Paris Parfait

Random reds

Travel agency vitrine, Utrecht, the Netherlands. As always, click photos to view detail.

Canal barge unloading cargo, Utrecht.

If you dig too deep in the Netherlands, you're likely to find water!

Sidewalk lady bug, Utrecht.

Bakery window, Delft.

Tablescape, Paris department store vitrine.

Memorial to soldiers who died in World War I, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

Red epaulets, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

Bullfight, Plaza de los Toros, Sevilla, Spain.

Red door, Sevilla.

Sculpture, New Orleans.

Feathers, New Orleans.

Mardi gras costumes, New Orleans.

Tabasco and other Louisiana hot sauce, New Orleans.

Red beads, New Orleans.

Monastery door, Himalayas, Nepal.

Lighting candles near the Tibetan Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu.

Lighting candles on a Hindu religious holiday, Bungamati, Nepal.

Lady in red, Bhaktapur.

Bird on a pavilion, Kathmandu.

Curious child, Kathmandu.

Woodworker, Bungamati.

Community, Bungamati.

Raking grain, Bungamati.

A woman's work is never done, Bungamati.

More raking grain in a main square.

...while other grain is covered by tarpulins.

Meanwhile, the men play cards, Bungamati.

And a woman waits near a public bath and toilet.

In Bhakatapur, the same scene is repeated, with women turning the grain in a main square.

Street market in a Nepali village.

Bolts of fabric and beaded slippers, Bhaktapur.

Strings of beads, Bhaktapur.

Bangle bracelets, Bungamati.

In Bungamati, a woman proudly holds her baby, whose eyes are kohl-rimmed "to protect the eyes."

Curbside tailor, Kathmandu.

Motorcycles, the most popular mode of transport in Nepal.

Flowers in a private garden, Kathmandu.

Walking uphill, Bungamati.

Clowning around

Musicians clowning around for the camera at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Paris.

 

Wishing you a lovely day, full of joy! If the events on this train journey don't make you smile, nothing will!

Young married woman, Bungamati, Nepal.

And this photo is a happy one on so many levels.

Missing the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

With the exception of 2006 when I was in Seville, it's the first time in 11 years that I'm missing the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. It's disappointing not seeing the beautiful racehorses and the unusual hats in person. So I'm doing the next best thing and watching the festivities on television.

Here are photos from the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (click images to view detail):

Trying on hats.

A little girl looks through a hatbox of fascinators.

Race winner.

Serving Belgian waffles.

Buying sweets.

All photos from the 2010 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Five. Cinq. Cinco. Vijf. خَمْسَةٌ

Dixieland jazz band at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

 

Today marks five years of blogging from Paris: 2,210 posts; many new friends; much travel and unexpected opportunities.

Five is my lucky number. And I look forward to discovering what the next five years will bring! Thank you for your continuing encouragement and support. Hope you'll come along on my journey to Amsterdam and beyond...

Hello, hello!

This mural in Centraal Station, Utrecht, Holland roughly translates to "Peace in your heart."

Hello! I've been so busy preparing to move, I keep forgetting to blog!

Am distracted by a million little things requiring my attention, not least dividing my possessions to go to three separate homes: some to my friend Gabrielle's house near Versailles; more to my friend Charlotte's home outside Paris and most of it to our new abode in the Netherlands. Gabrielle and Charlotte will babysit some precious and sentimental things until 1) we move to a larger place or 2) decide to sell the items. I've also had a scary dental appointment, a routine doctor's visit and photo shoots and edits. The hairdresser was a bit too scissors-happy for my liking, cutting off at least four inches and leaving me with an unintentional new look.

All this activity pales in importance with the recent deaths of two friends. Along with the tragedy in Tucson, these losses make worrying about what to do with too many possessions seem a ridiculous enterprise.

Much of this week I'll be in Amsterdam, but will post again soon. Meanwhile, some food for thought:

The bad:

Why you might want to leave your laptop at home when visiting the US.

The good:

The Babylon Lane Tales: without a doubt my blog find of 2010. Elsie Anderton is the English answer to Nora Ephron. Read her hilarious posts and you'll see why.

Barbie on skis at a French hair salon.

Diana Baur writes about the lessons of having more time at her lovely blog A certain simplicity.

A profusion of pink blooms.

Library emptied in bid to fight closure. I love how these Brits are fighting for their local library!

Elegance.

I'm not sure who this gentleman wearing traditional Japanese dress is, but he was kind enough to pose for me Sunday at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. I like the expression on his face: a combination of humour, intelligence and pride.

More photos from the Arc will follow.

Gentlemen of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Gentlemen at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Sunday at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

Check back soon for more photographs from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

It's a jungle out there!

One of the more unusual hats worn by racegoers at Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

Workforce was the workhorse of the day, handily winning the Arc. Jockey Ryan Moore rode Workforce to victory. In June, Workforce won the Derby at Epsom, England. The champion racehorse was trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who for 38 years had hoped one of his horses would win the Arc winner at Longchamp.

