Retreating into a French Atelier

by Ellie Markovitch
Elise Patte offers workshops and weekly sewing classes. Elise says she wants to help her students with creativity. She is one of the artist of “Ateliers d’Ursine” in the southest of Paris in Chaville and Velizy.
I photographed and produced this slide show for the International Herald Tribune.

Rugby World Cup semi-final

by Ellie Markovitch
Fans watch the Rugby World Cup semi-final at Champ de Mars in Paris. England wins 14-9 over France.

“Nuit Blanche” or White Night

by Ellie Markovitch
Revellers experience light and sound exhibitions in the city of Paris from sundown until sunrise. The festival was designed along the Metro line 14. Officials said that more than 1.5 million people stayed up late for the annual celebration first launched in 2002. Galleries, museums, churches, city halls, and even swimming pools open their doors all night to visitors.

Pedalling Against Pollution

by Ellie Markovitch
The city of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë launched a bicycle rental service, Velib to help fight pollution and traffic congestion in the Paris area.

According to a report by city hall July 29, 616,059 people have used the new bicycle rental service Velib since its debut two weeks before.
The eco-friendly transport is without a doubt the worlds largest bicycle rental system with the goal of 20,600 bicycles stationed in 1,451 locations by the end of 2007.

Many Parisians are pedalling for the environment.
They fell concern about air pollution said Karine Leger, head of communication for AIRPARIF, an organization responsible for monitoring air quality in the Paris region.
“[We] had an inquiry 3 years ago and air pollution came out as the first preoccupation of the people in Ile-de-France, and in Paris.”

Since 2001, Paris has seen an increase of in bicycle use of over 48%.

According to AIRPARIF, there is a 32% of decrease in pollutants emitted by the traffic into the atmosphere between 2002 and 2007. Among the 32%, 6% come from traffic modifications in Paris and 26% are due to the fleet renewal.

to find out about the air quality in Ile-de-France area: http://www.airparif.asso.fr/
and in Europe:
http://www.airqualitynow.eu/

Happy Bastille Day!

Please clique here for audio slideshow

by Ellie Markovitch
You may find yourself asking about the relationship between fireman and the France’s most important holiday.
The answer is that firemen host the largest dancing parties to celebrate Bastille Day in all of Paris’s fire stations July 13 and 14 .

Party goers do not seam to be bothered that they have to wait for more than an hour to get into the annual Fireman’s Ball in the 6th district. They brought their friends, their wine and they could enjoy the music from the streets.

The celebration continues with a military parade up the Champs Elysées and fireworks on the Champs de Mars.

Fête de la Musique

by Ellie Markovitch
Hundreds of musicians and music lovers flooded the streets of Paris June 21 for the annual Fête de la Musique. Since the much-anticipated event began a quarter century ago, more than 300 cities have followed the Paris beat. This year, New York and Amsterdam were the latest to embrace the music.

The festival traces its roots to 1982 when honchos at the Ministry of Culture realized there were millions of musical instruments collecting dust across France. They envisioned a day when free music, by professionals and amateurs alike, filled the squares and arcades of Paris. (For more history: www.makemusicny.org/history.php)

French Presidential Elections

by Ellie Markovitch

Nicolas Sarkozy, of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement party, defeated Socialist Ségolène Royal, who had hoped to become France's first woman president. Sarkozy won by a decisive 53.06% of the vote to Royal's 46.9% in an election that saw a record turn-out of 84% . Nicolas Sarkozy, of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement party, defeated Socialist Ségolène Royal, who had hoped to become France's first woman president. Sarkozy won by a decisive 53.06% of the vote to Royal's 46.9% in an election that saw a record turn-out of 84% . Sarkozy, a free-market conservative, promises sweeping reforms to jump-start the nation's stagnant economy, curb the welfare state and create much-needed jobs, particularly in poor immigrant communities where his tough crime and immigration policies have made him a reviled figure. Socialist Ségolène Royal dvocated social fareness for France. Royal pledged a vague program of gradual change underpinned by social justice. French voters went to the polls en masse on April 22, paring a field of 12 candidates to two for the May 6 run-off.

Brocante: Garage Sale à la Française

by Ellie Markovitch
What can you get for one euro at a brocante? Two pairs of used children’s pants, a champagne cap or an old post card. Maybe for a little more, you can get a used baby stroller, pepper grinder or a perfume bottle. The term brocante is often used in a generic way. A “brocante,” as it is advertised on posters around towns in France, is a place where one can buy miscellaneous artefacts. As a brocante shopper Mariannie Jancourt defines, “ ...this is thousands of people selling lots of stuff.” On a sunny spring Sunday, hundreds gather in the town of Chaville, southwest of Paris, to take part in the annual brocante. Private individuals as well as professionals brocanteurs and antique dealers set their tables with a little bit of everything for sale. This particular event is highlighted by a fanfare band that walks between the narrow streets. The http://www.vide-greniers.org lists more than 400 events scheduled for the Paris-Ile-de-France area alone.

neighbourhood pond