Beaux Voyages Blog

A Slap in the Face to Sarkozy- French Municipal Elections

2008-03-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

About a week ago the French went to the polls once again to elect mayors and local officials. A message of discontent was sent to President Nicolas Sarkozy and his UMP party, and the principle winner was the Socialist Party which had lost the Presidential election to Sarkozy 10 months earlier.

The major issue was diminishing purchasing power (pouvoir d’achat). With rising commodity prices around the world (oil, grains, metals, etc.) the cost of living in most countries is rising. Sarkozy’s strategy is to allow people to work longer hours and earn more money if they wish to. The 35 hour work week introduced by the Socialist Party some years ago limited the amount of time people can work.

Let me emphasize that point for people in countries where one is free to work as long as he/she wishes. It has been illegal to work more than 35 hours in France for a number of years and illegal for employers to pay people for more than that amount of work (there are a few exceptions)- this in a supposedly free country. The law was put in place by the Socialists in order to make more jobs available, that is, where 10 jobs existed before at 40 hours per week, about 11 jobs at 35 hours per week would now take over. Of course this ridiculous effort by the left to simplistically manipulate human activity didn’t work, and the French continued to have about double the unemployment rate of most industrialized countries. Undeterred, the French left continues to claim the 35 hour experiment as a success, claiming they have made “social progress”.

Other issues in the municipal elections defeats no doubt included Sarkozy’s personal style which was typified by an incident at a large agricultural show in Paris recently. A farmer, who was near Sarkozy and whose hand Sarkozy attempted to shake, insulted the President by saying something like “Don’t touch me- you’re dirty”. This provoked Sarkozy’s anger, and in his combative style he returned an insult to the farmer, who no doubt deserved it since he showed no respect for the position of President of his country, even if he doesn’t care for the man. The incident is curious because Sarkozy draws a crowd, and for this person to get so close to him makes one wonder if the incident wasn’t staged. The bait was taken, however, and the incident was caught on video with Sarkozy looking less than “presidential”. Additionally, after being elected Sarkozy seemed to be everywhere, trying to personally resolve almost every issue himself. He was dubbed the “Hyper-President”.

Sarkozy’s personal life may have also been a factor, but the French normally don’t make an issue of such things regarding their elected officials. Sarkozy has been divorced and remarried in the 10 months since he was elected.

After this municipal election setback, Sarkozy has changed some personnel in his cabinet and promised to back off a bit with respect to his personal style. He still intends to move forward with the reforms he promised in his election campaign. It is still early days, as the British say, and Sarkozy has more than 4 years left in his 5 year mandate.

Return to Beaux Voyages Home Page by clicking here: France Tours

2008 Michelin Red Guide Released- Only 26 3-Star Restaurants in France

2008-03-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

The 2008 Michelin Red Guide was released a couple of days ago. The first restaurant in Marseille to ever be awarded the coveted 3 star award, Le Petit Nice of chef Gérald Passédat was one of only 26 restaurants in France rated at the 3 star level (must be expensive bouilliabaisse). A famous restaurant in Paris, the Grand Véfour, lost one of the three stars it has held for the past eight years. The Grand Véfour has had many famous clients dine there since it was established in 1784.

Rating restaurants is serious business in France. A famous chef appeared to have committed suicide in 2003 after his restaurant was downgraded (not by the Michelin Red Guide but by another well known restaurant guide).

Only 68 other restaurants in France were awarded 2 stars, and 435 rated 1 star this year. If you have ever dined in a restaurant in France rated even 1 star, you know that is a treat. We are looking forward to dining in a 2 star restaurant for two nights later this summer with one of our groups.

The 2008 Michelin Red Guide rated 3,569 restaurants in total. Even those not awarded stars will still be quite good. You can purchase a copy on Amazon, or if you are in France you can pick up one of the guides almost anywhere. Your hotel will probably have a copy as well, so ask if you can have a look. The guide also rates hotels.

Return to Beaux Voyages home page: France Tours

French News Ecstatic About Best Actress Oscar Win

2008-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

The French national news last evening was ecstatic that a French woman, Marion Cotillard (pronounced co- tee- yard) won the Best Actress Oscar the previous night. They spent about 10 minutes talking about Ms. Cotillard, who starred in the role of Edith Piaf, the well known French singer in the movie “La Vie en Rose”. This was the first such win for a French woman in about 50 years when Simone Signoret also won the best actress Oscar. What makes this win even sweeter is that Signoret's Oscar was for an English speaking role, while Cotillard's role was in French. A couple of other Oscar's were won by French people on the night for non-acting efforts. The total of 3 Oscar's in one year is a huge boost for French film making.

I learned that Ms. Cotillard is 32 years of age, and she certainly looked stunning at the Academy Awards in her designer gown. In fact I would say that the word stunning is an understatement. If you saw the Oscars show you know what I mean.

We haven’t seen the film yet- I think it came out when we were in France last year. We will either see it in a theater if it comes out again or rent the DVD. I’ve heard from a fellow Francophile that it is an excellent film. In France the film was released with the title “La Môme”. “La Vie en Rose” is actually the name of one of Piaf’s well known songs.

La Môme is a slang word in French, and I believe the best translation might be “The Brat”, although not having seen the film, this is only an educated guess. According to my French-American dictionary it could also mean “The Kid”. I recall a song by the French singer Renaud when we lived there in the 80’s that had the word in a title. In that case it meant “little kid” if memory serves. In fact I think the song may have been about one of his children.

Perhaps a French reader of this post might be so kind as to clear this up with a comment.

This is a bit ironic in a way. If you read down several posts you’ll see one about a Time cover story recently which argued that French culture is essentially dead, and that French films in particular are only being made for the French market. It looks like the Motion Picture Academy in the U.S. disagrees.

Return to Beaux Voyages Home Page: France Tours

Flight Delays in Paris This Week

2008-02-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

If you are flying into or out of Paris this week, 11-15 Feb., you are likely to encounter flight delays and cancellations due to an air traffic controller strike.

The CGT union, which is affiliated with the PC, or communist party, has decided to call a strike of air traffic controllers to protest a plan to consolidate the efforts of air traffic control at Paris airports. This plan won’t take effect for several years, but the CGT is objecting to an initial first step for 2011 to transfer some controlers from Orly airport to Charles de Gaulle.

If you are flying to or from Paris this week, keep a close eye on events and contact your airline to see if they have news about your flight.

If you are heading to Paris, check out this page for numerous resources- Paris Sightseeing Tours

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Current Art Exhibits and Cultural Events in France

2008-01-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some new art exhibits and cultural events going on in France right now:

L’Atelier d’Alberto Giacometti- (The Studio of Alberto Giacometti)

With more than 600 sculptures, paintings, drawings and photographs, most of them from the Alberto and Annette Giacometti Foundation, this is the most complete retrospective of the artist’s work ever organized.

Centre Pompidou
Place Georges Pompidou, 4th
Métro: Hôtel de Ville
01.44.78.12.33
www.centrepompidou.fr
€10. Through Feb 11.

Christian Lacroix: Histoires de Mode- (Christian Lacroix: Stories of Fashion)

Plunging into the museum’s archives, couturier Christian Lacroix has assembled a history of fashion from the 18th century to the 21st, with some 400 historical articles and 80 of his own couture creations.

Les Arts Décoratifs, Musée de la Mode et du Textile
107 rue de Rivoli, 1st
Métro: Palais Royal
01.44.55.57.50
www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
€8. Through April 20.

