Sad news. Kiki the Parisian tortoise has died at age 146. News

From the telegraph:

The film, “La France change, ma région doit changer” (France is changing, my region should change) shows an eco-friendly house with solar panels on the roof, smiling schoolchildren and a mother hugging a little girl in a sunny garden.

A voice-over boasts about Mr Sarkozy’s achievements since 2007, and the benefits of living in France.

But the French TV channel Canal+ has discovered most of the footage was bought from Getty Images, and shot thousands of miles away in the US.

The family house used in the video is in Escondido, California – and UMP party bosses even failed to spot that a car parked outside it has US number plates. The class of happy schoolchildren from a mix of ethnic backgrounds live in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. And the mother with her child in the garden is really in..

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Some people seem to have a need to know what it’s like to live like a hamster, and if you’re one of them, here you go. Hamster Hotel! Located in Nantes, live like a king hamster, eat seeds, run in a hamster wheel and sleep on hay, all for the *bargain basement* price of 99 euros. Free wi-fi, hamster people!

Hamster Villa
2, rue Malherbes
44000 Nantes, France

Pack up your car with your friends and family to spend some time in England. For their 15th anniversary, Eurotunnel is have a sale, and it’s pretty good. For a month from November 17th to December 17th (it should’ve been from the 15th to th 15th!), a roundtrip from Calais to Folkestone (or vice versa) and traveling on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, will cost 15€ only. The sale is good for same day trips but if you want to stay longer, just buy a second roundtrip ticket from the other direction (provided it’s during this month and on a qualifying day.) If you’re coming from England, it costs £15. This fee is per car so if you have many people in your car, it still only costs 15!

More information or call 08705 700 800.

NOTE: Quote promotional code: 15 years

From the cult of mac:

Apple today opened the first of a series of stores planned for Paris. The first, located near the famous Louvre art museum, coincided with the release of the Musee du Louvre iPhone app showcasing among other exhibits, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The Paris store, first reported in 2008, includes a 7,700-square foot two-story layout with diamond-shaped windows.

Apple will quickly open a series of stores in France, including a location in Montpellier in the southern portion of the country. By the summer of 2010, the Cupertino, Calif. company hopes to open its third location in France, near the Garnier opera house.

Ron Johnson, an Apple retail senior vice president, said France could witness the fastest growth of the company’s chain of stores.

Order your Thanksgiving dinner and have it made for you, so you don’t have to try to fit a turkey in that tiny, French oven! If not that, perhaps you’re traveling or just don’t want to deal with it at home. How about going out for a real, Thanksgiving dinner à la américaine? The Bistrot Saint Martin is offering a feast for Turkey Day to eat in or take out, but reserve now as long as there are still openings. The in-restaurant dinner is 30€/person and includes:

Take out dinners include:

Bistrot Saint Martin
Telephone: 06 32 75 98 05/01 46 07 73 68
Email: lesaintmartin@yahoo.fr
Website: The Bistrot Saint Martin

Yesterday wasn’t the best time to go to Dijon, let alone any city in France because of the farmer protests. We usually know about these things in advance, but silly us, we didn’t watch the news on Thursday (or lately for that matter), like we usually do! Needless to say, when we arrived in Dijon, the traffic was très pertubé, and that wasn’t the only thing perturbed. The farmers were all over the city setting fires in the roads, throwing around trash, hay and animal poo (It smelled!), lighting huge bomb firecrackers, and making a huge mess causing hours of traffic delays. Once we got parked, which took forever, I took these photos. I’m lucky I had my old little camera in my purse.



And we noticed that the police were hiding far away from the rowdy agriculteurs.


Here’s a :30 video I took:

Following Sarkozy’s horribly embarrassing nepotistic naming of his 23 year-old son to the powerful political post inside EPAD, the reactions are numerous. Many college students are requesting to be adopted by Nicolas Sarkozy so they’ll have a better chance at “finding” a good job; people are outraged, defenders are insisting little Sarkozy got elected! Whatever. WHY do you think he was elected? A few words: HIS DAD’S URGING. Duh,people.

Anyway, this one’s my fave. It’s a hilarious spot advertising a fake iPhone app called, “L’application Jean Sarkozy pour L’iPhone.” You don’t need to speak French to understand what that’s all about.

Evian releases a limited edition bottle annually, and this year’s contribution is from British designer Paul Smith. I like the colorful and light-hearted edition with five different color bottle caps, and I definitely appreciate that it’s not plastic.

The bottles are not available to purchase at the moment but will be during the holidays.

Paul Smith for Evian – video.

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From Le Meurice’s FB:

Yannick Alléno, the Head Chef of Le Meurice’s 3 Michelin Star gastronomic restaurant, loves to reinvent classic recipes and has brought about a new meaning to breakfast in Paris, with the Choc’Alléno.

