Il y a longtemps que notre pays est beau mais rude.
--Newspaper editor Olivier Séguret, 25 January 2012
The USA are entirely the creation of the accursed race, the French.
--Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), writing to Nancy Mitford, 22 May 1957
The mayor of Calais is suing Marine Le Pen of the Front National for saying "repeatedly" that citizens in Calais need a pass issued by the mayor to get to their own homes (because of the number of migrants in the town). In fact, the passes are issued by the police prefecture.
"À nous de vous faire préférer le train!"
"Voyager autrement"
"Avec le SNCF, tout est possible"
--Former ad slogans of the SNCF (French national trains), each in turn quickly dropped
(literally: marmoset)
Etymology: onomatopoeia from the sound a marmoset makes. Actual meaning: this is what you say in France when you want people to smile for the camera.
Selon une étude réalisée par le fabricant d’appareils photo Nikon, le « ouistiti » utilisé en France au moment de se faire prendre en photo est le petit mot le plus efficace pour s’assurer un joli sourire.
Private sector
First strike in 43 years at an aeronautics company in Toulouse, Latécoère
Public sector
The SNCF (toujours eux), regional train employees in the Lyons area guaranteeing unpleasant travel from the 17th-21st December
Also yet another strike by Sud-Rail, a particularly truculent SNCF union in the south of France, this time five days in January: 6,7, 21, 22 and 23. "We have no choice." Right.
Marseilles trams on strike until February
« Season of brocantes and vide-greniers | Main | Don't get mad, just pass »
I was crossing the Pont de l'Archevêché (bridge of the archbishopric), where I hadn't walked in a long time, and saw that the fencing on the entire west side of the bridge was covered with padlocks and ribbons. A closer look:
It was kind of touching. Lovers and honeymooners from as far back as 2004, from all over the world. I thought it was nice that the Paris police and cleanup crews had not removed them.
Not everyone was sentimental, though.
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In Paris, the purest virtue is the object of the filthiest slander.
–Honoré Balzac (1799-1850), in Scènes de la vie privée
À Paris, la vertu la plus pure est l'objet des plus sales calomnies.
Annual Geminids meteor shower (shooting stars!) coming this weekend, if it's not too cloudy out at night.
Keith Eckstein also has a new book review site, Books About France
Love the Dickhead picture. Actually, the city did remove some of the locks, but they were returned and I guess the city has decided to let them go.
Posted by: starman1695 | 31 May 2011 at 21:01
The lovers throw the keys to the padlocks into the Seine, where the firemen rescue-divers see them: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/719ac02a-8673-11e0-9d5c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1Nvom2XmX
Posted by: Sedulia | 01 June 2011 at 11:18