Benjamin Franklin: Un Américain à Paris, 1776–1785

A big show documenting the political influence—and immense social success—of Ben Franklin during the nine years he spent in Paris as ambassador of the new U.S. Congress.

Musée Carnavalet
23 rue de Sévigné, 3rd
Métro: St-Paul
01.44.59.58.58
www.carnavalet.paris.fr
€7. Dec 5–Mar 9.

Carnaval de Nice

The city’s annual two-week carnival, with traditional parades of flower-covered floats. This year’s theme is the Roi des Ratapignatas, Raminagrobis et Autres Ramassis de Rats Masqués, an alliterative play on the Chinese Year of the Rat, with Ratapignata a bat in the medieval Niçois bestiary and Raminagrobis the Rabelaisian fat cat in a fable by La Fontaine.

www.nicecarnaval.com
Some of the parades are free, others require tickets. €10–€25.
Feb 16–Mar 2

Menton Lemon Festival

A citrus-flavored cousin to Nice’s Carnaval, the Fête du Citron celebrates the balmy microclimate of Menton, on the Côte d’Azur near the Italian border, the only place in France warm enough to grow edible lemons. Thousands of them are used, along with oranges and grapefruit, to construct giant sculptures and decorate floats for the festival’s parades.

www.feteducitron.com
€9–€16.
Feb 16–Mar 5.

Heading to Paris? Here are some other excellent resources and things to do: Paris Sightseeing Tours

Planning A Trip To Paris? Click Here

2008-01-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here is an excellent site if you are planning a trip to Paris: CityZeum. You’ll find useful information about museums (you can even download an audio file about each museum to an MP3, iPod, PDA/Handheld, mobile, or GPS handheld), restaurants, bistros, amusements, gardens, transportation, monuments, and shopping. There is a handy map of Paris you can print out as well. This appears to be an excellent site for Paris, whether this will be your first trip, or if you have been there many times.

After all, you can never see everything in Paris, so click here: CityZeum

Return to Beaux Voyages home page: France Tours

Hallelujah!- No Smoking in France Restaurants!

2007-12-27T12:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever walked into a restaurant or bar in France and been practically knocked over by the wall of cigarette smoke? That won’t happen any longer since as of Jan 1, 2008 smoking is prohibited in restaurants, bars, night clubs, etc. in France. Smoking has already been banned in other public places for some months, but the aforementioned establishments were given more time to adapt. In other words they held the law off as long as they possibly could.

All this brings back some painful memories that we won’t have to deal with again, like dining in a cute little “Bouchon” in Lyon (a typical type of restaurant in Lyon- there are many of them in the city), and by the end of the meal my poor sinuses were screaming for relief for the smoke. Or how about hopping onto a smoking train car by mistake? I remember too years ago being stuck in the smoking section of a trans-Atlantic flight before smoking was banned completely. For a while all was well, as no one was smoking around us. But then a couple of people who were sitting in the no smoking section came back and sat in empty seats just long enough to puff on a couple of weeds before returning to their regular seats, leaving us to consume the residue of their cigarettes.

I made a blog post about this subject once before and received a comment from an irate smoker who suggested that I was somehow deficient and could not appreciate the unique ambiance of French cafes and restaurants, of which smoking was a part. As if gagging on second hand smoke, not to mention the possibility of developing cancer from it, was somehow “quaint”. It will be a pleasure not to have to worry about this in the future, assuming people comply with the laws. I think it is fair to say that even in many restaurants that had so-called non-smoking sections, these were often very close to the smoking area and didn’t help much at all. It’s about time!

Click here to return to Beaux Voyages home page: France Tours

The Death of French Culture? Yes, says Time

2007-12-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

About a week ago on the French national evening news, which airs daily on French language channel TV5, there was suddenly a picture of a Time magazine article, and the anchor person said that the article argued that French culture was essentially dead. He dutifully talked about some of the arguments in the article: very few French novelists or painters are well known outside France, that most French movies are made for the domestic market and few are seen outside the country, etc. The anchor concluded by naming a couple of creative French films that did well in foreign markets in recent years, including the very successful “March of the Penguins”. Not surprisingly, the anchor was clearly defensive about the article.

The article also pointed out that the French government provides large subsidies for the arts, and some argue that these subsidies support mediocrity and are counter-productive. One French commentator said that in the 40’s and 50’s an artist had to go to Paris to make a name, but now one has to go to New York. It concludes that there is an enormous amount of cultural diversity and that the minorities who are more or less on the fringes of society have the energy and potential for innovation that can drive French art to the forefront once again. We’ll see.

In the next edition of Time there were some letters by readers, including a politically correct response from the U.S. Ambassador to France. Another made the point that the article mainly argues that most of the art and culture being created in France is for the domestic market, and he asks “so what”? I think this person is correct. There is no official score card or grand prize for the country with the most popular painters, rock stars, rappers, conductors, film makers, architects, etc. I for one couldn’t name many people for such a list, and I’m OK with that. I also detected a certain desire on the part of the Time correspondent, whose name is Don Morrison, to stick it to the French where it hurts. Everyone knows that as a group the French are uppidy about their supposedly superior culture and their so-called “social model”. So what? Let them be uppidy. We’ll continue to visit the country and enjoy what it has to offer- which is quite a lot.

One last comment- Morrison didn’t complain about the cultural history or the food in France, even acknowledging that the latter is still the world standard. These are the things we enjoy most when visiting the country, and apparently they are still high on everyone’s list, even the critics.

Click here to return to Beaux Voyages Home Page: France Tours

Current Art Exhibits in France

2007-12-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

In Paris-

At the Musee Picasso is an exhibition celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the painting that brought cubism into the world of art, Picasso’s famous “Demoiselles d’Avignon”. A number of his cubist works from 1906 to 1925 are on display. The museum is at 5 rue de Thorigny in the 3^rd arrondissement. The metro station is St. Paul, and the entrance fee is 6.50 euros. The exhibit runs through Jan. 7.

There is a major Corbet retrospective, the first of the great artist since 1977, at the Grand Palais which runs until Jan. 28^th. 120 paintings and 30 graphic works are shown, along with a number of photographs that point out details of his artistic ability and show how his paintings pertained to the social issues of his day. The Grand Palais is at 3 ave du General-Eisenhower in the 8^th arrondissement. The metro stop is Champs-Elysees.

An Impressionism exhibit is taking place at the Musee Marmottan-Monet until Feb 3. On display is the collection of the 19^th century Romanian physician Georges de Bellio and features works by Monet, Manet, Sisley, Pissarro, Renoir, Morisot, and others. The museum is at 2 rue Louis-Boilly in the 16^th arrondissement. The subway stop is La Muette. The exhibition costs 9 euros.

Arcimboldo (1526–1593)- More than 100 works by the mysterious Italian artist, including not only his famous anthropomorphic fruit and vegetable heads but also portraits from the Hapsburg court in Vienna and sketches for costumes and stage sets. Musée du Luxembourg
19 rue de Vaugirard, 6^th arrondissement.
Metro Station: Odéon
01.45.44.12.90
www.museeduluxembourg.fr
Cost is €11. Through Jan 13.

If you like Fragonard, over 100 of his 18^th century paintings and drawings are being displayed at the Musee Jacquemart-Andre at 158 blvd Haussmann in the 8^th arrondissement. The exhibition costs 9.50 euros and is on display until January 13^th. The metro stop is Miromesnil.

