Trains from France to Britain set to run smoother this week
September 26, 2008
Eurotunnel getting back on track after fire interrupts train service between Paris and London.
Britain had better access to France and the rest continental Europe starting Monday when part of the undersea tunnel reopened, Eurotunnel officials said. Statements asserted Monday’s reopening brought a roughly 50 percent improvement in the current level of traffic.
A serious fire caused grave damage to one of the 31-mile tunnel’s two main shafts. The popular Eurostar train services linking London to Brussels and Paris have since ground to a near halt. Shuttle links carrying cars and trucks were also affected.
Of course people in France have not been stranded; there are other ways to travel from France to England. Air France and British Airways operate a full schedule of flights, and low cost carriers such as Ryanair link France to lesser-known London area airports such as Stansted.
But the Eurostar, which got off to a rocky start in the 1990’s, has become the travel mode of choice for many in France headed for the UK. Its convenient point-to-point trajectory linking the centers of Paris and London make it a convenient way to get to meetings and shopping, with no need for a taxi from the airport or fighting city traffic or flight delays. prices ahve become more affordable and the travel time between Paris and London has shrunk amazingly, from a four hour journey to just over two hours. So the fire in the Chan nel Tunnel two weeks ago caused real hardship for travellers in France counting on taking the train to the UK. Trains from the UK to Belgium were similarly affected.
Apiece of the North tunnel coming back online Monday enabled Eurotunnel to increase the number of trains running through the tunnel to almost 170 per day.
While the repairs have made things better, they still are not perfect. A Eurotunnel spokesman said the improvement would bring Eurostar traffic to 80 percent of its pre-fire level, while shuttle services would run at 50 percent of capacity.
“Technical staff are working round the clock to bring a second section of the north tunnel back into service in the next few days. This will further improve the quality of service available,” Eurotunnel added.
Paris commuters take to the Seine with new public transport by boat
September 24, 2008
New Paris boat service is latest effort in the city’s green campaign for getting around Paris
Summer may be over but France is still getting greener. First, last summer there were the new bicycles in Paris, Velib, that could be rented by the hour and returned at points all over the city. That idea was a wild success. Then Paris Mayor Delanoe, who had shepherded the Velib project, proposed a similar service using cars (still in the planning stages).
Now, Paris’ green transportation idea has taken to the water.
Voguéo, Paris’ new shuttle boat service, effectively makes the Seine Paris’ latest metro line. Voguéo is Paris’ latest “green” transportation experiment to help people get around the east end of Paris, running from the Gare d’Austerlitz to Maisons-Alfort in the Val-de-Marne with stops including the Bibliothque Francois Mitterand and Parc de Bercy. While barges such as the Bateaux-Mouches have long been a fixture in Pairs and part of nearly every visitors’ itinerary, Voguéo boats, seating up to 70 passengers, are designed for everday transport for Parisians rather than for tourism. A ticket costs 3 Euros, but since the boats are part of the Paris transit system, they are included for Carte Orange holders just as if they were buses or metro trains.
So far, like the Velib bikes, the new boats appear to be making a big splash with Paris commuters. The full trip from Austerlitz to Maisons-Alfort lasts 40 minutes, and boats arrive at each of the five stations along the route every 30 minutes. The service is set to run 365 days a year, but unlike the Paris metro, which runs from 5AM until 1 AM, Voguéo boats run from 7am to 8:30pm on weekdays and from 10am to 8pm on weekends and holidays.
Ads in France and Europe under attack from EU
September 18, 2008
EU criticizes gender stereotypes, violence against women and anorexic models in advertising.
Political correctness, outcry against glorifying violent acts against women and the perennial hand-wringing over the unhealthy body image presented to young women by overly thin models in ads formed a convoluted basis for an unprecedented resolution in a recent EU meeting.
The European Parliament voted 504 to 110 to adopt a nonbinding report on gender stereotypes in advertising. The move might pave the way for legally binding legislation in the future, said Mary Honeyball, a British lawmaker and a member of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, which developed the report. Honeyball hoped the vote might encourage the advertising industry in member states of Europe to make some changes. “The report was passed by a big majority and so there’s obviously recognition that there is a need to look at this. There is unacceptable stereotyping,” she said.
