FRANCAIS AVEC MONSIEUR CALDWELL

The Associated Press Published: October 23, 2007 PARIS : Stamping camembert with a "carbon footprint" rating. Charging Parisians for the empty Bordeaux bottles they discard. Banning high speeds through the pasture-lined highways of the Loire Valley. France is trying to clean up its act, readying measures this week aimed at reversing its image as environmental laggard and making it a pioneer in the fight against global warming and other threats to the Earth's well-being. Yet environmental groups fear the measures, to be finalized at a conference Wednesday and Thursday, will be too watered down to make a difference in France's carbon emissions and have little impact on worldwide efforts to reduce the pollution that is warming the planet. President Nicolas Sarkozy isn't letting those fears slow his push to raise France's eco-profile. He put global warming high on his agenda after his

from the NY Times By ANDREW MARTIN Published: May 12, 2007 The Danone Group has enjoyed great success by selling French yogurt to Americans. Now the company is turning to an American to introduce organic yogurts in Europe, starting in France, a country that doesn’t normally look across the Atlantic for culinary advice. Gary Hirshberg, the head of Stonyfield Farm, has built a yogurt empire by tirelessly promoting the virtues of organic food . Now that Stonyfield’s parent company, the Danone Group, has asked him to take his show on the road, he is about to see how well his message translates. “It’s obviously very audacious to go to France and talk about improving their food offerings,” he said. But at the insistence of Danone’s chairman and chief executive, Franck Riboud, Mr. Hirshberg introduced a line of products in September meant to tap into the growing demand for organic food in France, particularly in urban markets. The yogurt, called Les 2 Vaches des Fermiers du Bio (the two cows

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: May 8, 2007 PARIS, May 7 — Two days before the first round of the presidential election last month, Nicolas Sarkozy donned a red checked shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, mounted a small white horse named Universe and rode around the Camargue country in France ’s deep south. A gaggle of reporters and cameramen followed him in a cart pulled by a tractor. The black bulls in the nearby pasture stayed away. “A vague resemblance to the look of George W. Bush on his Texan ranch,” is how the left-leaning newspaper Libération described Mr. Sarkozy, who was elected president on Sunday, beating the Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal in a runoff. The newspaper dismissed the event as a media stunt, saying, “Everything for the image, right up until the last minute.” Mr. Sarkozy is unabashedly pro-American, a man who openly proclaims his love of Ernest Hemingway , Steve McQueen and Sylvester Stallone and his admiration for America’s strong work ethic a

from france.com Submitted by France.com on May 2, 2007 - 5:12am. News They seemed to style themselves on John and Jackie Kennedy, posing as a happy couple in the great outdoors, holding hands on boats. But for weeks Paris has been asking why Cecilia Sarkozy, the second wife of French presidential favourite Nicolas Sarkozy, has not been seen in public with her husband at his final public meetings before Sunday’s election. Full story: Beta Politique

from Reuters Submitted by France.com on May 3, 2007 - 11:47pm. News A luxury hotel just steps from the Champs Elysees with private terraces and 17th-century tapestries was on Tuesday named as the world's top large hotel by a U.S.-based survey of travelers and travel agents. Consumer-survey based guide company Zagat Survey LLC surveyed 21,783 frequent travelers and 1,626 professional travel agents to compile its 2007/2008 guide to the World's Top Hotels, Resorts and Spas covering venues in 103 countries. Full story: Reuters

