Video: Paris tightrope walker wows onlookers with ‘magic’ Montmartre spectacle

French tightrope artist left hundreds of Parisians and tourists stunned with a performance that featured a walk on a rope suspended 35 meters (115 feet) above the ground in the city’s famous district of Montmartre.

Tatiana-Mosio Bongonga walked on a rope suspended by a crane at the base of the hill’s steps toward the Sacre Coeur basilica accompanied by a chamber orchestra, without any security equipment, a gesture many in the audience found nerve-wracking.

“It’s very surprising and very dangerous. It really impressed me, actually. I noticed that she was not secured. There was a lot of acrobatics. I had a really good time,” spectator Jennifer Mandelbaum told Reuters.

Bongonga, who prepared for the show for a year, said the experience of walking on a rope over Montmartre was “magic”.

Her performance was the first time a tightrope walker had attempted to cross up to the Sacre Coeur [ . . . ]

Continue reading at THE LOCAL: Video: Paris tightrope walker wows onlookers with ‘magic’ Montmartre spectacle – The Local


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Angèle, the young Belgian singer conquering summer festivals

It was discovered last year with a first single, “The Law of Murphy”, which immediately seduced the public. While her highly anticipated debut album is announced for this fall, Angèle is touring the summer festivals. This weekend, the young Belgian singer has conquered the heart of festival-goers Vieilles Charrues. Fluid and fresh, Angèle continues her tour of France.

In a few months, Angèle has blazed the web and continues its operation seduction on the road of festivals. Author, composer, performer and musician, the young Belgian artist was on the stage of Vieilles Charrues de Cahaix in Brittany [ . . . ]

Read more at CULTUREBOX: Les Vieilles Charrues : Angèle, la jeune chanteuse belge à la conquête des festivals de l’été

6 Operas Based on the Works of Alexandre Dumas-Père

Alexandre Dumas, père, is one of the most famous writers in the history of French literature. Some of his works, notably, “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Montecristo” have even transcended his homeland to become fixtures of the international literary canon.Shockingly, it is his son who is better known in the opera world thanks in part to a little-known opera known as “La Traviata,” which is based on Alexandre Dumas-fils’ “La Dame aux Camelias [ . . . ]

Continue reading: 6 Operas Based on the Works of Alexandre Dumas-Père





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What’s in a Wine Name?

There’s nothing like a nice cool glass of rosé on a balmy summers evening. Whether you’re an adventurous type who likes to try a new wine every time or you have your go-to favourites, you put your trust in producers and retailers to deliver the products that they claim to be – but are they? Fraud in the food and beverage industry is becoming an all too common problem, whether it’s lower quality honey claiming to be Manuka, cheap oils passed off as extra virgin olive oil or even horse meat masquerading as beef, they’ve all hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

“We were alerted to the ‘Frenchification’ of Spanish wine at the end of 2015. So, we launched an inquiry at all levels, from producers to importers to restaurants and distributors.”

Some food fakery is easier for a consumer to detect than others – glaringly obvious spelling mistakes on packaging is an immediate red flag, but for many consumers the only option is to take products at face value.

Do you really know what you’re sipping this summer?

In response to suggestions of cheap imports being passed off as French wines, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) based in France, undertook a survey to examine wines imported into France, especially from Spain.For French wine producers that lack protected geographical indication (Indication Géographique Protégée-IGP) status, competition can be tough. Spanish producers are challenging them, especially in varietal entry level wines. As such, temptation exists to pass off cheaper Spanish imports under their own brands [ . . . ]

Continue at TECHNOLOGY NETWORKS: What’s in a Wine Name? | Technology Networks



Pas de Merde has more stories about Wine fraud and less scandalous articles about wine in our Food & Wine category. Bon Appétit!

Speech by Emmanuel Macron in tribute to Simone Weil

Le président français, visiblement très ému, a évoqué la vie de cette femme d’exception, déportée des camps nazis, ministre et présidente du parlement européen

Source: Discours d’Emmanuel Macron en hommage à Simone Weil | The Times of Israël






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