The report states that advertising’s gender stereotypes can “straitjacket women, men, girls and boys by restricting individuals to predetermined and artificial roles that are often degrading, humiliating and dumbed down for both sexes.”
Images in advertising in France and the rest of Europe came under scrutiny, with even such time-honored brand icons as Mr. Clean (Monsieur Propre in France) unable to escape suspicion. The famously brawny, bald male figure was maligned as a gender stereotype — after all, didn’t that image suggest that only a big, strong man could have the power to tackle tough household dirt?
Some in France and elsewhere may have found it hard to believe that th EU would present such arguments, politically correct to the point of ridicule, with a straight face. Unfortunately, the unintentional frivolity of ideas such as these took away from some of the more serious concerns about advertising images in European campaigns covered by the report, such as those depicting violence against women. Particular notice surrounding this issue has recently centered on a Dolce & Gabanna magazine ad. The 2-page spread for the Italian luxury fashion brand portrayed a woman in high heels lying prone and pinned down by a shirtless, muscular man as other standing men watch. The ad, which ran in 2007 and was defended as an artistic choice by the fashion house, was eventually pulled in both Spain and Italy for its provocative gang-rape fantasy depiction. “Because of the passive and helpless position of the woman relative to the men around her, (the image evokes) the representation of abuse or the idea of violence towards her,” said the Italian watchdog body that demanded the ad be banned in Italy.
Also affecting women, the issue of anorexia in young girls exacerbated by overly thin models in advertising and other images has already been under discussion in France and elsewhere in Europe for a while. In France, lawmakers in the Senate are discussing a proposal to impose fines of up to €45,000 ($64,000) for ads that promote or incite anorexia by the depiction of very thin women. The bill has already passed in the National Assembly in France. The European Parliament echoed the cry during its debate, calling on advertisers “to consider carefully their use of extremely thin women to advertise products.”
For now, the EU report is not binding, but it is hoped that advertisers will be encouraged to re-examine gender stereotypes, violent images and images of unhealthily thin body types in their communications. However, if some in the EU have their way, some form of the report could one day become law, which could lead to an unprecedented oversight and censorship in the advertising industry in Europe. Few in France or the EU, including those in the ad industry, contest the that images glorifying violence against women should perhaps be curtailed. But they separate that from the issue of gender sterotyping. Sterotypes of many kinds have long been an advertising creative staple, as they so easily communicate a thought to many people and are often used humorously. Forbidding advertisers to show a woman serving coffee or a man in a suit boarding a plane (as two of the ads under attack did) seems draconian to many.
Raymond Domenech hangs on as coach of French soccer team Les Bleus
September 17, 2008
Beleaguered coach Domenech is still in charge, angering many French football fans.
Although it was widely expected that Raymond Domenech would lose his position as coach of France’s beloved football team known as Les Bleus this year after questions about his leadership, his decisions and the dismal performance his team, in July 2008 it was announced Domenech had retained his job. But many in France still protest the unexpected decision.
The outcome of a midsummer Paris meeting between FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes and several council members means the 56-year-old Domenech gets a chance to lead Les Bleus to the 2010 World Cup. The FFF president said he did not want to make a knee-jerk decision based on the public outcry that followed France’s collapse in Euro 2008.
The FFF’s vote of confidence in Domenech surprised some and outraged many in France. Despite reaching the finals of the 2006 World Cup, Domenech’s record is not very impressive. His squad selection policy and tactics have long been considered suspect by many football experts. In the Euro 2008 championship, France lost to Scotland twice and barely made their way into Euro 2008. Once in the tournament, two-time European champion France failed to win a match and scored only one goal, in a 4-1 loss to the Netherlands. Domenech had earlier said that he would quit as coach if he failed to qualify for the quarterfinals. But he remains coach of les Bleus.
Even more recently, France lost to Austria for the first time since 1970. The score in that match, held on Septmber 6, was 3-1.
