!!!

Eiffel Tower

Metropolitan Subway

sexy HOTEL - CRILLON

10, place de la Concorde

75008 Paris France

+33 (0) 1 44 71 15 00

www.crillon.com

Hotel de Crillon in Paris is one of the oldest and most exclusive luxury hotels in the world. It is located on the foot of the Champs Elysees at No. 10 on the north end of Place de la Concorde.

The Hotel de Crillon reflects total opulence, beginning at the honey-colored marble lobby and into the adjacent gastronomic restaurant Les Ambrassadeurs filled with crystal chandeliers and decorated in seven different marbles.

The hotel's public salons are filled with 17th and 18th century tapestries, chandeliers, gilt-and-brocade furniture, fine pieces of sculpture, and Louis XV1 chest and chairs.

It's Leonard Bernstein suite, on the top floor with a wrap-around terrace that provides a spectacular veiw of Paris, also contains one of the maestro's pianos.

sexy LOUNGE - BUDDAH BAR - PARIS

8, rue Boissey d' Anglais, M. Concorde

75008 Paris France

+33 (0) 1 53 05 90 00

Only steps away from the Crillon Hotel is the Buddah Bar lounge/restaurant - an exotic, slightly kitchy establishment serving Asian cuisine.

An impressive statue of a giant Buddah gazes down onto a fashionable crowd seduced by the ambient sounds of their namesake CD series.

sexy MUSIC - BUDDAH BAR (CD SERIES)

www.buddah-bar.com

The Buddah Bar" music series is a compilation of lounge and chill out music released by George V records and was started by Claude Challe.

Anxiously I wait for the arrival of a newly released CD.  Most recently I purchased Buddah-bar X , completing the entire series.  Every CD is amazing and perfect for entertaining!

sexy HOTEL - BUDDAH BAR - PRAGUE (OPENING WINTER 2008)

www.buddah-bar-hotel.cz

Buddah Bar is about to open its first 5 star hotel in Prague this autumn 2008, followed by Panama, Dominic Republic, Paris, Egypt and Dubai's "The World" Island project.

Prague is a destination on the top of my list for travel and the Buddah Bar hotel in Prague is a place I'd love to stay.

sexy DINING - MAXIM'S DE PARIS

3, rue Royal

75008 Paris

+33 (0) 1 42 65 27 94

www.maxims-de-paris.com

 Maxim's is an international symbol of Art Nouveau, completed for the World's Fair in 1900.

"Eccentric artists and avant-guardists, the rich and famous, exuberant stars and royal highnesses have all had occasion to sit and dine at one of the tables, brimming with history at the legendary Maxim's of Paris"

When is Paris, Maxim's is a must to experience a beautiful bygone era.  Stop by for atleast some tea to see the Art Nouveau decor.

sexy SHOES - CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

www.christianlouboutin.fr

Christian Louboutin "Very Brode Pump"

Christain Louboutin signature red sole shoes are sexy, stunning and sensual! If a woman is prepared to pay a high price for a pair of shoes, Christian Louboutin's are a must; they are extremely comfortable and have cushioning in the sole. 

Crafted from the finest materials, a pair of Christain Louboutin's will last for years, infact after 10 years my first pair (5 inch black pump) gave out after treading the rigorous cobblestones streets of Europe.  You may ask on cobblestones & 5 inch heels?  Well, I'm a little embarrassed to say I'm not always practical in an effort to look good.  Never the less, my point is that Christain Louboutin shoes are the best - they are architectural feats for the feet.

sexy BEAUTY PRODUCTS - L'OCCITANE

www.loccitane.com

L'Occitane en Provence is an international retailer of body, face and home products.  The company was founded in 1976 by Oliver Baussan and is based in Manosque, France.  The name L'Occitane means "the woman from O'ccitania" - O'ccitania being the region we know today as Provence.

My favorite soaps and skin creams are by L'Occitane.   A list of my four favorite products are:

1) Lait Corporel (Body Lotion)

2) Savon Verveine (Verbena Soap)

3) Savon Lait (Milk Soap)

4) Creme de Miel (Honey Cream) - You'll smell so sweet like honey you may like you want to eat yourself. It's extremely sticky, but you'll feel so soft after it absorbs into the skin.

sexy CHOCOLATES - FAUCHON

24-26 place de la Madeleine

Paris France

+33 (0) 1 70 39 38 00

www.fauchon.fr

Fauchon is a luxury food shop in Paris, similar in stature to Fortnum & Mason in London, Fauchon was founded in 1886 by Auguste Fauchon.  There are many stores in France, as well as worldwide, but their flagship store is located on the place de la Madeleine in the 8e arrondissement of Paris.

