John

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The Seine – A fleuve, part 2

Continued from our previous article what follows are a few suggestions to better acquaint yourself with the Seine, this magnificently extraordinary fleuve. Pay homage to Django at Samois sur Seine Jean «Django» Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953) was a Belgian-born, Romani French jazz guitarist and composer, regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century. He was the first jazz talent to emerge from Europe and remains the most significant by far. In 1951, Reinhardt retired to Samois-sur-Seine, near Fontainebleau, where he lived until his death. The popularity of gypsy jazz has generated an increasing number of festivals, such as the Festival Django Reinhardt held every last weekend of June since 1983 in Samois-sur-Seine. (The festival appears to be moving definitively to Fontainebleau for security reasons). Samois-sur-Seine is a town in the Seine-et-Marne department in Île-de-France. The town extends for about six kilometers along the Seine (left bank)…

The Seine – A fleuve, part 1

A specific word in French indicates rivers that end in oceans : fleuve. Getting my hair cut the other day in Boulogne Billancourt not far from the Seine I asked my coiffeuse, an immigrant like myself, if she knew anything about the Seine. « I know it’s a floose » she replied. Everyone in the salon erupted in laughter. This fleuve is no floose. Traversing Paris under 37 bridges on it’s 776 kilometer run from a plateau north of Dijon to the English channel at Le Havre, the Seine, steeped in history with a capital H, is one of five principal ocean-flowing rivers in France. The Loire is the longest at 1010 kilometers. La Garonne, Le Rhône and Le Rhin are the others. Until joined by the tributary Aube, the river Seine carries the first of its noms-de-fleuve, the Petite-Seine. Farther on, augmented again by the Yonne at Montereau, it is the Haute-Seine until Paris. Then it is the Basse-Seine to Rouen and, finally, the Seine-Maritime to the sweep of the sea. The Seine everybody sees i…

An Elegant New Year’s Eve at Hotel Vernet

Under the historic glass dome designed by Gustave Eiffel at the Champs-Elysées' Hotel Vernet enjoy an elegant

New Year's Eve Feast 25, rue Vernet 75008 www.hotelvernet.com Reservations: +33 (0)1 44 31 98 00. Valet parking The hôtel Vernet is a sumptuous Parisian building in the legendary and true « Haussmann » style. An institution which has seen centuries of change, situated in just about the most perfect location, between the golden Triangle of Paris and the Place de l’Etoile on the Champs-Elysées. The Hotel Vernet celebrated its 100th birthday by entering the age of modernity. Entirely renovated and refurbished in 2014 by its new owners, the French family owned hotel group B Signature Hotels & Resorts, the Hotel Vernet revives the tradition of the great Parisian establishments of the chic 8th arrondissement of Paris by offering itself the distinction of a contemporary interior created by Interior designer François Champsau…

Sorbonne French: historic and state-of-the-art

THE SORBONNE FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CIVILIZATION COURSES for foreign students throughout the year. Sorbonne French ! What better place to study and experience the French language than at its source – The University of Paris, Sorbonne. This is the oldest longest established French school in all of Paris, dating back to 1899. At the Sorbonne you will not just learn French and history but you will live Sorbonne French history. The program objective is to give all foreign students, whatever their level, the opportunity to attend French Language and Culture courses in Paris. The course is open to beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Certificate of completion (transcript) is provided to each student upon completing the course. All courses are taught in French. Over 150,000 students from around the globe have participated in this program. Conveniently located in central Paris in a historical building on boulevard Raspail. The state of the art classrooms were renovated and e…

Location d’appartement avec Absolutely Parisian

Location d'appartement avec Absolutely Parisian

Depuis quelques mois la loi Alur a tout simplement métamorphosé le marché de l'immobilier. Bien difficile pour les propriétaires aujourd'hui de louer sereinement son bien.

Ces nouvelles mesures touchent aussi bien la location vide que meublée.

Ainsi, Absolutely Parisian devient un partenaire de premier ordre pour y faire face et vous aider avec votre location d'appartement. Absolutely Parisian, agence à taille humaine, composée d’une équipe dynamique et disponible saura répondre à vos interrogations et vos inquiétudes. La clientèle de l’agence est composée essentiellement de sociétés et clients Premium pour loger des cadres expatriés ou en mobilité géographique.