Domenech’s more unorthodox practices are also a cause for dismay among many fans in France and elsewhere. Domenech has admitted reading tarot cards to gauge a player’s personality. He is a student of astrology and avoids selecting Scorpios in his squad. This prompted a falling out with Robert Pires in 2004, which led to Pires’ international retirement. Fans have soured even more on Domenech recently for his hotheaded way of responding to questions, for alienating French players from the fans with closed-door training sessions and for proposing to his TV news anchor girlfriend, Estelle Denis, live on television just moments after the French were eliminated from Euro 2008.
In France, triplets are born to a woman of 59
September 16, 2008
Donated eggs from another country contribute the unusual birth in Paris.
In France, hospital administrators announced last week that a 59-year-old woman gave birth to triplets. Her age made her the oldest known mother of triplets. The woman had obtained donated eggs outside of France, since she was above the age limit allowed under French law for being eligible to receive eggs from egg donors. French law concerning egg donation excludes women over 42 from access to the IVF procedure, and limits the number of embryos implanted to reduce the chances of multiple births. The 59-year-old woman in France is of Asian origin and had fertility treatment in Vietnam.
The Paris public hospital network says two boys and a girl born to the woman weighed between 4 pounds 9 ounces and 5 pounds 5 ounces and measured between 18.1-18.5 inches. The delivery was performed last weekend by Caesarean section, hospital officials said Monday, and the babies were described as healthy.
The woman’s pregnancy prompted controversy in France and elsewhere. The law in France against older women receiving IVF treatment is to restrict fertility treatments to healthy women considered to be of natural childbearing age, rather than to prolong the possibility of childbearing beyond the age considered to be safe or “natural.” The restriction in France prompts women desperate to bear children to visit countries with less strict rules on IVF donated egg implantation, giving rise to the phenomenon known as “fertility tourism.”
The previous oldest mother of triplets is thought to be an unidentified Italian woman of 57.
Company in France sells expertly refurbished medical equipment
September 15, 2008
French company Neoscan Medical puts used ultrasound equipment and other high-tech machinery within reach of hospitals and clinics on a budget.
When you think of quality, pre-owned, high-tech machinery for sale, you probably think BMW or Mercedes. But used ultrasound equipment? That’s not so obvious. For one thing, you don’t see parking lots full of used ultrasound systems as you drive down the highway. And for some, the idea of buying and selling pre-owned ultrasound machines might seem a little risky. What about safety and accuracy? And then there is the “ick” factor, especially when you think of used ultrasound probes that are used inside the body.
One company in France, Neoscan Medical, has built a successful international business selling refurbished ultrasound scanners, used ultrasound probes and more. Their website provides a clearing house for the more than 120 systems that the company, founded in 2003, buys from big-name manufacturers each year.
Who buys this used ultrasound equipment and other refurbished medical devices? Neoscan sells to countries all over Europe, and especially to countries with the most financial challenges in the medical arena, such as countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America, and also in Africa, where medical care and technology still lags far behind the rest of the more developed world. A quality refurbished ultrasound scanner that is like new could be the most sophisticated and valuable piece of medical equipment a hospital in one of these places could own.
But in tough economic times and with medical costs skyrocketing all over the world, it’s not only poor countries that are looking for creative ways to provide quality care at a lower cost. The equipment that Neoscan Medical refurbishes provides diagnoses just as accurate as when these used ultrasound systems were brand new. As with computers, when a new model come out with more bells and whistles, as well as a higher price tag, the older systems become “obsolete” to a hospital that has upgraded to the new equipment, even though the “old” used ultrasound scanner is still perfectly good. For a hospital that desperately needs another piece of ultrasound equipment, buying a refurbished ultrasound scanner is a smart choice, which allows them to acquire a 100 percent functional piece of equipment for much less than a brand new one. That’s why so many private clinics and medical specialists in Eastern and Southern Europe are taking advantage of the cost savings provided by purchasing used ultrasound systems. To serve these customers better, Neoscan Medical recently moved its operations to a new 4000 sq. ft. facility in France on the outskirts of Lyon, “the gateway to Europe”, where the company also benefits from more space for testing, cleaning, re-painting and storing its inventory.