When ever I visit Paris I love any excuse to visit this beautiful store.  There I'll pick up a few pink boxes filled with delicate chocolates to bring back to my friends and family.

In the U.S.A Fauchon chocolates can be found at various Neiman Marcus stores.

sexy FIRST LADY OF FRANCE - CARLA BRUNI

Carla Bruni Italian model, singer and wife of president of France Nicolas Sarkozy.

sexy MUSIC - CARLA BRUNI

Carla Bruni who is Italian sings "Quelqu'un m'a dit" album in French.  I never get tired of hearing Carla Bruni's beautiful melodic voice and this album makes a wonderful present for all ages.

sexy FILM - BELLE DE JOUR (1967)

"Seductive and so sexy"

sexy FILM - SWIMMING POOL (2003)

"An erotic, psychlogical thriller"

sexy GARDENS - LUXEMBOURG

sexy GARDENS - VERSAILLES

Photographs courtesy of Flickr.com - photographers: edgley-cesar, anacama 99, cuellar, bratan, ferzlaz 02, MattHartzell, scalleja, Tchasty

En mars et en mai
[dailymotion id=k2qTwvKzPZ7Z8hCPng]

En août
[dailymotion id=k6QiKGj3sV3arjKlCe]

Pour égayer vos banquets et chauffer la salle, le Nicolas Perroquet est idéal lors de vos bar mitzvah, vos mariages, communions, baptêmes et autres fêtes familiales. Un Nicolas acheté, c'est un Jean Sarkozy offert.

Maladie d'Alzheimer (Wikipédia):
"Le premier symptôme est la perte du souvenir des événements récents (amnésie) ; elle se manifeste initialement par des distractions mineures qui s'accentuent progressivement avec la progression de la maladie, tandis que les souvenirs plus anciens sont relativement préservés. Par la suite, les déficits cognitifs s'étendent aux domaines du langage (aphasie), de l'organisation des mouvements (apraxie), de la reconnaissance visuelle (agnosie) et des fonctions exécutives (telles que la prise de décision et la planification). Ces derniers symptômes reflètent en particulier le processus pathologique de dégénérescence atteignant les lobes frontaux du cerveau."

Pauvre Carlita...

Je me suis donc amusé du décalage entre cet anglicisme outrancier (insupportable sur la plus belle avenue de France, n'est-il pas ? au moins, quand ils avaient fait le coup avec Zidane sur l'Arc de Triomphe en 98, c'était en français) et les sportifs tricolores tout à la joie d'agiter les trois couleurs.

Sans doute l'avènement du sport-business...

Au fait, que devient Jacques Toubon ?

No matter what you like, there exist a Paris hotel that you will adore. There are 4 main categories, so you can choose one according to your taste or mood.
The very first thing that Paris can do best of all is CHIC. So you should not better enter the hotel in a pair of trainers and a backpack. Nobody will tell you anything about the way you look, but the only glance of the receptionist will be enough to dispatch you. All the hotels are really elegant and the employees look beautiful and smart.
There are hotels in a traditional French character  plenty of them. Some of them are really old, some are refreshed and the others are just brand-new. They have  crooked floors, old beams, breakfast rooms in stone-walled cellars, nostalgic decoration. You just have to know which of them are well-run and which have already lived their days.

Chic Hotels

Meurice

Officially Paris only rises to “four-star luxe” rather than five-star accommodation, which is probably what makes its top hotels so sensational: they are all in traditional mode and set in historic mansions, rather than bling new builds.

If only for its location, entered from the arches of the rue de Rivoli and overlooking the Jardin des Tuileries, the Meurice has the edge, for me, over its rivals the Ritz, Plaza-Athénée, Four Seasons Georges V, Bristol and Crillon.

Inside, the revamped interior glitters in gold, marble and glass in a way that’s dramatic yet dainty, with rows of gilt-framed glass doors leading into the shadowy majesty of the Bar Fontainbleu, and the Versailles-themed, Michelin-starred restaurant.