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: April 27, 2007 PARIS, April 26 — No matter who wins the presidency of France on May 6, life in the grand, presidential Élysée Palace is destined to change. There is no future for the role of dutiful partner filled for the past dozen years by Bernadette Chirac, who as first lady has run charities, held dinners and served as a local official in the farming area of Corrèze. Both presidential candidates are members of unconventional couples. Ségolène Royal , the Socialist Party candidate, is not married to the father of her four children, François Hollande. But more than that, they are potential political rivals. As head of the Socialist Party, he was nearly the candidate himself, and says he will try to run in 2012 if Ms. Royal loses this time. “Certainly, without doubt,” he said Wednesday in an interview on a train from Paris to Nantes. “It’s also a competition between us.” He added that even if Ms. Royal won the election, he would not be

from the NY Times By KATRIN BENNHOLD Published: April 26, 2007 PARIS, April 25 — The defeated “third man” in the race for the French presidency seems to be calling the shots ever since he lost on Sunday. On Wednesday the candidate, François Bayrou, who won 18 percent of the vote in the first round and has been aggressively courted by both the Socialist candidate, Ségolène Royal , and the conservative front-runner, Nicolas Sarkozy , held a one-and-a-half-hour news conference where he unleashed a torrent of criticism against both candidates and refused to endorse either of them. In a sign that Mr. Bayrou intends to retain some influence in the contest, he said he would accept an invitation from Ms. Royal for a public debate before her May 6 runoff against Mr. Sarkozy. Ms. Royal reacted by proposing that Mr. Bayrou join her Friday when she meets the regional press, but appeared to back away when he insisted the debate be televised. If a debate occurs, it would present an unusual challenge

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: April 24, 2007 PARIS, April 23 — The French presidential race is on — for the vote of the center. The campaign entered a new phase on Monday, as the winners of the first round, Nicolas Sarkozy on the right and Ségolène Royal on the left, began a battle for the 6.8 million voters who chose the path down the middle. Taken together, the two winners scooped up 57 percent of the vote in the first round on Sunday. But François Bayrou, the legislator and farmer who heads the centrist Union for French Democracy, came in a strong third with more than 18 percent of the vote, and those votes are up for grabs. “The voters of the center control the election,” said Stéphane Rozès, a director of the CSA polling institute. “The challenge is not knowing where they will go.” go to http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/24/world/europe/24france.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fFrance&oref=slogin for the full story including

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: April 23, 2007 PARIS, April 22 — Nicolas Sarkozy , the conservative, and Ségolène Royal , the Socialist, won the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, setting up a classic left-right contest next month between two candidates with competing visions of how to govern France . Whoever is elected will also usher in a new generation of leadership: For the first time, France will have an elected president who did not come of age during World War II. With more than 99 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Sarkozy was leading with about 30.7 percent of the vote, and Ms. Royal had about 25.2 percent. François Bayrou, the centrist who vowed to plot a new, conciliatory way of governing, came in a distant third with about 18.4 percent A field of nine other candidates, including the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen , who came in second in the first round in 2002, captured the remaining vote. The balloting on Sunday was marked by high anxiety, sunny

from news.france.com http://news.bbc.co.uk posted by Editors 13 hours ago view profile Centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy will face Socialist Segolene Royal in the run-off of France's presidential election on 6 May, results indicate. With most votes counted in Sunday's first round, Mr Sarkozy had nearly 31%, with Ms Royal, bidding to be France's first woman president, on 25%. Centrist Francois Bayrou got 18%, and far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen almost 11%. Voting throughout the day reached record numbers, with turnout put at 85% - the highest for nearly 50 years. On a bright spring day, disillusionment with politicians and their promises did not translate into apathy, reports the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Paris .

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: April 20, 2007 PARIS, April 19 — Nicolas Sarkozy , the conservative candidate and front-runner for president, evoked his immigrant roots and quoted Martin Luther King Jr. Ségolène Royal , the Socialist, pledged to usher in 21st-century-style Socialism and never to kneel before President Bush. François Bayrou, the centrist, declared that he loved France more than he loved power. And Jean-Marie Le Pen , the head of the ultra-right National Front, branded all three of his main opponents worthless hypocrites. Fanning out to the far corners of France, all but one of the dozen French presidential candidates held their final major campaign rallies on Thursday night, offering starkly different personal styles and visions for governing. Every uttering, every nuance could be crucial. With the official end of the campaign on Friday and three days to go before the first round of voting, the French election is wrapped in tension and suspense, as the

