by many different architects. You will find, brick, stucco, carved wood, colourful ceramic tiles forming all kinds of designs and more on each house. More often than not, there is a ceramic cat on the porch roof. When it started to pour we ran for cover in the first restaurant that looked suitable. We have yet to have a decent lunch in Normandy. The service was polite but slow and the Normands are simply not able to cook fish or molluscs. More exploring by car in the rain in the afternoon. Arrived in Honfleur in late afternoon; despite the rain, we, and thousands of other tourists, walked the quaint village streets. The history, shops and especially galleries were all impressive. A largely decent dinner of some modern French food that night and a walk up the steep street to our chambres d'hôtes finished the day.
We decided to cut out our planned, long hike on Sunday to opt for a tour of Honfleur in the promised sunshine. It is one of my favourite French towns, directly across from Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine. The very impressive modern Normandy Bridge has a span of 2,141 metres across the Seine. A good view of it is from the Côte de Grâce, a hill that has the Notre Dame de Grâce Chapelle tucked away on its summit. This chapel has one transept dedicated to the French who left for Canada from Honfleur. We searched for a Parent among the names, but found none.
Heading back to Paris, we meandered along country roads noting places to return to. Beuvron-en-Auge is listed as one of the prettiest villages in France and it truly is, with more flowers in bloom than you can imagine. Pont Audemer is another beautiful town. We headed back to Paris in the rain and in very heavy traffic but arrived in time to watch the results of the general election.
Just a note on elections
France votes twice for the election of its President and it seems that everyone is truly interested in this, since there is an over 85% turn-out.
A few weeks later, there is a vote for the members of Parliament or députés de l’Assemblée Nationale. If there is no clear winner in a constituency in the first round, there is another vote two weeks later. By this time, I think that people are tired of voting and the turn-out is around 60%. It is all over for another five years.
A week in and out of Paris
On Tuesday, I spent the entire day at La Défense where Tim works. I was helping with the election for the board of the cultural association that we belong to. Well, there was a little lunch and coffee drinking thrown in there too. I also paid a surprise visit to Tim.
The same day Tim had a late night with his wine-tasting club in Levallois. It was a beautiful summer night so I decided to cross the street to Edouard's for a glass of wine. Many of our local friends were there and I had a nice evening chatting and sipping champagne.
On Wednesday, we were in Levallois (two metro stops from home) at La Fermerie, a wine and cheese shop owned by a good friend. He was having a soirée Corse. All products came from Corsica. We tasted a donkey sausage (saucisson d’âne) and it was good. Âne translates as “ass” but…
We thought we would stay home on Thursday and planned a light supper and early night, but stopped for a glass at Caves Saint Vincent (aka Edouard's). A winery owner from the Côtes du Rhône stopped by with his wife, on their way to a light, early dinner in the neighbourhood; we know him but have never really talked much with her. Then Chloé, Edouard's wife arrived; she and Edouard had planned to have dinner somewhere together that night after the store closed. Chloé had never met either Jerome or his wife Josiane. This seemed to be an ideal opportunity for everyone to get to know one another and furthermore, Tim and I were hardly going to eat at home if everyone else in the neighbourhood was going out. Off we went to Chez Ly, the best local Asian restaurant for what turned out to be a pretty late night. It got even later when Jerome was called into another local restaurant by the effervescent owner Alexandre who insisted on opening a superb little white burgundy for us. Chloe and I had actually walked ahead and were nearing home when she received a call on her mobile to return to Balthazar. Very late indeed, but fairly typical of so many nights in the 17th. “
Friday – Edouard catered a déjeuner d’agneau au bitume (lamb cooked in tar- it is wrapped in tinfoil first). An event reserved for those who work on road construction and I'm not sorry! A glass at Edouard’s and then we really did have a quiet supper at Parigi Val di taro. Our friend Jackie joined us.
Saturday - another trip to Normandy. We had planned it as a beach day and one hiking day but the weather has not been very cooperative lately. While we have had some warm and even stickier-than-usual weather, summer has yet to arrive. We explored Houlgate and its bizarre houses in light rain. They are huge villas that look like they were designed by many different architects. You will find, brick, stucco, carved wood, colourful ceramic tiles forming all kinds of designs and more on each house. More often than not, there is a ceramic cat on the porch roof. When it started to pour we ran for cover in the first restaurant that looked suitable. We have yet to have a decent lunch in Normandy. The service was polite but slow and the Normands are simply not able to cook fish or molluscs. More exploring by car in the rain in the afternoon. Arrived in Honfleur in late afternoon; despite the rain, we, and thousands of other tourists, walked the quaint village streets. The history, shops and especially galleries were all impressive. A largely decent dinner of some modern French food that night and a walk up the steep street to our chambres d'hôtes finished the day.
We decided to cut out our planned, long hike on Sunday to opt for a tour of Honfleur in the promised sunshine. It is one of my favourite French towns, directly across from Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine. The very impressive modern Normandy Bridge has a span of 2,141 metres across the Seine. A good view of it is from the Côte de Grâce, a hill that has the Notre Dame de Grâce Chapelle tucked away on its summit. This chapel has one transept dedicated to the French who left for Canada from Honfleur. We searched for a Parent among the names, but found none.