Neoscan Medical knows that there is no room for error or cutting corners in the medical space. So the company guarantees all their pre-owned ultrasound machines to be as fully functional, accurate and reliable as brand-new equipment. It starts with their buying only quality brands from well-known manufacturers in the field, such as Philips, Siemens, General Electric, Toshiba, Hitachi and Aloka, big names around the world that Neoscan Medical sees as their partners. Neoscan Medical is also careful to acquire a wide range of products, from entry-level to state-of-the-art machines, to give their customers all over the world choices at every price point. Then each component undergoes rigorous testing as well as expert recalibration and reconditioning including cleaning and repainting before being made available on the company’s website. From there, customers can search for exactly the used ultrasound systems and other equipment with the features and price point they need. In fact, 3/4 of the company’s business is conducted 100% online. Customers can also find smaller devices such as disinfected and rigorously tested used ultrasound probes as well as quality refurbished spare parts from the vendors that manufacture the machines. So Neoscan Medical really provides one-stop shopping. Customers who check the website often can catch constant updates on new products and special offers.
For hospitals and clinics searching for the Mercedes or BMW of pre-owned ultrasound machines, Neoscan Medical should be their first stop.
NEOSCAN MEDICAL is a French company specializing in the marketing of reconditioned ultrasound scanners, used ultrasound probes and spare parts.
Services
- Used ultrasound systems
- Refurbished ultrasound scanner
- Pre-owned ultrasound machine
- Used ultrasound equipment
- Used ultrasound probes
10 rue du Docteur Pravaz
ZA Sainte Barbe
69110 SAINTE FOY LES LYON
Tel : +33 4 78 34 10 89
Web : http://www.neoscan-medical.com
Contact : Form page
Artist from France brings prehistoric man to life
September 12, 2008
French sculptor Elisabeth Daynes combines art and anthropology for a unique window into the look and personalities of our human ancestors.
When most of us think of an early human, an image of a flat-headed, lurching brute comes to mind; something more like a beast than a person. Certainly nothing like any of our relatives (with a few unfortunate exceptions!). But look into the eyes of a prehistoric figure sculpted by French artist Elisabeth Daynès, and you see something else. Intelligence, an emotional life, a personality…maybe even a soul. It doesn’t look like us, and yet, there is still something there that we understand and recognize in this reconstruction of our human origin. No wonder natural history museums all over the world clamor to display Daynès’ sculptures.
But how did this talented woman classically trained as a painter and sculptor in France end up in the world of anthropology, creating these hyper realistic hominid reconstructions of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons?
Geography may have had something to do with it. France, after all, is the site of many notable moments in the discovery of human origins. In 1908, the first almost complete Neanderthal skeleton was discovered at La Chapelle-aux-Saints, France. The oldest stone tools found in France, in the Haute-Loire region, are thought to be 1,800,000 years old. There is the famous prehistoric site in Brittany, with its Carnac Stones, the Regourdou site in Lascaux, and of course, the jewel of prehistoric France, the famous painted caves, also in Lascaux, with their beautiful horses that are thought to be at least 15,000 years old. France has long been proud of and fascinated by its prehistoric heritage and its place in the discoveries of human origins and human evolution.
Elisabeth Daynès also had her origins in France — a bit more recently, of course — where she started painting in an artist’s workshop at the age of seven. In 1981, at the age of 20, she joined the National Theatre of Lille’s Salamandre Troupe and began creating masks for the theater, a precursor of things to come. A year later, a German stage director noticed her talent and she began to experiment with more materials such as silicone and resins to create special effects. She founded her own studio, Atelier Daynès, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris in 1984. a few years later, she was commissioned by the Thot Museum in Montignac, close by the famous caves of Lascaux, to sculpt a life-size wooly Mammoth as a group of hominid figures from the Magdalenian period, around 15,000 B.C. Daynès was hooked, and began to devote her career to anthropological study and how it could be expressed through her art in the form of hominid reconstruction. In 1991, the opening of the Tautavel Museum in the Pyrenees region of France made her famous, as the world discovered her hyper realistic reconstructions of early humans and was transfixed.
