I have to admit I’m equally fascinated and disgusted by the website, This is why you’re fat, and I had the same feeling the other day at the mall when I saw this meal posted at Flunch (a cheap eats cafeteria). It made me wonder when there’ll be a French equivalent of that website. Obviously taking inspiration from the U.S. it looks as though France is pushing calories with this “Super Tennessee,” which looks like two hamburger patties, Canadian bacon, cheese and a fried something at the bottom (I’m thinking it’s deep fried hash browns or something like that – served with French fries. Ok, it’s not as over-the-top as some of the items on TIWYF but still.

There are few things more fun than wandering around toy stores in France to see what they have here that they don’t have in the U.S. In most cases, however, I find few original French games; I suppose it’s much easier to sell games that are translated rather than creating new ones, but that is okay, and even fun, too. Here’s the ever popular board game, “Operation.” Remember that one? I do. I love what the French called it: “Docteur Maboul.” Docteur Maboul means Doctor Crazy (and crazy doctor). It’s not funny but it cracks me up for some stupid reason.

We just returned from Spain and noticed this newsworthy item at the Orly Airport in Paris and thought it would be a sweet tidbit that might come in handy one day: There’s a La Duree Cart at the Paris Orly Airport, so macaron fanatics can grab their last minute fix on their way out of town – or grab some on their way to town, for that matter.

Air France now tweets.

From jaunted:

“All this week Jaunted contributor Eric Rosen has been filling us in on his recent field trip, drinking his way through France. Today, however, he has a major buzzkill to report. Here’s how he learned to deal with denting a rental car in a foreign country.

When You Get Home
Make sure your insurance company has all the necessary documents, forms and information it needs…then wait. It usually takes about 45 days to process a claim. If the rental agency tries to charge you preemptively for the damages, have your credit card put the charges on hold until the situation is resolved.”

From the smithsonian:

“I tip the torchlight and examine a wall in my hotel room. From a distance, the wall looks like vanilla frosting roughly applied. Up close, I see nuggets of caramel-colored stone, faint brown streaks…and an oyster shell. The wall before me is 100 million years old, the raw edge of a cave scraped into a cliff above the Loire River. The oyster was a much earlier guest here, a fossil left from the sea that once covered this part of France and left behind a thick bed of white stone called tuffeau.

Many buildings in the Loire Valley are constructed from this stone. On a trip to France four years ago, I stayed in an elegantly restored farmhouse near Tours, its walls made of tuffeau blocks, stacked like irregular sugar cubes. The farmers of long ago probably dug their own tuffeau. It’s just under the surface–unplanted fields gleam with tuffeau churned to pebbles by the plows. However, the serious quarrying was for the signature chateaus and other monumental architecture of the Loire Valley.

At the time, I was among friends who wanted to visit all the chateaus. The first few exhausted my taste for opulence. Then, near the chateau in Amboise, I noticed caves in the cliff, some with brightly painted front doors, windows, shutters and flower boxes. As we drove around the Loire Valley, I spied more of these domesticated caves, some with chimneys thrusting through scruffy vegetation at the tops of cliffs or new facades and courtyards. Oh yes, someone finally explained: after widespread quarrying of the tuffeau began in the 11th century and created cavities in the hills and plains, people moved in. Some to escape warfare, others because the caves made convenient, low-rent dwellings. Until the early 20th century, many people lived in these so-called troglodyte homes. Entire villages were underground. Some people still live in the caves, I was told, and others are …”

Read the full article

From synthtopia:

“A group of music blogs have created a remix album for Daft Punk’s third album Human After All. The album is an unofficial remix album, and will be available as a free download starting May 20th.

1. Human After All —> Chosen by Disco Demons 2. The Prime Time Of Your Life —> Chosen by Data Sapiens
3. Robot Rock —> Chosen by The Cold Cut 4. Steam Machine —> Chosen by Cream Team 5. Make Love —> Chosen by Sheena Beaston
6. The Brainwasher —> Chosen by Danger! Danger!
7. On/Off —> Chosen by The Lemur Blog
8. Television Rules The Nation —> Chosen by Noise Porn 9. Technologic —> Chosen by Pretty Much Amazing
10. Emotion —> Chosen by Binary“

From viewonfashion:

On the 20th of May Paris will host an auction that you should attend if you love vintage fashion, and particularly if you like the iconic pieces created by French brand Hermés. Over 700 of their creations will be auctioned at the Hotel Marcel Dassault.

Auction house Artcurial have managed to collect 700 iconic Hermés pieces. Many of them are from the 60s, 70s and 80s, with authentic jewellery in some cases starting at just €70.

