and-she-recovers

[lounesdarbois]

[novlr]

6 More Writing Playlists for Scenes and Vibes!

If you love music, you’ll love these playlists! We’ve added 6 more amazing playlists to our already-growing collection.

From sweeping classical themes to write a royal court, some eerie tunes and soundscapes for writing a creepy carnival, vinyl classics for a vintage record store feel, pumping euro tunes for a European road trip, sea shanties for ocean voyages, and some vintage and modern French melodies for when you need a French bistro vibe, we’ve got you covered.

Writing a Royal Court

The pomp and circumstance of a Royal Court are palpable in this collection. This classical playlist is perfect for writing grand palaces, stately homes, balls, banquets, and court intrigues. Be transported to a world of nobles and chivalry where life is decadent and opulent.

Writing a Creepy Carnival

Creepy carnivals are staples of the horror genre, so we’ve put together this collection to help you write it. Whether your carnival travels the world, putting up stakes and causing mayhem wherever they go, or if you’re writing a static circus where visitors inexplicably go missing, then this is the playlist for you. Terrifying ringmasters, creepy rides, and eerie rituals – whatever your carnival holds, this is the playlist to write it to.

Writing in a Parisian Cafe

Sitting in a window of a cafe in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, watching the world go by, the young writer puts pen to paper. The characters who pass by them every day inspire and come alive. If you can’t people-watch, you can certainly imagine it! A mix of classical, acoustic folk, and French pop tunes, this collection will make you feel like you’re really there. So grab a croissant and a coffee and bring the Paris to you!

Writing a Vintage Record Store

Indie record stores have a vibe and are always full of interesting characters. There’s something special about them, and they’re always full of people who love music. This is a playlist for those who need to write a modern vintage feel. It’s a mix of tunes from the 1960s to the early 2000s – the kind of records vinyl aficionados would love a first pressing of. Get in the creative space to write about some of the weird and wonderful obsessive characters you’d find in an underground record shop in your favourite city.

Writing a Journey at Sea

Beware, me hearties, for here be dragons! Whether you’re writing an arctic exploration, an ancient sea voyage, preparations for a naval battle, or a band of intrepid pirates, there’s something in this playlist for you. With a mixture of modern folk tracks, sea shanties, and sea journey-themed instrumental pieces, this collection will conjure images of the salt spray on your face and the wind whipping your hair as you stand on deck, exploring unmapped places.

Writing a European Road Trip

Travel is always an adventure, but there’s something unique about a European road trip where you can fit so many different countries and cities into a small space of time. It’s a whirlwind of sights, tastes, and sounds, so this collection of tracks from all over Europe is sure to get you in the mood. From visiting the sights to sampling the cuisines, and nights out in some of Europe’s most infamous superclubs, this collection is sure to inspire you.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Is there any sort of supporting vampire index? I read the first five books back in high school and have been slowly making my way through the entire series (currently mid merrick) this year. But recently it feels like every other day someone brings up an important character from the later books that already appeared, or was implied in the show.

Nonny, you're in luck :)

Anne herself provides us with one in "Prince Lestat" and in "Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis" :) Obviously the short descriptions refer to the book versions. I would take note of Sevraine (who is Gabrielle's implied girlfriend later on!), Seth and especially Fareed, and definitely Rhoshamandes and Amel here. Gregory, too. And Viktor (whose summary does not contain the reveal btw) and Rose. These at the very least :) - let me know if you want to know more details!

I'll paste the character list from PLatRoA here! SPOILERS though - so under the cut!

Characters and Places in the Vampire Chronicles

Akasha—Queen of ancient Egypt six thousand years ago, and the first vampire ever created, through a merger with the spirit Amel. The story is told in The Vampire Lestat and in The Queen of the Damned.

Allesandra—A Merovingian princess, daughter of King Dagobert I, brought into the Blood in the seventh century by Rhoshamandes. First introduced in The Vampire Lestat as a mad nameless vampire living with the Children of Satan under Les Innocents Cemetery in Paris. She also appears in The Vampire Armand in the Renaissance where she is named, and later in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis.

Amel—A spirit who created the first vampire six thousand years ago by merging with the body of the Egyptian Queen Akasha. The story is told in The Vampire Lestat and in The Queen of the Damned. Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis continue the story of Amel.

Antoine—A French musician exiled from Paris to Louisiana and brought into the Blood by Lestat around the middle of the nineteenth century. Referred to as “the musician” in Interview with the Vampire. Later appears in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis. A talented violinist and pianist and composer.

Arion—A black vampire of ancient times introduced in Blackwood Farm. At least two thousand years old, perhaps older. Possibly from India.

Arjun—A prince of the Chola dynasty in India, brought into the Blood by Pandora around 1300. Appears in Blood and Gold and also in Pandora.

Armand—One of the pillars of the Vampire Chronicles. Armand is a Russian from Kiev, sold into slavery as a boy, and made a vampire in Renaissance Venice by the Vampire Marius. He is introduced in Interview with the Vampire, and appears in numerous novels in the Vampire Chronicles, telling his own story in The Vampire Armand. The founder of the coven at Trinity Gate in New York. Armand maintains a house in Paris in Saint-Germain-des- Prés, which functions as the Paris Court for Prince Lestat.

Avicus—An Egyptian vampire who first appears in Marius’s memoir, Blood and Gold. Appears again in Prince Lestat.

Benedict—A Christian monk of the seventh century in France, brought into the Blood by Rhoshamandes. Benedict is the vampire from whom the alchemist Magnus stole the Blood, a theft described in The Vampire Lestat. Appears in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis as Rhoshamandes’s companion and lover.

