American expat and Pastry chef, David Lebovitz, will be signing copies of his books, The Perfect Scoop and The Great Book of Chocolate in Paris tomorrow, Sunday, October 21. Please try to make it to this rare event. You can also bring your own books or purchase new ones on-site.

Where? Details are here

“For seventy years, a prayer book moldered in the closet of a family in France, passed down from one generation to the next. Its mildewed parchment pages were stiff and contorted, tarnished by burn marks and waxy smudges. Behind the text of the prayers, faint Greek letters marched in lines up the page, with an occasional diagram disappearing into the spine.

The owners wondered if the strange book might have some value, so they took it to Christie’s Auction House of London. And in 1998, Christie’s auctioned it off—for two million dollars.

For this was not just a prayer book. The faint Greek inscriptions and accompanying diagrams were, in fact, the only surviving copies of several works by the great Greek mathematician Archimedes…”

Read the full article

In conjunction with the French October 26 release of Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort (Deathly Hallows), the publisher, Gallimard, is organizing la Tournée du MagicoBus Harry Potter, a Magic bus tour that will stop by major cities in France to meet young Harry Potter fans. From October 17th through the 26th, fans will be able to take part in magical activities and games inside the bus. All participants will receive a poster. Three big winners per city will receive a diploma from Gallimard jeunesse and a collection of novels including the 7th Harry Potter tome. You must have a ticket to enter the Magicobus (Available at participating bookstores). Here’s the bus schedule:

Oct 17 – Lille – place Rihour
Oct 18 – Nancy – porte Desilles
Oct 19 – Lyon – place Louis-Pradel
Oct 20 – Aix-en-Provence – place Batard (Cité du Livre)
Oct 21 – Montpellier – esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle
Oct 22 – Toulouse – rue de Metz /rue des Arts
Oct 23 – Bordeaux – place dal Victoire
Oct 24 – Nantes – place de Bretagne
Oct 25 – Paris – rue Sébastien-Bottin
Oct 26 – Paris – parvis Montparnasse 9am / place du Châtelet 3pm

[via Univers HP]

Links: Gallimard, Official Press Release

Not that it’ll change anything or even prevent anyone from using this term, but a French Police Union is taking Le Petit Robert dictionary to court for including a reference to police as “connard de flic” (f*cking pig) in its latest 2008 edition. The union is demanding that this item be removed from the dictionary but the company Le Petit Robert states they, “would not under any circumstance allow its choices to be dictated by external pressures….it is not intended to disparage or dishonour anyone but to describe language in all of its richness and multiple usages, from its most elevated form to the colloquial.

[via]

Talented and silly illustrators world-wide were asked to contribute their take on the Mona Lisa at Nick Mag’s Magazine Gallery – but this prompted a Mona Lisa meme at Drawn! Submit your version of Mona Lisa there. [related: Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa Men Have Framed You]

The Rugby World Cup is fast approaching, beginning September 5 in Paris. What better way to commemorate your favorite francophone rugbyman or in this case rugbymen than with a 2008 calendar of your French Rugby players all naked!?? Does it merit the name, “Dieux du Stade Calendrier 2008” (Gods of the Stadium, 2008 Calendar)? I think so.

Who’s on this calendar jam-packed with French rugby players showing off their best assets?

- Christophe Dominici
- David Skrela
- Rémy Martin
- Dimitri Szarzewski
- Clément Poitrenaud
- Vincent Clerc
- Nicolas Jeanjean
- Ignacio Corleto
- Sergio Parisse
- Mirco et Mauro Bergamasco
- Geoffroy Messina
- Julien Arias
- Marcello Bosch
- Loïc Jacquet

This year the calendar photos were shot by Steven Klein, well-known for his provocative images – for example, could the photo of Brad Pitt in a very short Greek skirt (for his film, Troy) be indelibly engraved in your memory? Klein has also shot Madonna for years as well as other stars and athletes.

Order one now (26.60 euros (about $36), free delivery in France)

[via Dieux du stade (in French)]

Un Français, c’est un Italien de mauvaise humeur.
The French are Italians in a bad mood. ~ Jean Cocteau (French artist/filmmaker/poet/novelist – 1889 – 1963)

I don’t think the French find this quote particularly endearing…

Having nothing to do with travel but everything to do with France (albeit a France from the 50s), I thought this merited at least one blog post.