From their legendary foulards to jodhpur boots and beautiful bags. As you can imagine, the 700 pieces feature many interesting and unique creations. Don’t forget, you need to book in advance…

Hôtel Marcel Dassault
7 rond-point des Champs-Élysées
75008 Paris

Sessions
20 May 10:30am: Lots 1-250
20 May 2:30pm: Lots 251-End
Auctioneer: François Tajan

Viewing Information
15-18 May, 11am-7pm
19 May, by appointment

Contact: Cyril Pigot
Phone: +33 1 42 99 16 56

Bid Department
Marianne Balse
Phone: +33 1 42 99 20 51

From googlenews:

Chinese tourists are avoiding France because of President Nicolas Sarkozy and his country’s attitude toward Tibet, a senior Chinese tourism official told AFP on the weekend.

“Chinese tourism to France has reduced a lot because they (Chinese tourists) don’t like what Sarkozy did before the Olympics and afterwards,” Ji Xiao Dong, the vice president of China’s Chamber of Tourism, said on the sidelines of a global tourism conference in Brazil.

Ji said he was referring to pro-Tibet protests in France in the lead-up to the Olympic Games held in China last year, and to talks last December in Poland between Sarkozy and Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
When asked to quantify the fall in Chinese visitors to France, the world’s number one tourist destination, Ji said “it’s not clear yet what the number is, but there are many fewer.”

He explained that France was still the preferred European destination for Chinese tourists, but said many were miffed by Paris’s approach to Tibet, which is under Chinese rule.

“Ordinary Chinese people don’t like politicians or politics,” Ji said, adding that “how the Chinese think about France” has changed in recent months.
France and China have ostensibly mended relations since Sarkozy’s meeting with the Dalai Lama.

But Beijing warned Paris early this month against more “errors” after a spokesman for the Dalai Lama said the Tibetan spiritual leader may be made an honorary citizen of French capital during a June 6-8 visit.

China opposes any government figure meeting the Dalai Lama, whom it accuses of being intent on achieving independence for Tibet after 58 years of Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama however says he only wants autonomy for the Himalayan region.

Question: Do you believe there will be an eventual social revolt? Out of 11,928 participants, 29.5% say NO but…. 70.5% say YES!

[source: Zapping at Canal Plus]

From cheapflights:

“Air France has just slashed the price on their Paris Affair by $200. Now you can enjoy round-trip airfare and six nights in a hotel from $849.

This Paris vacation also includes a Bateaux Mouches river cruise on the Seine; a fashion show at luxury department store Galeries Lafayette, a wine and cheese tasting at Galeries Lafayette, a Paradis Latin show with complimentary champagne, and continental breakfast daily.

Though this package is available from now through late March of 2010, the lowest airfare prices are in the fall and winter.

Paris comes to life in the fall with fashionistas rocking the latest trends during fashion’s most exciting season. Winter is also a great time to visit Paris: tourists are few and far between, and the city looks gorgeous with a light dusting of snow.

Prices are based on double occupancy and a Saturday night stay is required.”

Paris Affair (Air France)

From variety:

The master of romanticism and rugged grandeur, Charles Aznavour has returned to the Gotham stage for an all-too-brief four-night stand with his unique catalog of French chanson. At the ripe age of 85, the singer-songwriter has lost none of his quicksilver energy, impish humor or trademark sense of musical storytelling. In a nearly two-hour show, he turned the pages of a familiar songbook that brought frequent cheers from a capacity audience clearly packed with adoring fans.

With the added glitter of a sparkling ballroom orb, Aznavour sang “The Old Fashioned Way (Les Plaisirs Demodes)” and danced across the stage with an imaginary woman in his arms. But perhaps the most tender memory was the plaintive scrapbook, “Yesterday When I Was Young.”

Aznavour is a master of gesture, nuance and timing. He accents his songs with a subtle reflection of young love and heartbreak. “La Boheme” is a bittersweet reflection of the passing of spring and lost life, while “It Will Be My Day” is a rhythmic celebration of showbiz savvy, youth and expectation. His performance of “Ave Maria” remains an intensely vivid hymn. “She,” the only song performed in English, is his biggest Stateside hit, featured here as an encore that allowed the singer to toast all women.

For the poignant duet “Je Voyage,” Aznavour was joined by his daughter, Katia; the narrative follows a young girl journeying into her future as her older companion travels through memories.

His daughter is one of two backup singers accompanying Aznavour, along with a nine-piece band with four violins and an accordion that projects a much bigger sound than one would expect. A smartly structured lighting design frames the crooner distinctively.

The New York leg is billed as an extension of Aznavour’s North American farewell tour that began in 2006. The performer is undoubtedly one of the last of a breed of living legends, a cunning crooner who has lost none of his seductive charm.

Charles Aznavour
City Center Main Stage
Apr 29 – May 3, 2009
Tickets: $55, $75, $95, $125, $150, $175, $190

Today is France’s Labor Day, a non-working day in France! Wait, I have to work.