Benji Mahmoud—A twelve-year-old Palestinian Bedouin boy, brought into the Blood by Marius in 1997. Benji originates the vampire radio station heard round the world in Prince Lestat. Resides at Trinity Gate in New York and sometimes at the Court of Prince Lestat in France. First appears in The Vampire Armand when he is living in New York with his companion, Sybelle.

Bianca Solderini—Venetian courtesan brought into the Blood by Marius in Blood and Gold around 1498.

Château de Lioncourt—Lestat’s ancestral castle in the Massif Central in France, splendidly restored and the home of the new dazzling and glamorous Court of the Vampires with its orchestra, theater, and frequent formal balls. The adjacent village, including an inn and a church and several shops, has also been restored to house mortal workers and visitors to the Château.

Children of Satan—A network of medieval vampire covens, populated by vampires who sincerely believed they were children of the Devil, doomed to roam the world in rags, accursed, feeding on the blood of innocent humans to do the Devil’s will. Their most famous covens were in Rome and in Paris. The coven kidnapped many of the fledglings of Rhoshamandes until he finally left France to get away from them. And the Children of Satan in Rome spelled catastrophe for Marius and his great Venetian household in the Renaissance. Armand told of his experiences with the Children of Satan in The Vampire Armand.

Chrysanthe—A merchant’s widow from the Christian city of Hira, brought into the Blood by Nebamun, newly risen and named Gregory in the fourth century. Wife of Gregory. Introduced, along with Gregory, in Prince Lestat.

Cimetière des Innocents—An ancient cemetery in the city of Paris until it was destroyed near the end of the eighteenth century. Underneath this cemetery lived the Coven of the Children of Satan, presided over by Armand, which is described by Lestat in The Vampire Lestat. Referred to in the novels as “Les Innocents.”

Claudia—An orphan of five or six years old, brought into the Blood around 1794 by Lestat and Louis in New Orleans. Long dead. Her story is told in Interview with the Vampire. Later appears as a spirit in Merrick, though the appearance is suspect.

Cyril—An ancient Egyptian vampire, maker of Eudoxia in Blood and Gold, and named for the first time in Prince Lestat. Age unknown.

Daniel Molloy—The nameless “boy” interviewer in Interview with the Vampire. Brought into the Blood by Armand in The Queen of the Damned. Also appears in Blood and Gold living with Marius. Also in Prince Lestat.

David Talbot—Introduced as an elderly member of the Talamasca, an order of psychic detectives, in The Queen of the Damned. Becomes an important character in The Tale of the Body Thief, and also solicits Pandora’s story from her in Pandora. A pillar of the Vampire Chronicles.

Davis—A black dancer from Harlem, a member of the Fang Gang, brought into the Blood by Killer sometime in 1985. Introduced in The Queen of the Damned. Further described in Prince Lestat.

Eleni—A survivor of the Children of Satan who helps found the Théâtre des Vampires in Paris in the eighteenth century; corresponds with the Vampire Lestat after he leaves Paris to travel the world. A fledgling of Rhoshamandes made a vampire in the early Middle Ages.

Enkil—Ancient King of Egypt, husband of the great Queen Akasha, the second vampire to be brought into existence. His story is told in The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned.

Everard de Landen—A fledgling of Rhoshamandes from the early Middle Ages who first appears in Blood and Gold and is named in Prince Lestat.

Fareed—Anglo Indian by birth, a physician and researcher, brought into the Blood by Seth to be a healer and researcher of the vampires. A major character introduced in Prince Lestat.

Flannery Gilman—An American female medical doctor, biological mother of Viktor, and brought into the blood by Fareed and Seth. Part of their medical and research team working with the Undead.

Flavius—A Greek vampire, a slave purchased by Pandora in the city of Antioch and brought into the Blood by Pandora in the early centuries of the Common Era.

Gabrielle—Lestat’s mother, a noblewoman of breeding and education, brought into the Blood by her own son in 1780 in Paris. A wanderer who dresses in male attire. A familiar figure in the background throughout the Vampire Chronicles.

Gregory Duff Collingsworth—Known as Nebamun in ancient times, a lover of Queen Akasha and made a blood drinker by her to lead her Queens Blood troops against the First Brood. Known today as Gregory, owner of a powerful pharmaceutical empire in the modern world. Husband of Chrysanthe.

Gremt Stryker Knollys—A powerful and mysterious spirit who has created for himself over time a physical body that is a replica of a human body. Connected with the founding of the secret Order of the Talamasca. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Hesketh—A Germanic cunning woman, brought into the Blood by Teskhamen in the first century. Now a ghost who has managed to produce a physical body for herself. Also connected with the origins of the secret Order of the Talamasca. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Jesse Reeves—An American woman of the twentieth century, a blood descendant of the ancient Maharet and brought into the Blood by Maharet

herself in 1985 in The Queen of the Damned. Jesse was also a mortal member of the Talamasca and worked with David Talbot in the Order.

Khayman—An ancient Egyptian vampire, made by Queen Akasha, and rebelling against her with the First Brood. His story is told in The Queen of the Damned.

Killer—An American male vampire, founder of the Fang Gang in The Queen of the Damned. Of unknown history or origin.

Lestat de Lioncourt—The hero of the Vampire Chronicles, made a vampire by Magnus near the end of the eighteenth century, the maker of a number of vampires, including Gabrielle, his mother; Nicolas de Lenfent, his friend and lover; Louis, the narrator of Interview with the Vampire; and Claudia, the child vampire. Presently known as Prince Lestat by one and all.

Louis de Pointe du Lac—The vampire who started the Vampire Chronicles by telling his story to Daniel Molloy in Interview with the Vampire, an account of his own origins, which differs in some ways from Lestat’s own account in The Vampire Lestat. A French colonial plantation owner made a vampire by Lestat in 1791. Appears most prominently in the first Chronicle, and in Merrick, and in Prince Lestat and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis.