This woman was smoking a post-race cigar outside Longchamp. Check back soon for many more photos from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Another hat adorned with leaves.

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend

Horse sculpture near The Sculpture Park, Churt, England.

Europe's biggest horseracing event begins Saturday, Oct. 2 at Longchamp. The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2010 features some of the world's top thoroughbreds competing in races beginning Saturday and culminating Sunday afternoon with the thrilling Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

The pre-race favourite is the three-year-old Behkabad, owned by the Aga Khan, trained by Jean-Claude Roget and ridden by French jockey Christophe Lemaire.

Another strong contender for the Arc title is Fame and Glory, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh. Workforce, trained by Sir Michael Stoute is also expected to do well Sunday.

Tickets are available at the gate at Hippodrome de Longchamp in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris. Entry to Saturday's events is 4 euros per person. Tickets for Sunday's races are 8 euros each. Admission is free for ladies wearing a hat and students under 18 and children.

For more information, visit France Galop's website, featuring a short film capturing the exciting atmosphere of the 2009 Arc. For my photos from the previous Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, go here.

Comfort and caves

 

Caves and dwellings in the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, Jordan.

It's been a week since I've found the opportunity to post. I've been busy putting out administrative fires and sorting priorities. I've spent some time cocooning at home in my "cave," sorting through closets and possessions and shedding excess. It seems I have a number of expensive handbags, mainly because in Paris, the clothes are too small to consider. So over the last ten years, I've purchased a disproportionate amount of well-made handbags, shoes and scarves.

 

Besides culling possessions in preparation for the move to Amsterdam, I've been re-examining my work commitments and obligations. Consequently I decided to turn down an amazing project, working with talented individuals on two continents. Despite its long-term promise and opportunities to travel, something about the project didn't feel right for me. Finally, I concluded I simply couldn't devote the time and energy required to meet others' expectations and guarantee success. Almost immediately, it felt as though a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders.

I spent an afternoon with a charming woman who sells antiques and vintage collectibles from her lovely Parisien abode. (Watch for an upcoming post). My blogging friend Lisa and I had lunch on Ile Saint-Louis. Over (sadly under-cooked) chicken Caesar salads, we commiserated about the myriad challenges of life in Paris, especially the lackadaisical parcel delivery service from carriers UPS, DHL and Chronopost.

This week I've edited hundreds of photos taken during my recent trip to Jordan and worked on a photo essay for an American magazine. I've also been working with a Dutch web designer on my photography website. I can hardly wait until it's finished! What a pleasure working with a professional, after my previous bad experience with a web designer.

I read Alexandra Penney's The Bag Lady Papers and finished Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.

I found Penney's book annoying; while she lost her savings after investing with jailed financier Bernard Madoff, she keeps referring to herself as having lost everything. But she still has her New York apartment and another property (she sold a third), so is hardly poverty-stricken. I find it difficult to summon much sympathy for her. Many other people reacted similarly, judging by the heated responses to Penney's columns in Tina Brown's The Daily Beast.

But Penney is right about women's concerns about ending up old, alone and poor. Many, many accomplished and successful women I know share Penney's "bag lady" fears (designer handbags or not).

Elizabeth Gilbert's book is a lively account of how she and her Brazilian partner were "forced" by Homeland Security to marry. Committed chronicles their emotional - and cross-continental - journey while manuevering a maze of bureaucratic red tape, reconciling their beliefs and finally, tying the knot. 

Sunday is the Marathon de Paris, as well as the Paris-Roubaix cycling tour. It's also this spring's first big horse-racing event at Hippodrome de Longchamp. So I expect to be out with my camera, experimenting with action shots. What are your plans for a (hopefully) sunny Sunday?

As the world turns

As the world turns, Selfridges, London.

Ten years ago today, David and I met in New York. A few months later, my daughter Jordana and I moved to London. A year after that, we moved to Paris, for David's job with an international organisation. Jordana attended high school at the American School of Paris and I resurrected my college French and struggled to adjust to French logic. It was my first experience not working for a salary since age 16; initially I didn't appreciate the loss of steady income and control. To lift my spirits, I began frequenting brocantes, flea markets and antiques shops. Soon our apartment was filled with an eclectic collection of art and antiques.

After discovering the endless bureaucracy required to get married in Paris, Jordana, David and I flew to Santa Fe, N.M. Our wedding ironically was at (French) Archibishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy's private chapel. Jordana's friend Vince played acoustic guitar, while she sang Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind."  A dozen friends witnessed the happy occasion and later joined us for dinner at the Inn of the Anasazi.

We traveled to many, many places in Europe and the US.  At home in Paris, David honed his cooking skills as we hosted hundreds (!) of guests. I became a fan of rugby and horse-racing at Longchamp (although I never bet on horses; just admire and photograph them).  My daughter went off to college in the US.

