Lisa

90+ Eiffel and Eiffel Tower facts – part 2

Eiffel Tower facts collected for you by FUSAC. Part 2 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 The Eiffel Tower and Margaret Thatcher share the same nickname - La Dame de Fer ("The Iron Lady"). In 1960 Charles de Gaulle proposed temporarily dismantling the tower and sending it to Montreal for Expo 67. The plan was rejected. The names of 72 engineers, scientists and mathematicians are engraved on the side of the tower, each of whom contributed to its construction. In the computer game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the tower is toppled by an airstrike. There are 20,000 light bulbs, 5000 per face, on the Eiffel Tower to make it sparkle every night. The sparkling bulbs were installed by hand over 5 months by 25 climbers for the year 2000. Souvenir sales began immed…

90+ Eiffel and Eiffel Tower facts – part 1

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! To take great photos see https://fusac.fr/eiffel-tower-photo-locations/ "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 co…

UNESCO Collection of Representative Works

UNESCO Collection of Representative Works The UNESCO Collection of Representative Works was a UNESCO translation project that was active between 1948 and 2005. It was meant to translate masterpieces of world literature (especially from lesser-known languages) into English, French, Spanish and Arabic or into another less well-known language so that they could be available to the widest audience possible, with the aim of promoting cultural understanding between peoples, educating and stimulating reflection. UNESCO saw books as not merely entertainment, but also as a way to encourage the development of world peace. When the project initially started out, it was confined only to translations from and into Arabic and it expanded little by little to other languages as more countries learned of the project and joined. The project stopped in 2005 when it ran out of funds. Until then, UNESCO funded the translation of about 1400 works from over 80 countries translated from over 100 la…

Get Out of Town to the Ile des Impressionnistes

Meandering along the Seine meanders: A walk from St Germain-en-Laye to Chatou Ile des Impresisonnistes, 2½ hour walk one way This walk is lovely at any time of year, and in fact views of the rivers are easier in the winter when the light is soft and you can see through the leafless trees. But the cooler air outside the city in the summer is also a reason to take this short trip west of Paris. You’ll enjoy bird life, impressionist history, passing barges, superb mansions and people to watch. Take the RER A to St Germain-en-Laye. Walk across the terrace past the château of St Germain-en-Laye built in the time of Henri IV (17th century). Exit the park through the Boulingrin gate on the right. Follow rue des Arcades to the left, then left on rue Thiers. Go past the Pavillion Henri IV. At the foot of the stairs take the rampe des Grottes on the right. Cross the street and continue down the steps to place de l’Eglise St Wandrille. Continue down to the bottom then go straight to t…

14th of July in Paris: La Marseillaise and where to watch the fireworks

The big event is 14th of July Military parade and flyover

For the National Day celebrations, the July 14, 2026 parade is themed around "Europe’s Strategic Awakening." This major event highlights the commitment of the armed forces and internal security forces, illustrating their synergy in protecting the nation and its allies in Europe with a special focus on Eastern Europe. There will be lots of folks lining the Champs-Elysées for the 2 hours event that starts at 10am, so get ready for serious crowds or better yet for a safer, better view, with commentary watch on TV.

As usual Secrets of Paris has the best comprehensive listing of July 14 events.

Did you know? The French call the national holiday, the 14th of July, NOT Bastille Day.

Where to watch the fireworks

In 2026 the fireworks sponsored by the city of Paris centered on the Eiffel Tower will be held on July 13th. You'll find slightly smaller crowds and a panoramic…

Light of Liberty at Versailles

On the south side of the Chateau of Versailles you’ll find the street named “rue de l’Indépendance américaine”. Why? The Palace of Versailles served as the political and diplomatic epicenter of the American Revolution. Ever since the disastrous Treaty of Paris in 1763, which entailed France's loss of Canada and the Indies, France had been seeking revenge against England. It was at Versailles that King Louis XVI recognized the United States in 1777, officially allied with the rebellion committing vital financial and military assistance in 1778 and in 1783 signed the preliminary peace articles ending the war. In the summer of 2026, to mark the 250th or semiquincentennial anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, the Palace of Versailles will open its doors for a brand-new immersive experience. Visitors are invited to step back in time and discover the fascinating links between Versailles and the birth of the United States.

A n…

Horse puzzles – Horseplay!

One of the most famous horse races is the Kentucky Derby. It takes place each year in May. The horse racing season in Paris opens in the spring as well at the Hippodrome de Longchamps. Somehow both events have become associated with the most beautiful hats with attendees out doing each other. But that's another story.

Here are 2 horse puzzles, games based on Horses that we put together for the kids next door to whom we were "teaching" English over the garden wall during confinement. I stood up on a ladder to see over the top and they were in their front court. It was pretty funny to see. They enjoyed having some authentic conversation although they had trouble with my "odd" US accent as opposed to the British one they hear in school. It was a welcome distraction for us all. It was tricky to select a "program" as there are 3 girls ages 10 to 17 to entertain and challenge. They have such different levels of English amongst themselves and of course there is the age di…

Playing pétanque by l’Américaine

A recounting of a typical Sunday playing pétanque by l’Américaine, Niky Compton, le 9 juillet 1980 à Besançon C'est aujourd'hui dimanche. Vous rencontrez vos amis dans le parc pour jouer à la pétanque. Vous apportez avec vous la petite boule qui s'appelle le cochonnet, et deux grandes boules lourdes. Saluez vos copains en leur serrant la main. Les Français se donnent un coup de main pour saluer même les bons amis tandis que dans une telle situation décontractée, les Américains diraient simplement "Hi!" aux copains. Divisez-vous en deux équipes de deux personnes. Mettez-vous d'accord sur les limites du terrain de boules. Marquez avec le pied une ligne au sol. Prenez vos places derrière la ligne. Lancez le cochonnet. Lancez (à tour de rôle) une boule vers le cochonnet. Votre boule est la plus proche au cochonnet et alors, c'est vous qui commencez. Allez ramasser votre boule et reprenez votre place derrière la ligne. Lancez-la encore une fois…

Bessie Coleman, pilot

In honor of the 125th anniversary of obtaining her pilot's license we present Bessie Coleman the first black woman and first Native American to earn a pilot’s license. Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was born on January 26, 1892, in Atlanta, Texas. The tenth of thirteen children, Coleman was born in a one-room cabin to parents of African American and Cherokee ancestry. Her family moved to Waxahachie, Texas when she was two and became sharecroppers. Coleman walked four miles each way to go to school. Her favorite subjects were reading and math. She spent one term at the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University before moving to Chicago to stay with her brothers in 1915. There she worked as a manicurist. Her brothers served in the military during World War I and came home with stories of their time in France. Thrilled by stories of World War I pilots, Bessie dreamed of learning to fly. She got a second job managing a restaurant to raise money for flight schoo…

Birds in Paris and Speak Easy

A few years ago I started noticing birds and now the city is full of nature. Birds are everywhere, including in the city, if you just look and listen a little more closely. Here are a few of the birds you can see in Paris. Two of my favorites are the tiniest and busiest. The European robin and the wren. The European robin is the one you see on greeting cards all over the place, he is an artist's favorite with his bright orange-red face and neck. When you see him you'll recognize him right away by his color and shape - he looks like he just ate a ping pong ball - just that size and nicely round. The Wren is even smaller, multi-shades of brown has a stubby turned up tail. The wren makes a noise bigger than most bigger birds. Once you learn their song (listen here) you'll start hearing wrens everywhere. Another big talker is the Magpie. This bird is a little smaller than a crow, has a long thin tail and is iridescent black and white. When the sunlight glints off his…