Created with Ladurée, the renowned Parisian café and pastry shop, the Choc’Alleno will be available in all Ladurée boutiques as well as for breakfast at Le Meurice from 11 September 2009. Looking to create is own version of the French croissant after being inspired by the chocolate aromas and colours at Ladurée, Yannick Alléno researched different types and textures of cocoa bean and decided to re-interpret the French art of “viennoiserie”.

The Choc’Alléno pain au chocolat and croissant are all-chocolate: the dough is made with chocolate and added cocoa beans to enhance the flavour, arousing a multitude of sensors in the palate – and making it impossible to resist.

The Choc’Alléno will be served for breakfast from 11 September 2009 in the Restaurant Le Meurice from 7am -10.30am weekdays and from 7am-11am weekends, for €36.

The Choc’Alléno breakfast will include:
o Choc’Alléno pain au chocolat
o Choc’Alléno croissant
o Chocolate baguette
o A selection of coffees, teas and hot chocolates (specially selected by the Head Sommelier Nicolas Rebut)
o Fruit Juice
o Chocolate chip butter
o Jam and Honey

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From wired:

Finally, fishermen off the northern coast of France have found a large parasitic isopod (a relative of the louse) that has evolved a rather hideous method for survival in its host: it gets into the fish’s mouth and then devours its tongue. It then attaches itself at the back of the fish’s throat where it presumably feeds of whatever the fish normally eats. The really bizarre part is that the fish doesn’t seem to suffer any ill effects other than the loss of its tongue.

From macgamesandmore:

With the 30,000 (give or take 10 to 20 thousand) iphone apps available at the Apple iTunes store, including free, paid and game apps, it can feel no less than overwhelming looking for quality apps. How do you find the needle in a hay stack? Millions of others like you and I browsing the app store feel this pain. The bad side to this is that there are too many poor applications and duplicates, triplicates and quadruplacates (if that’s a word). The good side to having a prodigious amount of apps is that within this sea of apps a significant number of them are really excellent. Yay. Of course, the problem of trying to locate those apps remains pretty elusive. This is why I’m only going to feature apps that stand out of the crowd.

Since apps haven’t really been on my radar, many of the great ones surely slipped by me but I serendipitously stumbled upon this ingenious Paris Metro iPhone App. Seriously, the developers of this one are Gods.

The Paris Metro iPhone App is a must-have app for residents of and tourists traveling in Paris. Forget the clunky paper maps and GPS with a battery life of about 3 minutes. You’ll only need your trusty iPhone 3G because this app takes full advantage of the augmented reality features.

Watch the youtube video of the demonstration (click on the image). It explains how it works. Note: It’s in French but the visual is self-explanatory.

The Paris Metro iPhone App is 99 cents at the iTunes store. Get it now.

From AP:

Paris’ Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site.

The museum will be free to all visitors Sunday, the last day before the work begins.

It will stop lending out Picasso artworks during the overhaul, which will begin with experts updating, computerizing and restoring the inventory, museum director Anne Baldassari said Saturday.

The museum, in a baroque mansion in Paris’ Marais district, opened in 1985, and it traces the Spanish-born artist’s prolific career. Picasso died in 1973.

Renovation of the 3,000-square-meter (32,000-square-foot) space will begin early next year. It is expected to last two years and cost euro20 million, the museum said in a statement.

“It needs modernizing,” Baldassari said, citing electrical problems and the need to make it more accessible to people with reduced mobility.

She also wants to boost attendance — currently at about half a million people a year — and attract more young people by expanding exhibition space and adding halls for student activities.

While the museum has about 5,000 pieces in stock, it only displays 250-300 at a time, she said. “We can’t continue like this,” she said.

To guard against theft of the museum’s riches during the renovation, the artworks will be packaged and shipped, under tight security, to storerooms managed by the national museum authority, Baldassari said. The entire process is very “locked-up and watched by police,” she said on France-Info radio, declining to give further details.

Picasso’s paintings, sculptures and sketches are among the world’s most coveted artworks and are often targeted by thieves.

The museum will continue to host education and cultural events related to the Picasso collection at other sites while the renovation is done.

They keep saying that the French are the most productive people in the world year after year. A new study conducted by the UBS has reaffirmed this finding that although the French work the least amount of hours per year in the world, they still manage to be the most productive.

People work an average of 1,902 hours per year in the surveyed cities but they work much longer in Asian and Middle Eastern cities, averaging 2,119 and 2,063 hours per year respectively. Overall, the most hours are worked in Cairo (2,373 hours per year), followed by Seoul (2,312 hours). People in Lyon and Paris, by contrast, spend the least amount of time at work according to the global comparison: 1,582 and 1,594 hours per year respectively.

Maybe we should all work LESS and see what happens – but don’t blame me if you get fired from your job.