While some would find it to be just trash, we thought this old newspaper was a little treasure from the past, a peek into French life 50 or so years ago – and well, who doesn’t think that some found objects rule? I absolutely adore finding old newspapers (unless there’s something vile on it like poo or vomit). It doesn’t have a date on it but I think it’s from the 50′s based on the content. I’ll be posting little bits and pieces of it in the next few days.

YAY! I was SO HAPPY that the comics page was intact (click on the photo to enlarge it). Here’s a comic strip that was actually adapted from a book by the short story writer, Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) called, Notre Coeur. I guess France back then (at least in the comic strip world) was pretty literary; I mean, there’s a lot of text and it’s hard to compare it to contemporary comic strips of today. I wonder if kids back then even liked this comic strip. It’s not as fun as Calvin and Hobbs, afterall. Anyway. The actual book, Notre Coeur was published in 1890 and was Maupassant’s last book published while he was still alive. It’s a love story. But of course!

To read the free ebook of Notre Coeur by Guy de Maupassant, download it here. (from La Bibliothèque électronique du Québec)

From the LAist:

“Venerable French magazine Cahiers du cinema (yup, it’s still in existence) today launched its first English language edition, which will be available both in print and online for an annual fee. For $45, English-language readers will now be able to subscribe to a year’s worth of the magazine (11 regular issues + 1 special issue)…”

Read the full post

Tags: france, Cahiers+du+cinema, french, films, movies, critiques

From Teleread:

“…How can you read a paper book if you’re quadriplegic and can’t use your hands? And what if your only way of communicating is through blinking?

People with those and other disabilities, including visual impairments, are of special interest to us here at the Landowski Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine, France) in the western suburbs of Paris… Since 2001, with our special users in mind, we have…”

Read the article

Tags: france, french, ebooks, Boulogne-Billancourt, disabilities, Locked-in+Syndrome, Landowski+multimedia+library, Digital+Lbrary+for+Disabled+Persons, Bibliothèque+numérique+pour+le+Handicap

For what it’s worth, here’s a list of gift book ideas. I started this list way too late but it could be helpful to some of you who are very last minute shoppers in need of gifts for francophiles. (For last year’s lists of Gift Ideas for Francophiles click here: Part I, Part II & Part III)

Travel Guides
1. One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in France by Simonetta Greggio
2. Lonely Planet France (2007) by Nicola Williams and Oliver Berry
3. France From the Air by Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, Catherine Guigon, and Yann Arthus-Bertrand
4. Provence Made Easy: The Best Sights and Walks of Provence and the French Riviera (Open Road Travel Guides) Paperback by Andy Herbach
5. Drive Around Dordogne and Western France: Your guide to great drives by Eric Bailey today

On Learning French
1. French: The Complete Language Course (Learn in Your Car) by Henry N. Raymond
2. French With Michel Thomas: The Fastest Way to Learn a Language (Deluxe Language Courses with Michel Thomas) by Michel Thomas
3. Rick Steves’ French Phrase Book and Dictionary by Rick Steves
4. Better Reading French : A Reader and Guide to Improving Your Understanding of Written French by Annie Heminway
5. 501 French Verbs: with CD-ROM (501 Verb Series) by Christopher Kendris and Theodore N. Kendris

On Paris
1. The Paris Cafe Cookbook : Rendezvous and Recipes by Daniel Young
2. The Historic Restaurants of Paris: A Guide to Century-Old Cafes, Bistros, and Gourmet Food Shops by Ellen Williams
3. Paris: An Architectural History by Anthony Sutcliffe
4. Antique and Flea Markets of London and Paris by Rupert Thomas and Egle Salvy
5. Alphonse Mucha: The Spirit of Art Nouveau by Victor Arwas

On French Things, History & People
1. Absinthe: History in a Bottle by Barnaby Conrad
2. The Cooking of Southwest France : Recipes from France’s Magnificent Rustic Cuisine by Paula Wolfert
3. JJacques-Louis David’s ‘Marat’ (Masterpieces of Western Painting) by Will Vaughn
4. Chanel: A Woman of her Own by Axel Madsen
5. The Wines of France: The Essential Guide for Savvy Shoppers by Jacqueline Friedrich
6. Culture Shock! France: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Sally Adamson Taylor
7. The Road from the Past: Traveling through History in France by Ina Caro
8. The Color of Liberty: Histories of Race in France (Paperback) by Sue Peabody
9. France and the French: A Modern History by Rod Kedward

I’ve seen this cartoon character, Bécassine, on products all over France and just assumed it was from a cartoon made by the same artist (Hergé), who created TinTin. Bécassine was launched as a comic strip in 1905 as part of La Semaine de Suzette, a magazine for little girls. I believe TinTin appeared 20 or so years later. Isn’t this a clear example of RIP OFF? Or doesn’t Bécassine look EXACTLY like Tin Tin in a dress? I guess no one cared back then.