Heading back to Paris, we meandered along country roads noting places to return to. Beuvron-en-Auge is listed as one of the prettiest villages in France and it truly is, with more flowers in bloom than you can imagine. Pont Audemer is another beautiful town. We headed back to Paris in the rain and in very heavy traffic but arrived in time to watch the results of the general election.
Just a note on elections
France votes twice for the election of its President and it seems that everyone is truly interested in this, since there is an over 85% turn-out.
A few weeks later, there is a vote for the members of Parliament or députés de l’Assemblée Nationale. If there is no clear winner in a constituency in the first round, there is another vote two weeks later. By this time, I think that people are tired of voting and the turn-out is around 60%. It is all over for another five years.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Elections
It seemed as though the election of the President of France lasted forever. Nicolas Sarkozy was campaigning unofficially in April 2005 when we arrived. I think he started campaigning the day he was born. He won and has put together a Cabinet of 15 Ministers (8 men and 7 women) from all parties. In France you do not have to be elected to be a Minister. Perhaps this is a good thing, since the choice is not limited. Also, you can be a Minister and hold other jobs. At the moment, Alain Juppé, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment, Ecology, Sustainable Development (with responsibility for Transportation) is also the Mayor of Bordeaux and he has no intention of relinquishing that post. The elections for members of the Assemblée Nationale are in June. First they elect the President, who appoints a Prime Minister, who names a Cabinet and then they have the general election. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Cabinet Ministers need to run for seats in the Assemblée Nationale but as a demonstration of their belief in Democracy, 12 of them actually are! This is a break from tradition. It is all very different from the Canadian system.
Another shocking break from tradition
It has been the practice for a new President to give amnesty to all outstanding speeding tickets and parking tickets. Our friends in the neighbourhood have been holding on to their “PVs” (or Proces verbale – that's what they call any kind of a ticket here) for months now, expecting that they could just throw them out. Surprise! Sarkozy is a law and order guy and he was elected under a promise of “Rupture” from the past. There will be no amnesty. This has been front-page news for several days and people are still going around shaking their heads in disbelief.
Dieppe
We visited Dieppe on the weekend. It is a small city of about 35,000 people on the Atlantic; a two hour drive from Paris. Once we arrived, it felt like it took two hours to find a parking place. They need to do something about that. Otherwise, we found it charming. We were there in time for the Saturday morning market held in the pedestrian streets. The best part though was the fish market on the wharf. The fish was straight off the boat and when Tim asked if they would fillet a sole, he was told politely that they were fisherman and not “poissonier”. So, we bought sole and bar (a kind of bass I think) at a fraction of the price we'd pay inland. We also bought all kinds of vegetables (the white asparagus is still in season), a huge head of fresh, purple garlic, which we were told to roast with parmesan. We did and it was great. Luckily, we planned for this shopping and had a cooler with us. It had frozen bottles of water in it because it is almost impossible to buy ice in France. It seems funny to me that they sell coolers but not ice.
We walked across a metal swing bridge built by Eiffel in the late 1800’s and had lunch in a fish restaurant (Le Mélie) overlooking the basin. It was amazing how many times the bridge swung open to let boats through. Considering how old the bridge is, it works very well.
We never made it to the beach or the cliffs that are on either side of Dieppe, although we did have a view of them. It really made you wonder why anyone thought that it was a good place for our Canadians to land on August 19, 1942. One thousand young men died that day. There is a small museum that we visited dedicated to that day. It is called, “Le Musée du 19 août 1942”. It is in an Italian style theatre. It has very deep boxes and is very ornate with gold gilding and beautiful carvings. However, this theatre is in dire need of restoration and will either be torn down or renovated. That made it all the more poignant. We sat on metal chairs on the main level (I think the other levels were unsafe) and watched a video on a small ancient television. The video told the story of what happened on that day. Men who survived told their stories. The rest of the museum (all in the same room) contained uniforms and other memorabilia. There was a copy of the Hamilton Spectator. It cost 2 cents. An older gentleman and a distinguished looking older lady, both very French, were on duty at the museum. They obviously have dedicated a good part of their lives to ensuring that the Canadian effort is not forgotten. The man remembered the day of the Canadian landing and took Tim around the room to point out some details. Amazing.
Céline
Céline Dion is coming to town…in May 2008 and there is advertising all over the place already. She has put out her first French album in nine years. I think she has a great voice but I am not a fan. I just mention it because I find it surprising that the advertising starts a year ahead of the event.
Paris events
They do some incredible things in Paris – like dumping tonnes of sand along the banks Seine every year and turning it into a beach (“Paris Plage”). Here is a new one:
For 10 days, beginning June 1, there will be an artificial lagoon at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. The base of the tower will be in water, according to the report. There will be photos of fish on the bottom of the lagoon and the idea is that you can go scuba-diving and look at fish. The only catch is that you have to be 8 years old or under.
