Cold snap in France breaks energy consumption record
January 29, 2009
France reports highest one-day energy use in 12 years as snow and ice blanket the country.
People in France are bundling up and EDF, the French electric company, is raking it in. Last Tuesday, the coldest day of winter in France so far this year, saw the highest one-day use of energy in France since 1997. Demand for central heating was high as the thermometer dropped to a frigid 16 degrees F (-9 C) in Paris and fell to a record -4 F (-20 C) in the Ardennes region. The French electric company registered a whopping record 91,500 megawatts of power use on Tuesday.
Tuesday was the coldest of a string of below-freezing days in France, a country not known for harsh winters. Homeless people continued their practice of camping out in the Bois de Vincennes, a forest near Paris, despite the freezing temperatures and snow. The French minister for Housing has proposed plans to force the homeless to enter social centers for the very cold nights. Several people have frozen to death from exposure since November 2008.
Snow and ice led Air France to cancel over 150 flights on Monday, leaving more than 3,000 passengers stranded overnight. Many were forced to sleep in the airport terminals as nearby Paris hotels were full. After Monday’s chaos at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, the French capital’s major international airport, de-icing efforts meant that it was almost service as usual on Tuesday. Orly airport, on the other hand, just south of the capital and subject to the same weather conditions, reported very few cancellations and no accommodation problems for passengers.
The record cold is expected to freeze France at leat until the end of the week.
French government official has baby, returns to work 5 days later
January 28, 2009
French Justice Minister Rachida Dati back on the job in less than a week, sparking controversy
When Justice Minister Rachida Dati gave birth last week in France, there was no outcry (though there was rampant speculation as to the identity of the father, which she has kept secret) over the fact that she is a single, unwed mother. President Sarkozy himself congratulated her. No, what some consider a scandal is her reporting for work five days after the birth.
In France, where the social safety net is tightly woven, generous maternity leave has long been a hallmark of the system. Women in France are guaranteed 16 weeks of paid maternity leave after childbirth, and most take at least half. Beyond the money, the new mother’s job is guaranteed to still be waiting for her four months later.
Of course, no government can legislate the non-passage of time or insist that a woman on maternity leave remain “in the loop” at her employer. Life goes on, with or without an employee who has just had a baby. That seems to factor into Dati’s decision to return to work so soon. She is heavily involved in important pending legislation and wants to remain so. Also, French labor codes that give the 16 weeks’ leave do not apply to government ministers like Dati, though she could certainly have taken more than five days.
Some womens’ groups were quick to condemn Dati for “raising the bar” and setting an unfair example for other women. The groups worry that public figures like Dati spurning maternity leave will put pressure on other women in France to do likewise, or risk being marked as weak or unambitious. One female activist compared Dati’s decision to conditions in the 1920s, when women gave birth in factories and were back on the assembly line as soon as their legs would hold them up. Women’s groups in France fear that with examples like Dati’s more and more women will be tempted to give up their rights.
Of course, the unspoken truth on everyone’s mind is that French maternity leave has long been considered excessive and overgenerous by many, either envious mothers in other countries or grumbling employers in France forced to hire interim workers to take on new mothers’ jobs and then to reintegrate their employees when the mothers come back to work. Some consider the 16-week paid leave just one more example of French workers’ sense of entitlement and a vestige of a time before France really became part of the new global economy. So it’s not a stretch that employers might put subtle pressure on women to return to work sooner. Legally they can’t make any threats, but it would be simple to inply that mothers who are gone too long might miss out on important happenings at the company and that their careers might suffer as a result.
Paris Picasso exhibit shows artist side by side with famous forbears
January 27, 2009
France’s most expensive art show in history compares and contrasts Picasso and Velazquez, others
Picasso is a painter most people think of as flouting tradition. But he was actually very much influenced by more classical painters from the past. “Picasso and the Masters”, showing at the Grand Palais in Paris, hangs Picasso’s Cubist works alongside the paintings of other artists that inspired him. Since Picasso usually chose the most prominent masterworks of his predecessors to draw from, getting such famous paintings from around the world for the Paris exhibit was not easy — or cheap. Museums from the Prado in Madrid, Spain, to the Museum of Modern Art in New York lent their works to the show. In the end there were so many paintings to show that parallel exhibits are also mounted at the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay. The exhibit is costing France $5.8 million in insurance and insurance and transport for the art treasures.
