Latest TV spot from Orangina. It’s naturally juicy! Watch it on YouTube.

Somewhere in Anjou, France (southwest of Paris), the exact location not being divulged for obvious reasons, people walking along a hiking path found a huge gold nugget! It’s 3 cm (a little over one inch) in diameter, and it’s the biggest discovery to-date in 120 years in France.

Who will end up buying this little treasure from the 3 people who discovered it?

Read the article (in French)

It’s been a while since Florent Pagny has released anything new but his label just announced that on November 19, he is releasing the new Pagny Chante Brel, a compilation of Pagny singing Jacques Brel songs. Yay! I haven’t heard it yet but I love Pagny’s raspy high voice. I love him so much that I’ll forgive him for that recent song he sings with Marc Lavoine, “Un ami” (from Les Duos de Marc) they play over and over and OVER again on the radio – that makes me want to set my hair on fire. For relief.

Order Pagny Chante Brel now from Amazon.com

Order Pagny Chante Brel from Amazon.fr

One of my favorite food blogs from L.A. (Freda and Joan) visited Paris and blogged about their excellent foodie adventures.

Check it out

Funny Metro spot from the 70s (looks like from the 70s, anyway) – probably not being sung today…

Link to YouTube Video

[via Damien de Blignières]

Commuters and travelers in France could be facing une forte perturbation beginning Wednesday during the general transportation strike. This time it’s an “open-ended” strike, which means it could last a while. We hope not.

If you’re coming into Paris for travel, hang on tight! We heard that it’s possible that Air France and the taxis in Paris could join in the chaos as well, so if you can, try to arrange all of your transportation needs in advance with private shuttle companies to take you to and from the airport. In-town, get some good walking shoes or grab a Velib or other rentable transportation, or call in some favors and get some friends to give you rides.

France Braces for Crippling Transport Strike

Following the Canadian ad, I’m thinking that snark must be la tendance en publicité (the advertising trend) with France dishing it out to England (so what else is new) this time around. The Eurostar is the fast train from Paris to cities north (Calais, Ashford, London and Lille).

“Londres sur un coup de tête” means (Go to) London on the spur of the moment, but it also means (Go to) London for a head-butt.

That silliness aside, it says that a one-way ticket is 35 euros, but you also have to pay additionally for a reservation when you take the Eurostar AND when you come back. Lastly! The retour (return) ticket is not always the same price as the aller.

From Spiegel Online:

The French and German foreign ministers, Bernard Kouchner and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, are to record a duet together for release on YouTube. Fortunately professional musicians will be on hand to help out the two crooning politicians.

The European Union has an image problem. All too many ordinary Europeans find it, well, boring, with young people in particular being on the whole underwhelmed by Brussels.
So what better way to appeal to young Europeans than through the language they understand best: music? Throw in some banging tunes and some fat beats and they’ll be crossing the “yes” box at the next referendum before you can say “European constitution.”

That, at least, seems to be the approach which the foreign ministers of France and Germany — the two countries which make up the famous “motor” of the EU — are taking in a bid to promote international harmony: Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, 51, and France’s Bernard Kouchner, 68, are to collaborate Monday on a duet.

The ditty, which will be recorded on the sidelines of a Franco-German summit attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, will later be premiered on…”

Read the full article

This isn’t a recipe for ratatouille. Maybe later. This is about a rat.

If you’re in the U.S. you can now get your newly released DVD of the cute movie about a rat, Ratatouille, a perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays that are just around the corner.

Sorry but if you’re in France you’ll have to wait until 2008 for your French version of Ratatouille (Francais) but you can pre-order if you want to. A slight aside here: For those of you learning French, one of the best ways to get your ear accustomed to hearing and understanding French, is to watch DVDs, set the language to French and also set the subtitles to French.

Link: Ratatouille

Really, I don’t mean to be too rude but I can’t help myself sometimes. This (above) is the most interesting thing about the town of Montélimar: a sculpture of a penguin (or some kind of bird) on ice skates. Actually, it’s on one ice skate, but…

I know! I was disappointed too to discover that this French capital of “nougat” is a traveler’s dud. Adding insult to injury, the nougat is much more expensive here in Montélimar than the nougat from Montélimar that you buy anywhere OUTSIDE of Montélimar!