from the NY Times By ALAN RIDING Published: April 14, 2007 PARIS, April 13 — Over the last two decades, as successive French governments have poured money into renovating the Louvre and building new museums, an opera house and a national library in Paris, lovers of orchestral music here grew resentful. Even with the vocal backing of the conductor and composer Pierre Boulez , their insistent calls for construction of a state-of-the-art concert hall went unheeded. Now, just weeks before President Jacques Chirac leaves office, their impatience has been rewarded with the unveiling of an eye-catching design for a $260 million concert hall by the French architect Jean Nouvel. The Philharmonie de Paris, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in the Parc de la Villette, in northeast Paris, in 2012. for the complete story including photos, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/arts/design/14hall.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fFrance&oref=slogin

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: April 11, 2007 PARIS, April 10 — Nicolas Sarkozy , the conservative candidate for president, suggests that pedophilia is most likely a genetic flaw; Ségolène Royal , the Socialist, does not seem to know that Taliban extremists are no longer running the government of Afghanistan; and Jean-Marie Le Pen , the ultrarightist, recommends masturbation instead of free condoms to meet young people’s sexual needs. With 12 days to go before the first round of France ’s presidential election, the campaign has entered a phase of improvisation and even silliness that reflects the absence of any single defining issue and a frenzied competition to win over the country’s large bloc of undecided voters. Every twist seems important. Monday was the “official” opening of the French campaign, in which all 12 candidates put up campaign posters across the country and began broadcasting short prepared free spots, of exactly the same length, on state-run televisi

from the NY Times By G. THOMAS SIMS Published: April 11, 2007 FRANKFURT, April 10 — The French luxury goods retailer PPR bid about $7 billion on Tuesday for Puma , the German sporting goods company, promising to keep its chief executive, Jochen Zeitz, at the helm of the company he turned around. The question is whether Puma investors will continue to show the same confidence in Mr. Zeitz, who emphatically endorsed the deal, and sell their shares to PPR, or whether they will resist and put Europe on course for yet another cross-border takeover battle. PPR, famous for its Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent brands, said it had acquired a 27.1 percent stake in Puma for 1.4 billion euros ($1.87 billion), and that it would offer 330 euros ($441) each for the remaining shares, valuing the company at $7.08 billion. But the share price rose 29.68 euros ($40), or 9.4 percent, on Tuesday to 343.93 euros ($460) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and some bankers were already recommending that shareholder

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: April 4, 2007 PARIS, April 3 — For France’s Socialists, among others, the coming presidential election could descend into a nightmare like last fall’s in Florida. This is the first presidential election in France to use paperless computer voting. As many as 1.5 million of the 44.5 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots electronically in more than 80 municipalities around the country. But with election day less than three weeks away, opposition to the electronic voting machines has grown, in part because a small percentage of them are made by the same American company whose machines were involved in a bitterly disputed Congressional election in Florida last November. “We have doubts about the reliability of these machines,” Gilles Savary, a spokesman for Ségolène Royal , the Socialist Party candidate, said in an interview. “I don’t want to lecture America. But we don’t want France to fall into the same Kafkaesque bal

from Yahoo News by Julie Charpentrat Tues April 3 - 8:18 am et ON BOARD TGV V150, eastern France (AFP) - France's TGV train set a new world speed on rails Tuesday, hitting 574.8 kilometres (357.2 miles) per hour on a stretch of track in eastern France. The experimental version of the Traine a Grande Vitesse (TGV), equipped with two supercharged locomotives and extra-large wheels, easily beat the 515.3 kph set by a TGV in 1990. The TGV narrowly missed the overall world train speed record of 581kph (360.8 mph) reached in 2003 by a Japanese magnetic levitation, or Maglev, train. Manufacturer Alstom arranged the exploit in order to test its latest engineering designs in extreme conditions, and also to display the TGV's technological prowess to clients in a growing world market. go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070403/wl_afp/francetransportrail_070403121835 for the complete story including a slide show

