France
U.S. Ambassador’s Residence, Paris
The residence of the United States Ambassador to Paris is at 41 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement. It is known as the Hôtel de Pontalba. It was built by Louis Visconti for the New Orleans–born Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba between 1842 and 1855. Edmond James de Rothschild acquired the building in 1876.
During the German occupation of France, the mansion, then owned by Baron Maurice de Rothschild, was requisitioned as an officers’ club for the Luftwaffe. After the war, it was rented out to the British Royal Air Force Club, and then to the United States.
In 1948, the American government purchased the building, primarily for the United States Information Service. These offices were moved to the Hôtel Talleyrand as restoration was completed in 1971 during the tenure of Ambassador Arthur K. Watson. The building then became the official residence of the ambassador. This magnificent structure has only been the Ambassador’s residence for a little more than fifty years.
I’ve not yet had a chance to see inside the residence and enjoyed this video tour led by Denise Campbell Bauer who served as President Biden’s Ambassador to France. I hope one day to see it for myself.
Oilver Gee of the Earful Tower podcast made the video possible. If you have an interest in France I suggest you check out the podcast. The podcast is available on Apple podcasts and elsewhere.
C'est la grève - Guide to Strikes in France
I just learned that there is a site for keeping track of strikes in France. I added it to my guide for visiting Paris. The site lists strikes throughout France and is only in French but is easy to translate within your web browser.
Disparition de l’amiral Philippe de Gaulle (1921-2024)
L’amiral Philippe de Gaulle, ancien résistant et sénateur de Paris, nous a quittés à 102 ans.
Sa haute silhouette, son profil aquilin, paraissaient immédiatement familiers. Philippe de Gaulle ne pouvait nier sa ressemblance physique avec son père Charles de Gaulle, de même qu’il avait reçu en héritage son courage, son goût pour les affaires militaires et politiques, et sa passion pour la France.
Film: ‘A Little Romance’
A Little Romance is a 1979 American romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Laurence Olivier, Thelonious Bernard, and Diane Lane in her film debut.
The screenplay was written by Allan Burns and George Roy Hill, based on the 1977 novel E=mc2 Mon Amour by Patrick Cauvin.
The film follows a French boy and an American girl who meet at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte — 50 minutes south of Paris — and begin a romance that leads to a journey to Venice where they hope to seal their love forever with a kiss beneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset.
Diane Lane portrays an affluent, intelligent and charming teenager living in Paris. The scenes of Paris are glorious. They made me want to visit Paris and have stayed with me. Thelonious Bernard does a great job portraying the street smart French boy Diane Lane falls in love with. And Laurence Olivier adds a lot to the film.
Music: Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean-Jacques Goldman is very popular in the French-speaking world. Since the death of Johnny Hallyday in 2017, he has been the highest grossing living French pop rock act. He was born in 1951.
Goldman is the most popular male personality in France. He’s in good company. Sophie Marceau is the most popular female French personality.
Goldman also wrote successful albums and songs for many artists, including Céline Dion. You can also see them perform together here.
Goldman was born in Paris to an immigrant Polish Jewish father and a German Jewish mother.