39Vaugirard

Why is now that it seems every other country and city comes up with bigger ideas than we see in America?

This big weather balloon in Paris changes color with the air quality. I hope it doesn’t become a fixture as old as the Tour Eiffel, but I love the vision of this other-worldly object floating above the city. Paris, London, K-L, Shanghai…the list goes on and on of cities breaking the horizon with new ideas.

When it comes to air pollution, Paris is not much different from any other European city. It has its good days and its bad.

But unlike elsewhere you don’t need to be a scientist to tell them apart. All you have to do is look up into the air.

Floating 150 meters above the Parc Andre Citroen, in Paris’s 15th arrondissement is the Air de Paris, a giant tethered helium balloon telling Parisians how good or bad the air quality is.

When it’s good the balloon — measuring 22 meters wide and 32 meters high — glows green. When bad, it’s red. And when it’s so so, it glows orange. During the day, banners and LCD screens flash the same shade.

[From Balloon helps Parisians breathe easy - CNN.com]

An astounding story of fast thinking and fantastic luck.

A baby boy survived a fall from a seven-story window in Paris by bouncing off a café awning and into the arms of the doctor who saw the infant fall Monday evening.

The 18-month-old toddler was playing unsupervised with his 3-year-old sister when the accident occurred.

[From Doctor Catches Infant Who Fell Seven Stories | AHN]

The parents were apparently out leaving the kids home alone and are now locked up for child endangerment. This happened in the 20e arronidissement.

If you click through, the other amazing coincidence is that the cafe was closed for the Toussaint holiday, and the awning should have been folded up. It had jammed and had been left open, luckily for the baby who was unharmed. That’s a kid who should buy lottery tickets.

The other report cited was Christian Science Monitor; this from CNN which is more ominous:

Paris, France (CNN) — The French government will not be swayed by a threatening message apparently recorded by Osama Bin Laden, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday.

“It goes without saying that France does not let its politics be dictated by anyone, and certainly not by terrorists,” Sarkozy said while attending the European Union summit in Brussels Friday.

Bin Laden warned France to get its troops out of Afghanistan and not to oppress Muslims at home in a tape broadcast by the Al-Jazeera network Wednesday and authenticated by the French Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

[From French politics will not be swayed by Bin Laden tape, Sarkozy says - CNN.com]

I was surprised in the article that experts say that fake Bin Laden tapes have never been aired, which would indicate that Bin Laden is really still alive somewhere.

The tape is audio only. The speaker does not appear. CNN was not able to confirm that it is really Osama Bin Laden, the head of al Qaeda.

But fake Bin Laden tapes have never been broadcast, U.S. intelligence experts say.

France denies any connection between its decision to remove troops from Afghanistan in 2011 and Osama bin Laden’s pledge to attack French troops.

Interesting turn of events. I’m happy that the threat may be decreased, but it’s hard not to be a bit cynical about the timing. I don’t think we should any longer be occupying Afghanistan either, but I don’t think bowing to the demands of Bin Laden is exactly the way I’d go about announcing a departure. But I’m not the King of France either, so what do I know?

France is leaving Afghanistan. Though President Obama has committed to reducing America’s footprint in Afghanistan beginning July 2011, the withdrawal of another ally is likely to add an additional layer of challenge to maneuver that reduction. And the timing of the announcement has put France’s decision under some scrutiny.

France’s announcement came a day after the release of a tape with a message believed to be from Osama Bin Laden, who threatened to attack French citizens because of their presence in Afghanistan and treatment of Muslims. French officials were quick to insist that there is “absolutely no link” between the threat and their decision to begin withdrawing troops in 2011.

[From Osama bin Laden threatens French troops, France announces pullout from Afghanistan - CSMonitor.com]

This is not a happy development since we’re three weeks from our annual Thanksgiving trip to Paris. Our friends in Paris say that people are on edge given this warning and the reaction in the streets to the change in the retirement age.

PARIS — Osama bin Laden warned France in an audiotape broadcast by Al Jazeera television on Wednesday that it would face killings and kidnappings if it did not withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

He also justified the kidnapping of five French citizens in Niger last month, saying that France mistreated its Muslims.

“The equation is very clear and simple: as you kill, you will be killed; as you take others hostages, you will be taken hostages; as you waste our security we will waste your security,” Mr. bin Laden said.

[From New Bin Laden Tape Warns France - NYTimes.com]

Sadly, in his threat, he equates banning veils for women with slitting the throats of aid workers in Niger. Scary times.I don’t know if that means to stay away from all métros and museums. It might be a moot point; with the strikes, there may not be much open anyway.

Well, no more heaters that allow folks to sit outside and smoke. Paris is moving to ban outdoor heaters at sidewalk cafés.

I’ve heard more and more that these propane heaters are the single worst thing many homes have in the way of polluting devices. Still, I guess like wood-burning fireplaces, it’s sad to see them go.

France long held out against the smoking bans being enacted worldwide in public places, but finally caved in three years ago. But while the inside of Left Bank cafés has been less foggy, the café-clope (coffee and cigarette) culture of the city has continued to thrive by simply spilling into the streets, thanks to the gas heater.

Paris move to ban outdoor heaters at cafés in fresh blow to smokersThe devices have blossomed in the capital since 2008, bringing ever-greater numbers of Parisians outdoors. But now the Socialist and Green-run town hall has declared war on the heaters, calling them an ecological disaster.

I love the line from socialist deputy mayor for trade: “Warming the little birds in winter is not very useful,” said Lyne Cohen-Solal, the Socialist deputy mayor in charge of trade.

MSNBC reports that last year, American tourism was down 40% versus a decade ago. Worse, the Paris tourism office says 2009 traffic was down another 3.4% versus the prior year.

Surprisingly, while we only read of a double-dip recession, French tourism officials expect that Americans will be coming back “as the the U.S. economy improves. I have no doubt they are correct, but I don’t thing that will mean in 2011.

Americans remains the most frequent foreign visitors to Paris. We still see a lot of our countrymen in the streets, but maybe because we are right in the 6th most of the time near high-traffic areas. More striking are the number of Asian visitors, especially from China and India, which in itself is symbolic of where economic dynamism is these days.

American tourists expected to return to Paris

I came upon Le flaneur des deux rives, a charming bookstore near Boulevard St. Michel and Rue de Vaugirard.  Beautiful lithographs and hard to find books line the window.  How lovely to see a line out of Guillame Apollinaire’s book as a name of a book store…

Our friend Juliette and Sean, my husband and I had a perfect, end of summer meal at a gem of a find, Restaurant l’Agrume. The menu degustation, at 37 Euros is a bargain, considering that it is like two full meals. The sweet host warned us that the menu consisted of small portions. Perhaps it is managing expectations but we were so full, by the time the plat arrived, half of us could only finish half. Even with my husband’s seafood allergies, the chef accommodated so that we can all enjoy the menu. Five lovely courses, with a memorable risotto with truffles, and a white fish with anchovy oil… delicious. A definite gem.

15, rue des Fossés Saint-Marcel, Paris 75005 01 43 31 86 48