That just isn’t right.

And they say that Canadians are sooooooooooo nice. This ad’s from a French restaurant in Toronto, and with a tagline like: “French Food without the attitude,” I just wondered what that’s all aboot.

Rude, eh?

Phew! Now I no longer have to lose sleep wondering about why magnesium is a universal remedy for everything in France.

Over an 18-year period, French researchers determined that men with the highest blood levels of magnesium are 40 percent less likely to die of any cause than those with the lowest levels. Magnesium can make multivitamins too bulky, so add a 250 milligram (mg) pill to your daily regimen.

40 % less likely to die of any cause! That is amazing. ‘Cept. What about women?

[Thanks for the tip, Jon!]

Related: Vitamins in France , Guide to Better Vitamin Shopping

This is a follow up of the beautiful sketches from Jan at her blog, “in my spare time.” She’d sketched her Paris guidebook in a moleskine book before her trip to Paris, so she’d have all her needed info already in her sketchbook before she actually arrived. I’d forgotten to write about her sketches during her trip so here they are!

Link: Jan’s Paris artwork

We lived in Nice when we first moved to France, so I got a kick out of this postcard from 1910 of the Promenade des Anglais with a view of Mont Boron. It doesn’t look like that anymore. I love looking at old photos and postcards of places I’ve been in France; sometimes there’s no change in a hundred years! Here’s a website with lots of postcards from all over the country:

Gallery of Postcards

Him: LOL. Did you hear about the ride, “It’s a Small World” at Disneyland?

Me: No, what happened?

Him: Disneyland has to replace the boats to accommodate fat Americans. hahaha!

Me: Glad you’re having a good laugh about that – but that’s going to happen to Disneyland Paris, eventually. The rise in obesity isn’t just an American thing. It’s happening in France, too.

Him: I know – but it’s still funny about fat Americans.

Me: The French are getting a kick out of that, aren’t they?

Him: Probably. Lots of our friends think it’s funny. * giggle*

From the Telegraph:

Mourners who want to keep their loved ones’ graves covered in flowers but who do not like visiting cemeteries are being targeted by an innovative new business in France.

Intersepulture – which means between tombs – has already signed up 250 bereaved families, with many more expressing an interest in the service.

It involves placing an order over the internet together with the co-ordinates of a grave, and then allowing the company to deliver, anything up to three times a year.

Each time fresh flowers are placed, a picture is taken which is delivered by email or conventional post.

Laurent Yon, the company’s founder, said: “It struck me long ago that many graves are left without flowers for whatever reason, and this is the perfect solution to the problem.”

The service starts from about £40. (about 57 euros or 82 dollars)

Mr Yon said that while re-location, ill health and long working hours often prevented people visiting the graves of their loved ones, there were also a significant number of people who simply did not like entering cemeteries…

Read the full article

Plantes, Fruits et Légumes d’hier et d’aujourd’hui / Past and Present Vegetables
Nov 9, 10, 11, 2007, 10am-6pm – Domaine de Saint-Jean de Beauregard
Domaine de Saint-Jean de Beauregard is well known for its 17th-century château as well as its gardens à la Française. November’s event celebrates plants, vegetables and fruit from past to present.

Entrance Fee: €11 (regular admission); €8 (reduced for large groups, members and students of horticulture groups/schools, large families); free for under 10 y.o.
Website: Domaine de Saint-Jean de Beauregard

Le Parc Australien / Australia Park
Until November 11, 2007, Carcassonne
A five-hectare area just outside of Carcassonne’s Medieval village will make you forget that you’re in France. At Le Parc Australien, you’ll step inside another world that will get you playing a didgeridoo like a pro, and speaking like they do Down Under.
Website: Le parc Australien

Boulogne-sur-Mer’s Herring Festival
November 17, 18, 2007, Boulogne-sur-Mer
Get your herring before they no longer exist! Boulogne-sur-Mer takes advantage of the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau then mixes it with fish.

