posted by Charles H. Russo on Nov 15
Trying to find some kids luggage? Going out of town for the holidays? Surprise your children with an early Christmas present, children’s luggage. It will help keep the kids out of your hair, if only for a few minutes!
Not sure where to start? Here is some of my favorite children’s luggage:
Mickey RepeatKids Gear Rolling DuffleTinkerbell 21Sammies Frisky Medium Duffel - Pengiun
Kids luggage – Better than ever.
Kids luggage has become increasingly popular in the market. No longer is childrens luggage limited to poorly made, screen printed, suitcases. Today kids luggage is made by some of the top names in the luggage industry. Not to mention that kids luggage is become more versatile, better designed, and practical.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
French Expression: Ah buh oui, uh?
Meaning: That’s just the way things are. That’s life. Some things will never change. Yesssirrybob. I told you so. Welcome to France. Tough shit.
Anyone who’s ever taken a linguistics class or traveled abroad knows that the flavor of a language
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 24
This afternoon I had Moroccan mint tea at the Institut de le Monde Arabe with a textile designer who divides her time between Los Angeles and Paris. What a dream job, right? With that instant rapport that we Americans often have, we had quite the interesting discussion about the brush fires in Southern California; politics; the Middle East; Paris; our children; work. On the way home, I couldn’t resist photographing the windows of a local chocolatier. The French make a half-hearted attempt to acknowledge Halloween, decorating windows of chocolate shops and boulangeries and some stores. But they don’t dress up in costumes or go trick or treating. For Europeans, the holiday to celebrate is November 1, All Saints Day.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 23
On Monday, I came across an exhibition of film noir props at Les Passages in Boulogne-Billancourt. I didn’t have my camera, but inspired by the exhibit and the Writers Island prompt “the stranger,” I went home and wrote this poem. Armed with my camera, today I returned to the exhibition, where a security guard stopped me at the first photo. I smiled and apologised and the minute his back was turned, sneaked a few more photos. The one above is of a French police station, complete with two baguettes and bottles of beer for the fictional officers’ lunch. At far left you can see the edge of a vintage movie camera.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 11
October 10th 2007
Eating my lunch on a park bench in Paris today, I was thinking I should write more about little day to day stuff. But then I realized that my day to day is actually pretty boring and who wants to read that? Anyway, let’s give it a try, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Today I had to go to a hospital in Paris to pick up a special medicine that I can’t get in the pharmacies. I already mentioned this in a previous blog The witch at the pharmacy (I haven’t seen the witch in a long time).
I go in and there’s 6 people waiting. Great, I’m screwed. It’s going to take an hour I thought. See there’s no line, no “take a number”, nothing. Just a room full of strangers who are bound by the unofficial French code that forbids talking to strangers in public. It was like this at a laboratory I used to go to. Total chaos.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 10
October is International Breast Cancer Awareness month, and last night I planned a Think Pink party for the American women’s organization, AAWE. This Think Pink was in celebration of strength, femininity, awareness and survival. We decked the clubhouse out in feathery boas and girly pink Gerber daisies. The bar was stocked with pink froo-froo drinks (appropriately called “Pink Ladies” ) and ice cold ros?. Members had a chance to perfect their pucker at the lipstick bar, or tap into their inner O’Keefe at the art bar, where they were encouraged to create their own pink masterpieces for the Art Wall. There was also an information stand stocked with gift bags of literature and handouts on the resources available, in English as well as in French, for women who have been affected by breast cancer in Paris and the surrounding areas. Visit Imaginis Women’s Health Resource online for more information on breast cancer and other women’s health issues.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 10
Shops
Beauchamp Place
This exclusive area is characterised by its high-class fashion shops and a village street ambience. Nestled in the heart of City ofWestminster, home to fine jewellers, boutique and leather goods shops, this historic vicinity is a great place to shop yet a more exclusive experience.
Beauchamp PlaceSW3
Underground: Knightsbridge
Jermyn Streetand St James???s
Jermyn Streethas the reputation to be one of the world???s most famous centres for gentlemen???s fashion, especially for tailored suits and bespoke shirts. Traditionally only a men???s haven, now a few shops are also tailoring for women. Great shirt makers, shoemakers, milliners, perfumiers and wineries.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 9
Everyday, Parisians use 600,000 cubic meters (158 million gallons) of drinkable water… Half of this water comes from sources located about 50 miles away from the city and is brought to Paris via aqueducts and the other half is “produced” by purification plants also located outside Paris. The water is then distributed to tanks thanks to huge pumping systems. I photographed one of these tanks in Montmartre. As you can see (here’s another view), it is really shaped like the old water towers that you can see at the country (we call them “Chateau d’eau” (water castles)). More about the amazing Paris water network on this site, but only in French.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 6
A decorative window casing, lamp and hand-carved wooden boat model atop a fireplace mantlepiece at Julie Isore’s Agape Deco. The 75th Foire Nationale aux Antiquities a la Brocante et aux Jambons continues through Sunday, October 7th. If you miss the chance at Chatou, you can visit the Agape shop in Paris.
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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 3
As said in a previous post, the Eastern part of Paris is still little known by tourists, but it has gotten better since a couple of years. The Canal Saint Martin area is, like the Aligre Market area, a residential neighborhhod, full of