Tag: France

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Do You Have Your Metro Card?

Paris’s more-than-a-century-old, white paper Métro tickets are on their way out. Starting in 2019, entry to Paris’s über-efficient public transport system—including buses and express RER trains—will be done through contactless Navigo cards. The city’s transport agency, Ile-de-France Mobilités, announced Wednesday that it would be rolling out two different travel cards, in addition to the unlimited Navigo card for residents already available, over the next year for all sorts of travelers and commuters.

If you’re visiting the city for a short time, you’ll need the Navigo Easy pass, available starting in April 2019. Almost identical to London’s Oyster card (which we love), the Easy pass costs €2 ($2.34) to buy. Then, you’ll load up the card with T+ rides—what the paper tickets represent now—which will cost the same in 2019 as they do today: €1.90 ($2.22) per ride or €14.90 ($17.39) for a pack of 10 rides. That’s a more than 20 percent discount, and will cover one-way Métro rides, RER trains in Zone 1 (central Paris), and bus trips. Much like the Oyster card in London, you can top the card up as needed at all transit stations so be sure not to throw yours away.

“There will be no time limit on them and the card is not nominative, meaning it can be given to a friend,” said Ile-de-France Mobilités in a press release. You can also load Orlybus (to Paris Orly Airport) or Roissybus (to Charles de Gaulle Airport) tickets on the Easy pass as well.

 

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Eat Your Way Through the Markets in Provence

You could literally go to some type of street market every day in Provence. Really.

Whether you’re looking specifically for antiques, linens, clothes, soaps, collectibles, knives, cough drops made with balsamic, flowers, fabrics, shoes, spoons and spatulas made from olive wood, lavender everything…the list goes on and on.

Antiques had their own places at most markets. Door knobs, boules, picture frames, wooden boxes, iron toys, tools, rusted, faded signs, and more.

Then, there’s food. Olives of every color and size, fresh-baked breads, local meats, cured hard and soft salamis, chocolate and nougat candies, countless creamy and pungent cheeses, frozen and fresh fish, seasonal fruits, spices from all corners of the globe, red, black, white, and green poivre, jars of duck fat, local specialty cookies from that region, bunches of herbs, garlic bigger than my hand, colorful vegetables…this list is even larger.

You could spend all day.

So…we went. To several.

We opted for a morning here and there. Which means we spent several different times at different markets in different towns and villages. Streets lined with vendors, side streets filled with flowers, and people everywhere.

We saw some of the same vendors at multiple places. And, we discovered new ones. We now have favorites.

This is what we discovered…

Everyone was polite. No one pushed to get in line before anyone else. Everybody said ‘Bonjour’, ‘Merci’, and ‘Au Revoir.’

Locals shop for food and whatever else they need. Chefs shop for whatever is in season. You’ll find whatever they buy on the menu today. Could be ripe, mouth-dripping strawberries, which were in season in May. Maybe those would end up in desserts. Could be fat, creamy-white asparagus, also in season in May. Soup made from them looks like cream and tastes like silk with a hint of white pepper. Maybe you’ll find quail eggs, the latest flavor of sausage, or pureed beet root.

Nougat made an appearance at every market as well. Flavored with anything from pistachios to apricots to dried fruits. Sweet treat.

There are always plenty of cheeses to pick from. How about an aged Comte? Sharp, pungent, and an absolute favorite. Or, the just-made goat cheese…this came as a dessert with an apricot puree. To die for. I didn’t think it was appropriate to lick the plate when I was finished. I wanted to.

Bread vendors sell out early. Get your baguette first thing if you want one. Everybody else does. That way you can carry it like the French do. Wrapped in plain paper, under your arm or in your market bag.

We saw the same organ grinder at two different markets. No monkey. The organ grinder at a third market had a large cat with him. He was on a leash and accepted treats. Go figure.

Wine vendors give out samples. Of course, every vendor gives out samples. What better way to try before you buy?

