Fleur De Sel de Camargue

Auberge de la Madone, Peillon
Originally uploaded by IanL.

One of the most inexpensive cute little gifts I like to give people from France is a container of Fleur De Sel from a region in France called the Camargue. This salt is very nice sprinkled on any food at the last minute and it is very beautifully packaged. Most supermarkets sell this salt including Monoprix.

End of Cannes Film Festival

This blog tells the winners of the Cannes Film Festival. Ken Loach won the Palm!He has directed around 42 films.

Volver

volver
Originally uploaded by esta2.com.

I really want to see this film. Since reading French subtitles are easier for me than watching a film in French (w/o subtitles), I can easily watch foreign language films in Paris because most have subtitles. The VO symbol in the cinemas means "Version Original" and these films usually all have subtitles.

Italy in Paris

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Originally uploaded by zuk_ini.

This weekend is the Italian Salon in Paris at Portes de Versailles. One of my favorite Italian restaurants in Paris is the Cibus (5 Rue Molière; 33-1/42-61-50-19).

Paris Museum Night - La Nuit des musées

This Saturday evening several Parisian museums will be open from 18h until midnight and will have free entry. Certain museums include Le Petit Palais, le musée Galliera, and le Musée Carnavalet. This event also takes place in several cities worldwide.

Cannes Film Festival

Wong Kar-wai Cannes 2006
Originally uploaded by Cinencuentro.

The Cannes Film Festival begins today and continues until May . The president of the jury is Wong Kar Wai (In the Mood For Love) and the rest of the jury members are listed here. Because this is one of France's biggest film festivals, if not the most widely known, this festival is widely celebrated in the press.

Gloomy Weather

The weather has turned gloomy again here in Paris. It has been very yo-yo lately. Time to take advantage of a temporary exhibition in the Grand Palais, "La Force de l'art". There are 200 artists displaying their works using subjects involving the Laboratory for an Uncertain Future, I Don't Believe in Ghosts, but I am Scared, and Here, Not There. There is also the Restaurant Transversal : The Taste of Art which offers cuisine from various chefs and seems to base its menu upon interaction with the artists. Hmmm.. Could be interesting!

Ateliers d'artistes de Belleville

Tomorrow is Open Doors Day for the local artists in Belleville (Paris 10th arrondisement). I did this one time in the Marais and it is pretty amazing to see inside several artists' ateliers and often even in their homes.

Jardin Palais Royale

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Originally uploaded by LucaP.

Summer seems to be arriving in Paris and many people are eager to find a nice quiet terrace to have a drink and relax under the sunshine. One park that I enjoy is the Jardin Palais Royale. This is in the center of Paris and hidden away from the traffic. I enjoy the calm and peacefulness here.

Japantown

蓮爾 登戸店麺
Originally uploaded by whitepony8316.

In and around the Rue Sainte-Anne is considered the "Japantown" of Paris. My favorite bookshop is the Librairie Japonaise Junku on rue des Pyramides. The Jipango site provides a list of some good Japanese restaurants in and around Japantown. My favorite is Sapporo Ramen. They have two shops with exactly the same menu. It is often very crowded here during lunchtime. Another favorite on the Rue Saint Anne is Noodle No. 1 which is good for last minute late night eating.

Open Late Night

cafette publicis 2 jan06
Originally uploaded by Giulia_.

For a late night pharmacy and tabac/magazine shop, the Publicis Drugstore is the place to go. It is open from 8 AM to 2 o clock in the morning. It also has a book store, cinema, and restaurant/bar. The Restaurant offers also wi-fi service. The cinema recently had a festival presenting the work of Matthew Barney.

Foie Gras

Foie Gras is considered a delicacy in France. Foie gras is eaten during special occasions and several gourmet restaurants often have foie gras as a starter. Despite the worldwide popularity of foie gras, in the US, there are certain states banning the food. It is interesting to see what the chefs say.