News and Notes from France – May 2021

Bonjour France friends! There is lots of good news and other news coming from the Hexagon these days including the French government’s four-part plan to reopen to both residents and visitors over the next several weeks. Keep reading to find out these details as well as discover the latest new museum openings in Paris, a recap of the Napoleon commemorations this past week by the French President Emmanuel Macron and the big media debates for and against the French Emperor, and an invitation to discover the Dordogne in Southwest France through a unique viewpoint. We’re also excited about the recent feature on French Affaires in Forbes.com by veteran world travel writer Debbi Kickham. You can click here to read the full article.

And in this post, we have a special PARIS GIVEAWAY! To celebrate the reopening of Paris and France, we’re giving away a fabulous Paris totebag (one of my France travel essentials!). Keep reading to the end to enter for the chance to have this fun Paris gift sent right to you. We also want to mention that for those interested in really developing their French conversation skills, we have the French Conversation Workshop Intermediate starting on June 7th. Finally, we hope Moms in America and Australia had a ‘Bonne Fête des Mères’ – Happy Mother’s Day – on Sunday. See the pic below of my mom and me when she traveled on one of my Loire Valley garden tour to France several years ago.

Later this month, we’ll be posting online about special funding efforts to help restore Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after the devastating fire two years ago, a great list of new books on France, the newsbreaking name change of France’s most elite ‘finishing school’ and more wonderful things about Paris and France. Restez en ligne – stay tuned!

France to Reopen in June 2021

According to the French government, the country has begun a several-week process to scale back the lockdown regulations that have been in place off and on for most of the past year. On the cultural front, museums and cultural institutions are set to reopen on May 19th. Most important to international visitors, France will welcome starting June 9th travelers including Americans who have been vaccinated. Restaurants and cafes can host clients inside (tables of 6 maximum) starting on this date. By June 30th, France will more or less be fully open. Below you can see the reopening details as provided by the current administration. All my French friends and colleagues are overjoyed at this news – and our French Affaires travelers are thrilled as well. La vie reprend!

New Museum Openings (or Reopenings) in Paris

There are a variety of spectacular new cultural venues opening in Paris this spring. Some debuts were delayed to due the pandemic and some institutions are just now finishing their creations or renovations adding to the museum excitement in the French capital. One of the most impressive is the stunning Hotel de la Marine sublimely located on the Place de la Concorde right in the heart of the city. Designed in the mid-1700’s by the celebrated architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, first architect to the king, as the ‘Garde Meuble’ for the crown, this amazing edifice has just completed three years of an extensive makeover. After housing France’s Navy Ministry for over 200 years (the Navy closed operations here in 2015), this new museum opens soon just a stone’s throw from the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. The museum’s exact welcome date is pending – you can visit their website here to subscribe to their newsletter and opening announcements.

Another exciting new museum on Paris’s art scene is La Bourse de Commerce spearheaded by French billionaire François Pinault to showcase his collection of modern art. Housed in the beautiful domed Bourse building near Les Halles, this new art venue will open on May 22. One of my all-time favorite museums showcasing the history of Paris, the Musée Carnavalet housed in two former private mansions in the Marais district has undergone extensive restoration and is finally opening back up on May 29. Additional museums reopening soon are Le Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature – the Hunting and Nature Museum – in another marvelous former private mansion in the Marais and La Maison Victor Hugo in the lovely Place des Vosges. See our New Museums in Paris post coming later this month at www.frenchaffaires.com.

Photo credits: Hôtel de la Marine

Hommage to Napoleon 200 Years After His Death

Like him or not, France would not be France without Napoleon Bonaparte. His influence and presence remain everywhere in France including at Les Invalides in Paris at his outsized tomb. As this past week marked the 200th anniversary of his death at St. Helena in 1821, several official commemorative events took place in Paris as seen in the photos below. Many French newspapers and media outlets have been revisiting Napoleon’s life and legacy – Napoleon’s actions elicited strong opinions in his own time and still do today. The polemic tends to frame him as Hero or Villain, depending on one’s point of view. For a good overview of Napoleon and his impact, we invite you to join us on Saturday, May 15, 2021, for our May Mini-Course on his life and work. There are a few spots still available! Click here of more details and to register. And check your knowledge of Napoleon with a fun short quiz courtesy of the French newspaper Le Monde – note it’s in French!

Photo credits: Instagram @emmanuelmacron

Discover Southwest France’s Magical Dordogne Region

Southwest France is one of the country’s best kept secrets – a remarkable region still steeped in glorious French history and tradition. From medieval villages clinging to sheer cliffs to majestic fortress castles overlooking the Dordogne River to ancient cave paintings to exquisite topiary gardens to lush vineyards to fabulous cuisine and wine, Southwest France offers amazing opportunities to travel through time and culture across the French countryside.

On Saturday, June 12, the the renowned French photographer and southwest France resident Eric Sander will join us for a spectacular visual tour of this fascinating region. Join us for this FREE SPECIAL EVENT live from the Dordogne and Perigord – in this session, Eric will take us on a fabulous journey of the most iconic images of this incredible part of France. He’ll also talk about his art as a photographer and his rewarding career photographing the most beautiful gardens, chateaux, sites and more in France. His work has appeared in more than 50 books and in innumerable magazines and publications. Time for good Q and A at the end of our session. Click here for the event details – don’t miss this outstanding opportunity to meet one of France’s finest talents and contributors to French heritage!

Photo credits: Eric Sander

paris tote bag giveaway for your france travels!

To celebrate that international visitors will once again be welcome in Paris and beyond, we’re giving away one of my favorite travel essentials – this fun Paris map laminated tote bag from BHV department store! I always have one of these with me in France to run errands, shop at the open-air food markets, go antiquing and much more. They fold up into a little square for easy transport and then open to a large, sturdy bag with shoulder straps for easy carrying. Entering the giveaway is easy – just do the following:

1. Subscribe to our French Affaires email list and confirm with a quick note in the comments section below
2. Follow us on Instagram @french_affaires or by clicking here
3. Forward this newsletter to a friend who might want some real France in their life!

Our Paris tote bag drawing will take place on Monday, May 17th, and will be announced on Instagram. You will love this fabulous brand new addition to your French travel accessories. Good luck! Bonne chance!

Merci beaucoup for reading! Feel free to pass this along to any friends who love France – we warmly welcome everyone to our French community. And we hope everyone had a Bonne Fête des Mères on Sunday, including in the U.S. and Australia. Mother’s Day in France is always the fourth Sunday of May (except if it coincides with Pentecost) so they’ll be celebrating soon. And to my mother below whom I hosted on one of my garden tours to the Loire Valley several years ago, “Bonne Fête, Maman!”

Photo credit: Eric Sander