Rooms and suites hark back to the empire and 18th century and many have superb views, while the terrace of the Belle Étoile Suite has an amazing 360-degree panorama over Paris. Spoiling spa; appropriate service.

• 228 rue de Rivoli, 1st; www.meuricehotel.com;

Lancaster

A recent stay at this aristocratic Champs-Élysées hotel shows that its new owner, the Spanish Hospes group, headed by the high-society owners of Zara, has left well alone, only improving amenities such as beds and in-room entertainment.

The ancien régime townhouse was bought in 1930 by the hotelier Emile Wolf, who filled it with unusual things and a starry array of guests from Coward to Dietrich.

The original furniture remains intact, as do the enchanting Salon Berri and the red leather lift that takes you to your bedroom. The assured Michel Troisgros oversees the menu in the restaurant.

• 7 rue de Berri, 8th; www.hotel-lancaster.fr;

Best of the rest

Verneuil

Chic usually means expensive, and it certainly doesn’t mean cheap, but this Saint-Germain address is at least affordable and provides a bolthole that feels both exclusive and welcoming.

Bedrooms (specify a large one) are furnished with antiques. There’s a cosy sitting room, and, once you step outside, a wealth of antique and fashion shops. The owner, Sylvie de Lattre, Parisienne to her fingertips, picks out her favourite local shops and cafés on the hotel’s website.

• 8 rue de Verneuil, 7th; www.hotel-verneuil.com;

Thérèse

A smart, whitewashed building in a narrow street near the Louvre announces the Thérèse, carefully designed in classic/contemporary style, with an eye for quality. The elegant bedrooms have good-quality beds and linens, while bathrooms mix traditional with contemporary such as Philippe Starck lighting and old-style tap fittings. Most importantly, the hotel attracts an interesting clientèle, many from publishing and fashion.

• 57 rue Thérèse, 1st; www.hoteltherese.com;

Hip hotels

The best

de Sers

Less than 100 yards from the George V hotel, here is a smaller mansion-turned-hotel with a dash of zaniness. When the architect Thomas Vidalenc remodelled the 19th-century home of the Marquis de Sers, he made a happy marriage between traditional elegance and cutting-edge design.

The entrance hall sets the tone: a gallery of heavy, gilt-framed portraits hangs on the panelled wall above a row of grey armchairs on deep purple carpet. The wood-clad, candlelit S’Bar becomes a magnet for a glamorous young crowd at cocktail hour, while the bedrooms offer deep-pile, wrap-around comfort.

• 41 avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 8th; www.hoteldesers.com;

Best of the rest

Costes

It’s best to be someone at Costes but if your face fits and you want a high-octane, highly public romantic interlude in Paris, then Costes is for you: an opulent faux Napoleon III cocoon which top decorator Jacques Garcia created in his plushest, most lavish haute-bordello style.

There are plenty of intimate, shadowy corners and in the pool room you can draw the curtains around your double day bed for complete privacy. At night, chill music is provided by cool in-house DJ, Stéphane Pompougnac. Rooms are small but richly decorated, with wonderful bathrooms, many with deep Victorian clawfoot baths.

• 239 rue St-Honoré, 1st; Hotel Costes

Amour

Brainchild of the graffiti artist and nightclub entrepreneur known as André, the Amour has come storming on to the Paris hotel scene. It has the right name, is in the right place – up-and-coming SoPi (south Pigalle) – and is extremely hip.

Bedrooms lead off black-painted corridors lit by naked bulbs. Some have been decorated by named artists; others display risqué photographs; all are eclectic, done in vintage colours and display interesting finds from the flea market.

The buzzing bistro downstairs, all black, white and fire-engine red, swarms at night with young bohos. In warm weather, tables and chairs spill out into the lush courtyard garden.

• 8 rue de Navarin, 9th; www.hotelamour.com;

Murano Urban Resort

If Costes is hip in an opulent way, then Murano Urban Resort is hip in a fun way. You may find the lift lined in faux fur on your first visit, glitter on your second, the white Chesterfield stretches in front of an enormous working fireplace, the restaurant ceiling is a sea of and fingerprint scanners have replaced room keys.

The corridors feel like nightclubs and two of the suites have tiny rooftop pools. Fun. And not nearly as intimidating as you might think.

• 13 boulevard du Temple, 3rd www.muranoresort.com

Hotels with character

Daniel

Turning its back on all-white minimalism, this newcomer puts Chinoiserie back on the style map, with Khotan carpets, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper, jewel-coloured silk sofas and porcelain lamps.

