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French Elephants

France loves elephants. What? French Elephants? Even though and maybe because they are not native to France it seems there has been a fascination with elephants throughout French history. When you begin to look around you find there are quite a few more or less famous French elephants. Some are of course imaginary, others constructed of wood and still others are live ones in zoos or sanctuaries. Let's have a tour of France's beloved elephants through the ages. Early history Cave painting attest to mammoths, but Hannibal's elephants were likely the first true elephants in Gaul, but they didn't fare so well. The next importation wasn't for quite a few years. The French Kings' Elephants over 900 years 768 to 1668 Many French kings kept elephants at court and by the Renaissance they were quite in vogue. Charlemagne's was named Abul-Abbas and was an Asian elephant brought from Baghdad by a diplomat in about 802. The gift was from the Abbasid caliph and symbolizes the beginni…

Quintessential French Objects

In nearly every French household you’ll find quintessential French Objects... French Objects #1 DURALEX The invention of nearly indestructible tempered glassware in 1947 revolutionized tables in homes, schools, bars, hospitals and on boats. Even stacked tall in the cafeteria or high in the cupboard at home, Duralex (the name is a contraction of Dura lex sed lex) keeps those with butterfingers from being scolded. Kinds in the school cafeteria always check the mold number on the bottom of the glass - he or she who has the lowest number that day has to help clear the tables! The cult models, Gigogne and Picardie, have been seen in movies, used in sculptures and are popular in hip casual restaurants. Purchase Duralex limited edition glasses here French Objects #2 SYNTHOL The French family’s solution to bobos - the bumps, bruises, bites and scratches of everyday life. The amber magic potion always makes you feel better no matter the ailment. In 2014 the prod…

The striking Portrait of Buffalo Bill

The unlikely friendship of ROSA BONHEUR and BUFFALO BILL and the striking portrait of Buffalo Bill remembered at Bill & Rosa’s Book Room, at the “Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899)” exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay and on World Radio Paris. The striking Portrait of Buffalo Bill In an episode of “Turning Points in France”, on World Radio Paris, Patricia Killeen chatted with Natacha Henry, an international consultant on gender-based violence and an award-winning Anglo-French author living in Paris. Natacha saw a portrait of Colonel William Cody, aka BUFFALO BILL painted by French artist and feminist ROSA BONHEUR, at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Intrigued by the connection between the famous French animal painter and the American showman, Natacha researched the story of the unlikely encounter between these two mythical characters. It turned out to be a riveting tale, and the inspiration for her novel: “THE FRENCH PAINTER AND THE AMERICAN SHOWMAN: THE UNLIKE…

“RECONCILIATION”

“RECONCILIATION” Wrapped in the joyous colors of Martin Parr and imbued with Henri Cartier- Bresson’s timeless portraits of humanity, RECONCILIATION is a satisfying last-minute holiday gift to yourself, alone or accompanied... and it’s up through January 29. The exhibition opened in November, launching an additional exhibition space called “The Tube” created by renovating an 18th century cellar located beneath the existing Fondation HCB at 79 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, France. The style of the two photographers is as opposite as can be: in the words of Cartier-Bresson, they come from “two separate solar systems.” Parr’s saturated, often garishly-colored images of the northern English working and middle classes document that population “at work and at play” during three different time periods: the early 1960’s, the mid ‘80s, and after 2010. Through his lens we see the bumpy transformation of working-class England from a grim, Dickensian manufacture-based economy to an …

Au Gui l’An Neuf ou Bonne et heureuse année à vous

Au Gui l’An Neuf is another way, a bit old fashioned, to say Bonne et heureuse année à vous. La saison voulant que le gui abonde, on en cueillit dès le Moyen Âge pour l'offrir avec ce souhait : « Au gui l'an neuf », formule qui fut remplacée plus tard par « Bon an, mal an, Dieu soit céans » (soit dans la maison). Au XIXe siècle on disait « Bonne et sainte année, le paradis à la fin de vos jours », expression modernisée au XXe siècle en « Bonne et heureuse année ». Mistletoe grows all over northern France and on six of the seven continents. It’s those balls in the bare trees that you think might be nests at first glance, but in fact it is vegetal parasite which rarely kills the host trees and thus is not a pest. Ecologically it is an important plant as it provides food and shelter for many species. A study in Australia mentioned in the NY Times compared forest parcels with mistletoe to parcels from which mistletoe had been removed. The study suggests that mistletoe is…

Get out of Town to Dieppe!