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: December 23, 2006 FRANÇOIS JOUSSE paced along the south roof of Notre-Dame, chain-smoking French cigarillos as he waited for darkness to fall. Suddenly, the southern facade of the cathedral lit up, its pillars, gargoyles and flying buttresses adorned in white. “Ah, this gives me such great pleasure!” he said, warming his hands in one of the spotlight canisters. “I truly am blessed with the most splendid job.” Indeed, Mr. Jousse, a 64-year-old engineer, is the troubleshooter for the City of Light. As chief engineer for doctrine, expertise and technical control, he is responsible for lighting 300 of the monuments, official buildings, bridges and boulevards of the French capital. Working with a staff of 30 decorative lighting specialists at a City Hall annex, Mr. Jousse helps create new lighting projects, lectures experts, negotiates with powerful players like the Roman Catholic Church and resolves technical problems at sites throughout the

from Yahoo news by Marlowe Hood Thu Mar 22, 11:53 AM ET PARIS (AFP) - France became the first country to open its files on UFOs Thursday when the national space agency unveiled a website documenting more than 1,600 sightings spanning five decades. The online archives, which will be updated as new cases are reported, catalogues in minute detail cases ranging from the easily dismissed to a handful that continue to perplex even hard-nosed scientists. "It is a world first," said Jacques Patenet, the aeronautical engineer who heads the office for the study of "non-identified aerospatial phenomena." Known as OVNIs in French, UFOs have always generated intense interest along with countless conspiracy theories about secretive government cover-ups of findings deemed too sensitive or alarming for public consumption. "Cases such as the lady who reported seeing an object that looked like a flying roll of toilet paper" are clearly not worth investigating, said Patenet.

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: March 22, 2007 PARIS, March 21 — Setting aside his personal feelings for the sake of his party, Jacques Chirac on Wednesday endorsed his longtime younger rival, Nicolas Sarkozy , as the person best suited to succeed him as president of France . The long-awaited endorsement came without fanfare, passion or enthusiasm. The two men did not appear together at Élysée Palace or on a campaign podium. Instead, Mr. Chirac announced his decision in a short televised statement from the palace after meeting with Mr. Sarkozy. Mr. Chirac portrayed it in terms of loyalty to the governing party, which he founded in 2002 — the Union for a Popular Movement, known by its French acronym, UMP — not as a personal embrace of the candidate. “Five years ago, I called for the creation of the UMP to allow France to pursue a rigorous policy of modernization in the long term,” he said. “In all its diversity, this political movement chose to support the candidacy of

from news.france.com Twelve candidates have qualified to run in the French presidential election. Candidates needed the endorsement of at least 500 elected officials to take part. The first round takes place on 22 April, with a run-off two weeks later. The frontrunners are currently Nicolas Sarkozy of the ruling centre-right UMP, Socialist candidate Segolene Royal and centrist politician Francois Bayrou. Anti-globalisation activist Jose Bove is also in the race, as is far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. More than 20 politicians had been campaigning before Friday's deadline for registration. The other successful candidates are: Marie-George Buffet (head of Communist Party) Arlette Laguiller (Trotskyist, who first ran in 1974) Olivier Besancenot (head of Communist Revolutionary League, got 4.25% in 2002)

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: March 15, 2007 PARIS, March 14 — Jean-Marie Le Pen , leader of the far-right National Front, registered Wednesday as a candidate for president, adding new uncertainty to the campaign. Mr. Le Pen, a candidate in four previous presidential contests, deposited the signatures of 535 elected officials supporting his candidacy with the Constitutional Council. He stunned France in 2002 when he edged out Prime Minister Lionel Jospin , the Socialist, in the first round. Mr. Le Pen, 78, was trounced by the incumbent, Jacques Chirac , in the runoff. Mr. Le Pen’s candidacy is likely to draw some support in the first round next month from the conservative candidate, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy , who leads in the polls, and from François Bayrou, of the slightly more centrist party, the Union for French Democracy. But neither the polls nor political analysts suggest that Mr. Le Pen will make it to the second round this time. Many of Mr. Le Pen’s

