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
« World War II in Paris: the Hotel Meurice | Main | George Washington in Paris »
The sign says, "We can do the maximum, but not the impossible. The cleaning workers are cleaning behind us. Let's avoid soiling behind them." Pretty weak compared to the problem, which is that 99.9 % of dog owners in Paris never pick up.
That makes the sixth person I've [ever] seen in Paris cleaning up after their dog!
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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
I always pick up after my dog... but then again, I'm an American in Paris. I was so disgusted by all the poop on the streets when I moved here - it really is a problem.
Funny enough, I've also literally been stopped on the street by Frenchies who've thanked me after they see me pick up after my dog. I always say, "Mais, c'est la loi!" Ha.
Posted by: Apres New York Blog | 22 February 2013 at 17:48
So... maybe that was you! Or another American...
Posted by: Sedulia | 23 February 2013 at 22:06
I stumbled on your site which is just wonderful.
I'm an author who lived in Paris several times but who is firmly rooted in NYC now.
Your post on the Mairie de Paris and the poop law caught my attention.
Check out my book
New York's Poop Scoop Law: Dogs, the Dirt and Due Process
Purdue University Press, 2008
http://www.amazon.com/New-Yorks-Poop-Scoop-Law/dp/1557534926
and "like" my Facebook page for info and this and my upcoming book.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Brandow-Author-Page/537349632950520
Posted by: Michael Brandow | 01 March 2013 at 21:20