On Wednesday, September 5 of 2012, Iraqi-born but British-nationalised Surrey-based businessman Saad Al-Hilli, 50, on holiday in the Lake Annecy region in France, was brutally shot down. Saad (if I may call him that) was making an afternoon-outing in this beautiful eastern French region of lakes and hills and mountains and forests, so loved by […]
I am sure you will love the sculptures of bears and gorillas currently at Paris’ Jardin des Plants. The expo is free , as indeed is the public garden. The Jardin des Plants is open every day of the week from 7h.30 to 8 pm. This expo will be running through to October 18. (It […]
On this day 131 years ago, Vincent, lying dying in the arms of his brother, Theo, was penniless. Today many have become billionaires out of him, and many will continue to do so. In pain, Theo holding him, he said: I want to die like this. Indeed he did. Theo too was at the end […]
Sunflowers oil the delights of a summer day out – WHILE REMEMBERING VINCENT VAN GOGH (Here follows a guest post by Chris Aspinall. His blog can be read on http://indeepschiste.substack.com) IT is, I think, very easy to take the places where we live for granted. I may only have been in the Orb Valley for […]
Are you one of the brave who despite Covid-19 will this summer of 2021 be coming to Paris? If so, then you will have to put the village of Auvers-sur-Oise on your agenda. Or rather you will have to put Vincent van Gogh on your agenda. Indeed, Vincent and Auvers are linked for eternity. It […]
(Here follows a Guest Post by Chris Aspinall) AMERICANS, it is said, cannot cope with the concept of cricket being a game that can last for five days. This week here in France, a single sporting event starts that lasts a month – and those competing don’t just appear for short periods, they’re putting their […]
On Saturday, May 5, 1821 – 2oo years ago – Napoléon Bonaparte breathlessly whispered ‘Josephine’ and with a sigh his life ended. No greater Frenchman has there been than this man – you may not agree with me though – but now a virus which originated in China has robbed him of the honour his […]
On Monday, April 15, 2019 – two years ago today – a fire broke out in Paris’ beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral. Since that day workmen have been restoring the cathedral. It will apparently take another two years before it will look as it did on that April day. I will not go into the reason […]
Every day at 5 p.m. the French Ministry of Health issues the newest statistics for how this terrible virus is attacking France. At this moment – 09.30 Sunday 14/03/2021 these statistics are: TOTAL CASES : 4,045,319 DEATHS : 90,315 PATIENTS IN INTENSIVE CARE : 4,070 DAILY NEW CASES : WAS 29,759 ON SATURDAY, 13/03/2021 DAILY […]
The Parisians love them, and so do tourists. I am talking about the Paris street market. Strolling round Paris on a Sunday won’t be such a delight as it is without a street market. Of course, for those living in Paris they are also – perhaps mainly – a shopping area where one can buy […]
To come across a painting one day quite unexpectedly and to think that you have in your possession a work of art by a famous artist – Van Gogh for example, or Picasso, or – well you can insert any famous artist’s name here – is something wonderful. In 2010 this was exactly what happened […]
It is always a pleasure for me to visit the town of Auvers-sur-Oise. Auvers-sur-Oise is of course where Vincent van Gogh spent the last two months of his life, and where he died and lies buried. I, an admirer of Vincent – not only of his paintings but so too of the man – go […]
As you may know I not only write but I also paint. That is canvases and not walls. I will show you some of my paintings here now. All are to be bought. So if you are interested do email me here on this site, or at marilynztomlins@orange.fr Or if you are a art gallery […]
On your next visit to Paris and you have a day to spare and you wonder where to go, what to see, what to do, think no more. I know where you should go: must go. The town is named Brie-Comte-Robert. It is not one of those large, noisy towns in the Ile-de-France […]
What is the world coming to? Have you heard of a killer being released from prison because he has a heart condition and may die – in prison? Well, this has now happened here in France. On November 17, 2009 I wrote the following piece for the true-crime site crime.magazine.com.http://crimemagazine.com/father%E2%80%99s-revenge It was a case which […]