I started this blog and picked up a camera for the first time in many years. I took Eurostar to London at least once a month. I worked on my novel. I wrote poetry. I campaigned for Barack Obama and worked on human rights initiatives. I had a few health woes, but was lucky to have quality medical care in both Paris and London. I studied Spanish in Seville, Spain and photography in London.

I have lived in Paris longer than any city in my adult life (followed by San Francisco and New York). Ten years ago, when David was a guest speaker at an e-commerce conference (at the World Trade Center) and I a writer, covering the conference, I wouldn't have imagined this life. It's had its ups and downs, but for the most part, it's been rich with blessings. While Paris has never felt like home to me, I know we are fortunate.  Having traveled as a journalist for much of my adult life, I've learned, as John Cage said, that "we carry our homes within us, which enables us to fly."

Balancing act, Selfridges, London.

P.S. Don't miss your chance to win a copy of Leonard Pitt's new book Paris Postcards! Go here to enter.

Adventure travel and photography

Qatari artisan stringing freshwater pearls, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

Please read Marianne's piece about our photography adventure Journey to Jordan. And come with us March 1- 8, 2010: we have two spaces left.

Tonight I'm having dinner in Paris with an American expat who lives in Switzerland. She's accompanying us on the trip. Read more about our expedition here and email me with any questions. Hope you can join us!

For Mandy

Abandoned musical instruments, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

This morning I had email from a friend, who is a talented poet. Sadly, she is very ill and moving to a hospice. This haiku is for Mandy.

The music flows through
your poetry in motion;
we will remember.

Blog Action Day 2009

Race-goers relaxing at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Paris.  Photo by David Holmes.

Idyllic weather and relaxing afternoons like the one pictured won't be around for long, if we don't address the critical issues of climate change. Recently my friend Julie in Denmark asked if it might take a major European country such as the Netherlands to be under water before people pay attention.

The effects of climate change are widespread, touching virtually every corner of the earth. From glaciers melting in Greenland to waters flooding islands in the Pacific to temperatures rising around the world, climate change is underway. And as more and more people are driven from their homes by rising waters or worse, poverty and conflict will worsen, as the world's refugee population increases. The burden to care for these people will be for us to assume.

World leaders are meeting December 8-18 at a United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Lowering carbon emissions levels, carbon trading and reducing air and water pollution are among the topics to be explored.

In conjunction with the summit, an outdoor photographic exhibit currently underway in Copenhagen shows 100 places to remember before they disappear.

While environmental problems may seem overwhelming, there are small and simple steps we can take every day for a cleaner, healthier more sustainable environment. In conjunction with the photographic exhibit, Co+Life has provided 100 examples of how we - individually and collectively - can solve or counter the effects of climate change.

Besides recycling our paper, plastic, aluminum and glass, we can take public transportation; plan smarter travel; eat healthier foods. American green-living guru Danny Seo writes a blog providing simple, everyday tips, from changing lightbulbs to more energy-efficient models, to revamping or repurposing old furniture.

In the United Kingdom, John Lewis has published a "modern reworking" of a 1943 government booklet about making the most of minimal resources: Make Do and Mend. Follow  Make Do and Mend on Twitter for useful daily household tips

Even our old computers, mobile phones and other electronic products can be recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency provides information about regional and national programs available.

My pet peeve is excess packaging. I'm contacting the manufacturers of products I purchase regularly to ask them to reduce unnecessary and cumbersome packaging. Recently I bought a portable phone charger in London. It took a good 15 minutes, using all my strength to pry open the heavy plastic surround.

What's your favourite energy-saving or recycling measure? Are there specific habits you follow to help preserve the environment?

Join me and more than 5000 bloggers participating in Blog Action Day, focusing on climate change.

No pain, no glory?

Painful shoes at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Paris.

Time to leave the glamour of Longchamp and come back down to earth. Tyler Perry's personal story brought tears to my eyes. I'm looking forward to seeing Precious, although I expect it will be difficult to watch the abuse. But perhaps this movie - based on Sapphire's book Push - will make people pay attention to nearly-invisible or overlooked people in society, who all too often suffer in silence.

War photography and ethics

I've been reading The Bang-Bang Club written by the acclaimed conflict photographers Greg Marinovich and Jaoa Silva. The book talks about their harrowing experiences, as well as those of their friends and colleagues Ken Oosterbroek, killed by a stay bullet while working and Kevin Carter, who committed suicide weeks after winning a Putlizer Prize for his powerful photograph of a starving child in the Sudan.

"...The picture had caused a sensation. It was being used in posters for raising funds for aid organizations. Papers and magazines around the world had published it and the immediate public reaction was to send money to any humanitarian organization that had an operation in Sudan. The heart-wrenching image of a starving, helpless infant being scrutinized by a vulture had inevitably raised the question, "What happened to the little girl?" and, followed close on that, "What did the photographer do to help her?"