At the Grand Palais, several Cubist Picasso nudes are paired with with well-known inspirations: Manet’s “Olympia,” a naked, reclining girl gazing at the viewer, and Goya’s similar reclining girl, The Nude Maja, also very famous. Picasso also painted a number of Cubist versions of Velazquez’s “Las Meninas” (The Maids of Honor), the familiar 17th century masterpiece featuring a child princess, Margarita Teresa of Spain. While Velazquez’ original painting uses a classical style and dark tones, Picasso used bright blues, yellows and greens in his homages, making the characters more abstract. Unfortunately, France was not able to persuade the Prado in Madrid to loan its masterpiece for the Pciasso exhibit, so a slide is projected on the wall instead.
Seeing the master of Cubism side by side with works three hundred years older shows that perhaps Picasso was not the maverick everyone thought he was… or perhaps it only proves that putting a new twist on an old idea creates something totally unique.
“Picasso and the Masters” runs at the Grand Palais through Feb. 2, along with smaller shows at the Louvre and Orsay Museums. A similar Picasso exhibit will follow at London’s National Gallery from Feb. 25 to June 7.
French chef LeNotre, pastry icon, dies at 88
January 22, 2009
France mourns the passing of Gaston LeNotre, one of France’s most famous chefs
Any visitor to France knows the name Lenotre from the upscale chain of pastry shops around Paris and other cities. The man who gave these shops their famous cakes and their name has died at the age of 88. He passed away in his home in the Sologne region, where he had retired. His family said he had been battling a long illness.
The son of of two chefs, Lenotre opened his first pastry shop in 1957 in Paris’ upscale 16th arrondissement. It was an instant success, partly due to his invention of lighter pastries, one that is called “Success” which has become a “name” pastry (like the Napoleon, or the Opera for example) found in many shops today, not just Lenotre. Lenotre opened a catering service in 1960 that would blossom into the current chain of shops across France and a brand name synonymous with quality around the world. Lenotre shops are also found in many other countries, as far away as Thailand.
Lenotre also once ran the famous Paris restaurant the Pre Catalan and was the author of several books. In a profession known for difficult temperaments, Lenotre was well-liked for his warn personality, while still maintaining impeccably high standards. He was known for never allowing the mass-production of food, even when serving thousands.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Lenotre “one of the greatest masters of taste” in a statement mourning the famous chef. Lenotre was also remembered by colleague Alain Ducasse, another famous French chef who apprenticed with the Lenotre to learn pastry in his early days in the world of French cuisine.
In Morocco, stay like a Sultan in a luxury riad, or garden palace hotel
January 21, 2009
Online booking service offers tourists unique upscale stays in Moroccan cities
If you’re a true traveller, when you visit a place like Morocco, you’re after more than a vacation. You want to immerse yourself in an exotic experience, an authentic atmosphere. On the other hand, you’ve outgrown backpacking. You want some serious pampering and luxury accommodations on this trip. You’d also like to arrange some interesting excursions. But how can you find such a level of luxury in a Fez hotel, a Marrakesh hotel or an Essaouria hotel without sequestering yourself in some sterile, cookie-cutter international chain where the experience is the same whether you’re in Tangier or Toledo ?
Your answer: a luxury riad. The word riad means “garden”, and it refers to the traditional type of gracious home found in Morocco, with the oasis of an interior garden. Private villas and hotels worthy of the name riad dot Morocco. Sounds great, you say, but how do you locate a place like this, without knowing the area speaking the language, and what about concierge services once you get there? It sounds like you’d need a high-end travel agent to book a stay like this. And pay a Sultan’s ransom for your vacation, not at all an attractive prospect in today’s economy.
Enter www.luxury-riads.com. It’s an online booking service that conceals much more. There is a whole team behind the service that knows every corner of Morocco cold, and has visited each of the best traditional luxury properties personally, from the most gracious Marrakesh riads to the most beautiful Tangier hotels. Many have the interior courtyard gardens, sparkling with traditional Moroccan tile, that make you know you’re definitely not in Kansas anymore. You’ll get to stay in historic places like The Palais Sebban, which was constructed around the magnificent residence of Caíd (meaning “governor”) Sebban.
The Morocco hotels travellers can book on www.luxury-riads.com are all well-located within their cities, near historic sights and monuments and city centers, such as the Marrakesh hotel Riad Dar Abiad, situated close to the museum of Marrakech. The online booking site also offers a catalog of fascinating activities and excursions you can book based on your cultural interests, to make your stay at your Tangier hotel or Marrakesh riad a truly unique adventure.