Elsewhere in France-

Biennale de Lyon- The major biennial show of international contemporary art, held in four locations: La Sucrière, the Musée d’Art Contemporain, the Bullukian Foundation and the Villeurbanne Institut d’Art Contemporain in or near Lyon. About 60 curators each chose one artist or work they deemed “essential to this decade.” Call 011 33 4.72.07.41.41 (from U.S.) www.biennale-de-lyon.org
Cost is €10. Through Jan 6.

History of Glass- Three exhibits in Nancy dedicated to crystal and glass: Transparences at the Musée Lorrain recounts the history of glass making in Lorraine; Verrerie Art Nouveau at the Musée de l’École de Nancy documents the work of the brothers Jean-Désiré and Eugène Muller; Daum et l’Esthétique des Années 1950 at the Musée des Beaux-Arts sheds some light on the era when the Daum family firm abandoned multicolor glass for pure transparent crystal.
64 Grande Rue, Nancy
011 33 3.83.32.18.74 (from U.S.)
www.nancy.fr
Cost is €8. Through Jan 7.

Going to Paris? Check out Paris Sightseeing Tours for helpful resources, tickets, etc.

Back to Beaux Voyages Home Page: France Tours

France Transit Strike- Sarkozy 1, Unions 0

2007-11-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

After 9 days of strikes, an unusual event in France where there are many strikes but they normally last only a day or two, the French unions caved in to the demands of President Nicolas Sarkozy, and almost all workers have returned to their jobs. French citizens and tourists, who were on the whole greatly inconvenienced by the lack of available public transport, especially in Paris, can now plan on moving about the country or returning to work in a normal manner. So if you are headed for Paris soon, you should not be delayed by the transit strikes any longer.

Sarkozy thus has been victorious in his first clash with the powerful French unions. Certainly he wanted to let them know that he was going to stand firm and will do so in the future as he continues with other reforms that the unions will not like. He picked a great issue to start with, as only a small number of public employees were eligible for a special retirement package that was paid for by the state. He said this situation was unfair and outdated, and the majority of French people backed him. By taking the bait to challenge Sarkozy on this issue, the unions overstepped their bounds in terms of popular opinion. They will need to be more careful in the future. One had the feeling that the unions were foaming at the mouth to challenge Sarkozy, but his favorable public opinion scores since the election have made this difficult.

Normally when there is a major strike the government gives in right away, offers concessions, and then things return to normal until the next time. Public servants in France, called “fonctionnaires”, not only have the right to strike in France, but they can tie up the country in knots and can’t be prevented from doing so. Since all the workers for the SNCF, the state owned rail company, the EDF, the state owned electric utility, and the GDF, the state owned gas company, are all employees of the state, one can see why things quickly grind to a halt.

The government proposed a series of negotiations that will last about a month. I expect they will offer some pay increases for workers and retirees, but the special retirement provision is out the window. It has been reported that this will save the French government something like 7 billion euros (about $10 billion) per year.

Sarkozy has other strikes to deal with as well. The issue of “pouvoir d’achat”, or cost of living (“the power to purchase”, translated literally) is the largest issue for French families right now, and Sarkozy has stated he will put forth more proposals to address this problem soon. Sarkozy has also often stated that he thinks the salaries of French people are too low. The problem is getting the economy growing fast enough to produce results. The social policies adopted by France over the years, such as the 35 hour work week for example, have resulted in an unemployment rate of about double that of other European countries, in the opinion of many.

So if you are going to France soon you won’t have to worry about trains, busses, and subways not working, at least for a while.

Return to Beaux Voyages home page by clicking here: France Travel

In Paris During Transit Strike

2007-11-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

One of our subscribers was in Paris this past week during the transit strike, which is still ongoing. Here’s what he had to say:

“We tried to make the best of our trip - all in all, we probably lost 1 day of sightseeing because it took longer to do everything...but other than that...the trip was great.
We took the Air France bus from the airport to Etoile and then took the metro...and we used the bikes to go from one place to another - what a great concept - it was awesome...we had such a good time...being from New York -we are used to walking so we walked everywhere...
for our way back again - the hotel said it was a long wait for taxi and since we only had hand luggage - we went to arc de triumph and then took the Air France bus.

We had a really good time...thanks for sending the ebook anyway.”

For details about the bike service he refers to- click here: Bike Service Paris

The ebook he refers to is entitled: “A Selection of 80 Inexpensive and Good Paris Restaurants”. For a free copy click here: France Tours and then click on the free ebook offer.

The stakes are high in this transit strike. Since this is the first labor confrontation with the Sarkozy government, neither side wants to back down. Negotiations between the unions, government, and management (the companies involved are state owned) will begin tomorrow, Wednesday. For now only about 25% of the union members are on strike, but they are succeeding in stopping about 75% of the public transport. Polls say that most French people are on the side of the government. There was even a small march recently with demonstrators holding signs saying the strike was egotistical on the part of the unions. It has been ongoing for about a week which is unusual for strikes in France. They normally only last a day or two.

My guess is that the government or the state owned companies will offer some higher salaries but will not cave on the fundamental issue, which is to eliminate special retirement benefits for some government workers and make them have to work as long as everyone else in order to retire. We’ll see. If you are to be in Paris in the next week or so, keep an eye out on events. We'll have another post to update on Thursday, after the word is out on how the initial negotiations went.

Win a Free Trip Worth $5,000

2007-11-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

Rosetta Stone, the world’s leading language-learning software program, is sponsoring an essay contest, and the winner will receive a trip for two worth $5,000. Entrants are to submit a 300 word or less original essay describing the positive impact that learning another language had on their life. There are three categories: love, work and family. The grand prize winner can choose to go to a foreign country where one of the languages in Rosetta Stone’s Version 3 software is spoken. In addition, 5 other winners will receive the Version 3 software in the language of their choice. Entries must be received by Nov 30, 2007. Please read the eligibility rules, as there are restrictions. To enter, click on this link and follow the instructions. Rosetta Stories Contest.

Rosetta Stone is also sponsoring a holiday promotion for their language learning software. The offer is 10% off and free shipping. You can check this out by going to the Beaux Voyages home page, scroll down and click on the Rosetta Stone icon. Click here: France Tours

Sarkozy to Visit Bush-Restore Relations

2007-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Washington today, making the next step to restore Franco-American relations which had been on bad terms since the beginning of the Iraq war. This is Sarkozy’s first official visit to the U.S. as President of France, but this is not his first visit. He and his family recently spent time on vacation in New England, a remarkable choice which also sent a message of friendship, and he stopped by the Bush compound in Maine during that time for an informal visit. It is impossible to imagine his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, making such a gesture. Personally I hope President Bush would make a visit to France and return the favor, or favors, in this case.

Sarkozy, who is accompanied by four of his ministers, including Bernard Kouchner, the foreign affaires minister, will meet with a delegation of French expats and business leaders in Washington as well as the mayor of Washington before having dinner at the White House with President Bush. He will also address a joint session of Congress and will supposedly talk about the historical bonds between the U.S. and France.

Sarkozy has always stated that France is a friend of the U.S., but France reserves the right to disagree on certain issues. He is quick to emphasize that friends don’t have to agree on everything.