"The barrage of questions had begun to get to Kevin. He could not answer that he had simply left the child there; that the child was not in any direct danger from the vulture, since it is a fact that vultures will never attack anything still showing signs of life. Nor was the child likely to die of starvation, as the feeding-centre, with its ability to administer emergency nutrition, was barely 100 metres away. Kevin at first had told people that he had chased the vulture away and that he had then gone and sat under a tree to cry. He did not know what happened to the child. But the questions kept coming..."

Parts of the book's raw honesty are painful to read. But it's absolutely fascinating to learn more about the dilemmas photojournalists (and print journalists) often face: to engage and try to help in a dire situation or to take the photo, get the story and walk away?

At a photography class in London last month, we discussed this predicament. All of us agreed we'd find it nearly impossible to walk away during a situation in which someone was suffering, without doing what we could to help. Of course there are times when one's own life is in danger and a choice may not be possible.

Recently I was at the French hairdresser, anxious about the way one can never quite pass muster in the intense scrutiny of certain impossibly thin, chic French women. Reading The Bang-Bang Club put it all in perspective, as the women around me chattered and gossiped about trivial things.

Open Shutters: Iraq

Seems silly to be concerned about the opinion of strangers, when far more important things are going on all around us. Open Shutters: Iraq is a new documentary by filmmaker Maysoon Pachachi. It traces the stories of 12 Iraqi women who meet in Damascus to learn photography. They then take their newfound skills and return to Iraq, telling stories with their photographs. Later, they return to Syria to edit their photos and write their stories.

One child even participated in the project, taking photos of her friends. Learn more here and here. The film begins at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 at the Opera Plaza Cinema in San Francisco.

A book featuring the Open Shutters: Iraq photographs will be released soon.

Poverty and human rights

A new book stresses the link between economic rights and human rights. The Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights is written by Irene Khan, the outgoing secretary-general of Amnesty International.  In a profile in The Independent, Khan talks about her disillusion with Amnesty's current role in human rights work.

Posing for pictures

Posing for photos Sunday at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

 

 

The Arab state of Qatar sponsored this year's Arc festivities. This was their hospitality tent.

 

Serving Arabic coffee.

 

 

Chic brown-and-white ensemble.

Waiting in the winner's circle.

 

Friends chatting between races.

Family outing.

Fathers and sons waiting for the big race to begin.

Pleading for a lift up to see the race.

 

Mother and daughter.

 

Matching hair and coat.

Hat and irridescent coat.

 

Directional signs.

 

Sharing a laugh.

Flowers on a trophy case for the Arc winner, Sea the Stars.

More hats and fashion from Longchamp here, here and here.

Trying on hats

Trying on hats at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Sunday at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

As always, click photos to view detail.

 

More hat photos here and here.

More hats and fashion from Longchamp

Photos of hats at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Sunday at Longchamp, Paris. All photos by David Holmes.

Watching the race.

H.E. Abdullah bin Khalifa al Thani, special advisor to the Emir of Qatar.

 

Various bands provided musical entertainment.

 

Judging by his hat (and location at the champagne bar), this guy seemed a bit merry.

Horse trainer M. Royer-Dupree is standing behind the guy with the big cigar.
 

 

 

Longchamp information desk assistant.

These gentlemen were dressed in Scottish kilts.

A group of Japanese visitors to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

More photos from Longchamp to come!

Sea the Stars wins Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe

Jockey Michael Kinane rides the Irish horse Sea the Stars into the winner's circle after victory in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Sunday at Longchamp.

Waiting for the winner.

The trainer John Oxx and horse-owner Christophe Tsui rush to the course, after Sea the Stars won the Arc. They'd been watching the race on a giant video screen, insider the winner's circle.

The press and the public cheer the victor, post-race.

This Irish racing fan was so happy, she grabbed my husband and kissed him!

Check back Tuesday for more photos from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Hats at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Traditional Qatari costumes. Qatar sponsored this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

 

Fuschia hat at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Check back Monday for dozens of images from the festivities at Europe's biggest horse-racing event. Photos by David Holmes.

A hat shaped like the Eiffel Tower. While these two photos are slightly fuzzy, am posting them because  this was the most unique hat at the races.

This hat reminded me of the movie "Alien" or perhaps Medusa.

While I have to give this woman credit for originality, doesn't this shot look as though she's communicating with outer space??!!

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend at Longchamp

Champion jockey Frankie Dettori riding Spring of Fame in the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein race. Dettori is pictured in the parade ring, just before the race Saturday at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

A Qatari tent set up on the grounds of Hippodrome de Longchamp. The state of Qatar is sponsoring this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Europe's biggest horse race.

These two men have taken off their shoes and are facing Mecca, during the late afternoon call to prayer.

The hat tent at Longchamp, offering chapeaux for sale. Traditionally, women don stylish hats for Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

A table of straw hats in varying hues and designs.

Another group of straw hats for race-goers.

Wool and felt hats with fur trim.

