Hallelujah!- No Smoking in France Restaurants!

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!

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The Death of French Culture? Yes, says Time

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.

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Current Art Exhibits in France

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.

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France Transit Strike- Sarkozy 1, Unions 0

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.

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In Paris During Transit Strike

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

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

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

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Special Art Exhibitions in Paris

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

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.

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.

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.

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Sarkozy Stops 60 Minutes Interview

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.

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Sarkozy vs. Unions- Who Will Win?

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.

Check out our new Paris Sightseeing Tours or save money on a Paris Pass- Paris Tours

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Free Museums in France for 6 Months

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

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?

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

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

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

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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French Presidential Debate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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