Best of all, when you book your special Marrakesh hotel through www.luxury-riads.com you won’t pay high-end travel agent prices. In fact, the rates offered on the site on Fez hotels, Essaouira hotels and also those in the more oft-visited Marrakesh are often lower even than you’ll find booking directly through the hotels themselves! No wonder a survey of private accommodations in Morocco showed that www.luxury-riads.com ranked #1 among all Morocco tourism agencies for Spanish travellers, who are especially familiar with the country because of historic and cultural ties.
If you’re quick, you can even take advantage of special offers on some of the special hotels mentioned above. Look for links on the home page.
Make your stay in Morocco one to remember, and relax in palatial splendor at smart prices by doing it yourself online. Sites like www.luxury-riads.com make it easy to plan a trip fit for a Sultan.
www.luxury-riads.com is an online booking service offering traditional Moroccan luxury hotels in major cities in Morocco.
Services
Luxury RiadsMarrakech, Maroc
Booking : 00 212 244 588 00
Web : http://www.luxury-riads.com
For tax benefits, asset protection and discretion, many consider incorporating offshore
January 15, 2009
Offshore company formation in the Seychelles, Mauritius or BVI can offer businesses and individuals great tax savings while providing confidentiality
With taxes eating a hole in their profits, more and more business people are casting a glance toward their economic horizon and considering offshore company formation. Once the province of only the mega-wealthy, the offshore IBC (International Business Corporation) is now within reach as a solution for a broader range of business owners looking to have a Mauritius company or a BVI company (British Virgin Islands) to shield their profits, simplify their taxes, and conduct their business with more privacy. Still, with laws and conditions on the ground that are complicated and constantly changing, these are tricky waters to navigate without the right partner.
One rock-solid company offering offshore company formation and assistance is SFM-Offshore. A member of the Geneva Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and in business for 15 years, the company has long experience and know-how in all the countries in which it offers offshore IBC services. As a member of several reputable financial associations, such as The International Financial Management Association, the International Tax Planning Association and more, SFM-Offshore is always abreast of all the latest tax laws, their implications and strategies for maximizing and protecting their clients’ assets. The company’s online presence allows it to speed up the incorporation process considerably — clients can “order” their new offshore IBC right from the website.
Because all countries have different policies regarding offshore company formation, some more favorable than others, SFM-Offshore singles out the countries that are friendliest to offshore IBCs, as well as being most stable politically and economically. However, since these conditions are constantly changing, the company keeps a close eye on the prevailing winds and makes recommendations to their clients accordingly. For example, SFM-Offshore can help a client form a BVI company, a Seychelles company or a Mauritius company, or assist them in incorporating in Panama, the state of Delaware in the US, Anguilla, Belize or Cayman. Right now, they frequently advise clients to choose Offshore company formation in Panama or a Seychelles company because of the combination of low fees, the speed of the incorporation process, and the high level of confidentiality afforded by these countries. That said, SFM-Offshore plans to open a new office in the British Virgin Islands sometime during the first half of 2009.
While SFM-offshore is based in Switzerland and Seychelles you won’t have to book a flight to open your offshore IBC. SFM-Offshore can handle everything via correspondence. The company provides other services too, such as designing your company’s logo. If you are in a hurry to obtain an offshore company, SFM-Offshore offers “shelf companies” that are already incorporated and awaiting a buyer. It even offers its customers a “virtual office” option, which allows clients to have a company address and receive mail in Geneva as well as in their country of incorporation, which can boost the image perception of their companies.
Those who are looking at offshore incorporation as a way of saving money will want to note that SFM-Offshore is one of the most competitively priced for the services they offer. Part of the reason for this is that the company’s long experience in the field of offshore incorporation, its well-established network of relationships and deep knowledge of the various countries allows it to complete the process much more efficiently. The company’s being headquartered in Switzerland affords its clients the highest level of discretion as well.
SFM-Offshore, a member of the Geneva chamber of Industry and Commerce, has offered clients all over the world discreet and efficient offshore company formation for over 15 years.
