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3-5.07.2019

Trip to Toulouse

We met our friends Doc and Marion in Toulouse but unfortunately it was during the first heatwave in July. We would have postponed the trip when we learned what the temps would be but we wanted to see our friends and rescheduling would have been iffy for several reasons. I'm so glad we didn't postpone the trip. Doc and Marion are very nice, intelligent and entertaining. Patient too. Really great friends. In John's words it was as though we had never spent time apart and we just picked up where we left off. Oh yeah - and they're very funny too! We met them through Democrats Abroad and I highly recommend that organization for ex-pats or even for politically oriented people who are just visiting.

In Toulouse, as with all places we visited in France, we went to the World War I memorial (at Place Roquelaine in Toulouse). The memorial said that 60 per cent of the men between 18 and 28 died or were permanently maimed in WWI. War is not a video game.

Our hotel was across the street from one of Toulouse's canals. Some of the most interesting architecture of Toulouse is near there including the largest Romanesque church in Europe, the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. Listed as World Heritage by UNESCO Basilica of Saint-Sernin has welcomed pilgrims for centuries along the Way of St James . The Basilique was built between the XI and XIV Centuries in honor of St. Saturnin (or Sernin), the first bishop of the city.

Much of the inner city of Toulouse is pedestrian only. We visited a crowded open air market at the Place du Capitole, the convent "Couvent des Jacobins" and we went on a tour boat where we passed by the Hôpital de La Grave on Canal de Brienne.

Walking back to the métro we briefly passed by the Hôtel d'Assézat, but only had time for a couple of quick pictures.

World War I memorial at Place Roquelaine. Detail of the memorial. Every place we've been to in France has had a World War I memorial. 60% of the men between 18 and 28 died or were permanently maimed.
The base of the memorial. Our hotel was across the street from one of Toulouse's canals. Some of the interesting architecture of Toulouse.
Basilica of Saint-Sernin The Porte des Comtes. Detail from the Porte des Comtes.
11th Century sculpture.
Another detail from the Porte des Comtes.
11th Century sculpture. 		Mosaic floor of Basilica of Saint-Sernin. The apse of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
A memorial for the World War I dead in the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. Ornate ironwork and the base of the bell tower within the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. The grand 1888 Cavaillé-Coll organ.
The central nave showing
the barrel vaulted ceiling. 		Main pulpit. Illustration of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
The Miègeville entrance to
the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. 		Detail from the Miègeville entrance.
11th Century sculpture. 		Another detail from the Miègeville entrance.
11th Century sculpture.
Archway of the Miègeville entrance.
11th Century sculpture. 		Unique bell tower of the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.
12th and 13th Centuries. 		Much of the inner city of Toulouse was pedestrian only.
We sought the shade on a very hot day. The Place du Capitole was crowded with
an open market. 		Lots of activity at the Place du Capitole.
The vaulting of the Couvent des Jacobins was suggestive of palm trees. To give a sense of scale, there's a little Ruth
standing at the bottom of this photo. 		The remains of Thomas Aquinas are stored here.
The columns of the Couvent des Jacobins were created by stacking wheels of stone. The Couvent des Jacobins used pointed arches. Another view of this unique ceiling.
The apse of the Couvent des Jacobins. "Palm Tree" vaulting at the Couvent des Jacobins. The nave with pointed arches.
Interesting door at an Asian restaurant. Many of Toulouse's buildings were very ornate. On our boat cruise waiting for the lock to open for Canal de Brienne.
We passed under many bridges. There were many houseboats along the canal. The shade trees provided some cooling relief.
Hôpital de La Grave from the Garonne River. The entrance to the Hôtel d'Assézat, a 16th Century Renaissance palace. A peek into the courtyard of the Hôtel d'Assézat.
Danny and Tommy played with paper bags
at home while we were in Toulouse.





9.07.2019

Today, at our usual theater, Gaumont (which is part of the Pathé chain in France), we saw Spiderman Far from Home in English. SING IT: Spiderman, Spiderman, does whatever a spider can. SPIDERMAN!!!

Our friend Kathleen sent us this link today: Paris Wants to Grow 'Urban Forests' at Famous Landmarks John and I were both pretty excited by it. More greenery is always welcome in big cities. And, once again, let me say how very cool it is to just hop a train for an hour and a half ride from Rennes to Paris.