Ubuntu Release Party in Bordeaux
November 17, 2007, 10am – Bordeaux
Fun Geeks of France are getting together to celebrate the new releases of Ubuntu, Gutsy and Gibbon, Free Software. They’re be a demo of their free version of Guitar Hero called, “Frets on Fire.” Bring food to join in on the Potluck.
Website: Gutsy Party

[thanks for the tip, Angry B!]

Lyon Christmas Market
November 24, 2007, Place Carnot, Lyon
One of my newly favorite cities in France, Lyon, starts its holiday spirit early, so head on down for your dose of gastronomy, live music, arts and crafts.

Chicken Festival
November 24, 25, 2007, Clôtres Jacobins, Saint-Sever, free admission
Grab a most delicious roasted chicken in he medieval town of Saint-Sever. The town celebrates its huge population of chickens every year by eating them!
Website: Saint-Sever

Festival des 38e Rugissants / 38th Festival of the Roars
November 20 to December 1, 2007, Grenoble
Grenoble invites talented musicians and groups from all over the world, and features their fascinating nomadic music at venues all over the city.
Website: 38e Rugissants

Paris Banlieues Tango / Tango in the Suburbs
Until November 27, 2007, Le Satellit Café, Paris
It’s time for Tango, which mean Paris Banlieues Tango, a festival celebrated in the suburbs of Paris.

Their tagline: “Make your own mix.”

This idea is not new but I like it anyway. See 2nd Hand Record’s Campaign called, “Complete Your Collection” or Christian Marclay’s “Body Mix” or remotely like some of David Hockney’s photo montages (photo collages).

Advertising Agency: Agence V., Paris, France, Creative Director: Christian Vince, Art Director: Romain Guillon, Copywriter: Pierre Riess, Art Director Assistant: Nicolas Martinie, Photographer: Adolfo Fiori

Bird

Fishermen

Fresh Catch

Remember how I said that everything except flower shops and cemeteries would be closed today, being Toussaint and all? I lied. There were all kinds of places open today, at least in the north. We went out to lunch in Calais, so some restaurants were open, then we went to Cité Europe, a fairly large shopping mall à l’Américaine, also in Calais; all stores were open! The cinema was open and the bowling alley was open, so off we went jouer au bowling (to go bowling). By the way, “bowling” in French is pronounced like BOO-ling, so I always imagine it’s some sort of kooky crazy bowling game with warped balls.

Out of a party of 5, 4 of us decided to play, and I didn’t expect to see any cultural differences in the game but things came up straight away:

1. The game goes by quicker – probably because people never stick with one ball; you simply grab any available ball at the rack, a veritable free for all. (You don’t have to wait for your ball to return!) Most of the racks were overflowing with balls at each lane, leaving none on the shelves.

2. It’s more difficult to bowl – I think this is because of #1 above: you don’t play with the same ball. That’s MY excuse, anyway, and I’m sticking to it.

3. Bowling Etiquette, WHAT Bowling Etiquette? This doesn’t seem to come into play in France. Bowlers next to you go onto the approach even if you’re already aiming and just about to take your shot (You know how you’d wait for the guy next to you to bowl first before you do? That’s what I’m talking about.) Bowlers use other bowlers bowling balls without asking permission (#1). That seems to works fine, however.

4. Lane Guards for Kids – I hadn’t gone bowling for a while so maybe these are everywhere now – but I previously hadn’t seen these lane guards for kids, so they don’t get any gutterballs. That’s ingenius. Now, if they only had those for us adults…

5. Patience – The whole arcade/bowling alley had a power failure so we couldn’t play for 10 to 15 minutes. We had to sit there in the dark. For some reason, I sort of assumed French people would get really riled and grumbly. But no! None of that! I would’ve thought they’d give everyone an extra game to play but they didn’t.

6. The YUCK Factor – Bowling shoes. Yes, that always grosses me out majorly because you have to wear those ugly, nasty shoes that 5 billion people have worn before you. That’s like in the U.S. too. Only. After we finished our game, I went to return the shoes and left them on the counter. The employee told me to just return them back into the shelf where I found them! Which means you’ve worn shoes that 5 billion people have worn before you AND the shoes were never sprayed… OMGOMG!