Since then, Elisabeth Daynès and her studio, Atelier Daynès have worked other European countries such as Germany, Sweden, Portugal and Spain, but also places as far-flung as South Africa, Japan, French Polynesia and Mexico, to name only a few. Among her many accomplishments worldwide, she has brought the famous first woman, “Lucy” to life with her hyper realistic reconstructions, and has been featured in the US on the cover of National Geographic depicting the young superstar Pharaoh Tutankhamen under the heading “The New Face of King Tut,” winning rave reviews and flooding Tutankhamen exhibits. Daynès is widely recognized as the best in the world at what she does.
Hominid reconstruction is a painstaking process that can take four months or more to complete for one figure. Unlike other forms using only one medium, the technique takes several steps using many different materials, and each step must be perfect as the others layer over it. To do her hyper realistic reconstruction of the faces of early humans, Daynès begins with a cast of a prehistoric skull. The face is the biggest challenge, as Daynès strives to create a unique and specific early human or pre-human face using the scarce information left by the remains of a skull that might be thousands or even a million years old. The process takes a delicate interplay of the knowledge of a scientist and the intuition of an artist. Daynès works closely with forensic anthropologist Dr. Jean-Noel Vignalto piece together the clues and remain as scientifically accurate as possible throughout the process. The possible environment, diet, the age of the individual at the time of death amd many other factors give Daynès clues as to how her portrait should look.
Once an accurate depictions of the skull has been constructed, Daynès’s work as a sculptor begins with the laying down of muscles, and later layers of skin. Finally, she adds the touches that have made her famous, the wrinkles, defects, quirks and expressions that give the figure an inner life and spirit and make him seem alive. Suddenly, we begin to understand how a person like this might have been able to paint the miraculous pictures in the Chauvet caves.
In France and elsewhere, man looks to science to educate us the facts about human evolution. But for us to experience early humans as real human beings we feel we can know, it takes the hand of an artist. That is the lesson of the ChauvetCaves and of the work of Elisabeth Daynès.
Atelier Daynès specializes in hyper realistic reconstructions of early humans and pre-humans for museums and galleries worldwide.
Services
ATELIER DAYNES129 rue du Faubourg du temple
75010 Paris
Tel. : +33 1 42 41 17 36
Fax : +33 1 42 41 08 05
Contact : info@daynes.com
Web : http://www.daynes.com
In France, Sarah Palin has the media buzzing
September 11, 2008
French newspapers, tv shows and blogs weigh in on Republican Vice Presidential nominee
In France, where powerful women raising a family and conducting a career in politics while retaining a certian je ne sais quoi of femininity is nothing new (think Segolene Royal), Sarah Palin, the new Republican Vice Presidential nominee, is raising some eyebrows–and even some ire.
“The Republicans have found their Obama,” sneered Le Monde, a newspaper in France known for its left-of-center views. Obama is wildly popular in France, and he met in a cosy tete-a-tete with French President Nicolas Sarkozy followed by a joint public appearance during Obama’s much-vaunted and sometimes ridiculed tour of Europe, the pinnacle of which was Obama’s speech in Berlin before cheering throngs. Sarkozy is known as a conservative politician; nevertheless he welcomed the fresh face and liberal politics of Barack Obama as being somewhat like his own.
The nomination of Palin, ultra-conservative governor of Alaska, to the Republican ticket was viewed in France as inspired by some and an act of reckless desperation by many others. Palin believes in Creationism, is against abortion, and genrally adheres to all the tenets of the Christian far right, without actually heavily promoting the fact that she is a Christian herself. But her addition to the ticket gives the right-center McCain a hefty shove to the right, which does not sit well with many in France.
Add to this the story of her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, which is getting plenty of play in France. it isn’t the sort of story the French would run about one of its own politicians. The sexual peccadilloes of those in power, their families and unwed mothers are taken in stride in France. But on French blogs and in the press, Palin has not been popular, probably because of her conservative viewpoint. It certainly isn’t her look; her stylishness has been grudingly ackowledged by many in France while they disagree with her political affiliations.
Angling for the perfect fishing vacation in France? Try a hotel in France as passionate about fishing as you are
September 5, 2008
Ideally situated near a lake, river, or ocean, a hotel labelled Logis Fisherman’s Choice is an angler’s dream.