Most of these casual styles on display can hold up in rain, which is predicted Sunday. Inside the tents (below) are traditional Qatari crafts and traditions. In one tent, a woman invited me to sit down on the cushion next to her, while she applied henna to my right hand. We spoke in Arabic, which was good practice for my upcoming trip to Jordan. As the henna was still wet, I told the woman I'd return Sunday to photograph her, her friends and their beautiful costumes.

Barring pouring rain, I'll be snapping pics of both hats and horses and posting them late Sunday and Monday. Hope you have a fun Sunday outing planned!

En route to Longchamp this afternoon, I walked past a white panel truck with its side door open, parked on a busy street. Inside was a platform made up like a bed, a hooker sitting in front of a dressing table applying lipstick and another lady-of-the-evening standing on the sidewalk, dressed in fishnets and black lace and wearing enough makeup to cover France. She was smoking a cigarette, while hoping to catch the eye of potential customers headed to the races. Later I saw the police making them leave. Only in Paris would such a business venture be attempted in broad daylight in a posh residential neighbourhood!

Scroll down the page for an additional post today.

Highly collectible: antiques, images, words

Dazzling turquoise now transparent, once guarded potions, elixirs.

Collection of vintage glassware and pharmacy bottles at Gunnar Petterssen's stand at the brocante at Chatou, now underway. See more of Gunnar's finds at 1-3 Allee Pele. The brocante continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through October 4th. Tickets are available at the gate.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of brocantes and dinner parties, with four sets of friends in town. Great fun, but exhausting! My husband is off to Oslo and Brussels this week, while I escort said friends to a secret brocante in Paris and again to the brocante and ham fair at Chatou.

This weekend is the stellar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, Europe's largest horse racing event. I'll be there Saturday, shooting photos of dashing jockeys and sleek racehorses tearing down the track. On Sunday, I'll train my lens on chic Parisiennes wearing stylish hats. This year I won't be wearing a hat, as I'm more concerned with balancing the weight of heavy camera gear while wearing flat, comfortable boots!

More images of Chatou, as well as photos of the antique Madonna crowns that came home with me, soon.  I'll leave you now with "The Poet Always Carries a Notebook" from Mary Oliver's new book Evidence:

"What is he scribbling on the page?

Is there snow in it, or fire?

Is it the beginning of a poem?

Is it a love note?

This week, what will you scribble on your page - or see through your lens, paint with your brush or shape with your hands?

Seeing double

Airborne - Horses fly to the finish line at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. The second horse is literally off the ground.

Hope you're having an action-filled weekend, whether you're celebrating Easter, Passover or simply enjoying the company of family and friends.

The way some people live

Sunlight filtered through stained glass casts coloured rays on a pew and tiled floor, St. Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

Bonjour les tous! I am back in Paris and will write later about my trip. Meanwhile, my thoughts are with the people of L'Aquila, Italy and the surrounding villages, left devastated and homeless after an earthquake. But I have little regard for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who told a German television station that the earthquake survivors "should see it like a weekend of camping."

Berlusconi made his typically clueless remarks after visiting one of the temporary camps set up to shelter and feed the earthquake survivors. "They have everything they need, they have medical care, hot food...," Berlusconi said. "Of course, their current lodgings are a bit temporary. But they should see it like a weekend of camping."

One has to pity the nation that keeps electing such a buffoon. Last week at the NATO summit in Strasbourg, Berlusconi's car pulled up, he got out, nodded to German chancellor Angela Merkel waiting to greet him, but kept talking on his cell phone! After welcoming two other world leaders - with Berlusconi still talking on the phone - Merkel lost patience and left Berlusconi behind, as she and other NATO leaders crossed the bridge to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Dubai's glittery facade threatened by shifting sands

I urge you to take ten minutes to read The Independent's Johann Hari's eye-opening article about Dubai's failing fortunes. It is a cautionary tale of greed, deception and modern-day slavery. The many twists and turns of a barren playground without water suggests the city ultimately will be absorbed by the shifting sands of Arabia. Meanwhile, Sheik Maktoum and his entourage continue the ruse of a solvent business mecca, racing champion thoroughbreds at Longchamp and acting as though there's no tomorrow. I read this late last night and have not been able to get it out of my mind.

An excerpt:

"...and then there is the foreign underclass who built the city and are trapped here. They are hidden in plain view. You see them everywhere, in dirt-caked blue uniforms, being shouted at by their superiors, like a chain gang – but you are trained not to look..."

"Every evening, the hundreds of thousands of young men who build Dubai are bussed from their sites to a vast concrete wasteland an hour out of town, where they are quarantined away. Until a few years ago they were shuttled back and forth on cattle trucks, but the expats complained this was unsightly, so now they are shunted on small metal buses that function like greenhouses in the desert heat. They sweat like sponges being slowly wrung out.

"Sonapur is a rubble-strewn patchwork of miles and miles of identical concrete buildings. Some 300,000 men live piled up here, in a place whose name in Hindi means "City of Gold." In the first camp I stop at – riven with the smell of sewage and sweat – the men huddle around, eager to tell someone, anyone, what is happening to them."