Regardless of which country was more in the right regarding Iraq, it has been difficult to witness such anti-French sentiment in the U.S. over that time. I think these feelings have hurt operators of tours in France like ourselves, and a thaw in relations is overdue. People often ask us if we have been treated poorly in France because of the bad relationships between the two countries. Our answer is always in the negative, and we point out that in our opinion the French people in general did not take those problems personally. In other words they may have disagreed with the stance of our government, but they didn’t take it out on us as Americans or have hard feelings against individuals. I can’t always say the same about American feelings towards the French. The flow of nasty French jokes has slowed down a good bit, and I personally would like to see it stop. It is way overdue.

Feel free to make a comment- it will be posted on this blog regardless if you agree or disagree. The comment only has to be in good taste.

Visiting Paris? Here are a number of resources to help, including a free ebook entitled: "A Selection of 80 Inexpensive and Good Parisian Restaurants"- French cuisine only: Click on this link: Paris Sightseeing Tours

Back to Beaux Voyages home page: France Tours

Special Art Exhibitions in Paris

2007-11-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

There are a number of notable art exhibits in Paris right now. Here is a rundown of four of the most significant.

For those planning to visit Paris, click this link: Paris Sightseeing Tours. You'll see a wide array of Paris day and night tours and other resources that can be of help, including the Paris Pass, and links for Rosetta Stone language training, rail passes, hotels, a free restaurant guide, and more.

Back to Beaux Voyages home: France Tours

Sarkozy Stops 60 Minutes Interview

2007-10-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of reporting about the 60 Minutes interview last Sunday of French President Nicolas Sarkozy by Leslie Stahl which was abruptly halted by Sarkozy. I read an article about it in the newspaper this morning, and the headline, the front page teaser, and the article itself mildly suggested that Sarkozy was rude in so doing. I did see a video clip of the portion where the interview was stopped, and if anyone was rude, it was Ms. Stahl, in my opinion.

Sarkozy answered her questions until she started pressing him about gossip regarding his wife. Note that this interview took place about two weeks before the French President and his wife of 11 years filed for divorce. After opening his eyes wide in apparent surprise that such a question was asked, Sarkozy said that if he were to be making any remarks about her it would not be in this interview. Stahl pushed a second time, and Sarkozy simply said that he would not answer questions on that subject. Undaunted, Stahl kept at it and pointed out that such a question had arisen in the press conference that day held by Sarkozy’s spokesman but the latter answered with a “no comment”. Sarkozy said of course he made no comment, since the matter is personal and also not relevant. Stahl badgered him once again, and at that point it was strike three. Sarkozy simply took off his headset and declared the interview over. Reports of what was said afterwards included alleged comments by Sarkozy that he was angry at his press secretary for scheduling an interview like this on such a busy day, and that the interview was “stupid”.

Regardless, it seems that Ms. Stahl could have respected Mr. Sarkozy’s obvious desire to stay away from questions about his wife and his personal life, but she did not. Those who follow Sarkozy know that he is a no-nonsense person. He did not get visibly angry or belligerent, and he approached Stahl and touched her shoulder as if to say I’m sorry this had to end like this (this is my personal interpretation). It’s my opinion that Stahl got what she deserved.

Comments on this post are welcomed and will be published on this blog. The comments will have to be approved before being published, as we’ve had too much spam, but they will be published regardless if you agree or disagree with my position. The only thing we ask is that the comments be in good taste.

Going to Paris? Get the free ebook entitled “A Selection of 80 Inexpensive and Good Parisian Restaurants- French Cuisine Only” by following this link: Paris Sightseeing Tours.

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Sarkozy vs. Unions- Who Will Win?

2007-10-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting social dynamic playing out in France right now, and if you are traveling there this could affect your ability to get around. The unions are making their first major challenge to President Nicolas Sarkozy. He set as one of the goals during his campaign the elimination of a particular benefit enjoyed by certain government employed public service workers, that is, the right to retire at the age of 50. This privilege had been made law in the past for certain categories of workers, in particular those who work for the SNCF, the national railroad company, which is of course owned by the state. The rationale at the time this law was adopted was that at 50 years of age a person is no longer physically capable to perform some critical functions, like driving trains, for example.

Sarkozy feels that the law is outdated and is unfair. In addition he wants to save the government some 7-9 billion euros per year (if the figures I have read are accurate). For those not aware, retirements in France are financed by the state.

The unions of course don’t want to give up this privilege, so they called a strike last week, and a large number of people, especially those who would benefit from this privilege, went out on strike. This caused transport to come to a virtual halt in many areas, especially in Paris where the strike lasted several days, catching many people off guard.

Normally in a case like this where a large number of people hit the streets and make a mess of the country, the government gives in quickly and negotiates some sort of deal so normality can return. This time, however, Sarkozy and his government have been adamant and have refused to back off. There are some subsequent ongoing discussions between the government and the unions, but to date no one has changed a position, and the unions have threatened to call more strikes in November.

A poll just released indicated that 68% of French people are not favorable to the claims of the unions, so it appears Sarkozy has a good deal of support from the general public. The unions have the power to bring things to a halt, however, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. A related issue being debated is “guaranteed minimum service”. This means that during periods of strikes a minimum number of trains and other means of transport would be guaranteed so people can get to and from work and home. Of course the unions don’t want this either as it lessens the effectiveness of their strikes and their ability to get what they want out of the government.

A page has certainly turned in France with the election of Sarkozy. The events of the next few weeks and months will have a lot to say about how effectively he can execute his campaign promises and how much, if any, the unions will be forced to back off.

If you travel to France any time soon, keep an eye on whether strikes will cause you difficulty. In fact the flight attendants of Air France are also on strike right now and many Air France flights are being cancelled.

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Free Museums in France for 6 Months

2007-10-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Minister of Culture in France, Christine Albanel, just announced that a number of museums in France will open their doors to the public for free for a period of six months starting at the beginning of the coming new year. The reason for this effort is to determine if a greater permanent audience for these museums can be created and subsequently sustained after the free six month period. In addition, the museums concerned are interested in increasing the number of young adults between 18-25 years of age who visit museums in France.

The largest and most well-known museums in the country will not participate but will offer one free night a week to 18-25 year olds. These museums include the Pompidou museum on Wednesdays, the Musee d’Orsay on Thursdays, the Quai Branly on Saturdays, and the Louvre on Friday nights. This is not a new policy for the Louvre as it already had such a free program in place for young adults. These museums are not necessarily looking to increase their general audience, as they are normally full all the time.

The museums that will participate in the free program for the six month period include several museums in the Paris area including Guimet, Cluny, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Ecouen, and the museum in Bourget. Outside of Paris the institutions participating include the marine museum in Toulon, the museum Adrien Dubouche in Limoges, the Magnin museum in Dijon, the palais de Tau in Reims, the palais Jacques Coeur in Bourges, the chateau d’Oiron, the national museum of the chateau de Pau, and the chateau de Pierrefonds.

The permanent collections of these institutions will be open free to the public for six months. The French government is covering the 2.2 million euros cost of the program so the participating museums will not lose money. A subcontractor will be hired to track results and determine the success of the program. If you are in Paris from January through June, look up one or more of these institutions and treat yourself to a free visit.

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Eloquent Provence Reflections

2007-09-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of our recent guests in Provence wrote to his family about his reflections on the bike tour and was kind enough to share them. A couple of personal lines have been omitted from this essay entitled “Do One Thing” by Michael Landrum.

“If you are looking for new light and energy then I suggest you do one thing… just one.