Services
SFM-Offshore7 rue du Marché,
1204 Genève, Suisse
Tel: +41 22 311 03 83
Fax : +41 22 311 03 84
Email : info@sfm-offshore.com
Web : http://www.sfm-offshore.com SFM Ltd
Unit 117, Orion Mall, Palm Street
Victoria
Mahe, Seychelles
Tel: +248 225 908
Fax : +248 225 397
Email : info@sfm-offshore.com
Web : http://www.sfm-offshore.com
Budapest : a tale of one city in two distinct parts
January 8, 2009
Old World meets new in perfect harmony in this musical and cultural hub.
Budapest, a short flight from Paris, offers breathtaking Old World grandeur plus a thriving cultural life. Situated on both banks of the Danube River, Budapest’s name tells how it unites the colorful hills of Buda and the wide boulevards of more business-centered Pest. Although some 30,000 buildings were destroyed during World War II and in the 1956 Revolution, the past lingers on in the city’s crumbling fairytale beauty, ornate thermal baths and charming Budapest hotels, havens for weary Europeans for centuries.
Budapest’s nightlife is vibrant and varied. Starting mid-March, the season’s first and biggest arts festival, the Budapest Spring Festival, showcases Hungary’s best opera, music, theater, fine arts, and dance, also featuring artists from other countries. The World Music and International Puppet Festivals are held in early July. In mid-August, the week-long BudaFest festival of opera and ballet takes place. For more intrepid visitors who want to shake a leg themselves, many of Budapest’s local cultural centers hold traditional folk-dancing evenings, with a basic lesson given at the beginning. For more modern fun, nightclubs and casinos abound.
Many of the major tourist sights of Budapest are on Castle Hill, laced with cobblestone streets, beautifully preserved old houses and crowned by the Royal Palace. But Budapest is a sprawling city, with much to see and do. Be prepared to do a lot of walking, and choose the location of your Budapest hotel wisely.
Budapest, long a stop on the world tour of composers and performers such as Mozart, still plays host to travellers with a multitude of hotel options. To strike the right note for your visit, the location of your Budapest hotel is key. Fortunately, finding the right hotel in the heart of Budapest is as simple as do-re-mi, with Atel Hotels’ website to help you choose the right hotel in central Budapest for your trip.
Atel’s website allows you to make Budapest hotel reservations, without a fee, while choosing your Budapest hotel based on its precise distance from the places and events in Budapest that interest you most. Atel Hotels lists a host of hotels in the heart of Budapest and allows visitors to its website search for hotel availability in Budapest by price, level of luxury, and–most importantly, by exact location. For example, opera fans will be smart to choose a Budapest hotel close to the magnificent National Opera House of Hungary. Atel’s website lists a good choice in Hotel Star in Budapest only about 1000 feet from the steps of the Opera. Those on a budget might choose another hotel in central Budapest, Locust Tree Apartments, still less than half a mile from the opera and very reasonable. If you expect to do more pampering, make your Budapest hotel reservation at Hotel Papillon, less than 2000 feet from both the Lucaks and the Kiraky Thermal Baths, with rates starting at only 59 Euros! Atel’s website is unique in that it lists exact distances of each of its Budapest hotels from the most desirable tourist stops and business districts, saving time and energy you’ll need for making the most of your visit. For example, Atel lists hotels in central Budapest closer to either the Buda and Pest sides, from two to four stars with distances from neaby sights calculated for each. And to assist you in planning your trip and your travel budget ahead of time, Atel’s website offers real-time, 24/7 information on hotel availability in Budapest and up-to-the-minute room rates. Photos and detailed descriptions of each hotel paint a picture of each property at its atmosphere. Budapest hotel reservations made through Atel are confirmed immediately and incur no extra fees.
If you are looking for a trip full of variety, culture, music and Old World charm an easy trip from Paris, Budapest is a destination sure to satisfy. And if you want a hotel in the heart of Budapest that will suit your budget, meet your expectations and put you in proximity to your favorite Budapest events and places, make your Budapest hotel reservation online with Atel.
Atel hotels is a reservation network of fine independent hotels all over Europe, offering travellers pinpointed location information, real-time hotel availability and 24/7 immediate confirmed reservations.
Services
- Budapest hotels
- Hotels in the heart of Budapest
- Budapest hotel reservations
- Hotels in central Budapest
- Hotel availability in Budapest
10 rue Louis Vicat
75015 Paris
Tel : +33 1 45 31 25 45
Fax : +33 1 45 31 22 21
Email : Contact form
Web : http://www.atel-hotels-budapest.com