Karen Fawcett

Dominique Strauss-Kahn saga continues

Lawyers in France and the US may share evidence in two sexual assault claims against Dominique Strauss-Kahn. In what have become part of a legal living saga and the end of DSK’s chances of entering the race to be president of France in 2012, the two cases are by no means near settling.

The Independent reports New York City’s district attorney, Cyrus Vance, plans to question Tristane Banon, the 32-year-old French writer who accused DSK of sexually attacking her in a Paris apartment in 2003.

Ms. Banon’s lawyer, David Koubbi, and Mr. Vance met in New York to discuss similarities between Ms Banon’s claims and the accusations of Nafissatou Diallo.

Diallo, the housekeeper who worked at the New York City Sofitel Hotel, alleges the former head of the IMF sexually assaulted her last May. There have been discussions of Tristane Banon, goddaughter of DSK’s second wife and a former friend of his daughter Camille, going to Manhattan to be deposed.

François Hollande, Socialist presidential contender, was questioned about whether or not Tristane Banon had told him about the alleged sexual attack by DSK as Banon contended. Hollande said no, according to RTT News, adding he wanted no further involvement in the case. Hollande alleges the police interview was politically motivated and warned against politicizing the issue further.

Libya

The French government is now saying Moammar Gaddafi could remain in Libya if he agrees to renounce all leadership roles. According to The Washington Post, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé has stated Gaddafi must relinquish his roles as military and civilian leader before France would back a cease-fire or termination of NATO’s bombing. Negotiations have not started but Juppé said U.N. envoy Abdul Elah al-Khatib has been asked to coordinate meetings with Gaddafi’s representatives.

Bailout for Greece

Seventeen heads of government in the euro zone met this week and agreed to have their countries’ banks participate in several programs to reduce Greece’s debt. Proposed plans could include exchanging existing bonds for new bonds with lower interest rates and longer maturities. German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed the 109-billion-euro aid package, The New York Times reported. Private investment is also expected.

Politics and Finances

Reuters reported yesterday that a poll by Ifop shows President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 36-point approval rating at its highest rate in nearly a year.

According to the Wall Street Journal, although the French presidential elections aren’t until May 2012, public finances will invariably take center stage with the deepening euro zone debt crisis, as France attempts to control its deficit.

The French finance and budget ministers have issued three separate statements that pick holes in the proposals made by France’s Socialist Party.

The sparring began when Finance Minister François Baroin published a statement criticizing comments made by François Hollande in a newspaper interview. Hollande, one of the leading candidates in the Socialist primaries, reportedly said France should balance its budget as soon as 2013, while the government has committed to reducing the deficit to 3% of GDP in 2013.

Tour de France: Yell for Cadel!

Congratulations to Cadel Evans, the first Australian to ever win the Tour de France. Today’s last stage of the race is a ceremonial ride; results were determined at the finish of yesterday’s stage. The race starts today in Creteil with winners raising rolling Champagne toasts on their bikes while en route before swarming paparazzi following cars. The excitement builds with three laps on the Champs-Elysées cobblestones before thousands of cheering cycling fans in Paris. Experts called this year’s edition of the world’s top cycling event one of the best in years. Andy Schleck is in second place, his brother Frank Schleck is in third. France’s Thomas Voeckler has delighted France with his 4th place finish and the winner of the last three Tours, Alberto Contador, ends in 5th place.  Watch for Aussie fans bearing yellow “Yell for Cadel!” signs in Paris.

Air France Strike Called Off

Yesterday Air France cabin crews called off a strike that would have created chaos on July 29th, one of the heaviest travel weekends of the year, according to Reuters. Flight attendants and management have reached an undisclosed agreement on terms related to reorganizing flight attendants’ work at regional hubs.

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Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Dominique Strauss-Kahn continues to make the news. Last Friday, he was released on his own recognizance and his bail was lifted after his accuser’s credibility was found to be more than suspect. Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance and his team found their case crumbling.

On Friday the Telegraph [UK] reported DSK and a “mystery woman” can be seen on hotel video captured in a hotel elevator at 1:20am on the day of the alleged attack. The woman did not work at the hotel and she reportedly declined to speak to investigators. Whatever may or may have not happened, Dominique Strauss-Kahn was served breakfast for one that morning.

France 24 reported prosecutors are probing an attempted rape claim filed in Paris by 32-year-old French writer Tristane Banon. Her complaint alleges that DSK attempted to rape her in 2003 as she was interviewing the then-finance minister. Even though Banon has publicly discussed the incident, she didn’t file charges until now.

This past week Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers continued to push for case dismissal and they stated the former head of the IMF would not consent to a plea bargain.

Banon must provide evidence of attempted rape rather than just sexual assault. In France attempted rape charges can be brought as long as ten years after the event. Assault charges expire after three years. France 24 provided more background information about Tristane Banon.

According to Reuters, “An opinion poll carried out as a result of Banon’s complaint this week found two thirds of respondents did not want Strauss-Kahn to be a candidate in the 2012 election. A larger sampling of the poll believes he will not choose to run.”

This week, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his wife Anne Sinclair gave notice to vacate their Manhattan premises.

Christine Lagarde

On Tuesday the former French Finance Minister assumed the role as the first female head of the International Monetary Fund.

On Friday France 24 reported that the French courts again delayed their decision about whether or not Lagarde will face a criminal investigation. Mme Lagarde is facing claims that she abused her authority in 2007 when she intervened in a dispute between French businessman Bernard Tapie and Crédit Lyonnais.

Tapie, former head of sporting goods company Adidas, has long waged a legal battle claiming he was cheated by Crédit Lyonnais, which handled the 1993 sale of his stake in the company. Crédit Lyonnais, once publicly owned, had been wound up and its liabilities were taken over by a state-operated consortium. Tapie’s claim was initially written off as bad debt.