Magnus—An elderly medieval alchemist who stole the Blood from a young vampire, Benedict, in France. The vampire who kidnapped and brought Lestat into the Blood in 1780. Now a ghost, sometimes appearing solid, and at other times as an illusion.

Maharet—One of the oldest vampires in the world, twin to Mekare. The twins are known for their red hair and their power as mortal witches. Made at the dawn of Vampire History, they are rebels leading the First Brood against Queen Akasha and her Queens Blood vampires. Maharet is beloved for her wisdom and for following all of her mortal descendants through the ages all over the world, whom she called the Great Family. Maharet tells her story—the story of the twins—in Queen of the Damned. She also figures in Blood and Gold and in Prince Lestat.

Marius—A pillar of the Vampire Chronicles. A Roman patrician who is kidnapped by the Druids and brought into the Blood by Teskhamen in the first century. Marius appears in The Vampire Lestat and numerous other books, including his own memoir, Blood and Gold. A vampire known for reason and gravitas. Much loved and admired by Lestat and others.

Mekare—Maharet’s twin sister, the powerful red-haired witch who communed with the invisible and potentially destructive spirit Amel, who later went into the body of Queen Akasha, creating the first vampire. The story of Mekare and Maharet is first told by Maharet in The Queen of the Damned. Mekare figures in Blood and Gold and in Prince Lestat.

Memnoch—A powerful spirit claiming to be the Judeo-Christian Satan. He tells his story to Lestat in Memnoch the Devil.

New Orleans—Figures prominently in the Vampire Chronicles as the home of Louis, Lestat, and Claudia for many years during the nineteenth century, at

which time they resided in a townhouse in the Rue Royale in the French Quarter. This house still exists and is in the possession of Lestat today, as it has always been. It was in New Orleans that Lestat encountered Louis and Claudia and made them vampires.

Notker the Wise—A monk and a musician and a composer brought into the Blood by Benedict around A.D. 880, maker of many boy-soprano vampires and other vampire musicians yet unnamed. Living in the Alps. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Raymond Gallant—A faithful mortal scholar of the Talamasca, a friend to the Vampire Marius, presumed dead in the sixteenth century. Appears again in Prince Lestat.

Rhoshamandes—A male from ancient Crete, brought into the Blood at the same time as the female Sevraine, about five thousand years ago. A powerful and reclusive vampire obsessed with operatic music and performances, and the lover of Benedict. Lives in his castle on the island of Saint Rayne in the Outer Hebrides, traveling the world from time to time to see different operas in the great opera houses.

Rose—An American girl, rescued as a small child by Lestat from an earthquake in the Mediterranean around 1995. His ward. Lover and later spouse of Viktor. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Saint Alcarius, Monastery of—The secret residence of Gremt, Teskhamen, and other supernatural elders of the Talamasca in France, near the Belgian border.

Saint Rayne— The island on which Rhoshamandes lives. Santino—An Italian vampire made during the time of the Black Death.

Longtime Roman coven master of the Children of Satan. Presumed dead.

Seth—The biological son of Queen Akasha, brought into the Blood by her after a youth of roaming the ancient world in search of knowledge in the healing arts. He is introduced in Prince Lestat and is the maker of Fareed and Flannery Gilman.

Sevraine—A remarkably beautiful Nordic female vampire, made by Nebamun (Gregory) against Akasha’s rules. Sevraine maintains her own underground court in the Cappadocian Mountains. A friend to female vampires. Introduced in Prince Lestat.

Sybelle—A young American pianist, beloved friend of Benji Mahmoud, and Armand, brought into the Blood by Marius in 1997. Introduced in The Vampire Armand.

The Talamasca—An ancient order of psychic detectives or researchers, dating back to the Dark Ages—an organization of mortal scholars who observe and record paranormal phenomena. Their origins are shrouded in mystery until they are revealed in Prince Lestat. They have Motherhouses in Amsterdam and outside of London, and retreat houses in many places, including Oak Haven in Louisiana. First introduced in The Queen of the Damned and

figuring in many Chronicles since. Vampires Jesse Reeves and David Talbot were mortal members of the Talamasca.

Teskhamen—Ancient Egyptian vampire, the maker of Marius as told by Marius in The Vampire Lestat. Presumed dead until modern times. Connected with the origins of the Talamasca. First named in Prince Lestat.

Théâtre des Vampires—A boulevard theater of the macabre, created by the refugees from the Children of Satan, funded by Lestat, and managed for decades by Armand, who had once been the coven master of the Children of Satan.

Thorne—A red-haired Viking vampire, made centuries ago in Europe by Maharet. Introduced in Blood and Gold.

Trinity Gate—A coven dwelling made up of three identical townhouses just off Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York. Armand is the founder of Trinity Gate. And it functions now as the American Court of Prince Lestat.

Viktor—An American boy, biological son of Dr. Flannery Gilman. His story is revealed in Prince Lestat. Lover and later spouse of Rose, Lestat’s ward.

[sgiandubh]

Shaking my head

And just when I was starting to think that 2024 could really bring World Peace, the End of Social Gaps and a Cure to All Types of Cancer...

KABOOM!

Thank you, corazoncito, for sending it to me, you know who you are. The mere thought of going to read BIF's biglietti is simply too much for my feeble powers. It's like crossing the fucking Kalahari Desert without a water gourd - an ordeal I wouldn't inflict on my worst enemy, IRL.

I am not sure what Vomit Lady wanted to say, as I am not very sure she can actually place Bucharest on a map without cheating. And that is quite ok with me: there are many places I am completely unable to spontaneously find on a world map, as well.

