Insights into French Identity: 2012 National Commemorations in France
Every year the National Archives of France selects events of historical significance to highlight as national commemorations on the occasion of a multiple of their centennial or semicentennial, providing insights into the French national identity.
France Commemorates 9/11 with Eiffel Tower as Backdrop
With the Eiffel Tower as backdrop France commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 911 attacks on the United States by the Islamist Fundamentalist network al-Qaida.
France Elevates Poet Aimé Césaire to Status of “Great Man” at Pantheon
April 6, 2011 – Little noticed and scantily attended on a warm and sunny spring day, France showed its gratitude to one of its...
Got Heritage? Pelerin Awards Help Restore France’s Catholic Heritage
History has taught France the dangers of seeing a dominant religion play a leading role in public policy. Yet it has also left this...
Three Reasons to Experience a Remarkable Chef: Part 2
Symbols, stars, numbers, and other restaurant rating systems can provide a culinary relief map of a city, but they’re inadequate in revealing the particular...
Marianne, the Face of the French Republic
From a kingdom devoted to Mary, mother of Jesus, France became a republic under the guidance of Marianne. She is the face of the French Republic.
Three Reasons to Experience a Remarkable Chef: Part I
Symbols, stars, numbers, and other restaurant rating systems can provide a culinary relief map of a city, but they’re inadequate in revealing the particular...
Olivier Dirson, WWI battlefield guide: one history leads to another
Touring WWI sites of Picardy, north of Paris, with Olivier Dirson, a French guide with an intriguing personal history.
Teach a man to order a brownie and he’ll save you two steps?
A Dane and an American walk into a bakery in Paris, one orders a pistachio crumble, the other a brownie. The baker says... Read this sad tale of French service in which the author is berated for ordering a brownie inefficiently.