Header foto – a selection of sweet, crumbly pastries at Salzburg airport. Yummm!
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Category Archives: France
A roundup of ‘Euronews’ for spring 2013
From the London Independent, DutchNews, France 24, et al. Ten gardens to visit when the weather cooperates. The Moscow Cat Circus returns. I’m hoping they get animal visas to travel outside Russia soon. Turn on your high-beams in the Netherlands; … Continue reading
Posted in England, France, General magpie travel, Netherlands travel, News from Britain, News from Europe, Scotland, UK news
Tagged Aboriginal art in Paris, Airbnb in Amsterdam, driving in the Netherlands, Dutch - Belgian high speed rail, Marseille museum, Moscow Cat Circus, UK spring gardens
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Pickpockets at the Louvre
From France 24. Staff walked off the job at the Louvre to protest rising number of cases of pickpocketing at the museum. The place was forced to close for the day. An increased police presence has been put in place. … Continue reading
Posted in European museums, France, General magpie travel, News from Europe
Tagged Louvre museum, Louvre pickpockets
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More April 2013 news from Europe
From France 24. The Gates of Hell have been dug up in Turkey (not a government building – it’s an archaeological site). From London Independent. This event was linked to in a previous blog post. Ruminations on the reopening of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum … Continue reading
More rights for airline passengers flying on European carriers; snow still making a mess
From Deutsche Welle. The EU is expanding air passenger rights when delayed and flying on European carriers. Interesting that this comes at time when snow is wreaking such havoc at Frankfurt airport. More communication, food and water, as well as … Continue reading
French town rescues Courbet painting
From France 24. The town of Ornans helped to raise 4 million euros to repatriate Courbet’s The Oak of Flagey back to France after a century overseas in private hands. The town’s Courbet museum will display the painting free of … Continue reading
Fifty best European ski breaks
From London Independent. Lots of ski destinations in France, Italy and Switzerland and a few in places that may not leap first to mind.
Multiple Mona Lisas
From France 24. Swiss analysis, including carbon dating, has confirmed that, although the Louvre’s Mona Lisa is an authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci, it’s a copy he made of an earlier version.
Posted in European art, France, General magpie travel, News from Europe, not really travel
Tagged Leonardo da Vinci, Louvre, Louvre Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa
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New bells for Notre Dame’s birthday; she’s 850!
From France 24. A set of new bells arrived this week at Notre Dame in Paris. The medieval church celebrates 850 years and the bells should be in place to ring out for the first time during Easter week. Happy … Continue reading
Trapping tourists at Mont St-Michel
From France 24. The mayor of Mont Saint-Michel is in hot water for rigging bus stop locations so tourists would have to pass his restaus and other shops. Fines and jail sentence (even if suspended) forthcoming. Tsk tsk tsk! Mind … Continue reading
Marseille working to clean up its image for its closeup as a 2013 European Capital of Culture
From France 24. Marseille is one of two European Capitals of Culture, so it’s trying to clean up its seedy reputation in hope of boosting its visitor numbers for 2013.
Posted in France, General magpie travel, News from Europe
Tagged france travel, Marseille, Marseille capital of culture
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Paris – a city of micro brews?
From the London Independent. Sacre bleu! Paris is falling in love with craft beers.
Posted in Europe food & wine, France, General magpie travel, News from Europe
Tagged beer in Paris, Paris travel
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A virtual tour of the Louvre’s new branch in Lens
From France 24. Now that the Louvre’s second location is open in Lens, France, we can get a digital glimpse of what is there. Fears that this would be a second-rate installation proved to be unfounded. Click on the link … Continue reading
Posted in European art, France, General magpie travel, News from Europe
Tagged france travel, Louvre in Lens
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French wine news – Chateau d’Yquem ditching a 2012 vintage
From France 24. Chateau d’Yquem will not be putting down a 2012 vintage of their Sauternes. The reason? Lousy weather. Red Bordeaux will also be having a rough year. Better luck next year. Actually, I never would have known. I … Continue reading
Posted in News from Europe, France, Europe food & wine, not really travel
Tagged france travel, French wine, Chateau d'Yquem 2012
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Day old baguettes are ‘hot’ in France. Sacre bleu!
From France 24. Now, cash-starved bread hounds in Nîmes are buying day-old baguettes to save money. What next?!
Louvre opens a new branch in Lens
From Deutsche Welle. A new branch of Paris’s Louvre is opening in the northern mining town of Lens. If you are in France after December 12, 2012, stop in.
Burger King is returning to France. Oh joy.
From France 24. Burger King, gone from France for 15 years, has decided to open two locations, one in Marseille and one at a highway rest stop in Reims. I wonder if the first location will have bouillabaisse on the … Continue reading
Nutella crisis in France
From France 24. A proposed tax on one of Nutella’s main ingredients could cause a price increase. Quel horreur! This is the French equivalent to a price increase on Oreos or Coca Cola here, I think.
a new hotel atop Mont Blanc in France not quite ready for guests
From France 24. A brand new, high altitude hotel on Mont Blanc in the French Alps has some issues that will prevent it opening as expected. There’s been a fire, malfunctioning solar cooling systems. My first thought is – are … Continue reading
Gevrey-Chambertin chateau and vines sold to Chinese tycoon
From London Independent. A Chines casino zillionaire has bought a very prestigious Burgundy chateau. According to Wikipedia, Gevrey-Chambertin produces 8 of 33 grand cru wines in the region. My first thought upon reading the headline was whether we would have … Continue reading
April in France – a new baguette from McDonald’s
From France 24. It’s a long way off, but if you’re in France in April, keep an eye out for Le McBaguette. It looks and sounds pretty good. I might be tempted to try it, except for a recently developed … Continue reading
Caution – speed cameras in France are big moneymakers
From France 24. If you are driving in France, you may already know about these. Speed cameras are catching lots of speeding motorists and more cameras are being installed. Slow down! We’re all safer that way.
Last days for English bookshop in Paris
From France 24. Not as venerable as Shakespeare and Co, but Paris’s Village Voice shop will close as of July 31st.
Watch out! You need a breathalyzer kit in your car in France
From France 24. A new French law requires everyone, including tourists, to have a breathalyzer kit in their car. Cars rented in France will probably automatically carry one, but cars from other countries won’t.
Napoleon’s English letter goes to auction; a look at Berlin’s Museum Island
From France 24. Napoleon began learning and writing English while imprisoned on St Helena. A letter from this time has been auctioned for a honkin’ load of money. From Deutsche Welle. Berlin’s Museum Island with five top museums clustered together … Continue reading
Travel to Versailles like a king. Really! And Grand Palais art in Paris
The train to Versailles from Paris has added a stylish option. From France 24. A new Daniel Buren art exhibition at Paris’s Grand Palais. From France 24.
Posted in France, News from Europe
Tagged france travel, Louis XIV train carriage, news from Europe, Versailles train
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