If she meant my home decoration, well - I am truly sorry: it is what it is. My humble abode is a cozy, central urban flat, in a villa built in 1928. It is exactly what we need and love: nothing more, but nothing less. It has a long history and it's always fiercely been lived in by people of our extended family. So yes, maybe it lacks modern fixtures and breezy perspectives - you, however, lack class, which is a bit more alarming.

What else could I say? Take your cheap stance and say something along the lines of 'education never made it to coastal New Zealand'? I would never do such a thing, simply because the only New Zealander I have ever met, a friend of an English friend, who was backpacking around Europe, was a very decent, down-to-Earth and funny guy, with a rather opaque accent. We spent a wonderful afternoon giggling and eating and having fun in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, some 25 years ago.

What I do know, however, is that it must have eluded you, on its way. Education, that is. And common sense. It has nothing to do with New Zealand. Or Ruritania, for that matter.

[o-link]

La petite histoire des Deux Magots, café mythique de Saint-Germain

Depuis presque 140 ans dans le quartier de Saint-Germain-des-prés, les Deux Magots sont devenus une véritable institution ! Et on ressent forcément toujours une certaine émotion en s’installant à une table de cette brasserie historique…

Une clientèle mythique

Le café des Deux Magots ouvre en 1885, à la place d’un magasin dont il ne garde que deux figurines chinoises. Ces “Magots”, qui lui donnèrent leur nom, ornent toujours la salle principale. Très vite, des artistes de renom prennent alors l’habitude de s’y retrouver. Notamment Mallarmé, Rimbaud et Verlaine, rien que ça ! Plus tard, il deviendra aussi le QG d’Hemingway, Picasso, Prévert, des surréalistes comme André Breton et des existentialistes avec Simone de Beauvoir et Jean-Paul Sartre.

Quand l’histoire continue

Jouant un rôle important dans la vie culturelle parisienne, les Deux Magots affirment définitivement leur vocation littéraire avec la création du Prix des Deux Magots en 1933. Aujourd’hui, les lundis des écrivains sont un rendez-vous incontournable pour tous les amoureux de la littérature. Un lundi par mois, un auteur est invité à parler de son œuvre et à faire une séance de dédicace. Pour rencontrer votre écrivain préféré, consultez donc le programme et réservez par mail à evenementiel@lesdeuxmagots.fr !

[luggagelockerparis]

Top 10 Places to Visit This Spring in Paris

Springtime in Paris is a magical experience. As the city comes alive with blooming flowers and vibrant greenery, there's an undeniable charm in exploring its streets, parks, and iconic landmarks. If you're planning a trip to the City of Light this spring, here are the top 10 places you simply can't miss:

Eiffel Tower: No visit to Paris is complete without marveling at the iconic Eiffel Tower. In spring, the surrounding Champ de Mars bursts into color with blossoming flowers, making it the perfect backdrop for a leisurely picnic or romantic stroll. Book luggage storage paris gare du nord

Louvre Museum: Beat the crowds and explore the world's largest art museum during the quieter spring season. Admire timeless masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo while taking advantage of the mild weather.

Montmartre: Wander through the charming streets of Montmartre, known for its bohemian vibe and artistic history. Don't miss the breathtaking views of the city from the steps of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

Jardin des Tuileries: Experience the beauty of spring in full bloom at the Jardin des Tuileries. Situated between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, this meticulously landscaped garden offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Île de la Cité: Explore the heart of historic Paris on Île de la Cité. Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is currently undergoing restoration but still offers stunning views of its intricate facade.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés: Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. This chic neighborhood is brimming with charming cafes, trendy boutiques, and historic landmarks like the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Palace of Versailles: Take a day trip to the magnificent Palace of Versailles and explore its lavish gardens adorned with fountains, sculptures, and blooming flowers. Spring is the perfect time to witness the estate's beauty in full bloom.

Seine River Cruise: See Paris from a different perspective with a leisurely cruise along the Seine River. Admire iconic landmarks like the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Musée d'Orsay, and the picturesque bridges that span the river.

Luxembourg Gardens: Spend a leisurely afternoon in the tranquil surroundings of the Luxembourg Gardens. Admire the colorful flowerbeds, stroll along tree-lined pathways, and relax by the tranquil ponds.

Canal Saint-Martin: Discover a hidden gem in Paris by exploring the picturesque Canal Saint-Martin. Lined with trendy cafes, quirky boutiques, and charming houseboats, this canal offers a unique glimpse into local Parisian life.

Spring is undoubtedly one of the best times to visit Paris, with mild weather, blooming flowers, and a sense of renewal in the air. Whether you're admiring world-famous landmarks or exploring hidden gems off the beaten path, Paris offers something for every traveler to enjoy during this enchanting season.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Looking at things from a different perspective 🗼

Nothing is more magical in Paris than admiring the Eiffel Tower lit and sparkling every evening. But, it is better to know that there are lighting times.

I watched SH's video again and realised that he probably recorded at nightfall and it can't be first thing early morning.

Every evening, the golden lighting turns on as soon as night falls, thanks to light sensors. The Eiffel Tower then sparkles for 5 minutes at the start of each hour. So, if the sun sets at 8:20 p.m., the Iron Lady will light up a pretty yellow colour in the 10 minutes that follow, and the first flicker will take place at 9 pm.

SH- IGS

As for the Eiffel Tower lighthouse, it lights up and starts rotating at the same time as the lighting, at nightfall.

Since 23 September 2022, as part of the City of Paris energy saving plan, the Eiffel Tower lights are switched off at 11.45 pm (lighting and beacons), so the last sparkle is at 11 pm along with the golden lighting.