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: March 13, 2007 PARIS, Mar. 12 — Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin on Monday formally endorsed his political rival, the center-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy , for president. “Today I am with Nicolas Sarkozy to defend the ideals of our political family and so that the choice for the French people is as clear as possible,” Mr. de Villepin told Europe 1 radio a day after President Jacques Chirac announced that he would not seek a third term. He added, “We have been together in government; we will be together in this battle.” The endorsement is important because Mr. de Villepin, who once had been considered a potential presidential contender, put party unity ahead of the personal and political differences he has had over the years with Mr. Sarkozy, who is the interior minister and the head of the governing party, the Union for a Popular Movement. In the past, for example, Mr. de Villepin has criticized Mr. Sarkozy’s proposal to institute

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: March 12, 2007 PARIS, March 11 — After more than four decades as a politician and a dozen years as president, Jacques Chirac announced his retirement from politics on Sunday, but he did not endorse Nicolas Sarkozy , the presidential candidate and leader of the party Mr. Chirac founded. In a brief and deeply personal address to the nation carried on television and radio, Mr. Chirac said he would not seek a third term in next month’s election. “At the end of the mandate you have conferred on me, the moment will have come for me to serve you in another way,” Mr. Chirac said. “I will not ask for your votes for a new mandate.” Mr. Chirac’s message was one of farewell, not of politics. He looked better than he had for some time. He said of France , “I love it passionately.” He told the French people, “Not for one instant have you ceased to inhabit my heart and my mind.” He listed what he considered to be the achievements of his tenure, sayi

from the NY Times By ELAINE SCIOLINO Published: March 8, 2007 PARIS, March 7 — In the final weeks of the French presidential campaign, dominated by a nurturing Socialist and a crime-busting conservative, a third candidate has upended the race with a very American theme: put partisanship aside and end the false promises of the big parties. The candidate, François Bayrou, a 55-year-old politician, farmer and former classics teacher, is campaigning as the “neither/nor” option. Remarkably, the strategy seems to be working, in part because of rising disillusionment over the two main candidates. The percentage of undecided voters is higher than before any presidential election in 25 years. Between 17 and 20 percent of voters say they will choose Mr. Bayrou in the first electoral round on April 22, according to France ’s major polling organizations. Suddenly, he is a contender. Mr. Bayrou is no maverick, but is portraying himself as a tried and true centrist and as a fresh face. the full stor

from Yahoo news PARIS (AFP) - Jonathan Littell, the bilingual American author whose novel on the Holocaust "The Kindly Ones" was last year's literary hit in France, has been granted French citizenship, according to a notice posted in the official gazette. The 39 year-old writer benefited from a clause in France's nationality code which allows the foreign minister to offer citizenship to French-speaking foreigners who "contribute by their outstanding work to spreading French influence." Written in French, Littell's book -- the fictional memoires of a German SS officer on the eastern front -- has sold some 500,000 copies and won the 2006 Goncourt prize, France's top book award. Before its success, Littell twice had his request for French citizenship turned down. Littell, the son of the US thriller writer Robert Littell, spent much of his childhood in France

from France.com French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard has died aged 77 at his home in Paris following a long illness. Baudrillard, a leading post-modernist thinker, is perhaps best known for his concept of hyper-reality. He argued that spectacle is crucial in creating our view of events - things do not happen if they are not seen. He gained notoriety for his 1991 book The Gulf War Did Not Take Place and again a decade later for describing the 9/11 attacks as a "dark fantasy". Baudrillard focused his work on how our consciousness interacts with reality and fantasy, creating from them a copy world he called hyper-reality. He said that mass media led to hyper-reality becoming a dominant force in today's world - an argument taken to a provocative extreme in his statement that the 1991 Gulf War primarily took place on a symbolic level. Since little was changed politically in Iraq after the conflict, all the sound and fury signified little, he argued.

