Pumpkin High Art

You've got to love his sense of humour, a Halloween rift on Damien Hirst's 100 million dollar skull

You can make it too, by spraying a small pumpkin with silver paint, and then encrusting $40 worth of fine rhinestones.

Sarkozy divorce captures headlines over the general strike

Looks like Sarko has timed the news of his divorce (from second wife Cecilia) to mitigate the ire of strikers and citizens. The full general strike, to protest his plan to overhaul France's public sector, has been relegated to second page world-wide with the divorce announcement (which we have been awaiting for some time) making headlines.

On strike for 24 hours:

all rail service
most subway service
bus service
most taxis
many museums

Even the opera was canceled...

Vandal punches hole in a Monet at the Musee D'Orsay.

But frankly, how stupid is that? To organize la Nuit Blanche, when many cultural institutions are open (and clearly vulnerable) on the same night as hooligans abound-France having staged both rugby and soccer matches that same night.

Best chocolates in Paris

I have forgotten the name! But it is on the left hand side of the road that leads out of the Place des Vosges towards Boulevard Beaumarchais, rue Pas de Mule, you really can't miss it.

Why it is the best chocolate of Paris:

1. They make tiny little bite size pieces, not the kind that are so big that you bite in and then want to throw the rest away.

2. They have a wonderful selection of creative chocolates such as cardamone and green tea and licorice flavored with pretty decorations on top.

3. They have chocolate covered confit de ginger ALL YEAR ROUND, not seasonal.

4. I brought them to a highly discerning group of friends, and they agreed that they are the most scrumptious!

Disgruntled Parisians Chauffeurs part 2

Should have known better- what is the point of calling a strike if you are not planning on making a real nuisance of yourself. The taxi chauffeurs just convened at a convenient time for them in order to wreak havoc the rest of the day.

They left in a convoy and proceeded to circle around Gare Montparnasse, with full disregard for traffic lights and signals, honking horns, blocking traffic, anad I saw alot of near misses with Parisians just trying to get to appointments, work and pick up their children. I never heard the outcome of all of this though.

I did hear of a "Moteurs en Colere Association-Angry Motorcycle Drivers Association-the Hell's Angels of France? I don't know, have to investigate futher.

Disgruntled Parisian chauffeurs

Good day to stay away from Paris, or to stay bundled under a quilt- it's dark and rainy and cold and the taxi drivers are on strike and have decided to demonstrate in the 7th, as of 10 AM, in what seems to me to be a non-strike. Who needs to go to the 7th at 10AM in the morning?
Very civilized, when you think about it, to wait until the end of rush hour. Although there will be an influx of taxi drivers from all over France, so it will probably get quite messy.

Will anyone truly miss them? It is so complicated to get a taxi on the streets of Paris that I stopped trying years ago.

The French-and the law...?

i just listened to an interview on France Info of a woman on a walk in the Bois du Boulogne, with her Rottweiler, running free somewhere near, without the mandatory leash. This happens to be illegal, given the Rottweiler penchant for attacking innocent children and this being one of the last Indian summer Sundays when most Parisian families have abandoned the safety of their apartments for a walk in the park.

This woman, when asked about her blatant disrespect for the law, stated that she could not care one whit for the law, not one whit.