Comment du Jour

Shopping...Americans are not the Big Spenders!


For the past month stores and boutiques across France have been having their Summer Sales. From les Grands Magazins to boutiques, there are some amazing deals I have been told. Economically this is a shot in the arm for the French economy.

Pictured above we see the Temples of Shopping--Printemps in Paris and Galleries Lafayette's grande dome.

Americans are swarming all over Paris, but we have the habit of looking and not buying. A still strong Euro and the realization that many of the products still cost less stateside, makes us hesitate. We are no longer the big spenders.

Not so for the Japanese and the Russians. Mainland Chinese visitors are among the new power shoppers in Paris. Over the years, many shops had and still retain Japanese sales assistants to help people select their items. Now many establishments cater to the Chinese--many bouiques and airport Duty Free shops have Mandarin Chinese speaking sales assistants.

And needless to say Arabs, awash in petrodollars, can't wait to spend their moolah on anything expensive.

Comment du Jour

The Curious Case of the Place Colette

Just having arrived at a fashionable café on the Place Colette (next to the Comedie Francaise) we were seated next to a well-dressed American couple. They seemed agitated—not over the service, but the fact that Madame’s purse had just been snatched right under her nose. The garcons de café had noticed a dubious duo, one of whom offered to take the couple’s picture, while viola, the other, you guessed it, blithely snatched the woman’s handbag.

Stereotypical Paris in the Summer. Beaucoup d’Americans and beaucoup de bad guys looking for fast moolah. The waiters were sympathetic and the Café owner, ( I shall be discreet and not mention names), was shattered and allowed the couple a gratis meal. Then they told the distraught couple where the nearby police station was, and I presumed, with a shrug of the shoulders, they were passing the buck. End of story. Round up the usual suspects.

We ordered, enjoyed, and by the time we were finishing an amazing salad, I noticed some plainclothes police types hovering about the establishment and taking notes. The Perps, as they say in the Big Apple, were from southern climes, and I expected just a perfunctory shuffle of paperwork to close the case. Les tourists should know better, non?

But as we ordered desert, the patron de café proudly told us that the police had just caught the culprits a few streets away. The Police had retrieved the handbag and its contents.

In less than an hour, the police cracked the Case of the Place Colette! Bravo Paris PD!

Comment du Jour

14 July in Paris--more Parade Pictures!



Comment du Jour

14 July Parade in Paris...More Pictures!

Comment du Jour

Bastille Day in Paris!!

And it rained, and poured on the Parade


For sheer grandeur, setting and style, there are few military parades in the world which can even remotely compete with Bastille Day in Paris. The French military, and police and even the Paris Fire Department goes all out in a show of spectacular splendor down the Avenue Champs Elysses.

After paying homage at the Tomb of the Unknown at the Arch of Triumph, President Nicolas Sarkozy travelled down the broad avenue flanked by over 100 of the Republican Guard Horse Cavalry. Pagentry is an art form here.

While Mars may have been smiling at the French display of military elan, the meteorological signs were far from favorable. Just as the parade stepped off at 10:35 with the opening flypast the rain started. This did not deter screeching low level flights down the avenue by Mirage jets or even lumbering transports, but dampened the ranks of marchers from the Army, Navy and Foreign Legion.



For nearly 90 minutes France displayed its military pride to rain, then monsoon, and back to rain. The troops were not deterred and the civilians among us were still proud to have seen it.

Comment du Jour

Spain Wins World Cup 1-0

Men of Orange Put up Dogged Fight in Final Match in South Africa

Spain defeated Holland to win the World Cup of football. In a taught and tense Final Match in Johannesburg, marred by rough and tumble play, the Spanish Team scored a goal in overtime to win the game.

Here's some non sports musings of mine on the game and the winners...

*Both finalists are European constitutional Monarchies

*This is a First Time World Cup for Spain as it would have been for Holland

*The Men of Orange proudly sang the Netherlands Royal Anthem--Spains players stood mute during the playing of the Royal March.

*The Spanish Coach looks like the late leader General Francisco Franco

*The Dutch were amongst the first Europeans to settle in South Africa in 1653

*American TV sports coverage is far better than the French TF1

*South Africa the host country was the real winner of the global tournement.

Comment du Jour

Bonjour from France!!

Here in beautiful Paris for a bit of R&R.

Alas, Europe in the Summer is crowded and warm BUT still has that special charm and fine food and wine.

Just a bit of history here--the Paris City Hall--Hotel de Ville is decked out with French and American flags and a huge photo of General Charles de Gaulle, the man who embodied spirit and salvation of wartime France and later became the President. France is commemorating the 70th anniversary of de Gaulle's famous Appeal of 18 June 1940, the broadcast via the BBC in London which urged a defeated and stunned France to resist the Nazi occupation.

The 18th June 1940 was actually the date most French became aware of a man who would lead Free France during the war and later serve as President until 1969.

Comment du Jour


Happy 4th July!!

Good News From Philadelphia.

What follows is part of an amazing story which has been making global headlines since July 1776!


"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

From the American Declaration of Independence

Comment du Jour


Fourth of July Weekend!!

SS United States May Be Saved!


There's good news from Philadelphia! The SS United States Conservancy has announced that America's endangered oceanliner SS United States may be saved!

At a waterfront event at South Philly's Pier 82 where the ship is berthed, the Conservancy announced a major donation by H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest to refit America’s national flagship. A formal comment follows...

"In a major development in the effort to save the legendary American ocean liner SS United States from destruction, the SS United States Conservancy announces a donation by Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest of up to $5.8 million. The funds will be used to purchase the vessel from its current owner, Norwegian Cruise Line/Genting Hong Kong (Norwegian/Genting), and maintain the ship in its current berth for up to 20 months, while redevelopment and refurbishment plans are solidified.

“We are thrilled that the SS United States has received a new lease on life. This is a game-changer in our work to save this irreplaceable American icon,” said Conservancy Board President Susan Gibbs, granddaughter of the vessel’s designer, William Francis Gibbs. “Mr. Lenfest’s vision and generosity give us a fighting chance to preserve the SS United States for generations to come."

This game-changing event was was covered in an excellent Wall Street Journal article on July 1st among other places.

Please check out the group's website www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org

Also my blog has pictures of the ship from early June postings and an article from April.