Three-quarters of a million Parisians blew town yesterday, and the exodus is expected to continue today. Aeroports de Paris are talking of partially reopening Charles-de-Gaulle terminal 2E, but workers who where shifted to terminal 2F after the collapse are not too keen to work in the unrepaired terminal.  Cause of the fatal collapse on 23 May remains unknown.

The intentionally sleepless have not yet reacted to the news that Paris Plage will shut down at midnight during its four-week run in July and August this year.  Residents who were formerly sleepless on account of all-night dancing are looking forward to having a quiet summer for the first time since 2001.

[ Editor’s Note: 

See this - “The French tradition of eschewing sleep in favor of discussion or partying is known as a nuit blanche, or white night. For one long October night in Paris, insomnia is considered a virtue...  Throughout the White Night museums, libraries, monuments, places of worship, tourist sites, cinemas, parks and gardens, hospitals, swimming pools and universities in Paris stay open all night to the public for a cultural night of discovery.  600,000 revelers joined in for 2003 and numbers are expected to be equally high this year.  At dawn, each district's city hall, local associations and shopkeepers organize breakfasts for those who lasted through the night.” 

And this - "In was back in 2002 that this brave project was launched to turn two miles of the Right Bank of the Seine (near the Pont Neuf and Hotel de Ville) into a beach, complete with white sand, palm trees, sunbeds and parasols, for the summer season. It has returned every year since - welcome to the Paris Plage.  The €1 million initiative, branded by the Socialist mayor Bertrand Delanoe, as "a bit crazy", has become a permanent annual event.  The Parisians literally took to the beach and showed what a good idea they thought it was!  In addition to lounging on the sunbeds, visitors can take part in a range of free sporting activities, including petanque and volleyball, and dance in the old-time dance cafes, known as ginguettes." ]

Paris also intends to expand its no-drive areas to visitor-intensive zones such as the Latin Quarter and the Rue Daguerre.  Nobody in the Rue Daguerre knows anything about the plan, but the street is avoided by drivers because everybody walks in it anyhow on account of all the bicycles, scooters and motorcycles parked on the narrow sidewalks.

For rock fans - hear the grease band that Gary Karp plays with tonight at the Utopia.   He said they will be doing 'Shaking Blues.'   Expect Gary to be wearing his usual Hawaiian shirt at 22:30 when the band kicks off at the long-time-but-obscure rock club in the Rue de l'Ouest, a suburb of Montparnasse.   Nearest métro is Pernety.

For jazz fans - top Australian group 'Monsieur Camembert' shows up for three nights in Paris after its performance the Jazz à Montreux festival.   Fall into the House of Live just off the Champs-Elysées on Monday, 12 July or haul off to La Vielle Grille in the Latin Quarter for Bastille Day, 14 July and Thursday, 15 July.  La Vielle Grille is next to Paris' Grande Mosque, and the métro station is Place Monge in the 5^th arrondissement.

   ___

Hollywood editor’s notes:

Ric isn’t kidding – see this…

PARIS AIRPORTS BRACE FOR 640,000 PEOPLE THIS WEEKEND
Received Friday, 2 July 2004 12:06:00 GMT

PARIS, July 2 (AFP) - More than half a million people are expected to pass through the two main Paris airports this weekend as France's summer holiday season takes off, airport operator Aeroport de Paris said Friday.

Charles de Gaulle airport is forecast to handle around 440,000 passengers over the two days that mark the country's first mass vacation departure, while Orly should see 200,000 people, ADP said in a statement.

On a normal weekend, Orly handles between 60,000-70,000 travellers, while Charles de Gaulle sees between 150,000-180,000 people pass through its numerous terminals.

ADP has defined 16 "red" days over the summer vacation period, most of which are grouped around three weekends, this coming one, July 31-August 1 and August 28-30.

And regarding film?  It’s Michael Moore time in Paris - and the spelling is UK style….

The BIG question?  Will Harvey Weinstein have to move to France?

FRENCH HAIL "FAHRENHEIT 9/11" AS SAVIOUR OF US HONOUR
Received Friday, 2 July 2004 09:08:00 GMT

PARIS, July 2 (AFP) - The incendiary anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" by US filmmaker Michael Moore has received a warm welcome in France with a host of stars hailing it an important success at a special screening.

Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe welcomed the huge success the film has had in the United States, even though it struggled initially to find a US distributor after Walt Disney Corp refused to release it as too politically sensitive.

"It's very important, and it's pleasing to see," Delanoe said after Thursday's night's screening to mark the start of the Paris film festival.

"This kind of film saves the honour of America," said Guy Bedos, a popular French stand-up comedian. "It's very damning about the world we live in," he said, adding he was proud that France had not taken part in the war on Iraq.

The film, which goes on general release in France next week, slams US President George W. Bush over the war in Iraq and for an alleged erosion of US civil rights amid the war against terror.

The 3,000-seat cinema at the Grand Rex was full for the special showing, with stars such as Catherine Deneuve, Oliver Stone and Juliette Binoche turning out for the occasion.

The movie, which won this year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, cost six million dollars to make and is the first documentary ever to open in top spot at the US box office.

In just three days, "Fahrenheit" smashed the 21.6-million-dollar-record for ticket sales for a documentary set over a nine-month run -- by another Moore movie, the Oscar-winning "Bowling for Columbine."

Christophe Girard, the Paris mayor's deputy in charge of culture, said the film "was a lesson for all democracies" and showed how "corruption, manipulation, and personal interests can lead any system to a kind of madness."

One of the producers Harvey Weinstein read a letter from Moore apologising for not being able to attend, and hoping the film will help influence the outcome of the November presidential elections in the US.

He added that if he failed in his mission to get Bush out of the White House, he planned to move to France.

We’ll see about that.  Note also that 2004 marks the tenth edition of the Rencontres Internationales de Cinéma à Paris (The International Cinema Meetings of Paris), held at the Forum des Images – through July 11 this year.

  ___

And what Ric didn’t cover? 

One of my favorite guitarists, Larry Carlton is in town.

Each year the Paris jazz club New Morning organizes a month-long summer festival – this year from last Thursday through early August.  This year's slate includes Cubanismo, Fres Wesley Funk Band, the French reggae fellow Pierpoljak, James Carter, Larry Carlton, Shakti, Howard Tate, Lucky Peterson and so on.

For more information on all this check out the New Morning website. -

This week?

jeudi 8

LARRY CARLTON BAND

LARRY CARLTON (g)

MARK DOUTHIT (tsax)

DOUG MOFFET (bsax)

MIKE HAYNES (tp)

BARRY GREEN (tb)

TRAVIS CARLTON (b)

RICK JACKSON (kb)

LUCAS MOYES (dms)

ATTENTION 2 CONCERTS : 19H30 et 22H

Il a marqué le son de la fin des années 60.  Avec son style élégant, jazzy et discret, il a sur être la pierre angulaire aux côtés des Crusaders, Quincy Jones, Michaël Jackson ou encore John Lennon.  Récompensé de 8 Grammy Awards, cet héritier de Barney Kessel et Wes Montgomery, navigue entre jazz, funk et rock.  Fusion des genres, pour ce musicien au service de sa musique au talent exceptionnel.

I’ll be here.  If you’re there, go.