In 2007, Lagarde intervened and ended the court dispute by ordering a special panel of judges to arbitrate. In 2008, arbitrators awarded Bernard Tapie a 580 million euro payment, according to the NY Times. The out-of-court settlement scandalized opposition politicians.

According to the Financial Times, the decision by the Court of Justice of the Republic has been postponed until August 4.

Paris Fashion Week Show Highlights

Fashion lovers gathered in Paris this week for the Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2011 presentations. Fashionistas saw collections from designers including Valentino, Giorgio Armani Privé, Givenchy and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Reuters reported that Galliano’s absence was felt at the Dior haute couture show.

Chanel dazzled with a set recreating a life-size Place Vendôme and the clothes were pronounced classically beautiful. Giorgio Armani Privé dedicated his collection to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Emerging French talent Alexandre Vauthier’s collection was dominated by dramatic head-to-toe red outfits.

Tour De France

The first week of the Tour de France saw pounding rain and nearly a record number of spectacular high-speed crashes for a starting week that forced several injured favorites out of the race. American team RadioShack was essentially wiped out when injuries forced team leaders Chris Horner and Janez Bracevic to drop out; and crowd favorite Belgian Tom Boonen also withdrew because of injuries. The race leader after a week is Thor Hushovd, but that could change next week when the race moves to the Pyrenees and Alps mountain stages. Alberto Contador, winner of the last three TDFs, is a climber and watch for him to dominate there, especially in stages 12 and 14. Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck will no doubt be hot on Contador’s pedals. Watch for our weekly recaps on Monday in our France Daily News section.

Vacations

According to The Connexion, forty-five percent of the French won’t be going on vacation this summer or will have stay-vacations. The main reasons cited were finances, saving money for other things, choosing to visit relatives or simply doing things at home.

Paris Plage returning to Seine quais

The City of Paris announced that the Paris Plage will be installed for a month starting July 21. This is the tenth time tons of sand cover the quai cobbles to create a beach on the Seine. France 24 news has an English-language interview with the designer with footage of past Paris Plage scenes and future plans for Paris pedestrian Seine quai walkways you can watch by clicking here.

Who knows what will be in next week’s news from France.  Even though it’s summer, it’s doubtful it will be boring.

© Paris New Media, LLC

Dominique Strauss-Kahn freed from house arrest

News of the possible collapse of sexual assault charges against Dominique Strauss-Kahn stunned France on Friday. And it’s not only DSK’s lawyers who are claiming their client’s innocence.

According to the New York Times, New York City prosecutors have reportedly found serious discrepancies and repeated lies in the 32-year-old housekeeper’s allegations. It’s also been reported she has possible links to people involved in criminal activities, including drug dealing and money laundering.

On Friday, DSK was released on his own recognizance and his bail was lifted.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. didn’t drop the case as some legal experts expected. Another court hearing is scheduled for July 18.

France Socialist Party presidential nominee candidates must file by July 13 in advance of the October primaries. As the July deadline approaches, some have started lobbying for a suspension of the process to give Strauss-Kahn a chance to re-enter the race.

According to The First Post, with the possibility of DSK returning to France before too long, some are saying he should be given a chance to apply for the presidency of the Socialist Party, a position he was expected to win before the claim of attempted rape was made. This in turn would allow him to run against current President Nicolas Sarkozy in France’s national elections next year.

Christine Lagarde will head IMF

Christine Lagarde was named chair of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), vacating the post of France’s minister of finance. When she assumes the IMF post on July 5, she will be the IMF’s first female leader [see France 24 video]. As a result, President Sarkozy named a replacement for Mme. Lagarde on Wednesday.

François Baroin named new France finance minister

François Baroin will take over as French finance minister. French President Nicolas Sarkozy Wednesday named Baroin finance minister, installing him at a pivotal time in the Greek crisis and giving him responsibility for sustaining the French economic recovery while significantly reducing France’s budget deficit.

France supplying Libyan rebels with weapons

France 24 reported that the French government admitted on Friday that it has supplied Libyan rebels with weapons and ammunition, a move some claim violates UN Resolutions. Initially the French government didn’t confirm the claim.

On Friday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said his country’s NATO partners and the U.N. Security Council were told about France’s decision to supply weapons to the Libyan opposition.

“We believe that within the frameworks of [UN Security Council] Resolutions 1970 and 1973—and 1970 as a whole—it is clear that all means are legitimate for protecting peaceful civilians,” Juppé said on Friday in France’s defense.

French journalists freed by Taliban

Two television journalists, who were held in captivity by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nearly 18 months, were released and returned to France Thursday. Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier were kidnapped in December 2009 while reporting east of Kabul. On Friday France 24 and other major media reported large ransoms were paid to the Taliban for the release, a claim the French government denies.

Tour de France is rolling

The 98th Tour de France began Saturday and will end in Paris on Sunday, July 24th. It promises to be an exciting race with 21 stages that take racers on a scenic but grueling race through France.

Saxo Bank A/S, a Copenhagen-based online trader and asset manager, increased its backing of three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who was jeered by TDF fans at a Thursday public event held in Le Puy du Fou in the western region of Vendée.

Contador, who has won all the Grand Tours including the Giro d’Italia for the second time in May, tested positive for clenbuterol at last year’s race.

He has been cleared by the Spanish authorities, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will decide in August whether his claim that the positive test was due to contaminated meat is valid.

There’s an increase in riders from the US and Canada who grew up with Lance Armstrong as their idol. Ten Americans and a Canadian will be in the competition. Lance Armstrong will be at the Tour de France as a spectator.

The news from France seems to be filled with surprises these days and we’ll be on the watch.

© Paris New Media, LLC

This past week’s news from France hasn’t been boring and so it goes.

French Politics: will Chirac endorse Hollande?

Now that Dominique Strauss-Kahn appears to be out of the running as the Socialist Party candidate to replace President Nicolas Sarkozy, former Socialist Party leader François Hollande has announced his candidacy for the 2012 race. Former France President Jacques Chirac was there, joking that the Conservative might endorse the Socialist, a swipe at Sarkozy.