SH was in Paris in winter and he recorded the video in the evening. From his position in the video, he was located opposite of Square Boucicaut in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district and as explained above I believe SH recorded the video at dusk 🕛 before the show ended during the lighting time, meaning he spent the night in Paris that day and not early in the morning, on his way to a “ski resort” ��️ The Eiffel Tower does not light up during the early morning hours.

If you see SH’s video, the tower is lit but does not flicker while’s the twin beacon illuminates the city skyline from above. The sparkles are every evening after dusk for 5 minutes at the beginning of each hour. As the lights are switched off at 11.45 pm, they will sparkle for the last time at 11 pm. It could be the last minutes of the display after the show has ended.

[002pandamonium]

Day 2:

We walked 22,874 steps today! Here are a few of the highlights from our travels:

-Le Jardin du Luxembourg

-Panthéon

-Place Sainte Genevieve

-Église Sainte Séverin

-Notre Dame

-Shakespeare and Company bookstore

-Saint Germain des Prés

The people have still been friendly and helpful. The city is clean and beautiful. Everyone smokes. The food has been incredible! Feeling very lucky to share this experience with my sister 💜

[newmic]

Avec le café de Flore, Les Deux Magots est un des deux grands cafés littéraires de Saint-Germain des Prés. Il revendique même le titre de « café littéraire » sur sa banne. Un prix littéraire y est au reste décerné en janvier de chaque année depuis 1933. Comme pour la closerie des Lilas, on trouve dans son nom un terme rare aujourd’hui incompris : « magots ». Un magot est un lointain dérivé de Magog, personnage biblique.

Désignant à partir du XVIe siècle un homme très laid, ce terme entre au XVIIe dans le vocabulaire des arts décoratifs pour nommer les porcelaines représentant des personnages grotesques, par imitation de celles provenant d’Extrême-Orient. Or, le café actuel s’est installé en 1885 à la place d’un magasin du nouveauté (1813), qui avait choisi le nom Les Deux Magots de la Chine pour évoquer le luxe de l’Orient. Il reste de ce passé deux « magots », habillés à la chinoise, accrochés à un angle.

On aperçoit Les Deux Magots café dans Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973). C’est un café si touristique qu’il faut souvent patienter dehors dans une file d’attente. Il attire aussi une clientèle fortunée, étrangère notamment.

En savoir plus sur : https://www.laculturegenerale.com/cafes-celebres-paris-meilleurs-liste/ ©

***********

Along with the Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots is one of the two great literary cafés in Saint-Germain des Prés. He even claims the title of "literary café" on his banne. A literary prize has been awarded in January of each year since 1933. As for the closerie des Lilas, we find in its name a rare term today misunderstood: "magots". A hoard is a distant derivative of Magog, a biblical character.

Designating from the sixteenth century a very ugly man, this term enters the seventeenth in the vocabulary of decorative arts to name porcelain representing grotesque characters, in imitation of those from the Far East. However, the current café was installed in 1885 in place of a novelty store (1813), which had chosen the name Les Deux Magots de la Chine to evoke the luxury of the Orient. There remain from this past two "magots", dressed in Chinese style, hanging at an angle.

Les Deux Magots café can be seen in The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973). It's such a touristy café that you often have to wait outside in a queue. It also attracts wealthy clients, especially foreigners.

Learn more about: https://www.laculturegenerale.com/cafes-celebres-paris-meilleurs-liste/ ©

[travels-o-travel]

Enjoy A Perfect Parisian Trip In The Charming City Of Paris 

Paris c'est l'amour! The city of love is terrifically popular for its charming architecture, gardens, vintage museums, art, fashion, food, shopping hubs, and countless other things. It is true that Paris is synonymous with its fadeless beauty. This is the dream destination of millions, and since Netflix bought "Emily In Paris," this city has gained more love from people worldwide. Booking tickets to Paris, France, can be the best decision to enjoy a spectacular Parisian holiday time in Paris. 

Ready to learn more about this artistic aesthetic city of Paris? Let's dig out the details shared beneath:

Magnificent Places To Admire In Paris, France 

Paris is home to aesthetic attractions, gardens, architecture to artistic marvels. Every corner of Paris defines vintage beauty. You might have seen movies, song videos, and on YouTube how beautiful the city of love is. 

So, the bucket lists the top-rated attractions of Paris. Explore Eiffel Tower & Le Jules Verne, Musée du Louvre, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Musée d'Orsay, Palais Garnier, Opéra National de Paris,  Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Jardin du Luxembourg, Sacré-Coeur and Quartier Montmartre, Place des Vosges,  Arc de Triomphe,  Seine River Cruise, Sainte-Chapelle, Boulevard Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Parc de La Villette, Paris Plages, Cimetière du Père Lachaise, and Grande Arche de la Défense. 

Also, you can enjoy your time in beautiful Disneyland, vintage cafes, vintage bakeries, and many more fine-dine restaurants. So, book your flights to Paris, France, and get ready to enjoy a fashionably fabulous vacation in the Fashion capital of Paris. 

Top Airlines To Pick For Flying To Paris 

The city of love is calling you! It's your time to enjoy the real french style Parisian holidays in Paris. Whether you're planning a solo trip, a girls trip, honeymoon, or family vacation, Paris is the bestest destination to make every minute precious. Here is the list of top airlines you can pick to fly to Paris.

American Airlines

Frontier Airlines

Delta Airlines

Spirit Airlines

Air France

United Airlines

JetBlue Airways

Singapore Airlines

Best Time To Explore Paris, France 

When is the best time to book Paris flight tickets to explore this city? From June to August and September to October. Both summer and fall have their own pros and cons. 

The weather in Paris is flawless from June to August. Summer is the most congested time and the most pricey. September to November are off-season to enjoy a budget-friendly trip and relaxed tour. This time is the most pleasing for you, to get rid of crowds everywhere. 