Another favorite were the spoons, spatulas, and serving platters made from olive wood. Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe them. Use them and they will quickly become your favorite.

Colorful linens for tables, dishcloths, napkins, and hand towels lit up the aisles. Brilliant blues, bright yellows, deep reds, and blinding whites… What color do you want?

Scarves and cashmere pashminas in more shades of blue than I’ve ever seen. Was the scarf guy telling me the truth when he said that color was made for me?

Baskets vied with their own colors, shapes, and sizes for attention. I could just see my cat adopting one of them. But, I’d have to get it on the plane and it wouldn’t fit in my carry-on.

Assume there is one vendor for each type of food or item…and you would be wrong. This is another thing which amazed us. The number of vendors selling the same or similar items was amazing. Each had their own twist, specialty, or way of selling.

At one market, we saw at least four olive vendors and five sausage makers. Another time, there were over seven vendors with table linens. Everybody seemed to be doing a brisk business. I guess if you weren’t…you probably didn’t return.

Did I mention the duck fat? Small jars, large jars, duck fat and beans, foie gras, foie gras with duck fat…there was definitely a love affair with duck fat. AKA…graisse de canard.

Paella cooked in yard-wide pans looked and smelled like saffron coated fish. Yum. Croissants so flaky we wore the crumbs all day. Of course, our espressos were the perfect accompaniment. Whatever you’re hungry for, breakfast, lunch, or café au lait, find your favorite food. It’s probably at the street market.

At the end of the morning, we left with provisions for that night’s dinner, snacks to eat throughout the day, linens to bring home, and memories of what we tasted and saw. Those croissant crumbs? They stayed with us.

We’re already making plans to go back. Provence and street markets…a match made for us.

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Carousels of Provence

So many French towns and villages have a carousel somewhere in the town square or close to it. Even Paris has six.

We encountered these colorful, smile-generating merry-go-rounds in several cities in Provence.

I had never given any thought to how and why they became a popular ride. Apparently, they came about due to tragedy. In 1559 King Henri II, Catherine de Medici’s husband, died in a jousting accident. That prompted the carousel to be used as a safer alternative to practicing jousting with other knights. Knights could practice spearing suspended rings with their lances, all while going around in circles on the carousel. No more practicing on real people.

Today, they are a great source of amusement for kids of all ages.

We noticed many of them in the French towns and villages had Jules Verne’s hot air balloons, space ships, and other travel items. Some were even named the Jules Verne carousel.

Did you know the carousels in America and mainland Europe travel counterclockwise, while in England they rotate clockwise? Also, traditionally the horses are mounted from the left side. Most warriors were right handed and kept their swords on their left side.

Have fun exploring and finding new ones…especially in France. They’re guaranteed to put a smile on your face as you watch kids go round and round.

 

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High-Speed Trains…Ready or Not, They Leave

Just an FYI…

When the high-speed trains in France say they leave the station four minutes after they arrive. They mean it.

Doesn’t matter if you are on or not.

Doesn’t matter if all your traveling companions are on or not.

Three of the four of us were on the train. One was not. He was standing on the platform as the trail pulled out.

We had all the luggage.

He had his ticket and his passport.

Luckily, there was a second train traveling to Paris from Avignon. He made it onto that train.

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445,000 Visitors

In 2017 La Cite du Vin welcomed 445,000 visitors. Impressive…

In 2017, La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux welcomed 445,000 visitors of 176 different nationalities, more than 1,000 French and international journalists, 1,100 groups and 400 private events. La Cité du Vin has seen a great success with its first two temporary exhibitions: Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso from 17 March to 21 June welcomed nearly 40,000 paying visitors, and the Invited Vineyard exhibition Georgia, cradle of viticulture welcomed more than 50,000 visitors from 31 July to 5 November.

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Key attendance figures

· 445,000 visitors visited La Cité du Vin and the events in the cultural programme, to which can be added visitors to the free-access areas (La Boutique, the reading room, the gardens…) and the restaurants;

· 86% of the visitors were individuals, 14% visited in groups;

· More than 2,800 subscriptions have been sold: visitors convert their visit into a subscription so as to profit fully from the offer at La Cité du Vin.