Go to Provence. For me, on most vacations, it takes about three days to 'be there,' regardless of where there is. Three days to move my mind and emotions far enough from where they were to where they could and should be for rest and regeneration. Not so in Provence. It is such a deep and powerful place that you are pulled out of your world and into its world immediately… a world so ancient -- Greeks, Moors, Celts, Germanic Tribes, Romans, the Avignon Papacy, the KnightsTemplar, -- and a world so beautiful -- every town built into a dominant green and sand and granite and taupe hillside -- (did you know the colour taupe is named after the French mole?) So beautiful it feels like God's perfect landscaping project. So beautiful that not Disney nor Steve Wynn would ever dare to try… So beautiful that the light and the dark and the in between are different. Think VanGogh -- Sunflowers, Wheat Fields, Starry Night, Olive Trees (1000 years old) -- and imagine yourself not just seeing but feeling that light, taking in that air, smelling that lavender and clearly understanding what he saw.

It is also a stubbornly unique, contrarian place -- named the Provinces by Caesar, and used both to banish Roman Citizens and to reward them -- and isn't that one of life's great questions? Am I being banished or rewarded? … imagine too, a place in France, the penultimate Nationalistic socialistic culture and society -- a place with a dialect (Provencal) so distinctly different from Parisian French that a 19th century law was required to force its demise -- a law not completely successful.

One Provencal word remains well understood today -- Le Mistral. We were bicycling in Provence, adding to the sensory experiences and to the feeling of 'being a part of.' And with the riding came Le Mistrals, a word meaning "masterly" -- katabatic (cooling) winds that funnel down the Rhone Valley (we walked our bikes across the Rhone Bridge -- with the single lunatic exception of one reader here) … These winds kicked our l'arrière termine, but even they, le mistrals, found their way into our story and our love of the place and the experience… because riding down those long tree-lined Roman roads built 1000s of years ago, and knowing that previous travelers were cursing that same damned wind in Greek or Latin or Provencal put us right where we needed to be to recharge…which is deeply with humanity.

I wasn't really looking for quotations today, but one demanded inclusion: [Bicycling] has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammeled womanhood. -- Susan B. Anthony

It's a gorgeous day here today… It's good to be back… and if you've not found your Provence yet… the real one is still there and always will be… “
Copyright © 2007 Michael Landrum

Click here to read about the Provence tour referred to in the essay- Provence Bike Tour
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$3 a Gallon for Gasoline? How About $8?

2007-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone has heard or experienced the fact that filling your car’s gas tank is much more expensive in Europe than in the U.S. We just returned from running our tours in France, and the sticker shock at the pump there is very real.

The price of the highest grade of gasoline at the autoroute (equivalent of an American interstate or freeway, or a British motorway) gas stations varied a bit, but it was on the order of 1.45 euros per liter. Let’s convert that into dollars per U.S. gallon for comparison. (Note- one can find cheaper gas at the stations run by the large supermarket chains in town- perhaps 15 or 20 euro cents per liter less. These stations are not available on autoroutes, however).

Since there are 3.8 liters in a U.S. gallon, the price for the gas is 1.45 X 3.8 = 5.51 euros per gallon. A quick glance at CNBC tells me that the dollar has dropped to a record low again today, $1.407 per euro just a few minutes ago (and that’s the official rate- if you are an American or Brit you need to pay 3 or 4 percent more for currency conversion and other bank charges). So the price of a gallon turns out to be 5.51 X 1.407 = $7.75 per gallon!

OK, that’s not $8, but it’s pretty close. And add to that the cost of tolls on French autoroutes, which I’ll estimate at about $10 for every 100 km (62.5 miles), and you can see that driving in Europe, and especially in France, is hugely expensive.

If you think this dissuades people from driving cars and trucks, guess again. It’s not the least bit unusual to wait 10-30 minutes or even longer on some heavy traffic summer days to pay a toll at a toll booth. The bottom line is that people simply have to drive cars in our society to get to work or go on vacation, and it appears they will continue to do so regardless of the price of gas.

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Paper Bridge Constructed at Pont du Gard Site

2007-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Japanese architect Shigeru Ban recently inaugurated his “paper bridge” in front of the Pont du Gard, the famous Roman aqueduct in southern France not far from Avignon. This paper bridge can hold up to 20 people at a time due to the strength of the tubes of cardboard from which it is built.

To see a picture of the architect and his bridge at the site, click this link: Paper Bridge at Pont du Gard Site

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Sarkozy Is New President

2007-05-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Nicolas Sarkozy today took over for Jacques Chirac and is now the President of France. Sarkozy promised a lot of changes, and he will act as quickly as possible to implement them.

There are elections for the French legislature in about a month (the French don't vote for other offices at the same time as voting for President as is done in the U.S.), and this will be important for Sarkozy if he is to garner the support to implement those reforms. He has already had discussions with union leaders, but it will be interesting to see how much the powerful unions will go along with. It is hard to imagine that they would support some of his ideas, such as only hiring one new government employee for every two who retire or leave the job. It will be an interesting six months on the French political scene.

Changes are probably looming for the PS (Parti Socialist) as well. They have now lost 3 consecutive Presidential elections, and one would expect changes in the party leadership after the legislative elections. They can’t afford to make any changes beforehand as it would make the party look like it is in disarray just in front of important elections.

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And the winner is--- Sarkozy

2007-05-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Nicolas Sarkozy today was elected to be the next President of France. He won by a margin of approximately 53% vs. about 47% for his opponent, Segolene Royal.

Sarkozy made a point to say some nice words about the U.S. in his rather short acceptance speech shortly after his victory was announced. He said essentially that France will always be the friend of the U.S., although the U.S. needs to understand that friends can sometimes have different opinions. He also urged the U.S. to make an effort to combat global warming. He made friendly overtures to other European countries, Africa, and the Mediterranean countries.

The defeat of Royal and the PS (Parti Socialist) has the party scratching its head, as it, and the other parties on the left of the political spectrum, have obviously not been able to come up with a winning formula since Francois Mitterand left the scene 12 years ago (Sarkozy’s mandate adds another 5 years to that). There will no doubt be changes in both people and ideas in the PS. The fact that they lost to the party of Jacques Chirac, whose popularity ratings are extremely low, and still could not win, does not portend well for the party.

In about a month there will be legislative elections in France, which are done separately from the Presidential race. This will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and the Senate and will go a long way to determine if Sarkozy will have enough support and votes to implement the programs he has been suggesting during the campaign.

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P.S. For people with sinus problems, we sponsor another web site- Post Nasal Drip. If you have sinus or bad breath issues, please feel free to visit the site where you will find a wealth of information.

French Presidential Debate

2007-05-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

Here's an American's take on the French Presidential debate that took place on Wednesday night between the two candidates in the second round of the elections. One of these two will replace Jacques Chirac as the President of France on Sunday, May 6: French Presidential Debate.

If anyone wishes to comment on this article, pls feel free to do so, and your comments will be approved by the site moderator as long as they are in good taste. If you disagree with what has been said, that is fine.

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First Round of Presidential Election 2007 in France- Sarkozy and Royal in the Final

2007-04-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

The first round of the French presidential election took place today, 22 April 2007. The two candidates who will be in the second round of voting are the favorites, Nicolas Sarkozy of the UMP party (right of center politically) and Segolene Royal of the PS (Parti Socialist). Sarkozy took 30.4% of the vote, and Royal took 25.0%. Francois Bayrou of the centrist UDF party took 18.8% of the vote in a good showing. The firebrand ultra-nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen finished 4th with a surprisingly low 11.1% of the vote. He was actually in the final two in the last election in 2002. The remainder of the vote was spread over 8 other candidates, none of whom garnered more than 4%. One commentator noted that both extremes were soundly defeated, on both the political left and right.

