Or is it? Not, no, when it?s the gate of Versailles Palace. Three centuries ago ? October 1789 - an angry mob of Parisians had torn the Palace?s gate down. Three months earlier, on July 14, they had already burnt down Paris? Bastille Prison in what was the commencement of La Révolution Française. If you?ve ever been in Paris in summer you will know that if there is one thing a Parisian can?

Wine geeks? I think I just invented that; better copyright it ? A wine geek, to me, is the guy who grabs the wine list in the restaurant whether he?s the one who?s paying or not, and orders the most expensive bottle of wine. Anyway, what I was going to say was that the French weekly news magazine, Marianne (it is at http://www.marianne2.fr), has chosen the 10 best wines for 2008. It is the

BB ? I don?t think anyone has to ask who?s she/he? No, I must correct that: they probably wouldn?t know who BB is in Timbuktu or Tibet. But, in case you?ve been locked in a cellar without television these past 60-odd years, BB is Brigitte Bardot and she?s going to be 74 on 28 September and she keeps on being charged with *provoking discrimination and racial hatred* for what she comes out

Skyscrapers ? A while back I wrote about skyscrapers being planned for Paris. A project for one has just been approved by the Paris authorities. La Tour Signal de la Défense will be up by 2012. La Défense is an area of high-rise buildings and can be seen on the horizon between the ?legs? of the Arc de Triomphe; there was an uproar when the first high-rises went up there because the

If you have ever stood in the rain at 6pm on a Paris sidewalk trying to hail a taxi, you?re going to jump up and down after having read this .. France?s Minister of Interior, the bespectacled and almost always pants-suited, Michèlle Alliot-Marie, is transforming France?s legislation for taxis. Yes, there are laws in this country for everything -- even the weight of the crusty baguette

The Cannes Film Festival ends tonight. The French media, as it does each May, covered it thoroughly: we know who turned up with who; who wouldn?t talk to who etc etc. The current issue of the French weekly VSD (it stands for Vendredi Samedi Dimanche ? Friday Saturday Sunday) has a cover story on what French actors earn annually. The extraordinary success of the film ?Bienvenue chez les Ch?

Portrait of Napoleon 3 by Franz Winterhalter We all know what happened to Louis the 16th and his wife Marie-Antoinette, so it?s pretty certain that the French will never again go in for a monarchy, yet there is debate here whether to allow another of France?s monarchs, in fact, France?s last monarch, to return home. Or rather to allow his remains to come back home: He died in England on

Vietnam? Gulf? No! World War Two. An exhibition, Les Parisiens sous l?Occupation (The Parisians under the Occupation) is causing a storm here. The exhibition which opened Thursday, March 20 and will run until July 1, is at the municipal Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris (the national history museum). It is an exhibit of 250 photographs of the late French photographer André

As usual, or rather as for the past year, President Sarkozy is yet again the top topic of conversation here. Remember, he was elected President on May 6, 2007. The latest opinion poll (to be published in ?Paris Match? magazine tomorrow, Thursday, April 24) shows that only 28% of French people are now satisfied with how he?s running the country. That means 72% of them aren?t. The poll was

How do you feel about your bathroom scale? Is it your greatest enemy? Do you blame it for that extra kilo or 500 grams you?ve gained since your last weigh-in and not the Mars bars you?ve been nibbling while watching tv? If so, then welcome to the club I?ve just founded: the ABBS! Club ? Again the Bloody Bathroom Scale! Club. I even have a photograph of myself taken at 18 on my freezer: it

Ch'tis ... What an odd word. What can it possibly mean or if it?s an object what can it be? I admit that until Wednesday, February 27, I had never heard the word. Ch?tis ? its English translation is being given as Shtis ? is what the people of Northern France are called by their compatriots from other regions of la douce France. It dates from the Great War when the Northerners? patois

All of us here in Europe were robbed this night of an hour of our lives. Fortunately (unfortunately?) this hour will be returned to us on Sunday October 26 when we all go back to Winter Time. This brings me to longevity ? Latest statistics published here in Paris show that the French are living longer and longer. (Whatever you do, don?t tell the Brits!) There are now more than

(Bottle of Yquem ...) Here in France respectability has finally come to the pawnshop. No longer would anyone have to hide that they've pawned Old Auntie Germaine?s cameo hat-pin. ?Mais non?, from now one may even let the pawnbroker?s slip lie about for everyone to see ? and admire. The reason is that the ?Crédit Municipal de Paris? ? the capital?s official

In my previous post I said that I hoped that Madame Chantal Sebire would go quietly in the night. It might not have been quite like that ? but she has died. The news broke last night (Wednesday, 20) at 9.30. The police say that they have not yet been able to establish the cause of death, but the daily ?Figaro? reported that her daughter of 12 had found her dead at 7.30pm. I suppose

Today I will speak of that taboo subject ? death. Lazare Ponticelli, France?s last Great War veteran, died last Wednesday (March 12) aged 110. He was laid to rest yesterday with full military honors, and good for France. Chantal Sebire, 52, however wants to die but France has told her she can?t. She no longer wants to live because she suffers from the incurable rare disease

Once, when my pronunciation of a French word was rather incorrect, I was told that the French say that it doesn?t matter what one does as long as one pronounces it properly. I can add to this now: I can say that the French still do not mind what one does but one must have a French word for it. Therefore, one eats a ?chien chaud? here and never ever a ?hotdog?. And one does not send a ?mail

Top topic is President Sarkozy -- yet again. He told a man who refused to shake his hand at Paris' annual agricultural show to 'Casse-toi! Pauvre con!' -- Get lost! Poor idiot/imbecile! Not the kind of thing one expects from a president. The latest opinion poll therefore shows that only 33% of French now think he's a good president. The poll was undertaken by phone on February 20 and 1003, all

Avenue des Champs-Elysees is in the news again. The world's *most beautiful* avenue has now become too expensive for even big names like Planet Hollywood and McDonald's. The Paris media this week reported that Planet Hollywood is moving out, and McDonald's may be next to do so. With rent at ?10,000 (?7,500) per sq. meters ($14,600 for 10.7 sq ft) it is not surprising. (Photo: The cutest

Since January 1 it is forbidden to smoke in France in public places. This means that one can no longer light up when enjoying one?s ?petit café noir? or ?petit ballon de vin rouge? in a bistrot. As a non-smoker and anti-tobacconist (I think I just this minute invented that word!) I am delighted that this is so, but the ?Union des Métiers et Industries de l?Hôtellerie? claims that

Two French women and 100,000 French cows are making the headlines in France. It?s kind of a good way to start a year ? at least it?s not an earthquake or a tsunami or terrorist attack doing so. The two French ladies are Cécilia Sarkozy, President Sarkozy?s Ex, and Carla Bruni, his new beloved. And the cows ? well, the cows do not exist yet ? I?ll speak about the cows first.