I actually don’t know that much about Bécassine except that she was from Bretagne (thus the outfit), so for those interested, here is some information about her: Bande Dessinée Bécassine (in French).

Maybe I wasn’t paying attention in class the day they talked about this but the first time I’d ever heard about La grotte de Lascaux (The Lascaux Cave) and the prehistoric drawings there – was when we were visiting southwest France just about a month ago. At first, I wasn’t very excited about seeing them especially because the original cave is closed to the public and you can only visit a replica of it. I know: I was lame because I thought it would be so boring. I’m glad I we took the advice of the people around us and visited it afterall because it was surprisingly far from a snorer.
Christened “The Sistine Chapel of Prehistory,” these ancient frescoes are the most spectacular prehistoric cave paintings in the world. Dating back approximately 17,000 years ago, the original cave paintings at Lascaux, near the village of Montignac, are some of the earliest known art by man. Incidentally, Cro-Magnon man was the first to show signs of artistic ability according to scientists.

If it weren’t for two teenagers in 1940 who stumbled accidentally upon the cave whilst looking for their dog (that fell into a hole leading to the cave), we may never have known about Lascaux.

Sadly, they had to close Lascaux to the public in 1963 because the walls began developing a deteriorating fungus from all the visitors’ wows, oohs and ahhhs.

Soon thereafter, the French embarked on a huge project to build an exact, inch-by-inch replica of the Lascaux cave and the drawings. It took about 11 years.

The replica, called Lascaux 2, situated just 200 meters away from the original cave, opened to the public in 1983.

I first felt a bit resentful having to see a replica but it is nearly an identical copy of the first and it is truly amazing; the guided tour was excellent as well. You will be engaged by the bulls, elk and horses that seem to trot across a cave ceiling before your eyes. You’ll be tempted to decipher symbols and stories. Note: I don’t think this would be an interesting for claustrophobes, however.

The construction of the Lascaux II was a clear opportunity for scientists, to explore their hypotheses and knowledge about how the drawings and paintings were made.

They used the same kinds of materials they believed to have been used some 17,000+ years ago. Materials such as natural pigments like ochre, charcoal, and iron oxides. The images show animals, hunts, wars, symbols and other objects not easily decipherable.

If anything, the cave tour does inspire you to wonder about the lives of these ancient peoples. What they did; how they lived; what was their relationship to the animals around them. The scientist clearly say with certainty that animals were not domesticated until thousands of years later, but some of the images seem to point otherwise. How they can say that so confidently is beyond me because in the same breath, they will note that the Cro-Magnon man was only different to us in physical attributes (longer jaws that accommodated all their wisdom teeth! and also they were taller), and not in intelligence. In other words, Cro-Magnon man was as intelligent as man today. The 40-minute tour is very detailed and fascinating, and our tour guide was very pleased that the group was quite animated and many theories emerged into lively discussion.

Though there was a lot of debate about what could have been, clearly, these prehistoric murals and artwork, at minimum, testify to the existence of ancient and well-established civilization in the south of France, which is pretty neat.

Important Note: You cannot buy tickets onsite at Lascaux II; you must purchase them in the nearby town of Montignac, next to the Office de tourisme. Admission: 8.20 € (5.20 € for kids 6-12 years old); During the high season (May through August), reserve tickets one or two weeks in advance or arrive early. The office opens at 9am until they sell all of tickets for the day. Tours are available in French and English.

Books about Lascaux
The Cave Painter of Lascaux (a book for small kids),
Cave of Lascaux: The Cave of Prehistoric Wall Paintings (Famous Caves of the World),
The Cave of Lascaux,
Lascaux: Movement, Space and Time,
Prehistoric Art: The Symbolic Journey of Humankind

For more Information
Lascaux II: Semitour Périgord, 221 bis route d’Angouleme, BP 1024, 24001
Périgueux Cedex, Tel: +33-553-519503 or +33-553-056565
E-mail: contact@semitour.com
Website: Official Site for The Lascaux 2 Cave

Related: Where to stay in Dordogne: Rent a vacation house in Dordogne

^{[photos from the original Lascaux Cave courtesy of the Delluc and Laval Collections]}

Halloween is not for a couple of weeks, but face it, you wait ’til the last minute to decide how you’re going to dress up for that Halloween party. Don’t lie.