Sales at the ticket counter

· 77% of visitors were French and 23% came from abroad.

· Among the French: 42% were residents, 40% French tourists and 18% were day trippers.

· Considering just the tourists, 43% of them were international and 57% French.

French visitors

· Bordeaux Métropole residents represent 42% of the French visitors and 87% of the visitors from the Gironde.

· Day trippers represent 16% of total sales, of which 42% Gironde, 11% Haute-Garonne and 13% Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Breakdown by region

· The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region represents more than half of French sales (57%)

· Ile de France accounts for 1 French visitor in 10 on average (11%) and Occitanie 5%.

· Three regions stand out for their strong growth: PACA (+26%), Brittany (+38%) and Normandy (+60%).

Breakdown by conurbation

· Paris stands out (3% of visitors) followed by Toulouse (1% of visitors).

· Nantes, the south Arcachon basin and Lyon come next, with nearly 2,000 visitors (0.5% of the total).

· Levallois Perret is the headquarters for many works committees, which explains the high number of tickets, but the exact provenance cannot be identified.

In the Gironde

· The visitors live in a catchment area concentrated on a diagonal from Libourne to the south Arcachon basin.

Internationally

· 176 nationalities are represented: outside France, the English are in a majority, followed by the Americans and then the Spanish.

· 5 foreign countries account for 50% of sales: United Kingdom, United States, Spain, Switzerland and Italy.

· Top 7 European countries: United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

· Top 7 countries outside Europe: United States, Canada, Australia, China, Brazil, Japan and Mexico.

Visitor satisfaction

A survey undertaken by Kedge Business School last August, in the scope of regular measures of visitor satisfaction, revealed that 96.5% of visitors were satisfied or delighted by their visit.

Opinion makers

More than 1,000 journalists and bloggers, French and international, were received at La Cité du Vin, generating more than 1,300 press mentions.

Temporary exhibitions

La Cité du Vin has seen a great success with its first two temporary exhibitions: Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso was held from 17 March to 21 June and welcomed nearly 40,000 paying visitors.

From 31 July to 5 November, the Invited Vineyard exhibition Georgia, cradle of viticulture welcomed more than 50,000 visitors. These exhibitions generated more than 300 articles in the press.

Private hire, an offer intended for companies and institutions

La Cité du Vin offers private hire of various areas for the organisation of corporate or institutional events. The Thomas Jefferson auditorium (250 seats) equipped with a control room and translation booths, and the belvedere (with a capacity of 200 people) situated at a height of 35 metres and offering an exceptional view of the city and the Garonne, are the core of the offer for private events. Added to these areas are the modular reception rooms with a total capacity of 250 people, as well as several meeting rooms with capacities from 12 to 70 people. In 2017, La Cité du Vin hosted 400 private corporate events, offering more than 27,000 professionals some unique experiences: private hire of the belvedere, the permanent tour, tasting workshops and private tours of the temporary exhibition.

Support the cultural seasons at La Cité du Vin with the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin: http://fondation.laciteduvin.com/en

About La Cité du Vin:

La Cité du Vin is a unique cultural facility located in Bordeaux, dedicated to wine as a cultural, universal and living heritage. It offers a spectacular journey around the world, through the ages and in all cultures. Visitors can purchase tickets at www.laciteduvin.com and at La Cité du Vin.

Ongoing events at La Cité du Vin:

· Visit of the Permanent Tour with the interactive travel companion and a world wine tasting in the Belvedere.

· Temporary exhibition: following the success of the major temporary exhibition Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso in 2017, La Cité du Vin will be presenting Wine and Music, harmony and dissonance from 23 March to 24 June 2018. The exhibition will include 150 works from regional, national and European collections, as well as a selection of musical works illustrating the association between wine and music, based on themes ranging from the mythical to the profane, epicurean to moralistic.