Among his competitors is Ségolène Royal, his former partner and the mother of his children. Another contender is Martine Aubry.

According to sociologist Denis Muzet, “It’s too early to predict a disastrous Socialist campaign or masterful Sarkozy comeback. Anything can happen in eleven months prior to an election. Still, history suggests Sarkozy, who has lagged in the polls, has his work cut out for him.”

Paris Air Show sales soar, Airbus sales set new world record

Airbus celebrated a $72 billion book of orders, including the biggest single airliner order in history on Thursday. It was a clear victory over US rival Boeing.

“This success sets a new record for any commercial aircraft manufacturer at any air show ever,” an Airbus spokesperson said, after confirming that Malaysia’s AirAsia would buy 200 of its A320neo fuel-efficient medium-haul jets.

According to Bloomberg , “All the growth is in the Asia-Pacific,” said Neil Hansford, Chairman of Strategic Aviation Solutions, a Sydney-based industry consultant.

Former French president Chirac faces September corruption trial

France’s former leader Jacques Chirac will be tried in September for corruption relating to his time as the mayor of Paris in the 1990s. Presiding judge Dominique Pauthe said the long-delayed trial of the popular politician, now aged 78, will take place in Paris between September 5 and 23. This will be the first trial of a former French president.

John Galliano trial concludes, verdict in September

John Galliano, former creative head of fashion house Christian Dior, had his day in court last Wednesday. Galliano was fired following his arrest for a series of incidents earlier this year in which he made racist and anti-Semitic remarks. He faces a charge of “public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity.”

His attorney claims Galliano was in the throes of a “triple addiction to alcohol, benzodiazepine [Valium] and sleeping pills” at the time of his arrest, and Galliano testified that he did not remember using the inflammatory language. The verdict will be announced in September.

According to Vogue, Galliano will return to rehab for substance abuse.

Tour de France

Ready, set, go: The 98^th Tour de France begins on July 2 and ends in Paris on July 24. Twenty-one stages will cover 3,430 kilometers or 2,133 miles and the route can be seen here. According to the Guardian, Mark Cavendish is the man to watch. He’s set on being the first to cross the finish line in Paris.

However, the favorite is 
Alberto Contador (Spain) who’s touted to be the best climber in the world. During the past four years, he’s won six grand tours. In case you’re wondering, Contador has been cleared of doping charges. The Washington Post weighs in on the top contenders. May the best cyclist win.

Sarkozy follows Obama’s lead, prepares to pull troops out of Afghanistan

President Nicholas Sarkozy endorsed President Obama’s announcement of accelerated troop withdrawal in Afghanistan. France will begin a phased pullback next month of the 4,000 soldiers sent there as part of the allied effort.

International Monetary Fund interviews Lagarde to replace DSK in top post

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde appeared before the executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday to present her qualifications as the next IMF leader.

She met privately with IMF executive directors and then had a three-hour-long meeting with the 24-member board in the afternoon. She stated she would promote reforms to make IMF more representative of the world’s economy. It’s clear she’ll most likely replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who resigned May 18th to fight sexual assault charges in New York.

Lagarde has the backing of Europe, which holds seven of the 24 seats on the executive board. It’s thought she’ll be designated the new managing director by consensus.

European Central Bank

European Union leaders appointed Italy’s Mario Draghi as the next president of the European Central Bank (ECB) on Friday, a move that gives investors much-needed certainty over who will lead the institution in its pivotal role in the fight against the crippling debt crisis.

Jean-Claude Trichet, current head of the ECB, will leave the post on October 31st. The ECB is the central bank for Europe’s single currency, the euro. Its primary task is to maintain the euro’s purchasing power and monitor its price stability in the 17 European Union countries that adopted the euro in 1999. For additional information, access here.

French ex-minister charged with rape

Former French minister Georges Tron has been charged with rape and sexual assault after allegations that he attacked women who worked for him. Tron resigned recently to focus on his defense. To read more about what appears to be a French epidemic, access the Guardian.

Same Sex Marriage

Some people who turned up for Saturday’s Gay Pride Parade in Paris were saluting New York State’s legalization of same sex marriages and would like to see France follow suit. The parade attracted some leaders from France’s political left, which has rallied around equal rights for gays _ notably marriage and adoption rights _ and put the issue in their platform for the 2012 presidential election race.

France Weather

Meteorologists forecast excellent and sunny weather in France after a colder than usual June. After this news, please enjoy it.

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The news from France continues to hold center court and there are few, if any, dull moments.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is staying under police watch in a rented $50,000-a-month luxury townhouse in the Tribeca section of Manhattan. He can order dinner delivered by the finest restaurants, which angers those who claim DSK is receiving special treatment because he’s wealthy and can buy creature comforts while awaiting trial on sexual assault charges.

According to the Guardian [UK], lawyers for Strauss-Kahn say they have information that could “gravely undermine the credibility” of the hotel maid who has accused him of attempted rape. In a letter to Manhattan prosecutors, Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers William Taylor and Ben Brafman complained that New York police publicly disclosed prejudicial information about the case that could jeopardize their client’s right to a fair trial. The French, whether or not they believe DSK is guilty, are discussing the dramatic differences between the American and French justice systems.

The IMF

It’s looking very much as if French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde will become head of The International Monetary Fund. Even though there’s been a great deal of lobbying for someone from a developing country to be appointed, The Washington Post reported European leaders are backing Lagarde’s candidacy and wrote that supporters call her a “formidable negotiator, a key to uniting a bickering Europe in the quest to save the euro and manage the debt crisis that has rocked the continent over the past 18 months.”

G8 Summit in Deauville

World leaders met in Deauville for G8 summit. The official attendees included French President Nicolas Sarkozy, American President Barack Obama; UK Prime Minister David Cameron; Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy; Dmitry Medvedev from Russia; Japanese Prime minister Naoto Kan; Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commission and Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Group of Eight industrialized economies endorsed a blueprint for financial assistance for Arab Spring nations in the Middle East and North Africa. They also decreed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should “stop using force and intimidation against the Syrian people.”