Read Full Article: First Round 2007 French Presidential Election

France Election Will Be Close

2007-04-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

The first round of the presidential election is only 9 days away, and it is still up in the air as to which two candidates will face each other in the second round two weeks later.

The polls have remained pretty much the same as they have been with Nicolas Sarkozy leading Segolene Royal coming in second, followed by Francois Bayrou in third.

The big question is how will the people who are still undecided vote. Polls are notoriously inaccurate in France, and the large number of people still undecided, about 1/3 of the voting population, is no doubt one reason. There should be a big turn-out, and the results will be interesting for sure.

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New Exhibition at Musee d'Orsay

2007-03-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

There is a new exhibition at the Musee d'Orsay. Read about it here: Musee d'Orsay

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Presidential Election Soon in France

2007-03-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Presidential elections in France are less than two months away. Nicolas Sarkozy, the candidate of the UMP party, has maintained a lead in the polls since he officially became his party’s candidate in early January. The lead has fluctuated, however, and many people still say they have not made up their minds.

The candidate for the Socialist Party, Segolene Royal, is certainly still within striking distance.

Another candidate has been rising steadily in the polls since the beginning of the year. Francois Bayrou, leader of the UDF party, has risen from 6% of people intending to vote for him in the first round, up to 19% recently. He is certainly a definite contender, and he could make the second round. The UDF is politically in the center, sort of between the UMP on the right and the socialists on the left. There are a number of far left and far right candidates as well.

In France a candidate must obtain 50% of the vote to win. Thus there will be two rounds, since it is virtually impossible for someone to get more than 50% of the vote in most years. This year there are about 17 candidates in all, if memory serves, so the votes will be spread out quite a bit. The second round of voting will be held in early May, two weeks after round 1 in late April. The top two candidates from the first round will make it to the second, so one person will obtain more than 50% of the vote at that time.

Opinion polls in France have the reputation of being very inaccurate. For example, they did not predict that the Socialist Party candidate in the last election in 2002 would not even make it to the second round. So the race looks tight and is certainly still up in the air.

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No Smoking in France and Pompidou Museum 30th

2007-02-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

I never thought I’d never see the day for smoking to be banned in France, but today is the day. Unfortunately we’ll have to put up with another summer of inhaling second hand smoke in restaurants, as the ban for those does not go into effect for another year. At least it’s coming, however.

The Georges Pompidou Museum celebrated its 30th birthday this week. The museum features modern art, and the building was criticized early on for being a bit bizarre, but this is really an excellent museum. It should not be missed, along with the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, if you are a first timer in Paris.

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Tintoretto Exhibition in Madrid

2007-01-27T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Prado museum in Madrid is presenting a major retrospective of the Venetian painter, Tintoretto. Some 70 drawings and paintings will be on display from January 29 to May 13 in the grand central gallery at the Prado.

Tintoretto’s real name was Jacobus Robusti, and he lived from 1518-1594. He is considered to be the most famous artist from Venice, and he was a contemporary and rival of Titian. The Prado presented an exhibition of Titian works in 2003, and it hopes to duplicate that success (400,000 visitors) this time.

The importance of this exhibit is evident in that the king of Spain, Juan Carlos, and the President of Italy, Biorgio Napolitano, took part in the inauguration, which will be open to the public on the following day.

If you are in Madrid sometime between now and May 13, this would certainly be a worthwhile exhibit to attend.
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Two New Art Exhibits in Washington D.C.

2007-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Recently I ran across an article in the French news discussing two art exhibitions that are currently showing in Washington, D.C. They are exhibitions of American artists who were strongly influenced by France at the beginning of the 20th century. If you are in the D.C. area, you can check them out. Here is my translation of the article (this will also be posted on the Beaux Voyages blog):

From Claude Monet to Marcel Duchamp, two expositions in Washington honor the influence of French and European painting, sources of inspiration for American Impressionism and later, of Modernism.

The American Art Museum features “An Impressionist Sensibility: The Halff Collection” which took inspiration from France at the end of the 19th century.

The Phillips Collection welcomes the treasures of “The Anonymous Society”, an experimental museum founded in the 1920’s by the artist Marcel Duchamp and the art patron Katherine Dreier to promote modern art in America.

Shown for the first time in its entirety, the Halff Collection features a collection of 25 masters of American Impressionism, carefully put together during the past 20 years by a couple of rich patrons from Texas who are descendants of entrepreneurs who originally came from Germany.

All the artists, from William Merritt Chase to Childe Hassam to John Singer Sargent, studied and painted in France to capture “this modern and radical mind-set, this joy of viewing and celebrating the act of painting” explained Elizabeth Broun, Museum Director. Continue reading article.

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Johnny Hallyday Sets Up Residence in Switzerland to Avoid Paying French Taxes

2006-12-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

An interesting news item has surfaced in France during the last week. The famous French rock and roll icon, Johnny Hallyday (not his real name- several French rock & roll singers took on English sounding names when they started, another example is Eddie Mitchell) has decided to give up his French citizenship to avoid paying high taxes in France. Since he has such a high profile and is still France’s most popular singer (he’s also an actor in numerous films), all the major politicians have made comments, including President Jacques Chirac. Chirac said essentially that he admires Hallyday as a performer but not as a responsible citizen, or words to that effect.

Hallyday would have to reside in Switzerland for 6 months each year in order to take advantage of lower taxes there and not pay them in France. Segolene Royal, the candidate of the PS for President, also called on Hallyday to continue paying French taxes. Many other wealthy French people are doing the same thing, but none are in the public eye like Hallyday. He said in effect that he didn’t care what the politicians thought, and he was tired of paying so much in taxes when he didn’t have to. Nicolas Sarkozy, who will probably be the other major presidential candidate and who will challenge Royal, said that this shows that France has a problem with its tax system.

Another famous French person, Yannick Noah, had done this in the past, but he has since moved back to France and is paying taxes there.

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New Tramway in Paris

2006-12-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Paris is inaugurating a new tramway this weekend. It is the first tramway in the city in about 70 years, and it will replace a bus line. The tram runs through 3 arrondissements, the 13th, 14th and 15th. It is about 5 miles in length and is expected to service about 100,000 passengers per day, roughly twice the number of people who took the bus each day.

In addition, there will be an exhibition of 9 pieces of contemporary art to be seen along the length of the tramway. These pieces were done by well know international contemporary artists.

Tramways have been gaining popularity in recent years in French cities. In Strasbourg, for example, a new tramway system was completed several years ago. It’s a bit confusing at first for tourists, but once you understand which tram to take and how to buy tickets, etc., it is a very good means of getting from one spot to another in the city.

I'd like to point out as well that Linda Ballenberger of Beaux Voyages, who is also an accomplished artist, has launched a new web site which makes her hand painted silk scarves available. You can visit the site here: Hand Painted Silk Scarf

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Two Art Exhibitions in Paris

2006-12-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

There are currently two rather exceptional art exhibitions on display in Paris.

