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
« The gold mime at Trocadero | Main | Back soon »
Did you know that Google doodles change according to the country you're in? I recognized this picture of Baudelaire, did you? Today is his birthday. The Google doodle below honors André Le Nôtre, who designed the gardens at Versailles. On the other hand, a bunch of people talked about how cute the Saint Patrick's Day Irish dancers were, and I couldn't see them here in France. But I just now found them still bouncing here!
Where are you, and what do you see today?
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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
No, I didn't know that, and now I do. Thank you!
I'm south of San Francisco, and today I saw Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring at the DeYoung.
Posted by: chrissoup | 10 April 2013 at 03:52
The Dutch version today just shows the Google letters in primary colours. With the opening of the Rijksmuseum coming up this Saturday, we should at least have a Rembrandt doodle(:
Posted by: Godeke | 11 April 2013 at 10:05
Apparently Google does the doodles in lots of different countries. It's a fun effect. Godeke, I'm shocked! But maybe they're saving it for Saturday.
Posted by: Sedulia | 11 April 2013 at 13:29
I see that I really, really misread the last line of your post. (Oops.)
Posted by: chrissoup | 13 April 2013 at 06:28