According to the Voice of America: U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States and France have resolved to “finish the job” in Libya, as NATO presses for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy greeted the heads of State in a white slightly tented Chanel dress. It was the First Lady of France’s first official appearance since her father-in-law confirmed her pregnancy to the German media. She chose not to attend the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival where she appeared in Woody Allen’s film, Midnight in Paris.

Air France Crash

Air France’s Flight #447 between Rio de Janeiro and Paris crashed after the Airbus A330 lost speed and stalled before beginning a 3-1/2 minute plunge into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board on June 1, 2009, according to Bloomberg News.

Reuters reported on Friday that French investigators have learned that pilots wrestled with the controls of the jet for over four minutes, French investigators said on Friday.

Aviation industry sources also told Reuters pilots appeared to have acted contrary to normal procedures in raising, rather than lowering, its nose in response to an alert that the plane was about to lose lift or, in technical parlance, “stall.”

The black boxes were retrieved and while data analysis is not yet complete, the latest media reports blame pilot error for the crash.

Paris News

Construction of The Greater Paris Express has been approved after three years of planning by national, regional and local transit authorities. It will cost over 30 billion euros and the future network will be a large loop around outer Paris that links La Défense, St. Denis, Villejuif and Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports. The “supermetro,” as it is known, will have approximately 72 stations, 200 km of track and it’s projected to serve an estimated two million passengers each day by the finish date in 2025. Is that realistic? According to Pedro Ortiz, Directeur Général d’Urbanisme et Planification Régionale for the Government of Madrid between 1995-1999, the answer is yes. “Madrid was able to construct a subway system in four years,” Ortiz stated.

The French Open

As usual, The French Open at Roland Garros has been a sold-out event where people have come from all over the world to watch the world’s best tennis stars battle each other on the famous red clay courts. On Saturday, Rafael Nadal snagged his fifth French Open Men’s Singles title.

Mothers’ Day in France

Pierre Hermé salutes mothers by creating three new flavors of macarons:  The Coeur Ispahan, Coeur Origine and the Coeur Montebello.  Isn’t it nice to be able to end the news on a light note albeit calorie-laden.

(c) Paris New Media, LLC

In France as well as worldwide, the news has been varied and ongoing. This week’s highlights include Japan, Libya, Sarkozy, FN Marine Le Pen, and price hikes—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Japan: After two weeks, the death toll mounts in Japan and there has been slower-than-expected progress in controlling a two-week-old crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Elevated radiation levels have prompted a new round of worry in the international community.

Some of the reactors at the power plant continue emitting smoke and there have been problems cooling them. People living within a 30-kilometer radius of the plant have been asked to evacuate their homes. And there have been bans placed on selling much of the food raised in the area.

People are giving up hope of finding family and friends who have disappeared. The death toll from Japan’s earthquake and tsunami has reached more than 11,000 with 17,443 people still missing, according to the national police.

Libya: NATO has agreed to take over enforcement of the no-fly zone over the country. Alain Juppé, France’s foreign minister says the international military operation against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s forces may last days or weeks — but not months.

Juppé says he hopes the campaign in Libya will serve as a warning to autocratic regimes elsewhere, including in Syria and Saudi Arabia. France’s President Sarkozy helped lead the diplomatic push for a U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians from Gadhafi’s forces, and French warplanes fired the first strikes in the campaign. Both Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have sent planes to be part of the coalition.

There will be another meeting of world leaders in London this week to coordinate the strategy and military operation against Gadhafi’s forces. French President Sarkozy is very much in the forefront.

Syria: Protests spread across Syria on Friday, challenging the rule of the Assad family after its forces killed dozens of demonstrators in the south. The question is very much as to whether or not the Assad family may be overthrown. It’s felt that the people have been inspired by recent events in Tunisia and Egypt and there could potentially be a revolution.

Politics: In the political arena, Front National leader Marine Le Pen is giving the party a fresh look, attempting to dispel her father’s far-right party’s nationalistic, xenophobic mantra. She’s targeting middle-class voters, who are disappointed with President Nicolas Sarkozy’s economic record.

According to a poll released by consultancy Ipsos last week, Ms. Le Pen would beat Mr. Sarkozy in the first round of the presidential vote if Strauss-Kahn runs on the Socialist ticket. Survey results indicate Ms. Le Pen would  attract 19% of votes, contrasted to 18% for President Sarkozy in the first round, while Mr. Strauss-Kahn would take 33% of the vote.

Rising costs: Get ready to pay more for flour, coffee, oil, bread, butter and pasta as commodity prices have soared worldwide and the supermarkets aren’t going to eat the increases.
 We’re talking just two percent, but that masks a range of increases that range from 15-20 percent on flour and 10-20 percent on coffee, which are products where the raw material price is a major part of the purchase price.

EDF confirmed it will raise its rates by five percent beginning in July and warned that prices are due to rise 30 percent by 2015.

Beginning in May, the price of using Paris’s Vélib’ rental bikes is scheduled to increase by up to 70 percent. The cost of day tickets will go from €1 to €1.70, while a seven-day pass will rise from €5 to €8. 

Users pay a subscription for a day, week, month or year, during which time they can use the bicycles free of charge for up to 30 minutes.

Wine: In the event you were wondering, and much to the chagrin of French wine growers, the French are buying less and paying less per bottle. Gone are the days when people drink wine at lunch. 

People describe themselves as weekly or monthly drinkers, with just 15 percent admitting they are daily drinkers, the majority of whom are men who are over 60.

The shift away from drinking in bars to drinking at home has been happening for years, but the smoking ban and the economic crisis have accelerated the trend. 

The average household is also spending less on drink but buying better: spending on average €0.30 more for each product than in 2007, up from €3.90 to €4.20 per liter.

