HOLIDAY RIDE HITCHINGCarpooling isn’t new in France, but it has been used more for long-distance trips than commuting to work. Services like Allostop and 123envoiture match up drivers with passengers going to the same destination. The advantages are obvious: lowered … Read More
KESTRELS GO GOTHThe many nooks and crannies on the rooftops of Notre Dame Cathedral have made it a favorite nesting place for kestrels (Falco tinnunculus). Members of the Centre Ornithologique Ile-de-France (Corif) will set up an information booth on Square … Read More
EVEN NAPOLEON HAD HIS JOSEPHINEPourquoi tant de haine toward the French president from Britain? Well, it’s traditional, and then there’s the fact that Nicolas Sarkozy reminds many of Napoleon. Along with the French failure to invite Queen Elizabeth to the … Read More
SMILE: YOU’RE IN PARISThe Paris Tourism Office isn’t giving up the good fight. For the third year in a row, it is mounting a campaign called “Paris vous sourit,” designed to present Paris as a friendly, welcoming city. Booths are … Read More
May Day The revolutionary spirit lives on in France. At the tail end of the May Day parade last Friday, we spotted signs calling for the end of capitalism, a “rêve général” (a grève générale is a general strike) and … Read More
FRENCH LESSONSWe have a lot to learn from the French: manger bien, dormir bien et vivre longtemps. “Society at a Glance,” a study conducted in its member countries by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), showed that the … Read More
Although an RATP ticket can be used on all forms of public transport in Paris, you can’t complete a journey using one ticket if reaching your destination requires transferring from the Métro to the bus. In this case, you need … Read More
RESTONS CHEZ NOUS According to study conducted at the end of March by Ipsos/France Bleu, 51 percent of the French will not go away on vacation this summer because of economic worries. Of those who will leave home, 25 percent … Read More
The Quête for Aiguillette You’ll find everything from four-ton bulls to duck suprême at the Salon de l’Agriculture. I feel about the Salon de l’Agriculture, France’s annual agricultural fair, the same way I feel about Bangkok: it’s noisy, crowded, visually … Read More
Soil in the Glass Hervé Lethielleux, right, sharing a glass of organic wine with American David Costa, manager of La Cave Café, a bistro/wine bar specializing in organic wines on Rue Marcadet in the 18th arrondissement. “Earthiness is the most … Read More
