Comments on: Hard Times in France

By: George

George — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 01:08:19 +0000

Somewhere or other the French medievalist Etienne Gilson quotes a headline that once appeared in an English paper over a story about a storm: “Continent Isolated.”

Have you considered the possibility that the French are loading the RERs from the airport in a manner to intimidate English tourists, and so persuade them that the UK should leave the EU? If not, the possibility that all those poor folk in hoodies now have your flu, and are wishing desperately that they didn’t have to ride the RER with globetrotters?

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 22:29:29 +0000

Sorry to have missed you, Toby, and an air kiss – or an existentialist natter. I’ll check out the Semilla next time I’m over that way. I can also recommend the Mini Palais (confusingly in the Grand Palais).

By: Toby

Toby — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:37:55 +0000

I was in Paris too Susan – we should have met up for an air kiss at Pret-a-Porter! I love to out French the French when I’m in Paris – pastis, ciggies, disdain etc etc I’m getting quite good. One afternoon while sitting outside a picturesque cafe in the Marais enjoying a coffee, cognac and Malboro (there are limits – I just can’t stand French ciggies) with a chum, we noticed some Americans tourists taking snaps of us to show folks back home how the French spend a typical afternoon. We looked disdainfully at them before resuming our conversation about existentialism.
Also had a delicious meal at the recently opened Semilla on the Rue de Seine – can heartily recommend if anyone is going over soon.

By: Worm

Worm — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:05:22 +0000

One of the great mysteries of our time is how TG gets to write the restaurant column for the Spectator. Not even Alexei Sayle doing luxury car reviews for the Telegraph can beat it for weirdness. I can’t imagine she gets invited to hang out at the Spectator offices very often.

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:18:47 +0000

Thanks Worm, that’s a great compliment! I saw the article, Brit – and there was also an a piece on weddings by Ms Gold in Stylist magazine – something about inflatable churches… and bridezilla (and that was just the groom).

By: Brit

Brit — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:59:56 +0000

Yes – less repetitively abrasive than Taki’s ‘High Life’, and much less preposterous than Tanya Gold’s restaurant column.

Talking of Ms Gold, did anyone see her account of her wedding in the Times recently? Sheesh!

By: Brit

Brit — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:57:36 +0000

we took some French and Luxembourgish friends to a Brazilian-Japanese fusion restaurant

Now that’s what I call multiculturalism!

By: worm

worm — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:20:20 +0000

Quality diarising Susan, this is better than the Spectator! Glad that you weren’t murdered by les racailles

I am also jealous of your jet setting and lovely restaurants, delays excepted