As a dedicated flyer who never wants to fly in the back of the plane on long-haul flights, I’ve finally torn up my frequent flyer plastic and no longer do mileage runs hoping for an upgrade.

This may sound foolish or out of step with the times, but the days of upgrades have come to an end as far as I can tell. Being squeezed into a middle seat made me want to set my hair on fire: I’d rather buy a ticket from a consolidator than stand waiting for my name to be called in the event there’s a place still available in business class. By the time I boarded in the past, I was in a sweat after forking over miles plus $450 each way for the pleasure of more legroom. And forget about buying the least expensive fare because those tickets don’t qualify for upgrades.

Because I commute between Paris and Washington, it feels so good to have found my airline: thank you, OpenSkies. And the other passengers, be they French, American or Brits who take a connecting flight to Paris, say they like the airline because it’s more laid-back and with fewer passengers.

OpenSkies is an all-business class airline that feels like a club. A subsidiary of British Airlines, it currently flies between Newark (EWR)  and Washington, DC (IAD) and Paris’s Orly-Sud (ORY) airport. The planes are Boeing 757-200s retrofitted to accommodate far fewer passengers than the aircraft can handle when they’re shipping cattle—about eighty-six, I think. You get on—and off!—very quickly. Oh, there are also twelve flat “Biz Beds,” as they call them, that recline 180 degrees. Some people book the trip to Paris in the Biz Bed and fly back in the biz seat that reclines 140 degrees.

The pampered experience begins once you check in. The personnel welcome you as if you’re a VIP; the baggage allowance is three bags. You receive your boarding pass and a lounge admit slip, so you don’t have to sit in the corridor or go shopping to fill your time until the flight departs. Why would you? The lounges offer snacks, wine, spirits, coffee—all on the house—or included in the cost of your ticket. You can make a meal and then go right to sleep on the plane. You can place phone calls, use the WiFi or be left alone. There is also priority security clearance in Paris if you’re flying Open Skies.  Paris’s lounge is an Icare one and (because) it’s Paris, there’s an outdoor smoking area for those who need a last fix.  There’s also very good French champagne.

If you enjoy duty-free shopping, plan to do it at the airport because you can’t on the flight—and so much the better so there’s more time for the crew to cater to their clients’ whims.

Dealing with snarky flight attendants has become tedious for frequent flyers, who don’t want to hear about the crew’s personal problems or that their pensions have been cut. Please don’t think I’m not sympathetic, but that’s not why I board a plane. I fly to go somewhere, not to be a stranger on a plane or a shrink. And yes, I talk to the crew (when I’m not sleeping) because I was destined to spend much of my life “Up in the Air”  à la George Clooney.

The flight attendants are some of the most enthusiastic anywhere. They really feel as if they’re a family and considering there are generally four per flight, they really are. During layovers on both sides of the Atlantic, all of them whom I queried said they tend to hang together.

Flight attendants go out of their way to make you feel welcome. On one flight when I was upgraded to a biz-bed seat, I fully expected the steward to tuck me in under a white cotton duvet. Was I comfortable? You bet. If you ask if you can eat your more-than-decent meal (served on china with an eye for presentation) earlier or later, no one tells you it’s now or never.

When you fly OpenSkies, you’re rested even if you don’t sleep as most passengers appear to do. Some people watch movies on the mini-screen TV or work throughout the trip. Those who are cramming for business presentations are happy to see electrical plugs in the console so they don’t have to count the minutes until their computer battery fades into the dark of the night.

Even if your final destination isn’t Paris, OpenSkies supplies first-class tickets on the TGV to other parts of France. It’s part of the deal and a darn good one.

OpenSkies should also be considered a feeder airline and I don’t mean that as a pejorative. If you want to go further afield there are many low cost airlines in the E.U. that make it easy for you to go where you want to be with minimal wear and tear. For example, if Milan is your final destination, a round trip ticket on easyJet can cost less than $100 depending upon when you reserve. Anyone can tolerate sitting up straight and not being served more than water when the trip is only an hour and a half long.

OpenSkies has just celebrated its third anniversary, and may there be many more.

There are lots of changes taking place at OpenSkies. Dale Moss, who’s been head of the airline since it launched, is retiring. He’s made 145 transatlantic trips and feels it time to spend more time with his family. It’s not surprising that all the flight attendants with whom I’ve spoken feel as if they actually know him, because they invariably do.

Patrick Malval, Regional Commercial Manager Western Europe for British Airways (BA), took over as Managing Director of OpenSkies on June 30.

Malval (who happens to be French) has been a board member of OpenSkies for over three years and with British Air since 1990. He’s held various roles within the commercial organization before being appointed in 1999 to Business Sales Manager for France.  On my most recent flight, the flight attendants said they’d met their new boss and were excited over the prospect of being one of his team.

Price: OpenSkies has had numerous promotions and if you’re flying between Washington or New York City (ok, Newark) and Paris, it’s important to get on the mailing list and book seats when the prices are right. When they are, you’ll pay only a couple of hundred dollars more than coach on other carriers. One caveat: if you need to change your date, expect to be hit with a hefty change fee. But that’s no different from other airlines. For example, there are special offers for less than $1900.00 round trip from Newark and $200 less if you’re originating at Washington’s Dulles Airport.

OK, I’m a convert and so are many of my friends.  I would have made the leap sooner had it not been the airline didn’t accept animals on their flights. But, now they do and I know Kitty (or a canine companion) would have liked the airline as much as I do.

© Paris New Media, LLC

It’s entirely your fault. You voted to read more about my Berlin trip. Once again, it wasn’t the usual “three days here or there” because we skipped so many must-see sights.

To be sure, it’s a luxury when you can get from one EU capital to another so quickly and don’t feel you have to do and see it all. You don’t need be afraid you may never return, since it’s not a long way from where you live. And if you’ve fallen in love with another city—Paris, in my case—you can always work out a little thing on the side.