Face aux changements liés à la loi Alur, en particulier honoraires d'agence et en…

Contemporary knife show

For those FUSAC readers interested in knives here is an event you will not want to miss! The International Forum of Contemporary Knives has rounded up 80 artist craftsfolk for the 2nd edition at the Palais Brongniart. This event is expected to be anything but dull. FiCX-Paris presents a unique set of knife-makers among the most renowned and innovative of our time. Come and admire the richness and cultural diversity of art knives and discover the skills of these craftsmen who combine tradition and innovation to express themselves through forms, mechanisms and unusual materials. Knife-makers bring the mark of their times to the nobility of traditional materials such as gold, silver, gems, tortoise shell, mother of pearl, ivory and shagreen, working with modern anodized alloys and unexpected composites to reveal perspectives, forms, styles and novel designs. 2015: 82 exhibitors, 20 nationalities. www.ficx-paris.com Contemporary knife show

Nathalie Baye to lead master class

Nathalie Baye to lead a master class at the Cité Universitaire in Paris on April 2nd In collaboration with the renowned actress and in partnership with the Cité Universitaire in Paris and movie magazine StudioCinélive, UniFrance Films is launching a series of master classes hosted by leading figures of the French movie industry. Nathalie Baye will inaugurate this series of master classes to be held as part of the Cité Universitaire in Paris's international program with an evening event to be held Thursday, April 2, hosted by UniFrance Films' executive director Isabelle Giordano. During this event, the legendary French actress will discuss her remarkable career in which she has taken part in 90 films, playing the lead for some of the world's most iconic directors, including François Truffaut, Xavier Dolan, Jean-Luc Godard, Steven Spielberg, Claude Chabrol, and Bertrand Blier. This event is free of charge and everyone is welcome, but be sure to book as there is only a limited …

Tiger Lillies do Piaf

The Tiger Lillies Songs from the Gutter Samedi 27 septembre à 20h30 Dimanche 28 septembre à 16h30 Maison de la musique de Nanterre 8, rue des Anciennes-Mairies 92000 Nanterre réservation 01 41 37 94 21 tarifs de 5 à 23,5 € Improbable chaînon manquant entre Bertold Brecht et les Monty Python, le trio londonien The Tiger Lillies s’attaque sans pitié aucune à la môme Piaf dans une interprétation burlesque de son histoire à fleur de pavé. Une rencontre apocalyptique au sommet des bas-fonds !

Macbeth

SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY: Announcing Bard-en-Seine, 23 –27 July—a free festival in the heart of Paris, celebrating the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, including an outdoor production of Macbeth in the Square René Viviani “I AM IN BLOOD”—Macbeth, Act 3, scene iv Shakespeare and Company presents… Bard-en-Seine, 23 – 27 July 2014, free to attend, all events in English To celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth in true style, we’re thrilled to announce the Bard-en-Seine festival. The centrepiece of our Shakespearean extravaganza will be a bold and subversive production of Macbeth, directed by Cressida Brown, acclaimed for her work with Greg Doran at the RSC. Staged outside in the heart of old Paris, against the backdrop of the artistic and intellectual tradition of the Left Bank, the site-specific performance will take place in the Square René Viviani and will use the natural space in creative and exciting ways. The production will be complemented by S…

Sevres Outdoors. Don’t miss it !

Sèvres Outdoors 2014 is dedicated to the exhibition of outdoor contemporary artworks in the gardens of the Cité de la Céramique in Sèvres. Looking for an innovative event in the international contemporary art scene? Le voici. Inspired by biennials and art fairs, this model of exhibition brings together the contemporary art galleries which make up the association Galeries Mode d’Emploi. This initiative is the result of a common desire between the Cité de la Céramique and the GME association to promote and share contemporary art. Dates: June 30 to September 19, 2014 The free exhibition will be open to the public all summer long from 10am to 6pm. 2 Place de la Manufacture, 92310 Sèvres - that's the Metro Station Pont de Sevres, then just cross the bridge The Cité de la Céramique is known for its historical commitment to contemporary creators. Since the beginning, artists from all horizons have been invited in residencies; Pierre Soulages, Fabrice Hyber and more recently Giu…