To celebrate France’s presidency of the European Union, France has dressed her most famous monument in EU blue, with 12 yellow stars representing the various peoples of Europe. The tower will be blue for two months, and in January the presidency is turned over to the Czech Republic.

You will notice the EU flag throughout Paris in the next six months, most notably flying next to the French “tricolore” flag under the Arc de Triomphe.

They say it is taking Parisians by storm, and that it is influenced by Euro Disney. I have many -a - Parisian friend and they have not heard of this wave of country line dancing converting formerly sophisticated Parisians into “des cow-boys”, but …well….check out the video….c’est fou!

There was a great OpEd piece in today’s New York Times talking about the French point of view when it comes to George W vs. Obama. It’s a fun read and helps you understand their way of thinking!

If you live in a francophone country, or love keeping up with the most popular French music, the answer is probably “YES”. He has taken the music world by storm in France, he’s cute, soft spoken and pretty modest for a guy whose name alone elicits squeals of excitement from females of all ages.
Want to see what the fuss is all about? Here is an interview that was posted on CNN’s Web site.

Leave it to the French to have an organization devoted strictly to the promotion of the bicycle: La Comité de la Promotion du Vélo. I love the organizations in France that are all about the love of life, leisure and the pursuit of happiness. I want to join each one, especially those devoted to wine where you get to wear a costume and drink copious amounts of vin rouge…but that is another story.

So what is this Comité promoting, anyway? La Fete du Vélo!! If you are in France the weekend of June 7, look for the vélos! Vélos here, vélos there, vélos everywhere. More than 400 French cities will take part in this vélo-a-thon , with more than a million participants, all over France. What will you see? Everything from bike safety stands to bike rides in the city and country, races, lessons in dirt biking, games, competitions, etc. You name it, if it has to do with biking, you will see it this weekend.

In Paris, a meeting place for bike tours and other “velo info” will be located outside the Luxembourg Gardens. Roulez bien!!

This is why I so appreciated this morning’s Frugal Traveler report from Paris in the New York Times. He tells of his adventures renting a charming apartment in the very “unknown-by-tourists” (and even locals) 10th arrondissement, and of the possibilities that abound in that neighborhood. Dining, shopping, ethnic restaurants, clubs, markets, you can find it all in this area of Paris. I marked down some of his addresses for future reference.

Only problem, with this kind of attention it very well could become the newest, chicest, hippest place to go…. But until then, check out his article from today’s NYT.

If you’re a true tennis fan, you don’t want to miss this famous tennis tournament played every end of May/ beginning of June in the Bois de Boulogne. The French Open, as we call it, is one of the “Grand Schelem” tennis tournaments. “Grand Slam” that is. Around since 1891 and played on a clay court, it has become one of the most talked about sporting events of the year.

You can find information about tickets, how to get there, the players and more at the Roland Garros Web site

This exhibit is dedicated to France’s most famous queen, Marie Antoinette. It promises to offer incredible insight to what made Marie Antoinette such a strong and complex personality. The exhibit includes 300 works from all over Europe.

If you are a true M-A fanatic, I recommend reading both “Marie Antoinette” by Antonia Fraser, as well as “Abundance” by Sena Jeter Naslund. Each gives a great perspective of the myths and realities of Marie-Antoinette’s life. They are great reads before visiting Versailles and the Conciergerie, for instance, and they would probably help make great sense of this exhibit at the Grand Palais as well.

Grand Palais
Metro :
Champs Elysées Clemenceau
www.grandpalais.fr