There’s nothing worse than going to a costume party with a sheet over your head, two holes cut out on top for eyes. Or wearing jeans and a black turtleneck saying you’re dressed as Steve Jobs. Please. Have some self-respect. Try something new this year: effort. Since I’m in France, I’m offering a few ideas a la francaise that would make fun Halloween costumes.

Police (or any military position that requires the képi). You gotta love those hats (I sort of want a real one.) and they are such a snap to make yourself. It’s basically a cylinder with a flap. You can easily make it on your own (you might be able to find a DIY on a craft site) if you can’t find it elsewhere. If you are able to find an oval box the right size and go from there, you are good to go. The rest is basically a dark blue or black marching band outfit. Can’t find a marching band suit? Just wear an old dark suit and add shiny, gold buttons and rank ribbons (or whatever they’re called). Pictured to the right is Charles de Gaulle in his general outfit.

Boulanger (Baker) – Now that I realize who the scary boulanger was (merci, Roland!), I figure it’s not a bad idea to go as RAIMU in the role of the boulanger, especially if you have some accessories of bread and baguettes. Feel free to sprinkle some flour around your face and hair for authenticity. Remember your white hat and an added apron if you like. Most importantly, work on that “I’m going to kill you now” look down pat.

A French President – This idea goes well with older, bald and balding men. You have to be bald (or nearly bald) to make this work, as baldness seems to be the requirement for being elected French president, at least since 1974 (starting with Giscard d’Estaing, then Mitterand and now our kooky Chirac). Take your pick.

Here are some French celebrities to dress up as if you dare:

Yannick Noah, Johnny Hallyday, Claude Francois, Marquis de Sade, Coluche, Maïté, Brigitte Bardot, Napoleon, Zidane

Here are some fictional celebrities:

Inspector Jacques Clouseau (from The Pink Panther) in a trench coat, leather gloves, hat and magnifying glass, Pepe le Pew, the cat-amourous cartoon skunk romantic wannabe, Cyrano de Bergerac (or was he a real person?) whose ugliness prevented him from expressing his true love for Roxanne, Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, a character from the Vampire Chronicals by Anne Rice – a French vampire made even further known by Tom Cruise playing the lead role in the movie version. (btw, you can go as the vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac, who was played by Brad Pitt in the movie. They were both French.)

The obvious highly stereotyped French costumes. Better than a sheet but trite:

French Maid – Ok, this is more of an American fantasy, I believe, as I’ve never seen a maid in anything even remotely resembling this outfit. Anyway, if this fits the bill for you, knock yourself out.

French man – Man wearing a black beret, striped dark blue or black/white shirt, holding a baguette and bottle of wine. I’ve actually seen lots of people holding baguettes and/or wine bottles, and I have definitely witnessed lots of others wearing the striped shirt, but the beret wearing is getting more rare. Lately, the beret fashion is limited to very, very old men.

No, this post is not a “How to” and no, I’m not saying this is right.

It is simply a WHOA! from me after having seen a news item the other day. There’s a 44-year old man, who has been living off of unemployment benefits in France for most of the last 26 years. During that time, he’s actually worked a total of 4 years. And it’s, in fact, he, who has written and published a “How To Be a Professional Unemployed Person.” I have a feeling he isn’t alone and after the release of his new book, I am guessing there will be LOTS more like him. Do you think millions will buy his book? After all the sales, he will no longer need his unemployment benefits. That’s good because someone who really needs it can receive the benefits.

In his new book, “Moi, Thierry F. Chômeur Professionnel,” Thierry explains how he receives 600 euros ($760) every month, and while that is not a great amount, he’s still managed to buy an apartment and new car simply off his unemployment benefits. Actually, it doesn’t sound very difficult and that is the fault of the system. The way unemployment (and welfare for that matter) works is so faulty, that many people living in France not only profit from the system, but also feel it is fine to do such a thing. The attitude is more of a, “hey, the government is stupid enough to have such a system, they deserve it!” As an unemployed person, you also receive other aid in the form of free or discounted public transportation as well as many other perks. Thierry can gain so much more from the unemployed way than if he worked for minimum wage.