Bicycles
Beginning in June, Paris will have 20,600 rental bicycles at 1,451 bicycle stations. The system is designed to facilitate short trips. The idea is that you can pick up bike at one station and drop it off at another. There will be several stations near us. You pay a modest fee to join the service (5€ a week or 29€ a year) then the first half hour is free, and thereafter it costs 1€ per hour. I was surprised to read that there are 371 kms of bike paths in Paris.
It seemed as though the election of the President of France lasted forever. Nicolas Sarkozy was campaigning unofficially in April 2005 when we arrived. I think he started campaigning the day he was born. He won and has put together a Cabinet of 15 Ministers (8 men and 7 women) from all parties. In France you do not have to be elected to be a Minister. Perhaps this is a good thing, since the choice is not limited. Also, you can be a Minister and hold other jobs. At the moment, Alain Juppé, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment, Ecology, Sustainable Development (with responsibility for Transportation) is also the Mayor of Bordeaux and he has no intention of relinquishing that post. The elections for members of the Assemblée Nationale are in June. First they elect the President, who appoints a Prime Minister, who names a Cabinet and then they have the general election. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Cabinet Ministers need to run for seats in the Assemblée Nationale but as a demonstration of their belief in Democracy, 12 of them actually are! This is a break from tradition. It is all very different from the Canadian system.
Another shocking break from tradition
It has been the practice for a new President to give amnesty to all outstanding speeding tickets and parking tickets. Our friends in the neighbourhood have been holding on to their “PVs” (or Proces verbale – that's what they call any kind of a ticket here) for months now, expecting that they could just throw them out. Surprise! Sarkozy is a law and order guy and he was elected under a promise of “Rupture” from the past. There will be no amnesty. This has been front-page news for several days and people are still going around shaking their heads in disbelief.
Dieppe
We visited Dieppe on the weekend. It is a small city of about 35,000 people on the Atlantic; a two hour drive from Paris. Once we arrived, it felt like it took two hours to find a parking place. They need to do something about that. Otherwise, we found it charming. We were there in time for the Saturday morning market held in the pedestrian streets. The best part though was the fish market on the wharf. The fish was straight off the boat and when Tim asked if they would fillet a sole, he was told politely that they were fisherman and not “poissonier”. So, we bought sole and bar (a kind of bass I think) at a fraction of the price we'd pay inland. We also bought all kinds of vegetables (the white asparagus is still in season), a huge head of fresh, purple garlic, which we were told to roast with parmesan. We did and it was great. Luckily, we planned for this shopping and had a cooler with us. It had frozen bottles of water in it because it is almost impossible to buy ice in France. It seems funny to me that they sell coolers but not ice.
We walked across a metal swing bridge built by Eiffel in the late 1800’s and had lunch in a fish restaurant (Le Mélie) overlooking the basin. It was amazing how many times the bridge swung open to let boats through. Considering how old the bridge is, it works very well.
We never made it to the beach or the cliffs that are on either side of Dieppe, although we did have a view of them. It really made you wonder why anyone thought that it was a good place for our Canadians to land on August 19, 1942. One thousand young men died that day. There is a small museum that we visited dedicated to that day. It is called, “Le Musée du 19 août 1942”. It is in an Italian style theatre. It has very deep boxes and is very ornate with gold gilding and beautiful carvings. However, this theatre is in dire need of restoration and will either be torn down or renovated. That made it all the more poignant. We sat on metal chairs on the main level (I think the other levels were unsafe) and watched a video on a small ancient television. The video told the story of what happened on that day. Men who survived told their stories. The rest of the museum (all in the same room) contained uniforms and other memorabilia. There was a copy of the Hamilton Spectator. It cost 2 cents. An older gentleman and a distinguished looking older lady, both very French, were on duty at the museum. They obviously have dedicated a good part of their lives to ensuring that the Canadian effort is not forgotten. The man remembered the day of the Canadian landing and took Tim around the room to point out some details. Amazing.
Céline
Céline Dion is coming to town…in May 2008 and there is advertising all over the place already. She has put out her first French album in nine years. I think she has a great voice but I am not a fan. I just mention it because I find it surprising that the advertising starts a year ahead of the event.
Paris events
They do some incredible things in Paris – like dumping tonnes of sand along the banks Seine every year and turning it into a beach (“Paris Plage”). Here is a new one:
For 10 days, beginning June 1, there will be an artificial lagoon at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. The base of the tower will be in water, according to the report. There will be photos of fish on the bottom of the lagoon and the idea is that you can go scuba-diving and look at fish. The only catch is that you have to be 8 years old or under.
Bicycles
Beginning in June, Paris will have 20,600 rental bicycles at 1,451 bicycle stations. The system is designed to facilitate short trips. The idea is that you can pick up bike at one station and drop it off at another. There will be several stations near us. You pay a modest fee to join the service (5€ a week or 29€ a year) then the first half hour is free, and thereafter it costs 1€ per hour. I was surprised to read that there are 371 kms of bike paths in Paris.
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