The look, created by the designer Tarfa Salam, is flamboyant. From the lobby, in tones of almond green and grey, a lift resembling a Chinese box whisks guests up to the bedrooms, most lined with toile de Jouy and all furnished with oriental pieces. The Asian influence extends to the restaurant.

• 8 rue Fréderic Bastiat, 8th www.hoteldanielparis.com;

The best of the rest

Caron de Beaumarchais

A glimpse through the glass front of this Marais hotel tells all: a recreation of 18th-century taste, complete with pianoforte, card table and first editions, and the world of Mozart’s librettist Caron de Beaumarchais, who lived on the same street.

It may be mannered, but it’s impossible not to be caught up in the charm and warmth. Bedrooms, the best with walk-out balconies, are decorated with as much care as the public rooms. Good value for the area.

• 12 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 4th www.carondebeaumarchais.com;

L’Hôtel

The pavillion d’amour of the early 19th century, the final home of Oscar Wilde in the early 20th and the louche and decadent celebrity hangout of the Sixties and Seventies is now, resplendent in its Jacques Garcia livery, in the caring hands of Jessica Sainsbury and her husband Peter de Frankopan (owners of the Cowley Manor hotel in the UK). Climb the circular staircase to rooms like jewel boxes and themed suites.

• 13 rue des Beaux-Arts, 6th www.l-hotel.com;

Budget hotels

Arvor Saint-Georges

Around the corner from place Saint Georges (one of the city’s hidden gems), the Arvor is the new kid on the budget block. Behind a sober façade, the hands-on owner Nadine Flammarion has transformed a standard three-star into a hip, laid-back hotel with retro-contemporary looks.

The finished bedrooms – some are still being refurbished – are mainly white but with a single wall of vivid colour, and are minimally yet carefully furnished. The open-plan ground floor incorporates a sitting area, a bar, reception and breakfast area decorated with the striped posters of the French conceptual artist Daniel Buren.

• 8 rue Laferrière, 9th www.arvor-hotel-paris.com;

The best of the rest

Chopin

The Chopin’s entrance looks cosy and inviting glimpsed from one of the 19th-century arcades that thread this shopping and theatre neighbourhood. Inside, plants, a piano and, predictably, Chopin in the background, infuse it with old-world charm.

Staff are caring and attentive, and prices close to rock bottom by Parisian standards. The bedrooms are simple, attractive and blissfully quiet. The best, tucked under the eaves, have classic views across the rooftops.

• 10 46 passage Jouffroy, 9th www.hotel-chopin.com;

Mayet

Fun, relaxed, breezy and good value, the Mayet shows how colour – judiciously applied – can lift a hotel out of the rut. It’s everywhere: graffiti-style murals; painted tables; carpets; even the mugs for your self-service breakfast (which you can take back to bed or eat at a long table d’hôte).

The more sober bedrooms in red, grey and white use stylish “office” furniture to good effect, and all have excellent beds.
3 rue Mayet, 6th; www.mayet.com;

click on the pics and see more at my Flickr Web-Album

Carlos Sastre sealed his first Tour de France title to become the third Spaniard in as many years to win cycling's biggest race. He finished the final stage on the Champs-Elysees in Paris yesterday in the main group of riders to end the 3,500 kilometer (2,175-mile) event 58 seconds ahead of Australia's Cadel Evans (this year's favourite to win), who was also runner-up last year.

Spaniards Alberto Contador and Oscar Pereiro won the past two Tours and Sastre's win gives his country a third major sporting triumph in a month. Sadly, two of the four cheats caught doping in this year's tour came from Spain too. Manuel Beltran (ex-Liquigas) and Moises Duenas (ex-Barloworld).

Sastre, the seventh Spaniard to win the Tour, took the lead July 23 by winning the 17th stage on the summit of L'Alpe d'Huez by more than two minutes.

A hearty congrats to Sastre for winning of the most exciting and closest Tour's we've seen yet in the past few years!

brilliant tour capturing the Overall Championship in Carlos Sastre, the Young Rider Classification in Andy Schleck and the best team. Executing a masterful plan, Carlos was reserved for a definitive stage win, to get the required margin. Sacrificing team mates were the difference, driving the pace, protecting their leaders and getting into key breaks to offer assistance when required. The ultimate sacrifice was Frank Schleck giving up his chance for the podium to a better time trialist in Sastre. That the team could ask it of him is one thing, that he did it, demands respect. Sastre's excellent time trial demonstrated that the right choice was made.  Hats off to Sastre and CSC.