A slight aside: When my friend N was unemployed and living in her parents’ extra studio apartment for free in the south of France, everyone around her advised her to apply for benefits saying she’s paying for rent and needs help with it. She could have done this and gotten some money every month, but she refused. She wondered why everyone was so adamant that lying was the right thing to do.

In the newscast, Thierry mentions he does not have a moral problem with what he does because it is all within legal boundaries. He considers himself someone who profits from the system, rather than someone who is cheating it. Alrightee then. At the same time, he does say that he purposely submits faulty CVs and intentionally performs poorly in job interviews to assure he will receive no job offers. In France now, if you turn down three job offers, your unemployment is taken away, but if you never get an offer, the “taking away of benefits” can never happen.

This whole thing is part of a chapter in MY (imaginary) book called, “France Makes No Sense Sometimes.” This news story was featured on France 2, which is a state-run (as in this flawed system makers aka the government) channel and seemed like an invitation to become a professional unemployed person. It’s all so insane. Maybe it’s a trap!

In a recent post on her blog called, in my spare time, Jan from New South Wales, Australia, has beautifully drawn maps and info in her rebound Moleskine-like sketchbook (she even did the rebinding herself!) in preparation for her trip to Paris. The sketches and teeny tiny info are amazing and avoid having to lug around a whole guide book that she doesn’t really need, plus it’s all part of her travel journal/sketchbook that will have her personal observations and experiences of her trip in drawings and writing. I am already dying to see it and she hasn’t even gone yet.

She used the maps and travel information from an old 1969 Guide France, which she also rebound – then sketched what she’s planning to do during her trip. I love this idea because it’s meaningful and personal (she didn’t just photocopy pages she needed) and shows how much she’s looking forward to the trip by spending so much of her time in preparation.

In a way it makes me feel guilty when I think of my first solo trip to Europe that lasted 4 months and I traveled all over. I had a huge guidebook and after I visited a place, I’d tear out and throw away the pages of the book related to that place, to lighten my backpack! (I know, how wasteful of me. I’m not as wasteful anymore, if that helps.)

Lastly, I admire how Jan loves old books so much so that she rebinds them to give them a re-birth instead of just tossing them in the trash. More people should be so thoughtful and kind to the environment. Thanks for sharing your wonderful blog, Jan.

See Jan’s Paris sketches

[via Angry B]

I briefly mentioned and recommended the best-seller, Perfume, a novel by Patrick Susskind in a post about Grasse, which is the perfume capital of France. The novel has sold more than 150 million copies since 1985, and has been translated into 45 different languages. In France alone, 2.5 million copies of Perfume were sold.

The Story from Library Journal:

Set in 18th-century France, Perfume relates the fascinating and horrifying tale of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a person as gifted as he was abominable. Born without a smell of his own but endowed with an extraordinary sense of smell, Grenouille becomes obsessed with procuring the perfect scent that will make him fully human. With brilliant narrative skill Susskind exposes the dark underside of the society through which Grenouille moves and explores the disquieting inner universe of this singularly possessed man.

It’s been many years since its initial publication and I’ve been wondering why it hasn’t been made into a movie. Actually, the German novelist, Patrick Susskind was approached by both Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott for the film rights, but he declined. It wasn’t until 2001 that Mr. Susskind finally allowed the sale of the film rights (for an undisclosed amount) to his friend, German Film Producer, Bernd Eichinger, who produced The Name of the Rose, and The Neverending Story among many other films.

Finally, 21 years after the novel’s publication, the movie, Perfume, was made for the big screen.

Perfume was directed by Tom Tykwer, who also directed and wrote the excellent, Run Lola Run. British actor, Ben Whishaw, will play the lead character, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. (Yes. Last Name: Frog.) Alan Rickman, who i LOVE, will be playing the Antoine perfumer, Richis. I was largely disappointed with Dustin Hoffman casted as the Grenouille’s teacher Guiseppe Baldini, but I’m crossing my fingers everything will be fine.

Perfume opens in French theaters on October 4.