Your input:

Readers sent comments and suggestions about the many things I missed during my whirlwind trip. A couple of Berlin residents offered “insider tours” on my next trip. Thank you, and the answer is yes.

There was even an email regarding transportation. Ken Dole suggested, “Splurge and take an overnight train. Book a private sleeper car. You board at the Gare de l’Est. Arrive early because it leaves at 20:20 (8:20 p.m.) Read, socialize and turn in.”  For those who miss dining cars, the overnight train has a real one. Ken continued, “At 9:00 a.m., the train arrives in central Berlin at the Zoo or Hauptbahnhof (near the Reichstag). Passports and tickets are collected on the train at the beginning of the trip, so you won’t be awakened during the trip. They will be returned to you before you arrive in Berlin. You’ll have a porter who serves only a few passengers. Take the train one way and fly back or vice versa.”

That’s a great idea for train aficionados and the full-fare price is just over $400 for a single cabin. If you book a ticket through Rail Europe, it costs approximately $270. Remember, prices are always subject to change.

Hotels:

If you’re into luxe and history, the Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is considered by many to be “the” hotel. It’s classic and has an indoor pool, a spa and a one-star Michelin restaurant. Located across from the Brandenburg Gate, it opened in 1907. Emperor Wilhelm II was its most loyal (and demanding) guest. No one was permitted to put a foot in the door before him and he treated the hotel as one of his palaces. You can make it yours.

It quickly became the hotel for the nobility, the rich and the famous and even some of Germany’s intelligentsia. Embassies moved their offices to the premises and used its reception rooms.

If the hotel, which was renovated for approximately 245 million euros and reopened in 1997, has a familiar look, it’s because the movie “Grand Hotel” was based on the property. It’s where Greta Garbo whispered the phrase for which she’ll always be remembered, “I want to be alone.”

A friend recommended the Bleibtreu Berlin Hotel. Since Barbara is a German architect, who worked on my apartment, it seemed only appropriate to see where she stays. The hotel was renovated in the early ’90s by an artist and is near Kurfürstendamm. Barbara reports the hotel serves great breakfast (no, not just coffee and a croissant, but one that sticks to your ribs—for weeks) and, contrasted to the Adlon Kempinski, is a veritable bargain. It’s a short walk to the subway—great when exploring a city that has an excellent transit system.

Palaces:

Thanks to all of you who sent messages about the palace that’s been classified a UNESCO World Heritage Monument.  No, I didn’t go to Sanssouci in Potsdam. I know it’s near Berlin and is a smaller-version Versailles constructed à la Rococo. It will be on my to-do list on my next trip. When we were in Berlin, it was too cold and too far to go and who needed to worry?

Shopping:

If you’re into labels and expensive, Berlin is definitely a buying center. Your can head here if you need to stock up on Louis Vuitton, Gucci and designers who make a statement when you wear their clothes and when you receive your credit card bill.

According to Toma Haines, the Antiques Diva, “The other place in town to shop is in the West on the Kurfürstendamm, known locally as the Ku’damm.  There’s rarely a crowd, even on Saturdays.” Certainly not like Paris or Amsterdam.

Toma raves about Berlin for its antiques shopping  and says, “Berlin is a treasure trove. First, there is the Suarezstrasse that has thirty antique dealers clustered together. Thirty doesn’t sound big, but this district packs a punch: you can find anything you want and you’ll want everything you find. Vintage everything is HOT and cheap, especially when compared to Provence and Paris.” Clearly, there was no way we could go to all of Toma’s secret sources and have signed up for one of her antiques tours.

More shopping and eating:

Don’t miss the mega department store KaDeWe. Not only is it 60,000 square meters large with an enormous selection of clothes, accessories and more but also on the top floors, there’s food, glorious food. For my money and calories, this one beats London’s Harrods in a heartbeat. People must go wild deciding what to buy, much less what to eat. If you’re language challenged, head to the top floor where there’s a cafeteria like none you’ve ever seen. All you do is have to point, pick up and pay.

Berlin is filled with ethnic restaurants and choosing isn’t easy. Not everyone craves heavy food all of the time and if you’re coming from Paris, you might really want to opt for good Italian food.

Adman in Charlottenburg is definitely worth a visit in addition to a walking tour of the neighborhood. If you miss sushi, voilà. This is a first-rate and fun restaurant.

Monsieur Vuong was the surprise of all surprises. You would have thought it was haute cuisine. When we arrived, there was a line long enough that we considered going elsewhere in the Mitte neighborhood. We stood with the gang and were given tea (and shawls) to keep us warm. A camaraderie among those left out in the cold formed and it was actually fun to wait together. Good thing too. When we were seated, we sat wherever there was a place and were served sensational Vietnamese food. This restaurant has a very limited menu but what it does offer, it does well. If you’re going for a huge wine menu, forget it. You have the choice of red, white and rosé. If I remember correctly, you could choose from three or four beers. By this time, it was very late.

Walking back to the hotel, we decided to cruise the Mitte area the next day. There was so much to see. Yes, there will be a return trip. In the meantime, I’ll be studying Time Out Magazine, planning which exhibits to see in this edgy and happening city.

(c) Paris New Media, LLC

After another week of thinking about Berlin, it’s more than clear there was no way we could do the city justice with a fast in-and-out trip. Living in Paris has so many advantages including being the ideal jumping-off place from which to travel. If you’re a travel junkie and find it enriching, it’s heaven.

Don’t get me wrong: I had no illusions or delusions we were going to see and do it all. Berlin is approximately eight times the size of Paris. There are plenty of neighborhoods here in Paris with which I only have a nodding acquaintance. I’ve designated specific days when I pretend I’m a tourist, with the conviction there’s no place like home. And, I want and need to explore it, especially if I’m going to maintain my being considered a Paris expert.