12.07.2019

In Nice our friend Marion "joined a group of Americans which came together in support of the vigils being held across the US on the same day. Lights for Liberty aims to shed light on what is happening at the US southern border and across the country: undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers being held in detention centers, facing inhumane conditions and continuing to be separated from their families. All agree that this needs to be stopped!" Democrats Abroad and other American ex-pats are involved in political activism a lot.

The Lights for Liberty vigils were held today in more than 700 cities across the U.S.

Cutting carbon
Today France announced eco-tax on departing flights by 2020. It's only €1.50 to start. Reactions have been mixed to the new tax, which will apply to flights from 2020, with some exceptions. "Is €1.50 per ticket really worth getting steamed about?" "It's about time something was put in place to cover the carbon footprint of those who decide to travel this way"

Homeopathic medicine is for sale here in so many places. Much more so than in the U.S. But starting in 2021 homeopathy will not be reimbursed in France. The health minister said, "Homeopathy has not proven its benefit to public health" The "decision comes after months of debate on the issue, and la Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) judging - in May this year - the "insufficient efficiency" of homeopathy, and recommending that the medicine no longer be reimbursed. Similarly, earlier this year, 124 doctors signed an open letter that called homeopaths "charlatans" and recommended that the State stop reimbursement. They were later sued by the French Homeopaths' Union. In September last year, the Lille Faculty of Medicine announced it was suspending its diploma in homeopathy pending the social debate."

Droughts
The heat waves brought long-term dry periods resulting in droughts in most of the nation. The Propluvia map indicates the highest drought alert levels by department. The levels are "Vigilance" (gray on the Propluvia map), encouraging businesses and the public to save water; "Alerte" (yellow), meaning a 50 per cent reduction in agriculture water use, restrictions in nautical leisure activities, and time limits on activities such as watering the grass or filling your pool. The "Alerte Renforcée" (orange) means even more restrictions on agriculture; a limit on garden watering; and no activities such as car washing. "Crise" (red) indicates a stoppage of all non-priority use of water, with only water used for urgent healthcare, drinking, or national security permitted. Local authorities have now issued 102 temporary water restriction decrees in 51 departments, We're in one of the gray areas in the NW just barely west of the yellow in our Department, Ille-et-Vilaine (35) in Brittany.

Marion is with Lights for Liberty vigil. She's standing in the back - 2nd from the left.





14.07.2019

"Bastille Day" is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called French National Day, ( la Fête nationale) and commonly and legally The Fourteenth of July, (Le Quatorze juillet). We didn't do anything locally but we followed what was happening in Paris. This is cool: a guy invented a "flyboard and flew around the skies of Paris during the festivities. Check it out: flyboard in Paris. The guy is a military reservist and he is carrying a rifle during the Bastille Day demo. The "flyboard" is referred to as military tech so maybe he's auditioning to be a military contractor. Some news people commented that this guy could be the real life Green Goblin. He certainly fits the look. He recently tried to cross the English Channel but failed. Back to the drawing board for that military contract! Here's another video (sans rifle) of him racing, hovering, spinning and more. There's even a close up. And a cool music video about Franki Zapata with "Jet Engines Strapped to Feet Going 103.4 KPH!" John and I saw videos of the water propulsion ones before we moved to Nice and one summer while we lived there we saw the real thing in action!





16.07.2019

5G has arrived in Germany and Monoco in 2019 and then in France in 2020. Some parts of USA now have 5G mobile. The tiny principality of Monaco this month became the first country in Europe to inaugurate a 5G mobile phone network based on technology from Chinese firm Huawei, which is seen by the US as a major security risk. On Wednesday Monaco's parliament starts to debate a bill aimed at tightening security around its 5G networks. France will likely require more tech disclosure from Huawei so they can verify the safety and security of the devices.





17.07.2019

We had 2 heatwaves in France this year: June 24-July 7 and July 19-July 24. Last year it was hot once for about 3 days. This summer the two heatwaves totaled 19 days. During this summer's second heatwave the high in Rennes was 103F, in Paris 109F, and the highest in France was 45.9C (117F). Europe's record heatwave is the new normal weather experts say. Of course it's far from limited to Europe.

Almost all European countries broke heat records this summer (and it's not over yet) including all Scandinavian countries and Iceland. Greenland is being hit with the heat dome that was over Europe last week and there have been unprecedented wildfires in the Arctic! Siberia, Alaska and Greenland have all experienced much higher than average temperatures without precipitation, setting the perfect stage for fires.