Time for a break from Paris? Try Dieppe! This city of 32,000 people is on the Normandy coast just north of Etretat and has similar white chalk cliffs, pebble beaches and emerald waters. The name Dieppe means deep valley referring to the break in the cliffs carved by the Arques river as it flows into the sea. There is lots of history in Dieppe. It was the site of an experimental landing to test German defenses that preceded D-Day. Unfortunately many Canadians were killed in the failed Operation Jubilee and the Allies learned that they were not going to be able to re-take an active port, thus they developed plans for the Herculean artificial ports of Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy (another very interesting weekend trip). The city of Dieppe is still closely linked with Canada today. In 2010 a ton of galets from the Dieppe beach were taken to Windsor, Ontario as part of a monument in memory of the soldiers of the Essex Scottish Regiment who took part in the August 1942 Raid. …

Visiting the French National Assembly has gotten easier!

The Palais Bourbon is a government building located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde. It is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government. The Palace was originally built beginning in 1722 by Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the duchess of Bourbon, the legitimized daughter of Louis XIV, as a country house, surrounded by gardens. It was nationalized during the French Revolution, and from 1795 to 1799, during the Directory, it was the meeting place of the Council of Five Hundred, which chose the government leaders. Beginning in 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte added the classical colonnade, to mirror that of Church of the Madeleine, facing it across the Seine and the Place de la Concorde. The Palace complex today includes the Hôtel de Lassay, on the west side of the Palais Bourbon; whi…

Rosa Bonheur Book Event at the Book Room

Event! To conclude the 2022 celebrations of our namesake Rosa Bonheur's bicentennial Bill & Rosa's Book Room is hosting award-winning historical novelist Natacha Henry on December 3rd at 4pm. Ms Henry will present her book THE FRENCH PAINTER AND THE AMERICAN SHOWMAN: THE UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP OF ROSA BONHEUR AND BUFFALO BILL. This historical novel tells the moving story of the unlikely encounter between French animal painter Rosa Bonheur and the American entertainer Colonel William Cody, aka Buffalo Bill. In 1889 Rosa Bonheur, France’s best-known animal painter, is living in seclusion in her chateau near Paris. One day, she reads that Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show are coming to France. Rosa Bonheur sees a unique opportunity: she will be able to draw real American bison and wild mustangs. New inspiration! The American West always fascinated her. She might even get to meet and paint portraits of the Lakota Sioux who are also part of the Wild West Show. But will the fe…

Books for kids for the holidays or anytime

It's time to think about what to give for the end of the year holidays. We've collected a few ideas in the book department, because there's nothing we love more than books for kids. Come over to Bill & Rosa's Book Room 26 November at 16:00 and listen to author Camille Guénot read in French in a mysterious setting and get a signed copy of OSCAR GOUPIL, A LONDON MYSTERY. Free event, please sign up at brbookroom@gmail.com OSCAR GOUPIL, A LONDON MYSTERY Si vous aimez le confort douillet de votre quotidien, si vous exécrez le mystère et la magie, reposez ce livre et passez votre chemin. Car ce qui vous attend entre ces pages n’est pas pour les âmes sensibles. Je vous le dis tout net : je suis un garçon ordinaire à qui des choses extraordinaires vont arriver. Mes parents m'avaient laissé une lettre : je passerais mes vacances de fin d'année chez ma grand-tante Léonie, à Londres. Pas vraiment un cadeau, vu sa réputation. Et le train partait dans une heure. "Délici…

Lumieres en Seine is back and that’s good news

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…

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