As for the green jersey, it is won by Oscar Freire. Oscar was consistent and persistent. He was regularly in the top ten and willing to dash for intermediate sprints along the way. In my mind it was more of a team win then an individual win. The team put him in position and went to measures to either set him up for intermediates or stole the points from others. Oscar was not the best sprinter, having only won a single stage (no small thing still). He was how ever strong enough for top 5 consistently. Secondly, he finished the tour with the ability to contest time after time. Congrats to him and the rest of Rabobank.

There are many that are at his footsteps and I’d be surprised to see him win it again. I would have liked to see McEwen freer to contest. He was unfortunately saddled with supporting Cadel rather then making his mark. Unfortunately, Tom Boonen wasn’t permitted to race because he would have challenged Oscar as well. From a sprinting perspective, Cavendish made the tour for me. Shades of McEwen, a young Zabel and even Abdoujaparov come to mind as you watch Mark peel away the competition. They simply can’t hang on to his wheel. I will be watching him at Beijing.

The stage today didn’t really get going until the peloton arrived in Paris. I don’t know about you, but the Champs Élysées circuit fascinates me. The 6.5km loop permits the riders to see each other coming or going. There is no getting lost in the trees or around turns. As such, breaks are harder than usually to get away. Today was a case in point. There were stacks of attempts to escape none of them sticking for any length of time. It was the rare successful Quick Step train by led by Matteo Tosatto and Steven De Jongh that put Steegmans in exactly the right spot to hold of an impressively charging Ciolek. Oscar pulled out a third followed by McEwen and Hushovd. It was a fabulous finish in Paris.

Well that does it for the 2008 Tour de France. Thanks for checking in on my little log from time to time for news about the race. I will be continuing writing about significant competitions including the 2008 Summer Olympics, Triathlons and the World Championships. Please come back for more of the Velo Noise perspective.

Allez915

Stage 21 Video Recap: http://tinyurl.com/6yc5pp

Stage 21 Race Reports:

Cycling News: http://tinyurl.com/657rch

Versus: http://tinyurl.com/65vhno

Velonews: http://tinyurl.com/6lcaur

Yahoo Sports: http://tinyurl.com/6blrlc

Stage 21 Results:

1 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step, 3.51.38 (37.04 km/h)
2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia, st.
3 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank, st.
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto, st.
5 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole, st.
6 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30, st.
7 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner, st.
8 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner, st.
9 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone, st.
10 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld, st.
11 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram, st.
12 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre, st.
13 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC - Saxo Bank, st.
14 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas, st.
15 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne, st.

Overall Standings, Yellow Jersey:

1 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank, 87.52.52
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto, 0.58
3 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner, 1.13
4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank, 2.10
5 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30, 3.05
6 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank, 4.28
7 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi, 6.25
8 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia, 6.55
9 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne, 7.12
10 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale, 9.05

Team Competition:

1 Team CSC Saxo Bank, 263.29.57
2 AG2R-La Mondiale, 15.35
3 Rabobank, 1.05.26
4 Euskaltel - Euskadi, 1.16.26
5 Silence - Lotto, 1.17.15
6 Caisse d'Epargne, 1.20.28
7 Team Columbia, 1.23.00
8 Lampre, 1.26.24
9 Gerolsteiner, 1.27.40
10 Credit Agricole, 1.37.16

Green Jersey (Best Sprinter):

1 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank, 270 pts
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole, 220
3 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram, 217
4 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone, 181
5 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia, 155
6 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne, 136
7 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld, 131
8 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto, 129
9 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30, 119
10 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia, 116

White Jersey (Best Young Rider):

1 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank, 88.04.24
2 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas, 1.27
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas, 17.01
4 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone, 24.09
5 Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa) Agritubel, 1.08.34
6 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia, 1.13.55
7 John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) Barloworld, 1.24.49
8 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram, 1.38.17
9 Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française des Jeux, 1.38.22
10 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne, 1.44.07

Pokadot Jersey (Mountain Climbing):

