David Jaggard
After the Parade Passes By: Ghosts of Bastille Days Past
By glancing at this photo, you have now seen more fireworks than I ever did on Bastille Day. I did, however, see two memorable characters in action… Photo © R.L. Wolverton | Dreamstime.com To celebrate France’s biggest national holiday, in … Read More
Drab as Olive: The Plodding Pageantry of the Bastille Day Parade
This was the first thing in the parade − and the last thing of interest. I’d like to begin this report with two recommendations. First, if you would like to have the disconcertingly novel experience of seeing a whole lot … Read More
Beyond the Periphérique: Following in Famous Footsteps in Provence
The Good, the Bad and The Wildly Popular
After Paris, Provence is probably the most famous part of France, known for its stunning landscapes, its quaint villages, its fragrant plants, its chirpy cicadas and its year. By the latter I refer, of course, to a certain blockbuster book … Read More
Beyond the Periphérique: Cheese Scammers in Provence
Let the Buyer Be Wary!
I must begin with a confession: for many years I have been an occasional, and sometimes not so occasional, user of a strong substance. It never mattered how much it cost — I had to have it. Today I am … Read More
Notes from the Underground: The Paris Sewer Tour, Part II
Like Mohawk high-steel construction workers, Paris sewer men pride themselves on being able to walk on top of the guardrails. I wish. This is Part II of a two-part article. Read Part I here. Under Napoleon Bonaparte, the Parisian water … Read More
Notes from the Underground: The Paris Sewer Tour, Part I
Every day Parisians flush away 1.2 million cubic meters of wastewater. It’s gotta go somewhere… Yes, it stinks. On the opposite sides of both the Seine and the curatorial value spectrum from the Louvre is the Musée des Egouts de … Read More
Notes from the Underground: The Paris Sewer Tour
Where Does It All Go? And Do We Want to Know?
Yes, it stinks. On the opposite sides of both the Seine and the curatorial value spectrum from the Louvre is the Musée des Egouts de Paris – the Paris Sewer Museum. The display space is part of the city’s actual … Read More
Dredging the Dregs of European Culture: The Eurovision Song Contest
And the Best Loathsome Song of the Year Is...
It’s all right now. It’s over. I have to admit, it wasn’t quite as horrifying as I had feared. Still, it’s a relief to have it behind us. We won’t have to think about it for another whole year. I … Read More
Adventures in the Occult: Tale of a Fortune Foretold
In France, a fascination with the paranormal is perfectly normal. Image © Marco Coppola Dreamstime.com I sincerely hope that my medical laboratory’s Web site has been the victim of a hacker attack. If it hasn’t, I’m kind of worried. … Read More
Paris Shop Signs: From the Ridiculous to the Sublimely Ridiculous
There are approximately 220,000 businesses in Paris, so it’s not surprising that some of them have startlingly idiotic names. Ridiculous shop signs come in many varieties. One common category is the illogical juxtaposition, an example of which is shown above. … Read More