from the NY Times PARIS, March 6 — What’s the price of a good name? How about a cool $520 million? That is the amount that Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, agreed Tuesday to pay to attach the Louvre ’s name to a museum that it hopes to open in 2012. And there is more: in exchange for art loans, special exhibitions and management advice, Abu Dhabi will pay France an additional $747 million. Controversy over the Louvre Abu Dhabi has been swirling in France for the last three months, with critics charging that the French government is “selling” its museums. But only now have the full details of the nearly $1.3 billion package been disclosed. For Abu Dhabi, the deal is an important step in its plan to build a $27 billion tourist and cultural development on Saadiyat Island, opposite the city. The project’s cultural components include a Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a maritime museum and a performing arts center as well as the Louvre Abu Dhabi. For France the agreement signals a n

from the NY Times By ALAN RIDING Published: March 1, 2007 PARIS, Feb. 28 — Two important paintings by Picasso estimated by the police to be worth a total of about $66 million have been stolen from the Left Bank home of his granddaughter Diana Widmaier-Picasso, the authorities announced Wednesday. Paris police officials said the two oils, “Maya With Doll” from 1938 and “Portrait of Jacqueline” from 1961, were taken from Ms. Widmaier-Picasso’s house on the Rue de Grenelle in the city’s chic Seventh Arrondissement sometime overnight between Monday and Tuesday. The police said that two drawings, one by Picasso, were also stolen, but this could not be confirmed by the Picasso family lawyer, Céline Astolfe. In a telephone interview Ms. Astolfe said that Ms. Widmaier-Picasso and her mother, Maya, the daughter of Picasso’s longtime mistress Marie-Thérèse Walter, were asleep in the house when the theft occurred. “They heard a noise, went downstairs and saw nothing,” Ms. Astolfe said. “They wen

from the NY Times - By CHRISTINE MUHLKE Published: February 25, 2007 Now that the euro has taken the joie out of buying clothes in Paris, why not rent? At the appointment-only boutique Quidam de Revel, vintage couture and ready-to-wear are available for a one- (or two-) night stand. Owned by an antiques dealer and an art historian, the Marais shop is a favorite with costume designers who hire pristine couture and prêt-à-porter pieces, from 1940s Balmain opera coats to ’60s Courrèges dresses as well as a growing collection from ’80s designers like Claude Montana. Call ahead so that they can set aside a rack for you, and then enjoy your finds for about 180 euros (about $235) and up, depending on the outfit, for a weekend (cheaper than buying a vintage Grès dress and a mink stole for your elopement). Accessorize with mint-condition shoes from Roger Vivier and Charles Jourdan and trunks filled with jewelry from the likes of Pierre Cardin and Lalanne. With the sous you save, you can buy a p

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: February 15, 2007 PARIS, Feb. 14 (Agence France-Presse) — Attendants at the Louvre were on a partial strike Wednesday, demanding a bonus for the stress of marshaling tens of thousands of daily visitors past the Mona Lisa. Christelle Guyader of the Sud Solidarités union said that with 8.3 million visitors in 2006, “our work is reduced to simply managing the flow.” This week, strikers posted stickers bearing a picture of a gagged Mona Lisa and the words: “My caretakers have had enough. Give them their due — 150 euros!” Management at the Louvre said that only 5 percent of the museum’s 1,100 attendants were on strike.