People who go to a place of any size, spend a day sightseeing and think they’ve seen it amaze me. That’s one reason to steer clear of tours where travelers are whisked from here to there with an agenda like “if it’s Tuesday, it must be Brussels… or maybe Berlin?” How about seeing the city? How about seeing what’s in between this city and the next?

You probably read the “three days here and three days there” articles as do I. If you have unlimited energy, an infallible sense of direction, don’t get confused or take the wrong bus or subway, perhaps you can do and see what’s on the must-see list. That’s simply not the way I travel since I like to wander and invariably do, since I was born without the sense of direction gene and find myself exploring whether or not I’d planned to do so.

OK, here are some suggestions, which does not mean we did them–we certainly did not get to all of them!

For a 360-degree overview of the city, the Visit Berlin Tourist Office suggests you go here. It is a TV Tower 680 feet high (270 meters) where you can get an stunning overview of the city; you can see many of its tourist attractions from here, including the Reichstag (Parliament building), the Brandenburg Gate and the Main Railway Station, as well as the Olympic Stadium, the Museum Island (Museumsinsel) and the Potsdam Square (Potsdamer Platz). This makes sense.

We didn’t go. Instead, because of a recommendation, we ate at Solar, located at the summit of a high-rise building. Our source assured us it’s a local hangout where we wouldn’t encounter tourists. She was right. The food was more than decent, portions were huge and could be split and the prices were moderate especially compared to Paris. As guaranteed, the view was incredible and the decibel level could blow out people’s eardrums.  Décor-wise (all-black and glass), it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s the type of place you either love or hate, and you know darn well there’s a whole lot of shaking going on after midnight.

We went to Checkpoint Charlie (and yes, there’s a kind of cheesy feeling that comes from being besieged by people being able to buy a piece of the Berlin Wall) and other relics of the Soviet era. We walked through The Brandenburg Gate and studied the exteriors of Museum row.

I’m embarrassed to admit we didn’t go to the Jewish Museum. You need to dedicate three days to do it justice.

But, contrary to what you may think, this is not a to-do-and-what-to see article. It’s more about the very superficial conclusions I came to. If you’re looking for tourism information, the Berlin Tourist Office has a first-rate site.

My way of learning is to interview people and ask lots of (often, too many) questions. One of the pluses of living in Paris is I know I can and will return to Berlin. And, sooner than later.

I grilled Toma Haines, the Antiques Diva, a Bonjour Paris contributor, who lives in Berlin and commutes to Paris. She shared her insights and said, “I can’t emphasize strongly enough is that Berlin is a poor city. It was flattened in WWII, isolated by the Wall, and it’s never recovered. In 2004, Klaus Wowereit, the mayor, said in an interview, “Berlin ist arm, aber sexy.” (“Berlin is poor, but sexy.”)

Beginning with the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall in November 2009, investors have been building non-stop, so construction is always visible. I love the quote from Jack Lang, former French minister of culture, when he talked about Berlin’s growth and how quickly it’s changing. “Paris is always Paris and Berlin is never Berlin.” Of course, Lang missed Baron Haussmann.

“Literally every week a new store opens up, a new building is being built… fueling the economy with the hope it will pay off. People, especially Americans, are investing in Berlin, but you have to think long-term to make it worth your money,” Toma said.

Some things I learned:

Even though Berlin and Paris are so close (by plane), it’s an eight-hour drive and an overnight (12 hour-long) train trip between the two capital cities.

Think BIG. Streets are wide, stores are big and the city feels quasi empty.

Don’t expect people to speak English. It’s a plus if they do if they’re of a certain age. Younger Germans will, but they’re not necessarily the ones who are manning information booths in the train or subway stations. Use transport maps, or a smart-phone application if you have one.

Many Germans steer clear of making eye contact. I hate generalizations, but that tends to be the norm if you’re passing by and through. If they know you, it’s something else.

Waiters are professional and appear to do their jobs well. But, they’re not as friendly as those in the U.S. nor as professional as waiters in France. Tips are not included. Supposedly, 5% (more or less) of the check is the norm.

Taxi drivers don’t necessarily speak English.  Be sure to have the address in writing of where you’re going plus your return destination. If you find the “right” driver, however, you’ll learn a lot. The one we snagged when we went to the airport was full of information and was happy to share his sense of how the city and housing demographics have changed. When we thanked him, he thanked us, remarking that passengers usually treat him as if he’s invisible.

People aren’t supposed to cross the street when there’s a red light – even if there’s not a car in sight and it’s 6 a.m. Moi?

Even though graffiti is an art form, don’t toss your trash on the sidewalk including a napkin that happens to fall.

If you happen to have a car and park illegally even for a minute, even if the police don’t arrive in time to give you a $5 ticket, other drivers and passersby will reprimand you.

Berlin is a safe city as long as you use big city smarts. At the same time, some younger Berlin residents buck the establishment. Don’t be surprised if you see storefronts that have been bashed in and because it’s non-shatter glass, you might mistake it for being an art statement. It’s not. One shop owner told me it’s frequent and perpetrated by Berlin punks.

Compared to Paris, it’s cheap. If only it weren’t so expensive to check luggage, it would have made dollars, cents and euros to have bought drugstore and grocery items and so much more and brought them home.

Food and More:

Berlin is the land of coffee here and coffee everywhere. The first café in Berlin was opened in 1670. Between Einstein and Starbucks, fast, good and moderately priced carryout coffee to go is available whenever you’re in the mood. And you can sit down in the shops, inside or out, no matter how cold it is. Bring on the lattes and the “white coffees” that are made with condensed milk. The majority of these places have free WiFi and are enormous compared to those in Paris.

I’m told women with curves are appreciated…it’s a bit of a culture shock after living here where Parisian women are forever on a diet and are seemingly born without hips and thighs.