1 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner, 128 pts
2 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC - Saxo Bank, 80
3 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC - Saxo Bank, 80
4 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom, 65
5 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner, 62
6 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner, 61
7 John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) Barloworld, 61
8 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne, 58
9 Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française des Jeux, 52
10 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi, 51

Three weeks ago, 180 riders started the Tour. Only 145 of them made it to Paris. Some quit. Three were kicked out for doping. Several suffered injuries. All endured pain. Sastre covered 2,200 miles in less than 88 hours. Some riders took longer to finish the 21 stages. Australian Cadel Evans finished the Tour in second place for a second year in a row. Perhaps the pressure of wearing the number one was too great. Perhaps he just didn't have a strong enough team. Evans goes home the bridesmaid and may have missed his only chance to be the bride.

Gerolsteiner's Bernard "Burn Hard" Kohl was the big surprise. He finished in third and wins the King of the Mountains jersey. His name was hardly mentioned until he earned polka dots. We will see big things from him in the future.

Denis Menchov's fall in a mountain stage and overly cautious descending cost him the yellow jersey. The shy Russian on team Rabobank was one of the race favorites. He deserves his fourth place finish, just missing the podium, because he is one of the few strong riders who makes cycling dull.

America's new Tour hopeful Christian Vandevelde raced an impressive time trial that pushed him up to fifth place overall. VdV was the underdog with nothing to lose going into this year's Tour. His consistent top-ten mountain finishes gave him confidence to be crowned team leader. VdV put Garmin Chipotle in the spotlight. Argyle is back in fashion.

Twenty-two riders under the age of 25 will likely return to challenge the French countryside. Veteran riders such as Columbia's anchorman George Hincapie and CSC caboose Jens Voigt may return as well. The Tour is over for these strong men. But it's not the end of their season. Quadruple stage winner Mark Cavendish and others will go to the Beijing Olympics next month. Fans will watch, cheer and remember the amazing performances in this unpredictable Tour. This was an incredible race. Now, I must get back to work. Until next year, au revoir!

-Le Tour Babe

***Having an authentic ham and cheese crepe on the Champs Elysees at 1am with a handful of special people that just happened to be in Paris at the same time, then hanging out at an underground club acting silly.

***Seeing cool landmarks like The Eiffel Tower, The Louve, The Notre Dame Cathedral, The Siene River and The Arc de Triumph.

***Waking up in France, having lunch in Monaco, and going to sleep in Italy.

***Seeing the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, and exploring the old towns of Volterra and Gimignano.

***Having a private tour of the Sassicaia Winery and Vineyard, which is closed to the public. A small, very basic family operation that changed the way of wine production in Italy, this wine has won numerous awards over the years and is known as one of the few "Super Tuscans".

***Seeing Michaelangelo's David, Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, and The Mona Lisa.

***Searching for the perfect thin crust pizza in Italy.

***Partying like a rock star in St. Tropez on the 4th of July and learning the difference between a Magnum(2 bottles), Double Magnum(4 bottles), and Jeroboam(6 bottles).

***Relaxing in the quiet little seaside town of Portofino at the hillside Splendido Hotel, where the view is amazing and the have the best spaghetti I have ever tasted.

***Walking/Hiking 8 miles through Cinque Terre (5 lands), a small group of 5 small fishing villages on the coastline in a National Park.

***Exploring all the nooks and crannies of Venice, Italy and wondering aimlessly through the cobble stone streets. Having drinks at The Gritti Palace, visiting one of the most famous squares in the world ( Piazza San Marco), and shopping in Rodeo-like shops of Chanel and Prada.

***Feeling like a Princess and taking advantage of all the amenities at The Principe Di Savoia in Milan, Italy. The hotel is one of the oldest and most recognized hotels in the city.

I have recently found and fell in love with the Arenberg Cinema in Brussels. Last week I had the opportunity to watch Calle Santa Fe, an excellent Chilean documentary about the MIR (movimiento de izquiera revolucionario) and how it managed to survive the dictatorship of Pinochet after Allende just to be pronounced as dead and dissolved a few time afterwards.

This week it was Darjeeling's Limited turn. This film continues the same line and style of the Royal Tenenbaums (they even share actors). The soundtrack of the film is excellent. I specially enjoyed the Hotel Chevalier short film in the beginning with the "Where do you go to" song which was continually repeated throught the Darjeeling film. The "Aux Champs Elysees" at the end of the film drew an enormous smile on my face, and I can assure you it is still there today. The story is simple and the scenery in India is presented with no prentetious purpose. The photography is excellent and thanks to its mix with music it delivers its message sharp and clear. The story line turns somewhat boring at the end but the movie is conveniently ended on time.