Celebrate Mardi Gras in French (from About.com) Mardi gras is an annual celebration called le mardi gras (literally, "fat Tuesday") or le carnaval in French. Les dates de mardi gras ~ Mardi gras dates Mardi gras takes place 46 days before Easter (le Pâques) - that is, sometime between 3 February and 9 March. Mardi gras is the day before Lent (le carême), which begins on Ash Wednesday (le mercredi des Cendres). The most famous Mardi gras celebration is held in New Orleans (la Nouvelle-Orléans), but many cities in Europe and South America also put on spectacular events. Les couleurs de mardi gras ~ Mardi gras colors Mardi gras has three official colors: le violet purple (justice) l'or gold (power) le vert green (faith) Les traditions de mardi gras ~ Mardi gras traditions Mardi gras is traditionally celebrated with a parade led by a captain, during which trinkets, or "throws," are tossed to the crowd. The parade is followed by a costume ball presided over by a kin

Express yourself in the language of love (from About.com) If French is the language of love, what better language is there to express your love? Here are some key French words and phrases related to love, friendship, and special occasions. Click on the link to hear the word or phrase pronounced. I love you (too) Je t'aime ( aussi ) How to say I love you in French - step by step I adore you Je t'adore Will you marry me? Veux-tu m'épouser ? to date sortir avec to get engaged se fiancer à , (or avec) to get married se marier avec engagement les fiançailles marriage le mariage wedding les noces , le mariage wedding anniversary l' anniversaire de mariage honeymoon la lune de miel St. Valentine's Day (card) (une carte de ) la Saint-Valentin present un cadeau flowers des fleurs candy des bonbons clothes des vêtements perfume le parfum jewelry des bijoux engagement ring une bague de fiançailles wedding ring une alliance husband un mar i un époux wife une femme une ép

PARIS, France (Reuters) -- A tragic screen portrait of Edith Piaf due out this month is expected to rekindle France's love affair with the tiny chanteuse whose emotive ballads remain among the best-loved songs in French. "La mome" ("The Kid"), also known internationally as "La vie en rose" from the title of one of her biggest hits, is due for release in France on February 14 and a series of media events will commemorate the singer, who died in 1963. Piaf's emotional interpretations of songs such as "Non, je ne regrette rien," "La vie en rose" and "Milord," her expressive eyes and hands and her trademark black dress made her an internationally acclaimed French icon. From this week, French television and radio will be airing tributes to Piaf, magazines are planning special editions and record companies are releasing a series of compilations to cash in on the wave of nostalgia they hope the film will generate. "La v

From news.france.com PARIS (AP) – Fear of runaway global warming pushed 46 countries to line up Saturday behind France’s appeal for a new environmental body that could single out – and perhaps police – nations that abuse the Earth. "It is our responsibility. The future of humanity demands it," President Jacques Chirac said in an appeal to put the environment at the top of the world’s agenda. He spoke at a conference a day after the release in Paris of a grim report from the world’s leading climate scientists and government officials that said global warming is so severe that it will "continue for centuries" and that humans are to blame. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report sparked calls for fast, planet–wide action and was embraced by Europeans. A total of 46 countries agreed to pursue plans for the new organization, and to hold their first meeting in Morocco this spring. But key world polluters – including the United States, China, India and Russi

From About.com The Catholic holiday of Candlemas, on 2 February, is a feast to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of baby Jesus. In France, this holiday is called la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or crêpe day.Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on Chandeleur, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them. It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year. There are all kinds of French proverbs and sayings for Chandeleur; here are just a few. Note the similarities to the Groundhog Day predictions made in the US: À la Chandeleur, l'hiver cesse ou reprend vigueur On Candlemas, winter ends or strengthens À la Chandeleur, le jour croît de deux heures On Candlemas, the day grows by two hours Chandeleur couverte, quarante jours de perte Candlemas covered (in snow), fo

From Yahoo News Jan 31, 8:25 AM ET The French already enjoy a 35-hour work week and generous vacation. Now the health minister wants to look into whether workers should be allowed to sleep on the job. France launched plans this week to spend $9 million this year to improve public awareness about sleeping troubles. About one in three French people suffer from them, the ministry says. Fifty-six percent of French complain that a poor night's sleep has affected their job performance, according to the ministry. "Why not a nap at work? It can't be a taboo subject," Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said Monday. He called for further studies and said he would promote on-the-job naps if they prove useful. France's state-run health insurance provider will send letters explaining the importance of good sleep. The Health Ministry's Web site offers tips on how best to get a good night's rest. The ministry's online "Passport to Sleep" recommends cutting dow