1. An exhibition of Egyptian antiquities which were recovered from the sea by French underwater archeologists is on display at the Grand Palais in Paris. The show is called “Sunken Egyptian Treasures”, and it includes 489 pieces covering 1,500 years of Egyptian history. It includes statues and other artwork, pieces of money, and objects of every day life. The show is open every day from 10am to 8pm, and stays open to 10pm on Wednesdays. The show runs until 16 March. The address is:Nef du Grand Palais (Nave of the Grand Palais), avenue Winston Churchill, 75008 Paris

2. An exhibition entitled “Afghanistan Treasures Found”. Collections of the national museum of Kabul” is on display at the Guimet Mueum in Paris. This impressive collection includes golden jewels, Greco-roman glass goblets, and ivory Indian goddesses, among many other items. All in all there are 220 items on display ranging from 2,000 B.C. to the 3rd century AD. The story of their preservation is just as impressive as the works themselves.
The Communists hid the collection in 1989 and locked it in a secret location. There were 7 keys to the main lock, and they were all held by separate people, which is an old Afgan tradition. The Taliban tried in vain to locate the collection but did not succeed. The exhibition is open every day excepts Tuesdays from 10am- 8pm. The cost is 7 euros.

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Sarkozy to Announce as Candidate

2006-11-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Nicolas Sarkozy will officially announce that he is a candidate for the UMP party nomination for President of France this coming Thursday. The UMP party will hold a congress on January 14, and the 300,000 card carrying members will elect their candidate at that time. Mr. Sarkozy is currently the President of the party, as well as the Interior Minister. It is no surprise that Mr. Sarkozy will be a candidate, as he is currently the favorite to oppose Segolene Royal in the general election which will be held next April.

The UMP party is right of center politically, and it is also the party of the current President, Jacques Chirac, who might also try to go for a third term. It is roughly equivalent to the Republicans in the U.S. All other party members who wish to declare themselves candidates must officially do so before the end of the year.

It will be an interesting election in France with clear choices. Sarkozy is considered tough and sometimes outspoken, leaning toward free market solutions to economic problems. Segolene Royal of the Socialist party is charming, does not have a lot of experience in high level government positions, but she is very popular. Polls show a tight race if the two of them are in the second round.

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Two New Art Exhibits in Paris

2006-11-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

There are a couple of interesting new art exhibits going on in Paris:

1. At the Musee d’Orsay there is a special exhibition of about 300 objects of Art Nouveau, which was a popular style in the early 1900’s, about 100 years ago. This collection was recently given to the museum by the wife and daughter of the deceased Antonin Rispal, who died in 2003. Rispal started collecting these objects over the years, even when they were not very popular. This collection is worth a lot of money, equal to about 10 years worth of acquisition funds available to the museum, and it will increase the number of objects owned by about 15%. After this special showing the pieces will be displayed in different areas throughout the museum. Included in the collection are pieces of furniture, vases, sculptures, ceramics, silver and gold works, crystal, etc.

The exhibit runs from 21 November until 28 January.

2. From 22 November until 18 May at the Rodin Museum in Paris there will be an exhibition of erotic drawings by Rodin. The exhibition is entitled “Rodin. The figures of Eros. Drawings and watercolors 1890-1917”.

Rodin, of course, is well known as the father of modern sculpture, but not many are aware of his drawings. He made several thousand drawings of women, mostly nudes, in his later years. From the couple of photos of drawings I saw, some of this is pretty racy stuff.

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Segolene Royal Chosen as Presidential Candidate

2006-11-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the PS (Parti Socialist) in France chose their candidate for the presidential elections which will be held next spring (April for the first round and May for the second).

The winner was Segolene Royal who will now be the first woman to have a serious chance at becoming the President of France. The PS is the major party on the left of the political spectrum, and its nominee almost always has a serious chance to win. The PS is loosely similar to the Democrats in the U.S. or the Labor Party in the U.K.

The major party on the right of the spectrum is the UMP, which has not yet decided its candidate or even how he or she will be chosen. The presumption is that the controversial Nicolas Sarkozy will be the candidate, but other leading party figures have expressed interest. Jacques Chirac, the current President, is even leaving the door open for another term. His job satisfaction ratings have been low for some time (in the 30% range), and it would seem unlikely that he could win again, as the French people seem ready for a change at the top.

Current polls show Royal and Sarkozy in a dead heat for a second term race, but polls in France can be misleading, especially with this much time to the actual election.

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Smoking Ban in France

2006-11-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

It was announced today that a law has just been passed in France to ban smoking in public places. Unfortunately, in restaurants and cafes this will not go into effect until January 2008. In other public places, including work places, the law will go into effect in February 2007. The violations include a fine of 68 euros (about $87 US) for individuals who break the law and 135 euros (about $173 US) for proprietors who allow someone to smoke at their place of business. A publicity campaign is also kicking off to inform people in more detail about the harmful effects of second hand smoke. The emphasis will be on trying to convince people not to smoke in public places and helping them quit rather than relying on fines and other enforcement measures.

For those of us who spend a fair amount of time in French restaurants, it is a shame we’ll have to wait until 2008 for the smoking ban to take effect there, but at least we know it is finally coming. To be honest, I never thought it would. It will also be interesting to see if people actually follow the rules that are in place or simply just go ahead and smoke.

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2006-11-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

Today, Nov. 7, 2006, is election day in the U.S., and for at least the last week or more there have been segments on the French national news about our congressional elections. In fact it is not unusual to have several references to what is happening in the U.S on the French evening news. They watch us pretty closely.

An important election will also be held in France soon, the presidential election taking place next April and May. There are usually two rounds of voting in France. A candidate can win outright in the first round by having 50% or more of the vote. This is almost impossible, since there are usually 5 or 6 candidates on the ballot and the votes get split. The top two will be on the second ballot, and obviously one of them will get more than 50% of those votes and become the winner.

The two major parties in France are the PS, or Parti Socialist (Socialist Party), and the UMP, which is right of center politically. The PS is loosely analogous to the Democrats in the U.S., but they are somewhat to the left of the Democrats, I think it’s fair to say. They are not crazy left-wingers, however, like people in the tiny Socialist Party in the U.S. Those people certainly exist in France and are in other left wing parties. In any case the PS will decide on its candidate soon, as the first round of party voting takes place on Nov. 16. If a second round is needed, that will occur a week later on Nov. 23rd.

Article continues at this link: French Presidential Elections
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International Fair of Contemporary Art

2006-10-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

The FIAC (Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain- International Fair of Contemporary Art) is being staged in Paris starting today and continuing until Oct. 30th. This is the 33rd edition of the event, and it is being held at the Grand Palais and at the Louvre courtyard. Anyone in Paris over the weekend will want to stop by and have a look. Some of the most prestigious galleries and artists in the world will be represented.

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Wonder of Wonders- Public Smoking to be Banned in France

2006-10-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

I never thought I’d see the day, but it appears the French government is about to ban smoking in all public places starting in September, 2007. It is finally being acknowledged that second-hand smoke is causing an estimated 5000-6000 deaths in France each year. Associations of restaurants, buralists (people who run tabac shops- people who sell tobacco products), and bar owners fear a loss in business of 20-30%. They also say that deaths from second-hand smoke are caused in the home. In order to allow smoking in an establishment, that bar or restaurant will be required to provide an area that is “hermetically closed”.

