Category: Culture

Tourists defy Trump to return to Paris in record numbers after terror attacks 

On a warm August day, the world’s most famous boulevard, the Champs-Elysées, is heaving.Li-na and Zhangli from Shanghai, laden with bags from designer stores, are here to go shopping, while James from Illinois wants to climb the Arc de Triomphe.“I’ve already done the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur and Notre Dame,” he says.

“Tomorrow it’s Versailles.” Bernard, from neighbouring Belgium, is in the French capital for a short break “because it’s beautiful and not far by train”.In the tree-lined street’s grand flagship stores and myriad eateries you can almost hear the collective sigh of relief: after a “catastrophic” 2016 for tourism following a series of terrorist attacks in France, the visitors are back – and in record numbers [ . . . ]

Read Full Story: Tourists defy Trump to return to Paris in record numbers after terror attacks | World news | The Guardian

‘Anti-petanque’ measures built at Paris tourist hotspot

The famous French game has been played at Place Dauphine, by the River Seine in Paris, since the early 20th Century.

Paris officials have sparked outrage by installing ‘anti-petanque’ measures at a tourist hotspot in a bid to stop players creating dust and making too much noise.

The famous French game has been played at Place Dauphine, by the River Seine, since the early 20th Century.

But the city council has decided to ‘reduce the surface available’ to enthusiasts after receiving a series of complaints about the noise and dust it creates.

Jean-François Legaret, Mayor of the city’s 1st arrondissement, confirmed that the site was due to be covered in new plants and other obstacles.

The Place Dauphine, by Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, currently attracts up to ten separate games at any one time.

Tourists, including many from the UK, mill around watching and taking pictures of the action, just as they have done since the early 20th Century.

‘We’re part of Paris’s history,’ said Alain Groulet, 72, who was playing on the square with a group of friends on Sunday morning [ . . . ]

Read Full Story: ‘Anti-petanque’ measures built at Paris tourist hotspot | Daily Mail Online

What’s underfoot flavors great cheese

The French elegantly use the word “terroir” (ter-war) to describe the specific characteristics of an earthly location that’s usually applied to grape-growing areas. In his witty book “What the French?!” Olivier Magny says, “Terroir is somewhereness; it is the essence of a place, its signature. It is what’s unique, nonreproducible and singular about it.”That’s one of the best definitions I’ve heard for “terroir.” Along with wines and foods, the term can also be applied to beautiful rivers, stunning forests, rock formations and even cultural habits. It’s knowing where you are by seeing certain sights, or behaviors like the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. In Paris, it’s the Champs Elysees with the Arc de Triomphe or [ . . . ] More: What’s underfoot flavors great cheese | Home | calaverasenterprise.com

Review: Two Animated Orphans Make Their Way to Paris in ‘Leap!’

Nit-picking will get you nowhere with the target audience of “Leap!,” an animated movie for tweens — they’re unlikely to care about critical quibbles. As for the adults who’ll get dragged to the theater: You’ve seen it all before, though it’s pleasant enough to watch again.Beginning at a French orphanage sometime around the 1880s, this good-natured tale finds 11-year-old Félicie (voiced by Elle Fanning) and her friend Victor (Nat Wolff) ready to run away to Paris, where she hopes to become a ballerina and he an inventor. After this generic pair is chased by the orphanage overseer (Mel Brooks, criminally underused) they arrive in the big city [ . . . ] Read Complete NYTimes Review