Now we know why Nicolas Sarkozy likes to travel abroad so much, it is to collect foreign stamps. I can just imagine him sitting in his office in the Elysee Palace planning which country to visit next, so that he can add there stamps to his collection. If that was not funny enough, Carla Bruni is quoted has saying she is pleased he is enjoying a more sedate hobby, because he used to enjoy karaoke. Can you just imagine old Nico up on the stage singing along to ABBA. Brings tears to the eyes.

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Marguerite Barankitse (http://www.maison-des-anges.org/) has been given the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in recognition of her outstanding work in caring for over 10,000 orphans who were the victims of war and HIV/Aids in Burundi.
Marguerite Barankitse started her humanitarian work during the civil war in Burundi in 1993, when she rescued 25 children. It makes a refreshing change that someone who deserves to have their efforts acknowledged is given an award, and the cause they champion gains wider public attention.
More often than not it is 2nd rate sports persons/actors/musicians/politicians and dodgy businessmen who are awarded gongs for no other reason than because their name is in the newspapers, or they have made  contributions to political parties, either kosher or under the table.

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It was such a glorious day today, that I swapped over to my summer watch. My black J12 chrono has now been put away for the summer, and fingers crossed it will stay there until September.
It was 18c (ambient temp) on the drive into Durban-Corbieres this morning and baking hot (35c) in the direct sun. The daffodils have even started to flower.
This weather makes me want to head off to the beach, but you can bet your cotton socks that if I did, once I got there the sky would open up and I would end up looking like a drowned rat!!!!!!!

A few more weeks of this weather and I may even get a bit of colour!!!!!

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Cest aujourdhui que la Caisse dépargne et la Banque populaire annoncent leur fusion. La nomination de François Pérol, proche de Sarkozy, fait grincer des dents; Barack Obama doit annoncer vendredi un calendrier de retrait des soldats américains d’Irak.

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À l’occasion du 27e sommet franco-italien, les groupes énergétiques italien et français Enel et EDF ont convenu d’un accord de coopération nucléaire. En direct de Rome, les explications de notre correspondant Eric Jozsef.

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First France signs a deal with the U.K. to build nuclear power stations, and now they are doing the same thing with Italy. Given that France has several major car manufacturers, who have recently been bailed out by the government, you would think they would concentrate on flogging cars not nuclear expertise, but selling nuclear expertise could be a good way of sorting out the export/import gap.
Needless to say this is not the first time that France has sold its Nuclear expertise abroad, but the less said about that the better!!!!!
What I find funny is that here in France more effort is being put into renewable energy, than into nuclear energy. Wind turbines and solar power panels are sprouting up all over the place.

The deal between France (EDF) and Italy (ENEL), could see the building of four nuclear power stations in Italy. Italy closed down most of its nuclear power stations after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. This has made Italy the biggest net importer of electricity in the world.

I’ve been enjoying Nuclear Power for years and there’s nothing wrong with me!!!

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From the 23rd to the 25th of February, the Grand Palais will host the extraordinary and historic auctioning of over 700 items collected over 50 years by one of the Pariss most renowned couples: Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent.

Du 23 au 25 Février, le Grand Palais reçoit une des ventes les plus prisées de l’année ; une collection de 700 pièces accumulées depuis cinquante ans par le célèbre couple parisien : Pierre Bergé et Yves Saint Laurent.

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A rather indifferent wine from SCEA les Vignobles Bernones. This Chateau Haut-Bernones is O.K. but does not really hit any high notes. It tastes a bit of green wood, with just a touch of liquorice. On the nose you get vegetation and not in a nice fresh cut grass way. One to give a miss, given that you can find far better wines for the same price.

© The Wine Connoisseur

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Oil on canvas The Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

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Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent’s art collection is set to go under the hammer. It is the worlds biggest privately owned art collection ever to be put up for sale and the the estimate for the sale could reach 300 million euros and above. Not bad for a boy working in the rag trade!!!
All is not tailor made for success because China claims 2, 18th Century bronze statues where looted from them 150 years ago. Pierre Berge is giving China the cold shoulder over the issue but it is still part of a legal ruling. Given China anti French stance of late, I don’t see them getting their way. Maybe a deal could be struck. They give Nepal its freedom and return what they have looted from there and then they can have the statues back. Seems a fair deal to me.

http://www.dailymotion.com/videox8gqbu

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For the first time this year I can feel Spring in the air. For the last couple of days there has been a real lightness in the air. A few plants are starting to show signs of life and the birds are singing full blast. My thoughts have even been wandering to the idea of digging out my shorts, but in my heart of hearts I know that that would be utter tom foolery. I think it will be a couple of months until I get to show of my legs!!!!
The Colour of Money. I have about US$100 worth of Amazon.com gift certificates and for the life of me, I can’t think what to spend them on. The real problem is that they can only be used on the U.S. site, and I don’t want to spend most of the value on shipping costs to France, so that rules out books for a start. I have been browsing t-shirts, now the weather is picking up, but have never been a fan of buying clothes online. I may have to have a look at DVD’s, not that I can think of any movies that I wish to own. Since we’ve had Sky Satellite T.V. we haven’t purchased many DVD’s, and most of the DVD’s that we already own; a couple of hundred, have not seen the light of day for years. Maybe I will use the gift certificates to send someone a present, at least that way it will open up my buying options.

Collioure

A Video Moment

Cascastel des Corbieres

Just Finished Reading

‘48 by James Herbert

A good post apocalypse novel set in central London. The action is very well paced and thoughtful. London is painted very well and the the characters are robust and likable (the good guys). Just a shame that it is now out of print, but there are lots of used copies knocking around.
My wife and I would both be survivors because we are both AB-negative

Amazon Review
‘Break-neck pace! a story for those who like their plots exploding with excitement and fear, set against an apocalyptic backdrop. A perfect adrenalin-packed alternative to Booker Prize pretension.’ Daily Express –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
It’s three years since the end of World War II. The only winner was the “Blood Death”, a plague hatched in Hitler’s labs and sent across the Channel. Now, London is in ruins, roamed by a few mysteriously immune AB-negative survivors. Among these is Hoke, an American and four other AB-negs–a Lady, a factory girl, an air-raid warden and an escaped German POW. Now this group will band together in a perilous battle in the bowels of the Underground against those survivors hungry for their blood.

About the Author
James Herbert is one of the most influential and widely imitated authors of our time. His previous novels are The Rats, The Fog, The Survivor, Fluke, The Spear, Lair, The Dark, The Jonah, Shrine, Moon, Domain, The Magic Cottage, Sepulchre, Haunted, Creed, Portent and The Ghosts of Sleath.

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Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, inaugurates the Agriculture Fair held in Paris.

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L’école de cuisine du Ritz, Plâce Vendôme à Paris, propose des ateliers d’initiation orchestrés par des professionnels de la haute gastronomie. L’école de renommée internationale guide des élèves privilégiés en leur révélant les secrets de leurs recettes si convoitées.

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In 2008, French-made movies made more money than Hollywood fare in France for only the second time in 22 years.

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Les élus d’Outre-mer ont rencotré le Président à l’Elysée et donne leurs commentaires après les propositions de gouvernement pour resoudre la situation aux Antilles.

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