From Reuters By James MackenzieTue Jan 30, 9:48 AM ET Smoking restrictions tighten this week as France tries to drive the once-ubiquitous cigarette from public spaces, but many smokers are angry and deeply suspicious of government attempts to coax them into healthier habits. From Thursday smoking will be banned in French schools, hospitals and youth centers. A wider ban from January 1, 2008 will incorporate bars, restaurants and workplaces. It is a significant change in a country whose moody, chain-smoking filmstars have contributed to the air of glamour that can still cling to the cloud of a glowing Gauloise. "It's b*llsh**," fumed Paris office worker Aida Malika, shivering outside her workplace in Paris. "They're taking away our small pleasures. They're just treating us like cattle, that's really what it is," she said, before heading back to work. Anyone who disobeys the ban faces a fine of 68 euros ($88), while a building's management could be

from news.france.com/ The people of France agree on very little, but for decades one touchstone of national feeling has been respect and love for a frail, bearded, beret-wearing force of nature named Abbé Pierre. The death on Monday, at the age of 94, of France's "voice of the voiceless" has inserted a pause in a divisive presidential election campaign as France pays homage to a man of unerring courage and compassion; a man who embodied the best of French traditions. In a land of foxes, Abbé Pierre was a hedgehog. His one big idea: that the plight of the poor and homeless calls for constant outrage and action. His organization, Emmaüs, created in 1949 to enlist the homeless themselves in the work of building shelters and a future, is now present in 35 countries. Every public figure in France has lamented his passing. President Jacques Chirac said that France "loses an immense figure, a conscious, an incarnation of goodness." The offspring of a well-off family i

Learn about some French New Year's Traditions and Customs (from About.com) In France, New Year's Eve (31 December) is called la Saint-Sylvestre,* and is usually celebrated with a feast, called le Réveillon de Saint-Sylvestre. The feast tends to include special items like champagne and foie gras, and the accompanying party can range from an intimate dinner with friends to une soirée dansante (ball).At midnight, everyone kisses under the mistletoe** and offers their best wishes for the new year.On New Year's Day, le Jour de l'An, friends and family share their New Year's resolutions and may also exchange cards and gifts.The end of the holiday season is Epiphany, on 6 January, which in France includes a traditional cake called la galette des rois . *Saint Sylvester was Pope from 314 to 335 A.D., during the time of Constantine the Great. zSB(3,3) There is no particular link between Saint Sylvester and the new year; it just so happens that 31 December is his feast day. L

A French prisoner who killed his cellmate "very probably" ate some of the victim's body parts, a prosecutor in the northern town of Rouen said on Friday. The victim's body was discovered in a prison cell on Wednesday, with a large wound to the chest. The alleged killer, who shared the cell, told investigators he had removed and eaten his victim's heart. Investigators initially discounted the possibility of cannibalism after the victim's heart was "found intact in its usual place and in its membrane which was also intact," Rouen state prosecutor Joseph Schmit said in a statement. However an autopsy revealed that pieces of muscle from the victim's rib area and part of his lung were missing. "The absence of these anatomic elements, which have not been found on the scene of the crime, render the confessions of cannibalism by the presumed perpetrator of the crime very probable," Schmit said. The case comes less than a year after a court in G

On va skier dans les Alpes - We're going skiing in the Alpes.

Où vas-tu - Where are you going?

J'attends avec impatience les vacances - I'm looking forward to going on holiday.

Pas de chocolat ou de crème glacée cette année - I gave up chocolate and ice cream this year .

Quelles sont tes bonnes résolutions pour le Nouvel An? - What are your New Year's resolutions?