· A rich and varied cultural programme, with a steady stream of high-quality performances, concerts, screenings and debates.
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Department of State and Warnings…What Should You Do?

The Department of State has launched new Travel Advisories and Alerts to make it easier for U.S. citizens to access clear, timely, and reliable safety and security information about every country in the world. For more details and FAQs about our Travel Advisories and Alerts, please see travel.state.gov/travelsafely. You are receiving this because you are enrolled in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). You do not need to take further action to continue receiving these updates. Before any travel abroad, we encourage you to check our safety and security information for your destination at travel.state.gov/destination.

France, Level 2: Exercise increased caution 

Exercise increased caution in France due to terrorism.

Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in France. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas.

Read the Safety and Security section on the country information page.

If you decide to travel to France:

  • Be aware of your surroundings when traveling to tourist locations and large crowded public venues.
  • Follow the instructions of local authorities including movement restrictions related to any ongoing police action.
  • Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your plans based on new information.
  • Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Follow the Department of State on Facebookand Twitter.
  • Review the Crime and Safety Reportfor France.
  • S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler¿s Checklist.

Bottom line…pay attention to warnings and pay attention when you travel, regardless of where you’re going.

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Cite du Vin

Following the success of the major temporary exhibition Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso in 2017, La Cité du Vin will be presenting Wine and Music, harmony and dissonance (16th – 19thcentury) from 23 March to 24 June 2018.

The exhibition will include 150 works (paintings and pottery, music books, models, instruments, stage jewellery, etc.) from regional, national and European collections, as well as a selection of musical works (operas, ballets, drinking songs) illustrating the association between wine and music, based on themes ranging from the mythical to the profane, epicurean to moralistic. This original exhibition will be accompanied by a wide and eclectic cultural programme.

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A broad range of themes :

During the Renaissance period and the late 19th century there were numerous representations of wine and music, with inspiration taken from Antiquity. Such evocations appeared in new forms in every social category, whether princely, bourgeois or common.

The exhibition pays tribute to this diversity and is based on six themes (Dionysus, wine and music – Dance, bacchanal, ballet and the open-air ball – Love and intoxication – Figures and allegories – Home concerts and gracious tables – Banquets, taverns and cabarets).

The exhibition brings together all musical forms and artistic mediums, from court ballets to opera, from drinking songs to dance tunes, from paintings to tableware and popular imagery.

At the beginning of each section, an old work evokes the historical depth of the subject and the reference to ancient myths. Dionysus, followed by Bacchus, incarnated intoxication, sensual pleasures, fertility and creativity. The allegory of music is often associated with love, sensuality and wine.

The tour is accompanied by a soundtrack.

Eight individual listening points and three communal listening cabinets play excerpts from musical works (ballets by Lully, Rameau, Massenet, Duvernoy, etc.), videos of great operatic arias (Puccini, Verdi) and unique recordings of drinking songs.

The scientific committee with Florence Gétreau

The curator of the exhibition is Florence Gétreau, Director Emeritus of Research at the CNRS, Institute for Research in Musicology. Florence Gétreau is an art and musicology historian, working as Heritage Curator until 2004 (Museum of Music, Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions) and has directed two research teams at the CNRS.

An accessible exhibition, open to all

The layout and choice of works presented are suitable for all audiences. The explanatory texts are presented in different parts (by theme, group of works or major works), helping visitors in their discovery of the different sections. Some collections of sketches,

manuscripts and other written collections are presented on digital displays for visitors to browse.

A special tour has been designed for young people. Through an accompanying booklet and a selection of key exhibits, they will discover the history of instruments and musical genres, and the variety to be found in sets, costumes and stage jewellery.

Original scenography

The scenography was designed by architect-scenographer Loretta Gaïtis, who has also created projects for the Musée d’Orsay, Grand Palais and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

The exhibition progresses through an atmosphere of warm colours, structured by breaks and musical interludes. Extracts from sheet music, books and etchings provide the backdrop for the scenography. Different perspectives and transparencies gradually reveal the items on display, showcased behind glass using light effects. Three musical cabinets blend naturally into the exhibition, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the sounds of both familiar or original works.

