Paris Mosaic

Eiffel Tower facts collected for you by FUSAC. Part 1 of a 3 part series Part 1 facts 1 through 35 Part 2 facts 36 through 72 Part 3 facts 73 through 102 - we just couldn't stop! "Je vais être jaloux de cette tour. Elle est plus célèbre que moi." – Gustave Eiffel Completed on March 31, 1889, the tower was the world’s tallest man-made structure for 41 years until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930. It is 324 meters tall (including antennas) and weighs 10,100 tons. It was the tallest structure in France until the construction of a military transmitter in the town of Saissac in 1973. The Millau Viaduct, completed in 2004, is also taller, at 343 meters. It is possible to climb to the top, but there are 1,665 steps. Most people take the lift. 45 people fit in the elevator at a time allowing the transportation of 1700 people per hour. The lifts travel a combined distance of 103,000 km a year – two and a half times the circumfer…

Everything you need to know about French weddings If you've been invited to a wedding in France, you're in for a delightful experience. French weddings are elegant and lavish affairs, though they follow some different customs and traditions compared to typical Anglo-American weddings.  As a guest, it is helpful to become familiar with some of the key differences so you know what to expect, can fully enjoy the occasion, and avoid any faux pas. Some customs may well surprise you but follow the leads of others and don’t be shy to ask questions. Your hosts will surely appreciate your interest in experiencing their cultural traditions. Above all else, be prepared to celebrate with joie de vivre – the joy of living! A French wedding is a perfect place to embrace that spirit. Two ceremonies – religious and civil Religious ceremonies are becoming rarer in France, with most couples opting for a civil ceremony only. This typically takes place at the town hall, led by the mayor or h…

Monsieur Fusac has some advice. Don't miss the fabulous wintergarden-cum-light trail called Lumieres en Seine opening November 18th and running to January next year on the edge of Paris at the Parc de St. Cloud, a few steps from metro Pont de Saint Cloud. Take my word for it : you will not be disappointed. Au contraire, delight awaits.  Just listen to what these historical figures are saying... " Enchanting ! Magical ! " --Buffalo Bill, scout and showman " Stunning like a bull elk! " --Rosa Bonheur French painter " Wonderful Photo Memories" --Phineas Barnum, circus founder " Charming pop-up chalets with sweet and savory treats " --Julia Childs, chef "A must-see attraction! " --Gustave Eiffel, engineer "Wouldn't trade it for all the crackers in Kalamazoo! " --Mr. Fusac, king of classifieds All the juicy details : https://www.lumieresenseine.com/en/ @lumieresenseine Seriously, this is a great show. Lumieres en Seine won over more than 130,000 visit…

Hints and Hindsights: La Rentrée by Shari Leslie Segall In France, September is the Monday morning of the year. You’ve just had a 60-day weekend and it’s time to get up, grope your way to the figurative and literal shower and go to work. Even if you didn’t take all of July and August off, it’s likely that almost everyone you had to deal with during that legendarily sacred span of time was away for at least part of it, in effect giving you a double vacation: yours and the forced unproductiveness produced in your universe by theirs. Now comes la rentrée (a word for whose English translation the French desperately scramble: it literally means “reentry,” can mean “back-to-school,” but is a general reference to returning to reality after those month-long strolls on the sand, hikes in the Himalayas and reunions with relatives). And the strategy for facing it is like that of ripping off a band-aid as quickly as possible to minimize the skin-scraping pain: “Just let me get throug…

Two obelisks from the entrance to Luxor Temple were offered to France by the Viceroy of Egypt in 1830. One thrones on the place de la Condorde still today. But did you know there was another precious gift from the Viceroy just a few years earlier? Rosa Bonheur moved to Paris from Bordeaux, she was 7 years old at the time and did not like Paris at all until she discovered Paris' latest phenomenon... Zarafa. In 1826 Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt, gave Zarafa (Arabic for «Giraffe», literally «charming» or «lovely one»), the first living giraffe to set foot on French soil, to Charles X as a diplomatic gift. She was separated from her mother at 3 months of age, traveled 2000 miles down the Nile, then across the Mediterranean by boat, arriving in Marseilles, where she would spend her first winter acclimatizing. The following spring, she left for Paris on a 41 day walk (880km) accompanied by 55 year old French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Each stag…

For a great View over Paris without waiting in line visit The Saint Jacques Tower After ten long years of restauration the Tour Saint Jacques near Châtelet has become one of the sweetest spots for a view over Paris. The 54 meter tall tower is the last remaining piece of the Church of Saint Jacques de la Boucherie. Boucherie? Butchery? Odd as it sounds to our ears today the church was so named because in the 16th century the area was home to the butchers of Paris and thus they had their own church. The church was built between 1509 and 1523 in the flamboyant gothic style which is still quite visible on the tower in the elaborate sculptures of 13 gargoyles and other creatures plus leafy decoration. On the four corners are sculptures of Saint Jacques and animals representing three of the four evangalists: an eagle for Saint John, an ox for Saint Luke and a lion for Saint Mark. The Revolution brought an end to religious celebrations in the church and in the 1790s and it was dis…

Per our May 4, 2019, post, “Paris/France and…” is a new series wherein “and” leads us to categories whose subcategories link to the city/country we know and love. Having explored Paris/France and Body Parts as well as Paris/France and Colors (July 27, 2019), we move on to Paris / France and The Classical Elements (earth, water, air, fire [and ether, which we won’t be discussing here]), starting--floatingly, flowingly, gushingly, splashingly, streamingly--with Paris/France and…

…water: traveling on it, drinking it, splashing around in it, stepping on planks several feet above it *.

TRAVELING ON IT: Do not sell the Seine short. As exquisite as it is, as sublimely as it threads through Paris monuments like a silk cord through necklace gems, it has for millenniums (Is the Neolithic period old enough for you?) been crucially more than background or playground, as you will discover here (read and click on everything you have time for and then some) and here …