How To Get Cheap Flights To Paris?

Want to fall in love with the beauty of Paris? Make it possible with Travelsotravel. This online travel agency provides professional services for cheap flight ticket booking. You can quickly get last-minute Paris flight tickets at the lowest price. Also, you can enjoy amazing deals and discount offers during the festive or peak season to make your celebratory travel dreams come true. 

Likewise, the travel agents offer you 24/7 assistance with flight bookings and give you professional help with the itinerary. So, pack up your fashionable clothes, book cheap flights to Paris from Travelsotravel and enjoy a glittery dreamy vacation in  Paris.

[sgokie2024]

Café de Flore is one of the oldest and most famous cafes in Paris, located in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood .It has a rich history dating back to the 1880s during the French Third Republic

📷: Paul Fuentes Villagomez

Places to See in your Lifetime

[livingonthecotedazurrealestate]

Paris Flat for Sale: Your Ideal Home Awaits in France

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[warningsine]

“It’s impossible to read about Simone de Beauvoir’s life without thinking of your own,” the biographer Hazel Rowley wrote in her foreword to the English translation of Beauvoir’s “Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter.” How did the image of this turbaned Frenchwoman in a severe, 1940s-style suit, sitting beside Jean-Paul Sartre at a table in the Cafe de Flore or La Coupole and writing all day long, become the avatar of a generation?

For it’s true that, at least for Francophile intellectuals coming of age in the wake of feminism’s second wave, the Beaver — a nickname bestowed on the young Beauvoir by a philosopher friend, because, he said, “beavers like company and they have a constructive bent” — casts a very long shadow. Existentialism may have been out of fashion during my student days (ceding pride of place to post-structuralist theory), and few among my contemporaries may have made it all the way through “The Second Sex,” Beauvoir’s two-volume feminist classic, published in 1949, when French women’s right to vote was scarcely five years old. But the famous opening line of that work’s Book 2 — “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” — with the liberty implicit in that pronouncement, to shape one’s own destiny in response to circumstances, was something we took radically to heart.

And the kinds of women we hoped to become were deeply influenced by her example: a prodigiously industrious novelist, memoirist and philosopher, allied with Sartre but with the courage to live and love in complete independence, an activist for decades in defense of political, social and emotional freedom. We didn’t so much read Beauvoir; we wanted to be her, to share in her extraordinary life, her intellectual and amorous adventures.

Now along comes “Inseparable,” a short, never-before-published, autobiographical novel written by Beauvoir in 1954, the same year that “The Mandarins” — her 600-plus-page epic about French intellectuals in the immediate aftermath of World War II, seeking and often failing to find reasons to continue living, loving and writing — won the prestigious Prix Goncourt.

Apparently, she showed the manuscript of this brief novel to Sartre, who “held his nose” at it, she writes in “Force of Circumstance,” the third volume of her memoirs. “I couldn’t have agreed more,” she tells us there; “the story seemed to have no inner necessity and failed to hold the reader’s interest.” So she set the manuscript aside.

It is perhaps too easy now to guess what Sartre didn’t like about it. Fluidly translated by Sandra Smith, “Inseparable” makes the case that the defining relationship of Beauvoir’s young life was not with him. Rather, the first of her contemporaries whom she adored, measured herself against, longed for intimacy with and ardently sought to impress was a slight 9-year-old schoolgirl, who sat down next to her one day at the Cours Adeline Désir, a private Catholic establishment for young ladies from “good families” in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

It’s also possible that Sartre, ever more politically engaged and flirting with Marxism in the 1950s, found in the novel’s up-close-and-personal examination of the yearnings and heartaches of a pair of haute bourgeois French girls, little that would advance the class struggle or the cause of a more just society. If so, he was mistaken.

Beauvoir remained haunted by the story of her childhood friend Élisabeth Lacoin, a.k.a. “Zaza,” returning in both her memoirs and her fiction to Zaza’s passionate nonconformism, her many gifts, her struggle against the familial and societal obligations that hemmed her in on all sides and her tragic destiny. (She died suddenly, at the age of 21.) There is an ethical, and even political, dimension to Beauvoir’s will to remember this friend, through whose mirror she sought to loosen the silken chains binding them both to outdated ideals of femininity.

“Inseparable,” which takes its title from the term teachers at their school bestowed on the pair, as well as from letters Beauvoir wrote from childhood on to her “dear inseparable friend,” is one of several attempts she made to tell the story through the guise of fiction. Andrée, the little girl who sits down in class next to Sylvie, the novel’s narrator, is small for 9. Thin-faced and dark-haired, she comes trailing a whiff of the extraordinary — she had lost a full year of instruction, she tells Sylvie, because of an accident in the country during which, while cooking potatoes over an open fire, her dress had caught fire and her right thigh had been “burnt to a crisp.”

“You don’t meet a little girl who was burned alive every day,” Sylvie muses. From the start, Andrée runs hotter than Sylvie — she is more passionate, more a creature of feeling.

Funny, brilliant, a gifted musician, uncowed by the nuns who teach them, she seems to come from another world, one where the rules of feminine comportment demanded by their milieu do not apply. The two girls vie for first place in class, and Sylvie, the plodder, most often wins, but only because Andrée can’t be bothered to work as hard as she does.

But the freedom that Sylvie initially admires in Andrée — whose coolly elegant mother doesn’t scold her seven children when they overturn furniture at home, or pelt one another with scraps of bread at the dinner table — proves illusory. Andrée is caught in a vise whose grip tightens precipitously later in adolescence, as she approaches marriageable age. “Enter a convent or get married; celibacy is not a vocation,” her mother, descended from a long line of wealthy, militant Catholics, tells Andrée’s sister, who is just a few years older than she is. A pious aunt believes in “love at first sacrament” — the idea that the couple in an arranged marriage fall madly in love at the altar, as soon as they recite their vows.

