Category Archives: Opal Hush

Paris on the Brink – an historical account of 1930s Paris

Paris on the Brink – an historical account of 1930s Paris.  Mary McAuliffe’s 2018 book, Paris on the Brink: The 1930s Paris of Jean Renoir, Salvado Dali, Simone de Beauvoir, Andre Gide, Sylvia Beach, Leon Blum, and Their Friends is an easy-to-read historical account of Paris. Long title, but it is a well-structured book withContinue reading “Paris on the Brink – an historical account of 1930s Paris”

André Malraux, a man of Paris and the world

André Malraux, a man of Paris and the world. Paris-born André Malraux was a novelist, art theorist, and France’s first Minister of Cultural Affairs in the 1960s. He was also described as France’s ‘man of the world’ and ‘ambassador of the world.’ It was said that he was a man of action and a manContinue reading “André Malraux, a man of Paris and the world”

Paris bouquinistes: selling second-hand books along the Seine

Paris bouquinistes: selling second-hand books along the Seine. Along the banks of the river Seine in Paris, the bouquinistes continue to sell second-hand books, just as they have done since the 19thcentury when the city permitted booksellers to have a permanent location. Closed and locked at night, the typically green boxes sit on top ofContinue reading “Paris bouquinistes: selling second-hand books along the Seine”

The advice French mothers give their daughters

The advice French mothers give their daughters. Like all mothers, French mothers give their daughters advice. A study found that their daughters actually take their mothers advice, not about everything, but mostly about fashion.  The French cosmetics company conducted research poll about mothers and daughters, and the advice given, and the advice taken. It wasContinue reading “The advice French mothers give their daughters”

The buzz of bees in Paris

The buzz of bees in Paris. Why did Napoleon love bees? He loved them so much that the bee became his signature emblem. It is said that bees were his symbol of tenacity. But bees are now very much a Parisian motif. Scientists from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA-France) – the National InstituteContinue reading “The buzz of bees in Paris”

The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and his good Theresa

The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and his good Theresa.  The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the autobiography of writer, composer, and philosopher Rousseau (1712-1778), written in 1782.  Born in Geneva, his mother died in childbirth, and his watchmaker father raised him until the age of ten. From ten to sixteen years of age, he livedContinue reading “The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and his good Theresa”

Félix Potin building in Paris: renovated and revealed

Félix Potin building in Paris: renovated and revealed. In October 2013, the Félix Potin turret was under wraps. Today the Félix Potin building has been renovated and revealed.  The Félix Potin building is on the rue de Rennes in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Rue de Rennes was originally designed to connect the Gare Montparnasse (theContinue reading “Félix Potin building in Paris: renovated and revealed”

French Asterix comics

French Asterix comics. The Asterix comics are quintessentially French. Its co-creator, Albert Uderzo, who teamed with Rene Goscinny to create Gaul Asterix (the character with the moustache), died this year in Paris on Tuesday 24 March 2020, aged 92 from heart failure.  Albert Uderzo was born on 25 April 1927 in Fismes, in eastern France. HeContinue reading “French Asterix comics”

Marie Curie Museum in Paris: a woman of science

Marie Curie Museum in Paris: a woman of science.  The Curie Museum in Paris is the laboratory museum of Marie and Pierre Curie, where they conducted physics and chemistry research from 1900-1930s, particularly in the study of radium and cancer research.  Before the laboratory was built, Marie Curie (1867-1934) and her husband Pierre (1859-1906) hadContinue reading “Marie Curie Museum in Paris: a woman of science”