Come to think of it, you’ll see relatively few French women drinking beer contrasted to those in Germany. Yes, there some very good wines produced there, but nothing compared to the amount of beer. On nearly every block, you’ll see a restaurant with a cheery rosy-faced (wooden) man beckoning you in for beer and local cuisine. If you like heavy and copious, you’ll be in heaven. Expect to be served bratwurst, other sausages and foods that don’t leave you craving for another meal within two hours—or maybe two days. Portions of Wiener Schnitzel are enough for two people if you aren’t into super-size-me portions. Head to Ottenthal if you want to taste the real thing perfectly prepared.

Berliners are crazy for organic and you can get organic almost anything for same price as nonorganic.  Go figure…

Clubs and more:

There’s an enormous club scene in Berlin and, generally, it doesn’t get going until late and not every night. We were advised to go to Cookies Club in Berlin, which is hot and heavy on Tuesday and Thursday nights, but were told it didn’t really get swinging until 2 or 3 a.m. and stays open until 6 a.m. Even though it was practically in the Westin, there was no way I was going to make an appearance. Although I awakened at 2 a.m., wearing a terry cloth robe to a hip hang-out isn’t comme il faut.

There’s a super jazz club, but hey, tired is tired. Badenscher Hof is by reputation a crowded hole in the wall in West Berlin that reminds you of what a night out in Berlin would have been like in the 20s. For a more modern feel, and perhaps bigger names, there’s also A-Trane.

Neighborhoods and shopping:

The reason we weren’t museuming is because we were exploring neighborhoods trying to decide why the city is so über hot and hip.

OK, I am way over the word count. If you say you’d like more, I can write about so many shopping revelations. Some are ours, others are Toma’s. Few (if any) are boring.

C’est à vous to decide yea or nay.

(c) Paris New Media, LLC

Welcome to Berlin. It’s so close to Paris, but so very different. It’s going to take a long time to digest what we experienced. This isn’t a city where you can see and do all and get a feel for its history in a long weekend—but many might work.

Things not to do: Don’t take a flight that requires you to leave the apartment at 5 a.m. unless you’re really hale and hearty and are given to being able to sing arias. Traveling within the EU requires fewer security checks, but airports are airports and, by the time you get to your destination, if you’re like me, you’re going to be pooped.

Traveling on no-frills Easy Jet Airlines was perfectly fine. The planes were clean, the flight attendants professional. One flight steward even had the courtesy to laugh when someone asked if there were a charge for a glass of water. In his very British accent he replied no, but there was one for coffee. Best of all, the flight was cheaper than cheap and, once in the air, it took only 90 minutes.

We decided to train it to the hotel rather than spend money on a cab. That was possibly a mistake since it was a 15-minute-long walk to the airport station and a subsequent 30-minute wait for the next train, which was the slow train into the central station. No RER that whisks by the outskirts of the city and we immediately spotted the considerable graffiti that’s considered an art form there.

By the time we arrived at The Westin Grand Berlin (thank goodness for Starwood points), we weren’t feeling so perky. But, that wasn’t going to deter us, come hell or high water. Nor was the bone-chilling cold weather that had us wearing so many layers that I felt like Charlie Brown. A friend, who lives there, says there’s a reason the city is called Buuurrrrrlin. And the summers tend to be hot. OK, one doesn’t travel for the weather unless you’re off on a beach vacation and then, you can only hope.

The hotel was very, but very nice, albeit without free WiFi, one of my pet peeves on my hotel list, but I won’t go there. Its location is ideal if you want to get around by public transport. The Welcome Pass is a real bargain for tourists. Myrna and I spent hours on the hop-on-and-hop-off City Tour bus and were impressed by how much we were able to see and how comprehensive the narration was and in impeccable English, thanks to earphones.

Our M.O. was to do a complete tour and then decide where we wanted to spend time. Berlin has incredible museums and there’s no way you can see a fraction of them and do them justice. The Jewish Museum consists of three buildings and is more than 3000 square meters in size or about 32,000 square feet.

We were forced to make an executive decision. Were we going to see the city, which is known for being the hip and happening place in the EU, or spend all of our time in a museum or two? We opted for the former, vowing we’d return and do only culture.

Contrasted with Paris, it’s huge and the German capital takes a lot of exploring in addition to a more than superficial knowledge of history. The more we saw of Berlin, the more we realized people can spend weeks sightseeing and only get a glimpse of the city and its many layers. It still has the feeling of an Eastern Bloc city where so much was leveled during WWII. Its architecture is a tribute to the many architects who rebuilt the city after the WWII and after the Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989, when there was another massive wave of construction.

What We Did:

After the city bus tour, we took a boat trip on the Spree. Because it was before the season began, we couldn’t find a barge with English narration. We followed a map noting where we were and drinking hot chocolate laced with rum. It was an eye-opener that there are approximately as many canals in Berlin as there are in Venice.

On the banks, there is nothing but restaurants and even though it was frigid, people were eating outside, bundled in blankets the restaurants supply. If you spy a red or bright yellow fleece blanket with fringe, chances are people have helped themselves.

Residents of Berlin so love the sun they’ll seize every opportunity to sit outside. Rumor has it that there are more convertibles there than in any other European city. This may reflect the fundamentally optimistic nature of Berliners, who concludes that putting down the top means the weather must really be nice and warm and sunny, even if they’re wearing clothes appropriate to hit the ski slopes.

We walked throughout the city, not always precisely certain where we were going. Always a believer in leaving time for serendipity, we explored streets and came to one conclusion: living in Berlin costs substantially less than it does in Paris. That gave me pause and more of an understanding as to why Berlin has become a center for artists and writers. Before going any further, I am NOT moving there for so many reasons including that fewer people speak English and there’s no way I’m ever going to learn another language even if I took total immersion classes. At my age, life is too short.

I just looked at Bonjour Paris’s writers’ guidelines and realize I’ve already surpassed the word limit count. Well, it’s my website. But here’s a question. Should I continue writing about our sojourn in Berlin next week? Or, should I stick to my Paris adventures? Tell me what you think. C’est à vous…

(c) Paris New Media, LLC