Archive for March, 2006

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We’ll Always Have Paris

We’ll Always Have Paris by John Baxter

I just finished reading this book yesterday and really enjoyed it. It covers the sexual underside of Parisian history through out the last 100 years, but hangs it on the framework of the author’s first year in Paris and the impending birth of his first child. They are strange bed fellows to be sure and while both strands of the book work independently, they don’t really work together. But that’s ok, because as I said they are both interesting and entertaining in and of themselves.

I got a number of good movie recommendations from the book, and immediately added them to my Netflix queue.

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A Single Girl

Virginie Ledoyen stars in A Single Girl

I’ll warn you right up front that this movie is not for everyone. There’s not much plot and nothing major really happens, it is rather, what French films do so well and American films don’t, a slice of life drama.

The action centers around a young woman who just found out she is pregnant, is starting a new job, and is breaking up with her boyfriend all on the same day. A lot of the film takes place in real time as she goes about her new job as a room service waitress at a posh hotel, and chronicles her interactions with her coworkers and the hotel guests, most of whom are insane.

If you like quite and thoughtful films, this is a good one with good performances all around. If, however you are just looking for mindless action, look elsewhere.

Virginie Ledoyen also starred in another fun French film that I would recommend called 8 Women

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Movie Suggestions

I’m going to add a new category to the left sidebar for movies about Paris.

The first one I’m going to recommend is Amélie which I’m sure you’ve probably all ready seen, or at least heard about. This movie is really a love letter to Paris, granted it’s a prettified, fanciful version the real thing but still…

It’s a charming heart-warming movie you can’t help but enjoy. As a reviewer for The Stranger noted: You don’t have to be an asshole to not like this film, but it helps (or something like that, I’m quoting from memory).

Update: These have been moved onto the country/city resource pages.

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Travel Stamp

The Best Baguette in Paris 2004—2006

According to a post at this site 2004’s winner can be found at La fournée d’Augustine, 96 rue Raymond Losserand, 14th arrondissement.
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The 2005 winner, Eric Sana, 3 rue du retrait, 20th arrondissement.
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And the 2006 winner, Jean-Pierre Cohier, can be found here.
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Carnet de Voyage

I have another book to recommend, Carnet De Voyage by Craig Thompson.

Now this one is sort of cheating as most of it takes place in Morocco, but some of it is set in Paris. This book is not so much a story as a beautifully illustrated travel journal. The pictures are mostly done in brush pen with no preliminary drawing, which irritates me to no end. This is the way I wish I could draw. Sigh.

Any way, pick it up, you won’t be sorry.

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