Bastille Day Fireworks |
The
fireworks on Bastille day were delayed by one hour due to technical difficulties (un
probleme de cadrage de tir - a problem with the firing mechanism?) and because someone
walked on the cables around the equipment. We waited and watched from the apartment windows. Security was heavy at the fireworks, as it was earlier in the day for the parade. People were not allowed to stand along the sidewalk and watch the military parade -- they had to have seats in specially cordoned-off areas. There was a protected zone all around the Champs Elysees in every direction. Overall, people are feeling much safer in Paris these days. Crime is down, and the feeling of insecurity is down, according to the polls. It is called the Sarkozy effect. The increased security measures and regulations put in place by Nicholas Sarkozy are being credited with the change. |
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We've
noticed the change. We were robbed by a pickpocket in the metro station in August of
2000, right at the end of our stay. It resulted in a broken arm for Tom. (Hey,
Mom & Dad, did you really save the piece that I wrote about that awful experience??
I hope so.) That experience made us distrust Paris for a little while, although we still loved it. But we noticed the malefactors around us more than before. Now, it seems there are fewer malefactors around to notice. Europe's open borders make it very tough to crack down on illegal immigrants. And the illegal immigrants were a big source of crime. But security czar Sarkozy has come up with something that seems to be working.
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My
dear friend Wendy asked a while ago if the French were still being tough about forbidding
the use of English words in the French language. It seems to be a losing battle, but
they're still at it, I guess. According to a recent news item, the term
"courriel," invented in the 1990s and largely used by the French speakers in
Quebec in place of the word "e-mail," has been published in the Journal officiel on June 20 as
the word that must be used instead of "e-mail" in the French government. The Journal officiel contains the laws and decrees passed by the French government, and I think it is published daily, like the Federal Register.
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There
is an interesting article in Le Parisien today about the healing and soothing
effects produced by the sound of a cat purring. (Read more about this in English at http://www.luisprada.com/Protected/the_cats_purr_for_healing.htm
.) It seems that a veterinarian in Toulouse, Jean-Yves Gauchet, conducted a little study on his own, with his cat, Rouky. He recorded 30 minutes of Rouky's purr, and tried it out on a number of people. Their stress levels seemed to go down noticeably after listening to Rouky's song. A pseudo-scientific journal, Effervesciences, is now marketing the Rouky CD at http://www.effervesciences.com/ -- no kidding. It costs 15 euros. For you francophones, below is the beginning of Dr. Gauchet's article on the subject: |
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The
work to install Paris Plage (Paris Beach) began last night. Tons of sand and lots of
palm trees are being moved to the right bank of the Seine in the middle of the city.
The Plage opens and the road shuts down on July 20. This year's Plage will go
for 4 weeks. It is an enormously popular summer attraction in Paris -- one that we
went to last year, and we won't miss this year. Read more at |
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The weather has cooled down, thank heavens. It was about 93 degrees F here yesterday. With no air conditioning, that is a bit warm, even for South Floridians. Last night, we chose to eat dinner at one of our favorite restaurants that HAS AIR CONDITIONING! Le Tire Bouchon did not disappoint. I'd say it was about 72 degrees F and the food was fine. I had a Bavarois de chevre with sundried tomatoes and pesto for an appetizer, and then a grilled fish called sabre that came with a tandoori yogurt sauce and marinated sautéed cucumbers. With that, I had a provencal rose wine, which is nice and dry -- not like those awful rose wines made in the U.S. |
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The
rose wine here isn't considered to be really fine wine, but it is appreciated in summer
because it is light and tastes nice when chilled and served with fish, salads, and other
summer fare. Tom had a slice of leg of lamb, served with pureed potatoes that had
lots of olive oil in them. For his appetizer, Tom had a taboule with melon, served
with a refreshing mint sauce. He had ice cream for dessert, and I had a chocolate
soup with a compote of apricots and almonds. We must stop this dessert business, but
it was included in the 20 euro fixed price dinner, so we didn't resist. The service
at Le Tire Bouchon is always warm and friendly. It rained during dinner, and by the time we were walking home, the temperatures had dropped noticeably.
This morning was still a bit muggy, and I discovered I didn't have enough cream for my morning decaf. So, I ventured out, thinking I'd take advantage of the early hour to do an errand at the post office. Evidently, that's when most people go to the post office -- about 8am. There was a long line. But I waited it out, because waiting in line is a very French thing to do. Especially in Paris. People do lots of bureaucratic business at the post office. Not just mail and passports. There are phone cards, and all kinds of other cards that can be purchased there. And if you have a registered letter or package to pick up, you are required to wait at the window for another 15 minutes after waiting in line for a half hour. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but the waiting time is long, and it seems like La Poste is trying to do too many things. |
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