To recommend: the soundtrack, specially "Aux Champs Elysees" and "Where do you go to."
The scene I remember: from Hotel Chevalier, the last scene of the view of Paris.
What I didn't like: the story ending. It turns out too slow and lost my interest.

Like the 4th, Quatorze Juillet is marked by a fireworks display near the Eiffel Tower. Not nearly as impressive as the parade, but then again, I've seen fireworks before. I can't say the same for military parades.

But what is truly impressive are the Bastille Day sales. And I scored big with a gorgeous Just Cavalli leather and fur jacket. Yes, fur is terribly un-PC, but I get very cold, very easily and fur is about the only thing that keeps me warm. This jacket blows all my vintage furs out of the water:

So I got the coat at this little "destockage" shop, which means that they have a lot of designer stuff, usually from a few seasons ago, at great prices. They're more likely to negotiate prices with you, too. I got the jacket at 40% off, though it's still one of the most expensive pieces of clothing I currently own--yikes! I figure, though, that I'll wear it all the time, so I'm justifying the price tag. It's so rock and roll. And 40% off! (I realize it's July... what better time to go fur-shopping?)

Anyway, the store is located online as well and run by two cool (and very nice) young Asians, a guy and a girl. He's Gerard, but I didn't catch her name. The site is called Fashion Tribu and they'll ship internationally for 20-some euros. So check it out.

Tomorrow, I'm going to post my new favorite recipe. A real Italian spaghetti sauce that a real Italian girl taught me. I made it over the weekend (albeit for Frenchies) and it was a big hit!

Can you see the 3-D like rendering in this image. I got that by using Picnik on the original copy of the image.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Flickr strikes deal with Getty

When you’re young, and even when you grow older, you love Bastille Day because it means that your parents don’t work and festivities are held all over France! The biggest celebration is the military parade on the Champs Elysees, the main and well-known avenue of Paris which stretches from l’Arc de Triomphe to la Place de la Concorde. The parade can be seen on every national TV channel.

There are also many festivities in small towns such as fireworks, balls and concerts. This day is very important because it demonstrates the French people’s dedication to their country and a renewed understanding of what their ancestors went through. Although Bastille Day is a French holiday, celebrations happen all over the world. In 2006, I was in the United States and I went to “Le Bal du 14 juillet” organized by the Committee of French Speaking Societies in New-York. It was a very French experience in a very American city. We drank good champagne and an orchestra was playing ‘La Vie en Rose’.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, Bastille Day should be celebrated as a symbol of freedom and revival.

Volunteer Abroad with United Planet!

Azi,14 iulie,vorbim despre Ziua Frantei,o tara de care ne leaga multe si cu care avem relatii destul de bune.Se implinesc 219 ani de la caderea inchisorii Bastilia in cadrul Revolutiei Franceze.Abia astept sa vad traditionala parada de pe Champs-Elysees care se anunta si de data asta un spectacol.

Sa ne amintim deci ca "On parle Francais" si sa ne bucuram la ceas de sarbatoare de o prospatura a muzicii frantuzesti:Alizee.

Il y a dix jours, je vous faisais ce billet tout chaud des Etats Unis, sur leur fête nationale, qu'ils appellent "Independance day". Dix jours plus tard c'est notre tour, avec notre 14 juillet qu'ils appellent "Bastille day".

Je sais pas vous, mais moi, j'adore le défilé du 14 juillet ! Les couleurs, la musique, l'émotion collective et bon enfant. Je n'en rate pas un ! Et quand j'habitais dans le 12ème arrondissement, il y a quelques années, avec vue sur les voies de la gare de Lyon, j'avais plein cadre sur le défilé aérien, et surtout sur le lâcher de couleurs, le moment que je préfère.

Cette année, j'ai eu le bonheur de tester les réflexes de mon nouveau ... reflex numérique en direct sur les Champs Elysées, et franchement, il assure bien !

On a donc commencé avec la patrouille de France ! Net et sans bavure ...

(c) Parismages.com

Version tout aussi décoiffante, mais un peu plus "décoiffée" !