Bicycles in the Bois

To say that cycling is popular in France is an understatement. La France is not host to the Tour de France, the world's most famous cycling event, without reason. Every day, hundreds of cyclists traverse the perimeter of Hippodrome de Longchamp in the Bois de Boulogne. But nearly all of them are men, as in France it is considered unseemly for a woman to sweat in public! Very few women joggers can be seen in the Bois, either; walkers, yes, particularly on the weekends. But if you see any female joggers or cyclists, chances are they're foreigners, like me!

The cyclists are a curious mix of professionals training for events, amateurs enjoying the sport and those who simply want to keep fit. Some members of the rugby team Stade Francais cycle and jog in the Bois. And a group of local pompiers (firefighters and paramedics) also cycle in the Bois, the city's largest green space.

Leader of the pack. Most days a huge group of cyclists ride together in lap after lap - rain or shine - around the two-and-a-half mile perimeter of Longchamp.

Lone riders.

Opening day at the races

The Prix du Louvre race on Thursday afternoon at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. I used a telephoto lens and ISO of 100 - due to bright sunlight - for these photos, but forgot a filter! I'll have another chance to get it right Sunday at Longchamp.

Cristophe Soumilion is France's most famous jockey. He rides into the Winner's Circle, after guiding Tassara to win the Prix du Louvre. As always, click photos to enlarge.

Riding into the Winner's Circle.

Escorting Tassara back to the stables.

A. Crastus riding Ville d' Avray won the Prix de Chaillot race.

Coming from behind in the Prix de Chaillot.

Almost there...

Overtaking, to claim victory.

Ville d'Avray in the Winner's Circle.

Horses and their handlers parade before the crowd.

Pre-race chatter.

Handlers lead the horse out of the Parade rink to the racecourse.

Contemplating the race ahead.

Leading the horse.

Headed home.

Longchamp lass

I have spent this bright and sunny afternoon with some beautiful racehorses at Longchamp. Check back later for photos of winning jockeys, champion thoroughbreds and fit cyclists.

And then there were four.

My deepest thanks to the 57 kind souls who took the time to write such lovely, encouraging comments on the occasion of my third blogging anniversary. I was touched by your sentiments and intrigued by your thoughts about what blogging has come to mean to you.

I realise it's not quite as exciting as being presented awards by the Aga Khan and Princess Zara (shown here at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. Yes that's the Eiffel Tower's silhouette through the mist). But I do hope the three four giveaway winners will be pleased with their souvenirs from Paris. The prizes go to Katherine, Rebekah and Dana. And I couldn't resist drawing a fourth name from the hat - Patricia!

Please email me your addresses and I'll get the prizes off to you. Congratulations to the winners. And to those who didn't win this time, fret not - I will host another giveaway soon. Anyway, you are all winners, in my book. Thank you for honouring Paris Parfait with your fine company!

Chez les filles

It was a lovely surprise to get a message from Roberta Pichet at the popular French website Chez les filles, asking to use one of my photographs from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Visit Chez les filles for many fabulous French blogs, as well as blogs of Paris-based expats like me. You'll find Paris Parfait in the À Paris section. Merci bien, Roberta!

À Paris

Des filles capitales

En direct de la ville-lumière, Tara l’Américaine fait son récit du Paris Parfait. Mention spéciale pour le reportage sur les chapeaux du Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2008 !

Catharine est venue d’Angleterre dans l’espoir de trouver à Paris l’inspiration et la matière pour écrire un livre. Son Embrouillamini s’en fait l’écho.

Marie, elle, est française et parisienne d’adoption. Aujourd’hui journaliste, elle a appris à aimer la capitale et a créé un blog pour partager ce qu’elle aime dans la fascinante cité. Suivez le guide Inside Paris !

Nos recommandés
Entendu à Paris
Day in Paris
Petite Anglaise
My Paris for you
Polly-vous français?

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Speaking of chapeaux, I had an email today from someone sponsoring the "Chapeau Blog Awards." Doesn't seem to be a prize for their money-making scheme: they charge an entry fee of $195 to $275! Uh, thanks, but no thanks, as a certain governor might say.

Scroll down the page for two additional posts today.

Barcelona, baby!

At the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Sunday at Longchamp, this Scottish lad was being a "cheeky monkey," as the Brits say: pulling up his kilt for the photo. In the photo below, he and his mates are laughing like naughty children after the stunt.

Today I'm off for some laughs of my own - a few days of rest and relaxation in Barcelona! Tierra de calma. I intend to do very little other than see friends, indulge in a little Fino and tapas and wander around the city with my camera.

Will catch up with you next week, just in time for the Blog Action Day on Poverty. Won't you join us? Read all about it here.

Les chapeaux de l'Arc de Triomphe 2008

Rain and wind kept many racegoers from wearing unusual hats at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe festivities Sunday at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

I'm not sure why these two mademoiselles (at left)  were wearing hats with evening gowns - or why they were wearing evening gowns to the Arc, particularly in cool, rainy weather.