Dating from the end of the 17th century and standing 450 square meters (4,843 square feet), a chapel in the small village, Massat (Midi-Pyrénées), is up for sale. Or should we say it’s up for auction on eBay.

Interested? The good news: it features old stained glass windows, a romanesque porch, fine wooden beams and several decorative statues. AND. It has serious potential! The bad news: it’s still a fixer upper, desperately needing significant renovations on the floors, roof and electrical wiring.

The village’s mayor, Léon-Pierre Galy-Gasparrou, decided to sell it because the municipality can’t afford to pay for the repairs. Besides, there isn’t a permanent priest and there are two larger churches in the community.

Buy it now!

UPDATE: This listing was removed just after I published this blog post.

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From the telegraph:

“…The places under threat include some of the area’s most popular resorts. Bays popular with Britons from Mont-Saint-Michel along the Atlantic coast all the way to La Baule, a top summer beach destination, are now struggling to dispose of thousands of tons of Ulva lactuca – more commonly known as sea lettuce.

Doctors have warned that the algae pose a health risk as they produce hydrogen sulphide when they rot. That can become trapped under a seaweed crust and be as deadly as cyanide if released suddenly.

Two weeks ago, a horse rider lost consciousness after breathing in the toxic fumes on the beach in Saint-Michel-en-Grève, where 16,000 tonnes of the algae have already been collected this year. His horse was killed.

Pierre Philippe, of the Lannion hospital in Brittany, which also treated a council worker who fell into a coma while clearing beaches, said there were “almost certainly other unreported cases”. The seaweed has been multiplying abnormally fast due to the use of huge amount of nitrates used in intensive pig and poultry farming. The nitrates seep into the region’s rivers and end in the sea. Scientists said global warming could also be a factor.

The worst affected area is Saint-Brieuc on the Côtes-d’Armor coast of Brittany. Besides Saint-Michel-en-Grève, around ten beaches have…”

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Although I don’t know when they were ever in, the timeless designed Palladium Boots are apparently back! In 1947 the legendary Pampa boot was born, and the functionality, comfort and durability were so outstanding that the French Foreign Legion adopted it for their use. The Foreign Legion put the boot to the test in the harsh desert conditions of North Africa, and throughout the rugged terrain of the Atlas Mountains.

Palladium Boots $50 – $70

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I didn’t even know Strasbourg HAD a 10-day  international film festival. Of course, this is only their second year but it’s definitely worth a mention. (Thanks, Sophie)

The Strasbourg International Film Festival is an alternative, cutting-edge discovery film festival showcasing independent film from around the world mainly focusing on the works of new and emerging filmmakers, held annually. Presenting 50 feature films and over 150 short films, the Strasbourg International Film Festival works to empower and assist independent filmmakers while bringing audiences a uniquely rich and cultural filmic experience they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience and embrace.

Here’s the press release for the event:

Strasbourg, France – The Strasbourg International Film Festival presents feature films selected to screen in the following categories – Drama, Post Modern Drama, Culturally-Inclined Drama, Dramedy, Romantic Comedy, Psychological Thriller, SciFi-Fantasy-Horror, Experimental, Animation and Documentary . The 2009 Strasbourg International FIlm Festival runs August 28 through Sept 6 in Strasbourg, France and Kehl, Germany.

For the 2009 Strasbourg International FIlm Festival 50 feature-length films were selected including 11 World Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 11 European Premieres, 3 Mainland European Premieres, 8 French Premieres, and 3 Strasbourg Premieres representing 37 countries with 31 first-time filmmakers.

The films screening in DRAMA are:

Baghdad, Texas / USA (Director: David H. Hickey) 90 mins. – 2009 – While a Middle Eastern dictator is fleeing his occupied country his plane crashes on the Mexican Border. He is inadvertently carried into Texas by illegal immigrants. Struck by a truck driven by three cowboys, he is taken back to their exotic game ranch where they slowly discover his identity. International premiere

Bathory / Austria/Slovakia, Czech Republic, UK, Hungary, USA (Director: Juraj Jakubisko) 138 mins. – 2008 – Bathory is based on the legends surrounding the life and deeds of Countess Elizabeth Bathory known as the greatest murderess in the history of mankind. Contrary to popular belief, Elizabeth Bathory was a modern Renaissance woman who ultimately fell victim to mens aspirations for power and wealth. French Premiere

Bergfest (Without You I’m Nothing) / Germany (Directed by Florian Eichinger, 1st Feature) 89 mins. – 2008 – A weekend in the Bavarian Alps. 25-year-old HANNES meets his father after 8 years of separation in a little mountain hut. By the influence of their very different girl friends ANN and LAVINIA, the stage-director-father and his actor-son cautiously try to make a new start. A bold venture, leading all of them to an abyss of unforeseen cruelty.  French Premiere (more…)

From cheapflights:

“Want a seat on the inaugural flight of the new A380? Get your bidding arm ready.