(c) Parismages.com

Et on a finit avec les parachutistes qui ont apporté les drapeaux onusien, européen et français sur la place de la Concorde ... (Deux sur trois pour moi, en me dévissant bien le cou ...).

(c) Parismages.com

Et ce soir, avec ce beau temps, peut-être feu d'artifice au Champs de mars ?! Non ?

Je vous souhaite un très bon 14 juillet à toutes et à tous ;o)

A rather nice yuppie-covering chunder on the Champs-Élysées courtesy of Herr Vicious in Sid And Nancy.

He was walking rather briskly down the Champs-Elysées, towards the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel-tower. His dark box-frame glasses hid his eyes and disguised his facial features to such an extreme that not even his own mother would recognize Jason Gale where he hurried towards the phone booth and possibly the event that would be the turn of the Cold War. He almost walked straight into a young, brown-haired girl in a blue dress and her balloon as he turned to look over his shoulder. Sweat poured from his forehead. He tipped his hat and drew his thumb over the sweat brim to clear it. He put it on again as he suddenly turned sharp to the left and disappeared into a coffee shop. Who the hell was it that had managed to chase him all the way down here? Of course it could not be the Americans, they were busy calming down Castro and the whole American population who they, rather unnecessary, had stirred down to their foundations. The Russians were as unlike to spend so many resources on one man. He decided it had to be a couple of drunken Secret Service agents who wanted to show themselves one last time before Nixon gave them up to Brezhnev and the Gulag.
His beliefs were utterly confirmed when the two men he had spotted behind him stopped at the spot where he had vanished into the coffee shop. The silver Rolex watches of their left wrists gave them away quite easy where it stuck out of their suit arms. He waited inside the cafeteria for some thirty minutes until he was certain they were gone, before he let himself slide out of the glass door and continued down the broad and heavily trafficked street.
As he entered the empty phone booth at the far corner of the champ de Mars, he pulled out a small purple book, the kind that journalists today use, and found what he was looking for. On the cover of what would be the end of the book someone had written down a series of numbers, all adding up to 108. He typed the numbers into the machine, and waited for it to ring. He once again dried the sweat from the brim of his hat and answered the phone the second it rang. The voice of a lady was on the other end. Her voice was clear, slow and appealed to the man inside the booth in a way, as if it reminded him of a long lost teenage crush. He received his orders and then he hung up. He knelt down, facing the large tower, and with his left hand, he dug in under the metal plate he stood on and found a ring. The ring was made of a golden material and was fitted with a large blue stone. He put it on his right index finger and stepped out of the booth. He turned again so that he now stood, again facing the tower. He pulled something out of his pocket, took off his glasses and threw them into the road to the left of him. He put the object from his pocket between his hands as he folded them. He touched his forehead with the ring before started speaking, very lowly.

As he turned away from the smoking and crumbling remains of the ash pile that once had been one of the most beloved and monumental landmarks in France, and really the whole world, he started to bleed from his eyes. He now faced Arc de Triomphe. His right index finger started to burn with extreme intensity, and his fingernail fell off as the blue stone fell to the ground. He saw the sunlight becoming brighter and brighter over Paris before the screaming began. Jason Gale was struck with terror as he watched the faces of every man, woman and child around him stretch in agony and fear before they melted, only to poor like liquid to the paved roads around Champ de Mars. It had been too strong. He fucking knew it! He had told him time after time that it was not safe yet, and that certain things had been banned by Thule for good reasons. His left hand turned to dark grey ash, crumbled and fell to the ground as a large dark crow took to its wings from whatever he had pulled out of his pocket. He saw Arc de Triomphe fall apart and becoming dematerialized before his head and his whole body was turned into bright, pure light.

The crow shouted once. A long, sad shriek over a dead battlefield before it fell dead silent through the air and its feathers grew to black moths which flew all over the lost city and fell to the ground as pieces of ash.

Fondée par un ancien de chez Cartier, Jean Dinh Van, la griffe de bijoux ouvre ainsi sa cinquième boutique parisienne en juillet, la septième en France, et peut se targuer de compter au sein de son réseau plus d’une centaine de boutiques multimarques sur l’Hexagone.

A l’étranger, Dinh Van se déploie dans une vingtaine de pays via des revendeurs agréés mais possède également deux adresses en propre à Genève et à Bruxelles. Une belle success story, trente-deux ans après l’ouverture de la première boutique au 7 rue de la Paix à Paris.

Source : FashionMag.fr