Da Vinci Code fanatics from the U.S., Australia and the UK (sorry rest of the world) can take a quest online, which is a contest to win a trip for four to Paris, New York, London or Rome, plus other prizes. It is a huge publicity campaign for the movie, The Da Vince Code starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou (from Amelie) disguised as a game contest filled with puzzles and questions. The movie premieres next month. The quest requires that you register for a Google home page account (which is free) before you can go on to play 24 daily puzzles that must all be solved by May 11, the end of Phase 1 of the contest. The puzzles incorporate characters, themes and symbols from the story. After solving a puzzle, you will then have to correctly answer a question that tests your knowledge of the story. You are allowed to solve the puzzles in any order. Once you complete all of the 24 daily puzzles correctly and before the due date of Phase 1, you will be sent to complete a form where you must enter your Google ID and submit it to receive a time stamp of your puzzle completion time. You then have to complete the contest’s entry form and submit it for another time stamp, marking your contest entry time. Only the first 10,000 qualified players (who answered all 24 puzzles correctly and filled out and submitted their puzzle complete and entry form) can move on to the final phase of the contest. Good luck! Go on the Da Vinci Code Quest now [related: Send online postcards of da Vinci Code Paris]

Tags: Da+Vinci+Code, contest, movies,

Just published: My Life in France by Julia Child, Alex Prud’Homme (Julia’s grandnephew) From Julia’s Introduction: This is a book about some of the things I have loved most in life: my husband Paul Child: la belle France: and the many pleasures of cooking and eating. It is also something new for me. Rather than a collection of recipes, I’ve put together a series of linked autobiographical stories, mostly focused on the years 1948 through 1954, when we lived in Paris and Marseille, and also a few of our later adventures in Provence. Those early years in France were among the best of my life. They marked a crucial period of transformation in which I found my true calling, experienced an awakening of the senses and had such fun that I hardly stopped moving long enough to catch my breath. From the Publisher: In her own words, here is the captivating story of Julia Child’s years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found ‘her true calling.’ From the moment the ship docked in Le Havre in the fall of 1948 and Julia watched the well-muscled stevedores unloading the cargo to the first perfectly soigné meal that she and her husband, Paul, savored in Rouen en route to Paris, where he was to work for the USIS, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn’t speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors in the local markets, and enrolled in the Cordon Bleu. After managing to get her degree despite the machinations of the disagreeable directrice of the school, Julia started teaching cooking classes herself, then teamed up with two fellow gourmettes, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, to help them with a book they were trying to write on French cooking for Americans. Throwing herself heart and soul into making it a unique and thorough teaching book, only to suffer several rounds of painful rejection, is part of the behind-the-scenes drama that Julia reveals with her inimitable gusto and disarming honesty. Filled with the beautiful black-and-white photographs that Paul loved to take when he was not battling bureaucrats, as well as family snapshots, this memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became. Le voici. Et bon appétit! Click here for more information on: My Life in France (April 2006 published posthumously) [via Simply Recipes]

Tags: france, books, travel, my+life+in+france, julia+child, food, paris

founder of Emmaüs, 93 year old abbot pierre, (who recently released his book, my god why) has released a CD called, “avant de partir” (before leaving). on it he recites 14 short passages from the bible followed by the lord’s prayer. the “spiritual testament” is his recited voice with a background of music by french composer, erik satie and canadian composer stephen mulin. the CD is now available in french stores. [via tf1 (in french)]

talking about christmas shopping in france the other day made me really think, “OMG i still haven’t finished my shopping!”

for so many reasons, france remains to be the most visited country on EARTH. that means there are lots and lots of francophiles! (here’s a huge SLAP! with a large trout for bill o’reilly, hater and france basher)

i decided to post a shopping guide while i figure out what to get my sister and her husband (and other francophiles) for christmas. so if you have some friends and family that love france, here are some suggestions for you too:

BOOKS

The Book: Louis Vuiton – this is a must have for LV collectors and makes a great coffee table book.
60 Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong – an interesting read about france, why and how things evolved, and some explanations about the things in france that are perplexing.
A Year in the Merde – a fun, laugh-out-loud story about a british guy living and working in france.
La Bonne Cuisine – a trusted, comprehensive guide to french cooking, this is the equivalent to the joy of cooking or the fannie farmer cookbook. la bonne cuisine was written in 1927 and was a well-weathered recipe book in many french households. it was considered a BIBLE to the late and adorable julia child. this year it was translated into english for the first time.
French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present – essential reading for enthusiasts of french films.
The Great Wines of France – a guide for the true lover of french wines with wine profiles written by expert clive coates and including stories behind some of france’s most reputable châteaux.
Judgment of Paris : California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine – a blind tasting of california and french wines. the findings sent shockwaves throughout the wine world.