Location is an important element in any hotel choice, but if your vacation holiday includes fishing, it is absolutely essential. Beyond boasting the perfect setting for your fishing excursions, Logis Fisherman’s Choice hotels all adhere to the rigorous standards Logis has always been known for: a superior level of comfort, a relaxed yet refined ambiance, and delicious cuisine in the restaurant. You really can’t go wrong when making a charming Logis hotel part of your vacation plans.
But that’s only the beginning. When you see all the special attention given your every need to make your fishing vacation in France a success, Logis Fisherman’s Choice hotels will really have you hooked. Besides providing you with maps and tips on local fishing, our host will connect you with a guide or fisherman native to the area who knows all the best fishing spots. The weather conditions are posted in the lobby every morning, and your breakfast can be ordered for the crack of dawn, as well as a picnic lunch to take on your adventure. A special locked and ventilated room will be at your disposal for storing all your fishing tackle and drying your clothes. Every detail has been thought through by a fishing professional so you’re sure to have a fun and enjoyable fishing trip.
For the best fishing in France, savvy fishermen head to the Centre area. A river runs through it — the Loire, to be exact — and the region is world-renowned both for its great fishing areas and rich history.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, varied landscapes line the Loire, alternating meadows and slopes, wooded islands and sandy banks. Possessed of an astonishing variety of fauna and flora, this bucolic setting invites many outdoor activities, with fishing chief among them. And because the perfect fishing vacation includes more than just fishing, Logis Fisherman’s Choice hotel is situated to give you complete freedom to divide your vacation time between your favorite leisure pursuit, visiting nearby historic monuments and chateaux, strolling the French countryside and simply relaxing at your charming hotel, telling tales of the one that got away.
And to top off your stay, the gourmet chefs of Logis will prepare delicious and generous dinners that let you savor the flavors of regional products as fresh as your catch.
The Logis fishing hotels can even offer you the possibility of customized short stays for your group organized around a fishing theme, such as wild salmon fishing or trout fishing, or a fly-fishing course as part of a fun day-trip led by a licensed guide into Franche Compte.
Logis has charming hotels centered around other themes as well, such as cycling, wines, winter sports and more.
But if les poissons are you passion, whether you’re an accomplished angler or an enthusiastic amateur fisherman, Logis hotels will bring you all the essential services to guarantee a fantastic fishing holiday. The only thing Logis cannot promise: that you’ll catch the Big One! That, as always, is up to the fish.
Services
- Fishing vacation
- Cycling vacation
- Hiking vacation
- Snowing vacation
- Distinctive vacation
- Wine testing vacation
- Business accommodation
Booking hotline : +33 1 45 84 83 84
Central Reservation : info@logis-de-france.fr
Web : http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/
In France after summer, a glum return to business as usual
September 2, 2008
New French poll shows pessimistic outlook in France for the back-to-school period.
In France, September heralds that special time in the rhythm of the year when everyone comes back from the traditional August vacation and gears up for a return to school, to work and to a bustling social calendar. Usually, any French gloom associated with the end of the summer holiday is offset by sharing stories and vacation photos with friends not seen since June, revisiting favorite restaurants shuttered for the summer, the reappearance of fall produce and game in the markets, the gearing up of the opera season, and other autumnal delights.
But this year in France is different, according to IFOP, a respected polling company in France that gauges French public sentiment. The French mood in 2008 is more than usually morose and pessimistic, says the study just released by IFOP, which surveyed over 1,000 French adults for the French regional newspaper France-Ouest. Only one third of the French people polled said they felt optimistic about their lives and that of their children, a drop of 20 points in only the last eight months. The poll was conducted by telephone and took place between August 21 and 28.
Reasons posited are the state of the economy both in France and elsewhere, with recession looming and buying power down in France. Parents in France are feeling the pinch; according to a group called Familles de France, parents are spending an average of €193, or $283, to buy gear for each child entering secondary school. The IFOP findings also cite international instability as a cause for French gloom.
If people in France want to improve their mood, perhaps they should go back on vacation–in the US. While the buying power of the average person in France is down, French people who can afford to travel to the US will find bargains galore, as the Euro still hovers near historic highs against the anemic US dollar.