Sylvie, meanwhile, loses her faith early on and is saved from the obligation to marry when her father, through a series of bad investments, can no longer provide her with a dowry. Instead, she studies in order to earn her living as a teacher, allowing her the independence she craves.

Beauvoir the novelist allows us to feel the suffocating weight of an entire society in the photographs arrayed on a library table in Andrée’s family’s country estate, showing “men with sideburns and old men with beards; Andrée’s ancestors,” or downstairs, in the kitchen’s enormous batterie de cuisine — “countless covered pots, frying pans, casseroles, stewpots, oven dishes, porringers, soup tureens, platters, metal tumblers, strainers, meat cleavers, mills, molds and mortars! What a variety of bowls, cups, glasses, champagne flutes and couples, plates, saucers, gravy boats, jars, jugs, pitchers, carafes!” (It bears noting that Beauvoir, for much of her adult life, lived in hotels and took her meals in restaurants.)

Most disturbing are the ways in which Andrée, who remains fervently devout and unsparingly devoted to her mother, internalizes the destructive impulses of a culture that consumes and constrains her. “Her mother burdened her with chores that she carried out with the zeal of a penitent,” Sylvie notes ruefully.

Readers familiar with Beauvoir’s biography, or with “Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter,” will know where this is headed. The real-life Zaza’s love affair with the angel-faced, future phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty — an eminently suitable match, even by the constricting standards of their milieu — was thwarted by her family. She was on the verge of being sent off to Berlin to study for a year, when in a matter of days she developed a raging fever and died. Viral encephalitis, the doctors said. But in Simone’s view, Zaza fell victim to a society bent on killing off whatever was uniquely alive and precious in her.

One is reminded of the death of Beth March in “Little Women” (a book Beauvoir read and loved), or of the saintly orphan Helen Burns in “Jane Eyre,” who accepts her fate with quiet dignity, eyes on the prize of the world to come. Beauvoir’s furious determination to create her own rules for living and loving was forged in this cauldron of loss. Without Zaza, one senses, there might have been no “Second Sex,” no infamous, polyamorous “pact” with Sartre. Simone, at least, would not be sacrificed on the altar of convention and domesticity.

“Inseparable” makes the terms of this commitment on her part crushingly clear. And one wonders, at a time when the Taliban are forcing Afghan women back into their homes, how many Andrées/Zazas still exist around the world, their lives stunted or even snuffed out by organized misogyny. Who, in telling their stories, will bring them to life for us?

[sgiandubh]

La passante de la Place des Vosges/ The Passerby of the Place des Vosges: in praise of Caitríona Balfe

I have recently discussed, in as much detail as possible without becoming completely boring, S's memoir Waypoints. It is, no doubt, an interesting strategic step, aiming to buy much needed time and respite from unwanted fan attention.

But if there is a memoir I would probably read in a very different, almost sentimental way, that would be hers, not his.

We have an enticing idea of the way she writes, with this lesser known essay published by the totemic NYT just a day shy of her birthday, in 2017: The First Time I Left Home (and Fell in Love), which you can read online right here - https://shorturl.at/uTX12. It is a short, dense piece with a deeply personal, even sentimental, view of Paris in autumn and spring. Something very unusual for the feisty, secretive, almost paranoid C we all know and love (admit it, you do: fair's fair). It immediately grabbed both my attention and highlighter.

Writing about Paris, especially from an Anglo-Saxon/American perspective, is a very tricky affair. So much has been said and done, from Janet Flanner's priceless Letters from Paris and Paris Journal, to Anais Nin, to Edmund White, to Hemingway, to Orwell - just to name the ones that immediately come to mind. In this particular case, we'd be dealing with a nice PR fine tuning detail, with a relatively short lifespan, aiming perhaps to reach a more sophisticated demographic than Twitter banter or a three minutes long Q&A about the current season's antics. But a wonderful detail, nevertheless.

The year is 1998. A young 19-year old Irish model wannabe just landed in the chaotic brouhaha of Roissy Airport and the first contact is brutal, language being a considerable barrier. But before that, we are treated to a masterful bistrot snapshot, with a cheeky, self-deprecating sense of humor. I mean how perfect is this?

Quite a contrast to the dream version back home:

Touché. All the moody young Frenchmen are named Pierre, C. All. Of. Them. As for watching far too many French films, there's always been something very Nouvelle Vague about you, Jeanne Moreau and Jules et Jim & all that, and I have to say this is what I found immediately endearing. I am not talking about Claire Fraser: it is you, emphatically you. The kind of impeccably dressed woman one can find pretending to read Le Monde at Le Café de Flore's terrace in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The kind of self-evident, celestial creature whose high heels are never heard on any pavement (what is your secret?). Late Jane Birkin didn't even come close, C., mark me. However, red lipstick stains look way better on the rim of a nervously half drunk cup of noisette coffee: but then, that is me.

It was not at all like that, of course, but then something happened just across the street from the Saint-Eustache church, at Quigley's Point, a long gone Irish pub I vaguely remember. Circa 1998, our own boisterous squad used to play darts and get plastered on cheap draft beer and that undignified, syrupy manzana Basque liqueur (idiots, I am telling you, but it was very cheap) at The Bombardier, on the Place du Panthéon, just across the Seine:

Thick brogue, a quick laugh, kind eyes and blonde hair. An interesting combo, for sure. No further comment except well, this is very personal, isn't it? You've said it yourself: sometimes (fun fact: always) the really important people have nothing to do with fantasies. But we know, C, we know.

