You will be able to start applying for timed FREE tickets to visit Notre Dame around October and, for the first six months of the reopening (from December 8 th), only individuals and Parisian groups of pilgrims will be allowed. Do not try to buy tickets now because a number of fraudulent sites are selling them… Both Monseigneur Ulrich, archbishop … Read More
The New France and the Olympics
It has been a rule in the past that when Great Britain turns to the Tories, France elects a socialist government (Thatcher/Mitterrand), (Blair/Chirac) (Gordon Brown/ Sarkozy) and in this case, the Labor Sir Keir Starmer, elected in a landslide last Thursday has given us the worst fears as to the future majority of the Front National (Le Pen) over Le … Read More
Women in the Resistance, at Musée de l’Armée
It is of common knowledge that women’s role in the Resistance during WWII was completely underestimated and a small exhibition at Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération (in the Invalides) is trying to give justice to the various silent heroes of the time. Out of 1038 “Companions of the Libération”, there are only 6 women. The last one, Hubert Germain … Read More
Duels are trendy at Musée de l’Armée
The historical Hotel des Invalides, founded by Louis XIV in 1674, will be at the center of the Olympic Games and the Esplanade is already blocked to pedestrians by all sorts of constructions. I was happily surprised to run into hundreds of foreign tourists who were visiting the monument and the church on a recent sunny Friday. Happily, very few … Read More
At Musée Guimet, “Guardians of time” celebrate the year of France-China in red!
Yannick Lintz, the dynamic president of Musée Guimet, is a fervent lover of China and to celebrate President Xi Jinping’s visit to France on 6-7 May, for the inauguration of the France China Year, she asked Shanghai artist Jiang Qiong Er to disguise her museum into a bright red monument. It is even visible from the Eiffel Tower! The façade … Read More
Frédéric Mitterrand is now in heaven and his thousand best friends were there, at St Thomas d’Aquin
Frédéric Mitterrand, former Minister of Culture and Director of Villa Medicis in Rome, died on Thursday March 21 of cancer, in his apartment of rue de l’Université with his three sons at his bedside. His public life started first as a 12 year old actor in “Fortunat” with Bourvil and Michèle Morgan. Already passionate about cinema, he had interviewed for … Read More
Charles VII reigns over Musée de Cluny
I have to admit, I did not remember anything about Charles VII before listening to Mathieu Deldicque and Maxence Hermant, at Musée de Cluny, telling us the story of this French king, 1422-1461. He is the 18 year old dauphin, whom Joan of Arc led to be crowned, remember? He inherited a messy kingdom from his father Charles VI, Le … Read More
Bayonne and Biarritz always win my heart
Starting the year in Bayonne with the discovery of the Collection Gramont, newly repatriated in the reserves of Musée Basque was a true emotion. The curator, Olivier Ribeton, President of Société des Amis de la Collection Gramont, and Sabine Cazenave director of the Musée Basque et de l’Histoire de Bayonne, have worked jointly for this resurrection of the collection which … Read More