Events during the exhibition period

La Cité du Vin is also offering an eclectic cultural programme in connection with the exhibition (the full cultural programme can be viewed at: laciteduvin.com) with conferences, symposiums, concerts, “Culinary cinema” screenings, workshops, guided tours and tastings etc. A small stage for musical performances has been included in the exhibition space.

An exhibition catalogue will be published by Éditions Gallimard.

This exhibition is brought to you with the support of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

This exhibition is brought to you with the support of thecultural season Patrons of La Cité du Vin:

  • Bellot
  • CIC / CM-CIC Investissement
  • Castel
  • Clarence and Anne Dillon Trust
  • Keolis Bordeaux Métropole
  • Château Kirwan
  • Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)
  • Duclot

With the support of La Maison de Champagne Krug.

In partnership with France Musique, live from La Cité du Vin on 23 and 24 March 2018, and Le Figaro.

Practical information

The exhibition Wine and Music, harmony and dissonance – 23 March – 24 June 2018

  • La Cité du Vin – 1, esplanade de Pontac – 33300 Bordeaux – France
  • Exhibition cost: €8 (full rate)
  • Combined ticket for the Permanent Tour with the interactive travelling companion (including a tasting of world wine in the Belvedere) and the exhibition: €24 (full rate)

The exhibition press kit and related cultural programme is available upon request. Visuals and acknowledgements may be sent upon request.

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Support the cultural seasons at La Cité du Vin with the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin:

Individuals and companies can support La Cité du Vin’s cultural events. Thanks to donations from Patrons and Friends, the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin, an officially recognised non-profit organisation, provides a rich and varied cultural programme all year round at La Cité du Vin, informing and enlightening as many people as possible about the millennial culture of wine and helping to protect this intangible and universal heritage.

=> As a company – by joining the Patrons of the cultural season from €5,000/year.

=> As an individual – with the ‘Friend’s Card’ (for a donation of €250/year), or the ‘Benefactor’s Card’ (for a donation of €1,000/year).

=> As an international donor – by joining the American Friends or International Friends of La Cité du Vin.

About La Cité du Vin:

La Cité du Vin is a unique cultural facility located in Bordeaux, dedicated to wine as a cultural, universal and living heritage. It offers a spectacular journey around the world, through the ages and in all cultures. Visitors can purchase tickets at www.laciteduvin.com and at La Cité du Vin.

 

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Champagne…More Than Just a Celebration Drink

The first documentation of using the Champagne method to make sparkling wine appeared in the 1600s, and many of today’s most well-known Champagne houses, including Taittinger, Moët & Chandon, and Ruinart, were founded in the 1700s.

The Champagne appellation was formally created in 1936. Major houses launched marketing campaigns in the United States that portrayed Champagne as the ultimate luxury beverage for celebrations and aperitif-style sipping. Today, many Americans use the word Champagne to mean any and all sparkling wines.

Because of a combination of place, soils, grapes, and the Champagne process, Champagne is one of the most unique beverages in the world. Vintages vary dramatically due to the region’s marginal climate. For example, the differences between Champagne’s 61 Grand and Premier Cru villages are vast. Specific vineyards within those villages have unique terroirs, some of which are small, even tiny, parcels with completely different soils and aspects than those just next door.

Champagne has just three key grape varieties, with seven permitted in total. In addition, decisions about viticulture, aging, and blending create a huge variety of finished wines to study and dissect. Think of blanc de blanc, blanc de noir, rose, cuvee…

This diversity is one of the reasons why a Champagne-only pairing menu can emphasize the wine’s overall food-friendliness. With a combination of refreshing acidity and palate-cleansing bubbles, Champagne pairs with foods ranging from raw oysters to fried chicken, and everything in between. Those bubbles are not only lively to look at and refreshing to drink, but they offer you a drink relatively low in alcohol and fairly high in acidity.