Notice the guys in the background, drinking and ignoring the girls. "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes." - Henry David Thoreau.

"Hope is the thing with feathers..." - Emily Dickinson.

Black and white and a glass of champagne.

Fur-trimmed.
 

A profusion of flowers and feathers.

The hat tent at Longchamp, featuring hats for sale.

More from the hat tent.

 

The hat I bought in Antwerp, created by a Dutch designer. At right is the way I started out wearing it. The photo at left is an alternative look. By the time the Arc with its heavy winds were over, the hat had turned around like this!

My friend Di at Designers Block UK very kindly has posted a little piece here about the hat.

More photos from the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Wednesday.

Scroll down the page for another post today. 

Zarkava wins the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp

The Aga Khan's three-year-old horse Zarkava has become the first filly to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp since 1993. Top French jockey Christophe Soumilion rode Zarkava to victory late Sunday afternoon in a thrilling race, despite the damp weather.

Christophe Soumillion and the Irish horse Zarkava post-victory at Europe's most famous flat-race. The winning purse for the Arc totaled four million euros. The Irish horse Youmzain finished second, in a repeat performance of the 2007 Arc.

Check back later for more photos of the Arc festivities.

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend

Neck and neck in the Qatar Prix du Cadran at Hippodrome De Longchamp, Paris. The Group I race is 20 furlongs, the longest flat race in France. Eleven horses ran the course in the Prix du Cadran.

French jockey Christophe Soumilion pulls ahead on the Spanish owned-and-trained horse Bannaby to win the race Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, the annual Arc events culminate with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe race. The Aga Khan-bred three-year-old filly Zarkava is the punters' favourite. Urban Sea in 1993 was the last filly to win the race. Other strong contenders are Youmzain, Soldier of Fortune, Duke of Marmelade and Schiaparelli.

Silk banners for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe festivities, now underway at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

Les chapeaux

Sunday is also the day ladies attending the races will be wearing stylish hats. I bought an Italian hat in San Francisco, intending to wear it to the Arc. But on Friday in Antwerp, Belgium, my friend Di Mackey and I stumbled upon a tiny little shop full of unusual hats, all created by a Dutch designer.

Di said my face lit up when I tried on the third hat. I just remember laughing, when looking in the mirror. Because it is the kind of hat that makes a bold statement. It definitely trumped the original hat I'd intended to wear. And I'm pretty sure it can hold its own among all those stylish French chapeaux. Now if only the weather will cooperate! Rain is forecast.

Pictures tomorrow! And lots of photos and tales of Antwerp, post-races!

___________________

Update Saturday night, Paris time: Seems Sarah Palin and John McCain are increasingly desperate, as they've moved from repeating numerous misleading statements, error-strewn claims and outright lies to nasty, slanderous patently-false statements about Sen. Barack Obama.

John McCain has no workable plans to get America back on track or solve its problems. He's clueless about the economy, health care and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. So he and his neophyte Palin resort to trying to tear down Sen. Obama. Such despicable behaviour behooves no one, least of all the McCain campaign. Shame on them for their disgraceful, gutter-snipe politics. The American people deserve better than four more years of lies, failed policies, eroded civil liberties and lobbyist-led favours for special interests. McCain's dishonourable campaign just proves he offers more of the same rotten, self-serving government we've endured for nearly eight years now. No more!

And here's Glenn Greenwald's stark account of our "country in shambles," thanks to the Republicans.

Got questions about McCain and his ever-changing policies? Please go here for the facts.

Fête Nationale

Four jockeys - including Frankie Dettori (at left, bottom row) are pictured at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. Tonight a special Bastille Day group of races will be run at Longchamp.

Today is Bastille Day in France. Along with the usual parade down the Champs Elysee, festivities and fireworks, the former hostage Ingrid Betancourt will be appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. The decoration is one of France's highest civilian honours. French President Nicolas Sarkozy will present the award to Betancourt this afternoon at the Elysee Palace.

Betancourt, 46, has Colombian and French citizenship and received a hero's welcome in France ten days ago. She was freed July 2, after being held hostage six-and-a-half years in the Colombian jungle. Colombian soldiers posing as FARC rebels rescued her and other hostages.

Also on Bastille Day, traditionally a French rider will attempt to claim a stage win for the Tour de France's mountain climb from Pau to Hautacam in the Pyrenees.

El sol esta caliente!

Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss frame a decorative fountain, Savannah, Georgia.

The sun is hot! Yes, even in Paris. In addition to the canicule, today marks the beginning of France's presidency of the European Union. Little blue EU flags are flying from all the city buses and the Eiffel Tower has turned blue. The big news here is that the French army chief of staff has resigned. President Nicolas Sarkozy accepted the resignation, after 17 people were injured Sunday at a military show in Audes in the southwest. One soldier loaded real bullets - instead of blanks - during a demonstration of hostage-freeing techniques. An investigation is continuing.