Open booking for the Air France A380 flight is available on AirFrance.com.”

Meet Mademoiselle Fifi (yes, Fifi). Apparently, she’s the summer mascot at Laduree and is featured on this cute macaron box. Personally, the box looks like dog biscuits should be inside, but… it’s cute, anyway. A box fits 8 macarons and costs 14.70 euros. Laduree

While we’re on the subject of boxes, designer Christian Louboutin got together with Laduree and came up with these boxes covered with macarons and shiny Louboutin shoes and purses.

The macarons will take on a Mediterranean flavor created by pastry chef Philippe Andrieu.

12 euros for a box of 6 macarons. Available in September, 2009.

From cleantechnica:

“A Spanish company called Turtle Airships is working on plans to build a luxurious solar-powered blimp which can take passengers from New York to Paris.

Perhaps the only thing cooler than being powered by lightweight photovoltaic cells, this airship is also designed to rest on land or water.

The first blimp prototype will be propelled in two nontraditional ways. The outside of the ship will be covered with Cadmium-Indium-Germanium (CIG) photovoltaic cells, picked for their their light weight. The cells should generate enough power to move the blimp at around 40 mph in average conditions, or at around 70 horsepower. Meanwhile, a diesel drivetrain will generate the rest of the power, and ideally the designers will look to an adapted hybrid electric model for that. And because blimps fly at low altitudes, they don’t have to deal with problems that plague diesel engines at elevations over 30,000 ft.

The only thing currently keeping this visionary project from flying is…”

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From cheapflights:

If you’re thinking ahead to fall vacations, Air France has a deal for you. Book flights to Europe from Aug. 31 to Oct. 24, 2009, for as low as $243 one-way.

Air France launched an airfare sale from select U.S. cities to Paris, Greece, Barcelona, Rome and more. You’ll have to book your travel by July 15 to get these cheap flights.

The select fares below are one-way based on a round-trip purchase and include the fuel-surcharge.

Washington D.C. – Paris: $257
Chicago – Paris: $279
New York – Nice: $298
Boston – Paris: $322
Los Angeles – Nice: $331
Washington D.C. – Athens: $243
Boston – Barcelona : $254
New York – Rome: $268

Click here for information at Air France

From the Fondation Cartier:

The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain is pleased to present Born in the Streets—Graffiti, on view from July 7 to November 29, 2009. Occupying the entire gallery space of the Fondation Cartier, as well as the building’s façade and surrounding garden, the exhibition brings to light the extraordinary development of an artistic movement that was born in the streets of New York in the early 1970s to rapidly become a worldwide phenomenon. Today, graffiti has entered the cultural mainstream, crossing over to the realms of studio art, design and advertising. Yet, despite its immense popularity, this essentially illegal activity continues to evolve at the periphery of the contemporary art world, its origins and history little-known to the general public. This exhibition attempts to sketch the general contours of a subject that is vast and complex, a form of expression that has come to embrace many different techniques, ideas and styles. The exhibition traces the origins of the graffiti movement while offering a panorama of the diversity of contemporary writing. It provides the public with the opportunity to rediscover an art both ubiquitous and continually evolving, and thus relate to the city in a new way.

From thisjustin:

“This summer in Paris, the Art Home restaurant has been dropped by crane (video here) on top of the Palais du Tokyo. The ultra-edgy contemporary arts museum has a nice view of the Eiffel Tower from its plebian patio down below (price of admission: as low as a single cup of coffee). Beginning July 1, however, that view will be overshadowed by the possibility of lunch or dinner up on the roof. It’s close quarters inside that privileged perch, with room to welcome only a dozen diners for lunch (€60/$84) and dinner (€80/$111). Given so few seats, this is a tough reservation to score. Booking works like at Momofuku Ko in New York—reservations are taken online, beginning at 10 a.m., for a date exactly one month in the future. Be ready to with your finger on the mouse at 9:59!
An alternate strategy, up until bidding closed last night, was to enter the eBay battle for opening night seats. But after seeing the price for a single person rise above €1,400 ($1,950!), I decided to settle instead for a free visit.

That’s right—if you’re curious to see this Laurent Grasso installation for yourself, free tours are conducted daily between 3 and 5:30 p.m. (except for Mondays, when the museum, restaurant, and tours are closed), with online reservation required. If you’re lucky, there might be a few lunch crumbs left on the table!

Art Home at/on the Palais de Tokyo, 13 avenue du Président Wilson, 16th arrondissement, 011-33/1-47-23-54-01.”

If you happen to be wondering who are the famous French Twitterers or Tweeters or Twits…you get what I mean – just take a look at this subjective metro-ish map by Henri Michel. Click on the map to enlarge it.