Paris, je t'aime :: the day after

Random pictures from a random walk the day after the French presidential elections.


Blue Blanc Rouge



Ariane 




Superheroes
Hollande - Sarkozy :: le rassemblement 




Riverin Hollande

Yes we can coffee!

The holidays are behind us, all presents are unwrapped, the Christmas tree dismantled and decorations stored away, we even got rid of the pine needles on the rug, "les buches de Noël" made room for "les gateaux des rois" at the bakery, winter sales have started today. All signs the new year has begun. But let me get back to the holidays one more time. Right before we left for the holidays, I found this present in our mailbox: the Obama "Yes we can coffee". It was definitely this season's coolest present! So, thank you, Liz, for thinking of me. It was MUCH appreciated! When I told M. I would brew some coffee from it on the 20th of January, which is not only inauguration day but also K.'s birthday, she got a little upset. She thinks we should leave the package as is. It's way too special to be cut open, she said. Initially a Hilary-fan she turned into a real Obama-adept. A couple of days ago, she spent some time in her room working on an Obama-report. Not because she had to for school. No, just because...

As to me, I'm a bit puzzled now whether to open the package or not? I have a little less than two weeks left to make up my mind...

Sarko goes Obama

I came across these posters today as I was strolling along Boulevard Haussmann. They were posted on the boards reserved for next week's French social elections. It's clear the Obama-campaign has inspired many. I haven't been able to find out who's behind them and I'm not the only one left puzzled by them, apparently.

Or, was it "sa-sienne", Carla, maybe?

"Bush klaar voor verhuis" - Bush ready to move

I found this just a couple of days ago in the back pocket of a long-forgotten briefcase: the December 19th, 2000 issue of the Belgian "Metro", a free commuter newspaper, distributed in railway and metro stations. The front page shows Hillary Clinton hand-in-hand with Laura Bush on the front-steps of the White House - 8 years ago. Laura Bush was about to move in, Hillary to move out ("Bush klaar voor verhuis" - Bush ready to move).
If it weren't for Obama, would we have had a re-edition of this picture, I wondered? It's a totally irrelevant question now, as Obama wrote history yesterday with an overwhelming victory. What a glorious day!

On France Inter, today, I heard a French newspaper vendor getting interviewed. Newspaper vendors, here like anywhere else, have been doing good business the last two days. The person interviewed added, people frantically check their newspaper/ magazine to make sure there're no dog-ears, no pages missing, and, they have been asking for plastic bags to protect it from humidity outside... Some people maybe hope their newspaper will be worth money one day, others just want a memory of this historical event.
As for me, I was too busy watching news reports on TV and reading online newspapers, so I completely forgot about getting a newspaper. So, I guess, I'll just have to safely tuck away my free "Metro", "20 Minutes" and "Direct Soir" in one or the other briefcase and then maybe in 8 years ...

Obama-rama

A couple of weeks ago, while my brother was visiting, on one of our walks through Paris, we came across this little art gallery with Obama-inspired art work. I thought it was really fun, so a couple of days later I went back with my camera.

I truly hope he’s going to make it… Good luck, Mr. Obama!

I’ll keep my fingers crossed