Personally I applaud this move. I can recall eating in a quaint and typical restaurant in Lyon, called a “Bouchon”, and feeling strangled by the smoke by the end of the evening. Nothing can ruin a dinner in a nice French restaurant quicker than having to swallow the smoke of someone sitting near you. It tastes awful and for some people with sinus problems like me, it can literally make you sick. And even though many French restaurants have non-smoking areas these days they are often not separated from the smoking areas by much.

I’ve always thought it humorous that many French people will wail against OGM’s (genetically modified foods), and then immediately light up a cigarette. 66,000 people per year die from tobacco products in France according to statistics, but OGM’s haven’t been linked to a single death in all the years they have been used and tested, to my knowledge. Apparently opinion polls show that 70-80% of French people support a public smoking ban, however, so there has definitely been a big change of mindset in recent years. And that makes the political risk for making the move not too great or insurmountable. There will no doubt be people who will be marching in the streets in protest, but they will be a minority. Going on strike and marching in the streets is common in France- even students go on strike and march in the streets at times. That’s how the political system works there.

It remains to be seen if the new law will be respected. A similar law passed in Spain is largely being ignored in restaurants and bars, according to a recent article. I wouldn’t be surprised to see people smoking in restaurants even after the ban, but hopefully the numbers will be fewer than is typical today.

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Also, I mentioned sinus problems above. We have a sister site dedicated to helping people with sinus problems. Please feel free to visit that site: Post Nasal Drip

French Presidential Race on the Horizon

2006-10-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

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As is the case in the U.S. with important congressional elections coming up soon, the people of France are also preparing for a major election. France will elect a new President next April. The process of choosing candidates is in full swing right now in the major political parties in France. The Socialist Party (called the PS or Parti Socialist- roughly equivalent to the Democrats in the U.S. and the largest party on the left of the political spectrum) is finalizing its list of candidates seeking the nomination. This choice will be decided in November, and before then there will be three televised debates among those seeking to represent the PS. The leader in the polls right now by a large margin is a woman named Segolene Royal. She will be opposed by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, and probably Jack Lang, a long-time top-ranking member of the PS. Lang is expected to make his candidacy official on Tuesday, Oct 3.

The leading candidate on the right of the political spectrum for now is the current Interior Minister and leader of the UMP party, Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy is often outspoken and has made the issue of illegal immigration a major one in this election. Sarkozy is often demonized for his candid remarks, but as a French gentleman told me this summer, he often says what many people are thinking. Sarkozy will have a difficult time winning, however, because the leaders of the current government, also from the UMP party, have low approval ratings and it will be difficult for anyone from the UMP to win. I personally think that if Sarkozy does win, relations between the U.S. and France will improve. His political philosophy is closer to the American free enterprise model, and he says flatly in his recent book that free enterprise simply produces more and better goods and services than does a state run system like communism. There are a number of things about the American system he dislikes, but in general it looks doubtful he would have as hostile an attitude towards the U.S. as does the current regime, in my opinion.

While the U.S. has two major political parties, in France there are many more, ranging from the extreme far left to the far right. There will probably be about a half dozen or so candidates running from different parties. In order to win on the first vote, a person must obtain over 50% of the votes. Otherwise there will be a second round of voting between the top two finishers which occurs two weeks after the first ballot. A second election is often needed since the votes get split up among a number of parties.

It appears possible that both the U.S. and France could have a female President after the next elections.

Return from France

2006-07-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

We returned from France after about a month there leading two groups to see the Tour de France. We started in the Alsace region in Strabourg and Obernai, and we ended up in the alps at Les Deux Alps. The Tour was exciting, although it is disappointing for everyone to watch the aftermath and doping allegations regarding Floyd Landis.

On both tours we met with former Tour rider Frankie Andreu (9 times completed the Tour de France). We had dinner with Frankie in the Alsace, and we met with him at a cafe in St. Jean de Maurienne at the start of the day that Landis made the great comback ride and got back into contention. Frankie had spoken to Floyd after his horrible day the day before when he lost about 10 minutes. He said that Floyd's comment was that he simply had a bad day. We speculated about whether or not Floyd had bonked, and Frankie explained this was not something a professional would easily admit, as he should know his body and how to react if he is reaching his limits. In general the opportunity to speak with Frankie during the Tour de France was a great addition to our program, and I'm sure everyone enjoyed it a lot. Of course he was there as a commentator for OLN every day, so I'm sure many of you saw him on the Tour telecasts.

Our guests had the opportunity in the alps to ride some of the famous climbs, such as the Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Galibier, which is nothing short of awesome. Of course we also did the climb up to our hotel at Les Deux Alpes, which also hosted the finish of a stage in 2002. There are 10 marked switchbacks on that road, compared to 21 on Alpe d'Huez, but the climb is nothing to sneeze at. It took me about an hour, and Jay did it in 45 min. We had some very strong riders in the alps, including a couple from Calgary, Canada, Barb and Rich. Rich used to race bikes, and he took off on his own one day and also did the Col de Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer, which are really the same mountain. He must have ridden close to 100 miles that day, which would be difficult for most mere mortals, but he handled it without problem. Barb was also a very strong rider- I couldn't keep up with her. She did the Alpe d'Huez the day after the race there in 1hr 17 minutes, as I recall. She hung in there with Jimmy Musto, who is from New Jersey, until the very end. Both are strong riders.

We take off again in a few weeks to lead our tours in the Loire. We're looking forward to that and will report on how it went!

Beaux Voyages Blog

2006-06-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

Beaux Voyages Blog

Immigration in France and U.S.

2006-05-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

It’s interesting that there is a large national debate and major legislation being worked on in both the U.S and France on the same issue: immigration. There are several similarities and differences with regard to the debate on this issue in the two countries. There will be more posts on this blog to discuss these in more detail, but here are some of the similarities:
- Both are in part addressing the large social costs of supporting both legal and illegal immigrants.
- The new immigration laws in both countries are likely to be much more strict
- Both countries are likely to require immigrants to be proficient in the national language of the country, i.e., English and French
- High unemployment and lack of job opportunities in countries to the south are often the impetus for the influx of people in the first place.

As for differences:
- One U.S. proposal would build a huge barrier wall along the border with Mexico
- Religion is much more of a factor in France than it is in the U.S.

The key issue for many in the U.S. revolves around giving “amnesty” to people who entered the country illegally. In France the key words seem to be: immigration “choisi” (chosen) rather than immigration “subi” (submissive). In other words, the new law wants to allow the country to choose who can enter rather than taking anyone who manages to arrive there.

There is great debate and great differences of opinion exist in both countries about the severity of the problem and of course the proper solutions. Feel free to express your opinions. Again, there will be more postings about the above topics in upcoming weeks regarding this issue and how it plays out in both France and the U.S.

Beaux Voyages Blog

2006-05-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

Beaux Voyages Blog

Welcome to the Beaux Voyages Blog

2006-04-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Beaux Voyages blog!

The idea is for people to share their experiences about France and travel there. If you have been to a great location and have seen an interesting venue that others might like, please let everyone know about it.

You can ask questions as well, and these can be answered either by us at Beaux Voyages or by others who frequent this forum.

Since I normally watch the French news every evening on TV5, I’ll occasionally offer some comments about things in the French news. Our readers in France are encouraged to ask questions about American or English news items they are curious about. The only hard and fast rule is that all entries must be respectful to others. In other words no gratuitous anti-French or anti-American comments. Respectful disagreements are fine, but comments will be removed if they do not fall within these guidelines.

I know some of you have been to France recently, so let us know about your trip!

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