“Je vis, je parle, je rêve en français.”
It was the warmest of French celebrations for the 130th birthday of the Alliance française Paris Île-de-France!
Correspondent archives
The lost head of beloved French king, Henri IV
Severed from its body during the 1793 ransacking of the French kings’ sepulchres at St Denis Basilica, and after being detained by private owners for over two centuries, Henri IV’s head was finally found, identified and should soon be given a proper second burial to rest in peace for eternity – for good this time.
My new French love interest: Paris, 1914 in color
In a world that was on the brink of being changed forever by war and globalisation, Kahn’s images document events such as the collapse of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, as well as the daily life of people from countries as far away as Mongolia, Benin or Brazil.
Uncovering secret Paris: revival of the Parisian passages
From the late 1700s till the mid-1800s, 100 or so Passages were built in Paris. Their demise was signalled by the first department stores and for the few which survived Haussmann’s remodeling of Paris, they were only the shadows of their former splendor.
Two English books, a French setting and the number three
The title caught my attention (a famous quote by Rimbaud “Il faut réinventer l’amour”) as well as the name of its protagonists: Victor Hugo, his wife Adèle and the renowned literary critic Charles Sainte-Beuve.
A diarist in France’s Belle Epoque
Marie Bashkirtseff was a child prodigy and later a young daring woman, expressing her desire for life and her revolt against the limits imposed on the women of her time through her diary… if she lived in this era I believe she would’ve been an amazing blogger.
French celluloid dreams: Paris vu par Hollywood
Paris has – more than any other city in the world – been Hollywood’s object of attention for over 100 years – although not always with the accuracy and sense of achievement as in Woody Allen’s film.
Autolib: France on the move
You cannot walk in Paris and miss them. They are everywhere, three to five cars, along the street, tied to their recharge unit. That is how I first considered using this service. Who were they for, how did it work? How much did it cost? I was intrigued.