And Solidays - the annual three-day musical festival featuring Yael Naim and numerous artists in 80 concerts to raise money for SIDA - kicks off Friday. The festivities are just across the street (yes, sleepless nights ahead) at Hippodrome du Longchamp in the Bois du Boulogne. Since last Saturday, event organisers have been busy constructing concert stages, big top tents and shelters and installing food stands, etc.

Pity the nation

Update 7 p.m. Paris time: Botswana's vice president Mompati Merfahe has called for Zimbabwe to be excluded from the African Union and regional talks.

At the African Union meeting underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, UN Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migirohas urged leaders to try to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe. And the British supermarket chain Tesco said it will stop sourcing products from Zimbabwe while "the political crisis persists." The company buys about £1m ($1.9m) worth of goods a year, including vegetables, from Zimbabwe.

Human Rights Watch has calculated the tally of misery and abuse in Zimbabwe since its March 29 elections: at least 36 dead; hundreds tortured; thousands beaten and tens of thousands deprived of food or displaced. Read Jon Eliot's article here.

Scary statistics

On Monday, the Dow industrials and the Standard & Poor's 500 plummeted to their lowest record since the Great Depression in 1929.

And June was the deadliest month for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taleban in 2001.

Path sheltered by the shade of oak trees. leading away from the fountain. Click photos to enlarge.

Fete des Peres

Photos at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

To my dad and all fathers everywhere: May you always reach your destination of choice - and find it better than you'd imagined. Happy Father's Day!

A lazy summer Sunday

During my three weeks away, the hortensia (hydrangea) finally bloomed. I was beginning to despair, as our late winter had gone straight to summer, skipping spring entirely. This is the sixth summer the hortensia has thrived on the balcony - despite lashings of high winds, storms and an accidental dousing of toxic cleaning chemicals, bright pink blooms always manage to emerge from the soil. I find that reassuring.

On this lazy summer Sunday, have been sipping cucumber water with mint, reading a hard-to-find magazine, writing a blog post, watching the French Open Men's final (won for the fourth time running by the young Spanish hearthrob Rafael Nadal) and doing as little as possible requiring actual physical effort. Now I must drag myself across the street to Longchamp for my usual five miles around the racecourse perimeter. Wherever you are, hope you're enjoying a lovely Sunday!

Bagpipes in the Bois

This afternoon while walking my usual route around Hippodrome de Longchamp, an unexpected treat: two French guys playing bagpipes! Speaking of treats, if you're an "Empire Strikes Back" fan, you may appreciate this amusing video.

White flowering trees, high grass and wildflowers are part of the natural beauty of the Bois de Boulogne on the Western edge of Paris.

A cyclist goes past a pink flowering tree opposite rugby grounds in the Bois.

Two trees with entwined branches near one of the many ponds that dot the Bois.

A big pink flowering tree near the outer perimeter of Hippodrome de Longchamp, Europe's biggest flat-racing course.

Flowering branches reflected in the water of a small canal.

Thick white blossoms accent several trees in the Bois.

A lone cypress was a gift from the State of Louisiana in 1983. The tree, located near Le Carrefour des Cascades waterfall, originated from the Gulf of Mexico.

Part of the Longchamp racecourse, viewed from Allee de Longchamp.

A tower for television cameras to record races at Longchamp.

Longchamp en cours

Headed towards victory at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

A view of part of the course, pre-race. I live across the street and walk or bike around the exterior of Longchamp nearly every day.

Another view of the course with the lucky horseshoe finish line. If you look closely, you'll notice the Eiffel Tower peeking out above the trees of the Bois du Boulogne.

The pre-race parade rink and winner's circle.

Before the race...

The winner's circle

Anticipation: Jockeys wait for their mounts.

Headed towards the course.

A pony for the children to ride. The next races at Longchamp begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 13.

And here is some hope and inspiration for Americans who are struggling.

Sunday sports

Kodak advertising sign from a photo shop in southwest France, photographed recently at the brocante at Chatou.

Remember film? Amazing how quickly we have adapted to digital cameras, drastically reducing the market for film. For photos of today's Paris Marathon go here. Check back later for additional marathon photographs, as well as pictures from opening day at the races at Hippodrome de Longchamp.

Oh and all that talk about the French president - and various other officials around the world - calling for a boycott of the Olympic opening ceremonies? I don't believe politics and sports should mix. The athletes have trained long and hard and shouldn't be denied a chance to compete because of the host's abysmal human rights record - a key factor that the Olympic Committee should have considered when awarding host nation status to China.

The country has a well-documented history of human rights abuses, both in Tibet and within its own borders. So those advocating a boycott because of China's latest horrendous abuses and crackdown on protestors shouldn't be surprised; this is what the Chinese government does. They are serial abusers of human rights, no matter how hard they try to conceal their true nature when making lucrative business deals with the West. But let's not punish the athletes simply because the Olympic Committee exercised poor judgement.

Meanwhile, racism has reared its ugly head at France's largest World War I cemetery. Read the sad story here.