MOVIES (DVDs)

Amelie – impish, fun and quirky movie that will leave you happy as you skip instead of walk for the rest of the day (original french version with english and spanish subtitles).
Grand Illusion – Jean Renoir’s antiwar masterpiece is one of the very first prison escape movies, and is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made.
Ma vie en rose – there are so few movies that will make you both laugh and cry and this is one of them. it’s a touching story about tolerance and a transgendered child living in a place that does not understand him.
The Dinner Game – really funny and silly movie that will make you laugh out loud – revolving around a game about who can bring the dorkiest guy to dinner. it’s also a great tribute to the actor, jacques villeret who sadly passed away this year.
Cyrano de Bergerac – out of all the remakes of the story of cyrano de bergerac, this one, with gerard depardieu, is one of my favorite versions (though it’s not as funny as this one)
Three Colors Trilogy – set of three absorbing and thought provoking films (blue/white/red – the colors of the french flag) and based on the french ideals: liberty, equality and fraternity.
Hiroshima Mon Amour – based on the novel by marguerite duras, hiroshima mon amour is perfect adaptation brought to the big screen, a story about love, tragedy, remembering, forgetting and rebirth.
Ridicule – during the time of louis xvi, survival demanded an engaging quick wit and a razor sharp tongue.
The Girl on the Bridge – beautiful and romantic story about a knife thrower and a girl – it’s an absorbing art piece exploring the human spirit.
Jules and Jim – a classic made in the 60′s about bohemian paris and a love triangle.

i realize that i could’ve listed so much more but i tried to include a variety of books and movies that would appeal to different interests and tastes.

see Part II: French Gifts for Foodies and Part III: French Music Guide (French Music for Francophiles)

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tags: france travel christmas shopping gifts francopiles french movies books ideas

he’s baaaaaAAAaaack. stephen clarke, author of the laugh-out-loud and huge success, a year in the merde has released a new book called, merde actually, part deux of paul west’s hilarious adventures in france. the new book was launched this month, and stephen clarke will be available for a reading and signing in paris. the details:

When: December 13, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Alimentation Generale, 64 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud 75011 Paris – Metro: Parmentier

The signing/reading will be followed by a concert by Amen Viana, whose music fuses rock, jazz and blues.

this book(let) from 1945 was written by the Information & Education Division of the US Occupation Forces. yes, france’s ally, the u.s. during WWII. it is in a question/answer format, based on complaints and observations of the american forces about france. the main purpose of this publication looked to dispell any french stereotypes american forces might have had, and to integrate american soldiers better into france with minimal levels of culture shock.

it is written surprisingly from a humane perspective encouraging tolerance, understanding and acceptance.

an excerpt from the forward:

“…It lists the criticisms, misconceptions and ordinary “gripes” which American troops in Europe express most frequently when they talk about the French. Each comment, or question, is followed by an answer — or discussion. Some of the answers are quite short, because the question is direct and simple. Some of the answers are quite long, because the “questions” are not questions at all, but indictments which contain complicated and sweeping preconceptions.

This booklet may not convince those who are hopelessly prejudiced, but it may help to keep others from being infected by the same lamentable virus.”

the full booklet is available to read online here: 112 gripes

a group of 15 french illustrators have assembled their work to be included “en bande dessinée” in a (cartoon-style) book called, “Les Beaux Dessins” (beautiful illustrations), a title inspired by cabrel’s latest cd, “Les beaux dégats.” they’ve dedicated their art to the one and only, inimitable francis cabrel and 12 of his most popular songs, songs that continue to transcend generations, and will probably remain popular for years to come.

i believe it is the first of its kind, in terms of taking a legendary french singer and his lyrics and re-interpreting them with illustrations, all in one book. i’ve just ordered it online.

contributing illustrators: Virginie Augustin, François Avril, Béhé, Ted Benoît, Buche, Max Cabanes, Jean-Claude Denis, Ferri, Jean-Claude Götting, Manu Larcenet, Emmanuel Lepage, Jérôme Lereculey, Mazan, Ana Mirallès, Cyril Pedrosa and Zep.

it’s available at amazon.fr (this was just released this month so it is not available at amazon.com for the moment. please check there at a later date.)

[related: francis cabrel organizes sos musiciens benefit concert for new orleans]