And then, suddenly, it all falls into place: Stendhal would talk about a crystallization moment. It is that split-second when everything becomes very clear. A pact of sorts occurs and all barriers are lifted. For C, it happened in one of the perfect places of this planet, spare perhaps the Piazza del Campo, in Siena:

No doubt, by tomorrow evening at the latest, I will be crucified by Mordor, but this made me think of that - different setting and context, same type of seminal moment. Draw your own conclusions:

(SRH, Waypoints, Day Four: The Hard Road)

Important things happen, too, Place du Panthéon and this moved me to bits, even if this was not a happy ending. So shamelessly glad it wasn't, by the way:

For (and forgive me for ineptly tinkering with your words) "It’s true, you never forget your first love". And for that man on that random pavement in LA, that will always be you, passerby of the Place des Vosges. The wonder you are, despite anything else: it is perfectly irrelevant.

Jacques Brel says it best, in what is almost a prayer:

[vroooom5]

Memory

do you sometimes get this feeling to relive a moment but in a different place? Today, I relived the moment when I was going to the beach in New York, except now I go to a more beautiful coast. It takes the same time in public transportation, maybe less.

Although the water is clearer, the atmosphere in the French second biggest city is as intense as in NYC.

Glad to live where I live, more relax, clean, and chill, more expensive though, not on seashore, but if that's the price to pay for peace of mind, I don't mind. It took me less than 30 min by bus to be back home (same time to go from Barbès-Rochechouart to Saint-Germain-des-Prés by metro in Paris).

Three hours in a city that reminds me of Montreuil by its populations, urban development and invasive pockets of cheap sheeps gentrification (that obnoxious white left uncreative middle-class people with zero personality who look similar, behave and think the same way, eat the same expensive organic food, drink the same IPAs, wherever they are in Western countries, like Philly in the U.S., who criticize the economic system that they fully embrace, as they envy those who can afford better real estate in better places), were enough to get all the energy I needed from the sea breeze while walking fast, and stared at the water.

To take the sea energy is a body and mental health necessity for me, it makes me feel good. Next time I'll go discover another med spot.

^^ well done Halvar, to breathe in natural iodine when the body moves, boosts the immune system, how were the Atlantic waves today?

[to-travel-smart]

That feels like a implausible plan! Paris is an exquisite metropolis with a lot to supply in phrases of historical past, tradition, and points of interest. In 2024, there might be much more pleasure as Paris might be internet hosting the Summer Olympics. Some belongings you would possibly wish to think about doing throughout your go to to Paris in 2024: 1- Identify iconic landmarks in Paris, together with the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Montmartre. Spot Paris' iconic landmarks: Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame. 2- Discover the distinct neighborhoods of Paris, similar to Le Marais, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and the Latin Quarter. Dive into the vigorous vibe of Le Marais, a historic district famed for stylish boutiques and comfy cafes. Explore Saint-Germain-des-Prés' literary heritage and wander the medieval streets of the Latin Quarter. 3- Experience French delicacies at native eateries, indulging in delectable pastries and cheeses. Savor the wealthy flavors of French delicacies at charming native eating places, delighting in mouthwatering pastries, artisanal cheeses, and beautiful dishes." 4- Participate in Olympic sporting occasions and immerse your self in the vigorous environment of town.Engage in a Seine River cruise to realize a novel perspective of Paris. Engage in thrilling Olympic occasions, absorbing the colourful metropolis ambiance. Then, embark on a Seine River cruise to behold Paris from a novel vantage level, having fun with its enchanting views. 5- Explore the Palace of Versailles, located close to Paris, for a day tour to witness the lavish former abode of French monarchs. Discover Versailles close to Paris, a lavish royal residence tour. # Versailles - # Paris. Make certain to plan your journey nicely in advance, particularly should you'll be there throughout the Olympics, to safe lodging and tickets to occasions. And do not forget to immerse your self in the magic of this lovely metropolis! In PARIS, greetings and Politeness: Keys to Respectful Interactions Sure! Saying howdy and displaying politeness, in paris is a primary however essential option to present respect and create a optimistic interplay. Whether it is a pleasant greeting or a heat smile, a easy howdy has the flexibility to make others really feel accepted and appreciated. Using a well mannered and complicated French greeting like Bonjour, Monsieur/Madame, is extensively accepted. This follow is useful in varied conditions, similar to interacting with retailer staff, waiters/waitresses, lodge workers, or drivers, to make somebody really feel welcomed and valued. Sure! Saying howdy and being well mannered is essential to point out respect and create a optimistic interplay. A easy howdy could make others really feel accepted and appreciated. Using a well mannered French greeting like Bonjour, Monsieur/Madame, is extensively accepted. It's useful in varied conditions, similar to interacting with retailer staff, waiters/waitresses, lodge workers, or drivers, to make somebody really feel welcomed and valued. Try to talk language Practice Basic Phrases whenever you're in Paris: Bonjour (howdy), Merci (thanks), S'il vous plaît (please), Excusez-moi (excuse me). Engage Locals: Initiate conversations with locals in French for follow and interplay. Take Language Classes: Enroll in newbie French courses or attend language change occasions in Paris. Utilize Language Apps: Use apps like Duolingo or Babbel for on-the-go studying and follow. Immerse Yourself: Watch French TV exhibits, take heed to French music, and skim newspapers or books in French for immersion. That's appropriate! In France, tipping will not be compulsory as service fees are sometimes included in the invoice at eating places and cafes. However, it's common to depart a small tip for distinctive service, normally rounding up the entire invoice or leaving round 5-10% of the entire quantity. Tipping

can also be appreciated in different service industries similar to accommodations, taxis, and hairdressers. It's at all times a pleasant gesture to point out appreciation for good service, nevertheless it's not anticipated or required.