In France only far Western Brittany and the Alps and Pyrenees missed the very high heat. Several other places missed the harsh droughts that damaged much of France's agriculture. Even nuclear power plants in France and much of Europe can't be cooled because the river water is too warm. "Electricite de France has reduced output at two nuclear reactors at its St. Alban plant by as much as 55 per cent in the coming days due to warm river water. The company, which produces about three-quarters of France's power, already halted two reactors at Golfech this week, as the Garonne river is too warm for cooling the plant. EDF has said it will prepare nuclear plants to operate in more severe heatwaves in the coming decades amid a changing climate."

Instead of updating nuclear power plants Germany and some other European countries are ceasing the use of nuclear power. Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Sweden have already phased out or are phasing out nuclear power. Others, such as Ireland and Lithuania have never had nuclear power.

There are 128 nuclear plants in 14 EU countries. France now has 54 and others are under construction in France. This site covers European nuclear power stats and has a debate forum. In this forum most people make assertions without evidence (on all sides) but some of the ideas introduced are interesting. And the articles have useful data.





18.07.2019

Africa, Asia and the Americas were also hit hard by the heat waves. "It's going to be a hot time in the city and across much of the country this weekend, as a dangerous heat wave threatens much of the continental US. More than 85% of the lower 48's population will see temps above 90 degrees Fahrenheit over the next couple of days. After baking the Midwest yesterday, the worst heat will find its way today to the Northeast. Not only will there be record high temperatures set in some places during the day, there will be record highs set at night, too. The extreme temperatures overnight are especially concerning because it means peoples' bodies and homes won't have the opportunity to cool off."

Algeria
One of our friends, Salim, is from Algeria. It's very hot in Algeria where his family and friends live. "In common with many parts of the world, Algeria has seen a significant rise in heat waves over the past 30 years that experts say is down to rising global temperatures. According to one study, the frequency of heat waves lasting three days or longer has more than doubled between 1988 and 2015. In fact, researchers believe Algeria will be a global hotspot for climate change. A 2014 study from the World Bank suggested that the strongest warming in North Africa would take place in inland Algeria. If the world fails to rein in carbon emissions, and the planet warms by an average of 4C, Algeria could see a sweltering 8C rise by the end of this century. The extreme temperatures of recent weeks may be a foretaste of the norm in decades to come."





20.07.2019

Recently we were reminded again that customer service in France sucks, big time. Of course it takes a lot of time to deal with that. Deliveries are where we have the worst experiences. Frequently things are not delivered but the delivery person says it was or they say we were not at home when we were and we received no call, text, email or person with the package. A few times the store (Carrefour mostly) refused to refund our money when their people said the items were delivered. Of course they didn't have our signature but the store just ignored that. In Nice we had a similar problem with a ping pong table we ordered. The money was eventually refunded. For us Chronopost has been the worst delivery company. More than half the time they say we weren't home. Once we saw them park just outside our window, wait in their van for a couple of minutes and then leave. So we then have to walk to a drop place to pick up our package. The vast majority of our deliveries come through Chronopost. I need to research what are our other options. Buying from the Carrefour in the store in person has never been a problem. Even taking things back has been easy. The nightmare has just been with their deliveries which we don't do anymore.

I learned that charge-backs here are similar to the U.S. The actual charge-back through the bank can take 6 weeks but stores and delivery services are immediately responsive when they are informed that you will be asking your bank for help. They get charged a fee when a customer requests a charge-back so there is a motivator. Here is a link to some info about charge-backs in the EU: This Directive was last updated in 2018 and this is the most recent law governing credit and debit card. A consumer rights pamphlet for customer rights exist for each EU country. EU countries can change these primary rights to make them more favorable to the customer. Payment service providers shall ensure that the leaflet is made available in an easily accessible manner on their websites. I don't have a link to that particular consumer pamphlet. There are 18 national consumer associations in France able to represent and defend consumers. These differ depending on the issue.





22.07.2019

Our friend Kathleen has an incredible blog of her adventures in Europe (mostly France) with her husband Dave. She both takes the photos and writes the text. Recently she went to some Breton festivals and took gorgeous pictures. (see below). NOTE: in the photos "Breiah" = "Breton" in the Breton language.

Kathleen also went to Cannes in May and got some wonderful photographs (you can see them in her blog). And she has an art history education which she uses to tell about the history of European art (some of which you'll probably know from school). She and Dave stayed in Western Brittany this summer so they missed the worst of the June and July heatwaves that hit the rest of France. They'll be visiting us soon.





26.07.2019

England just banned animal circuses. A couple of weeks ago Italy tried to ban animal circuses nationally but failed. It was the second try and came after 4 tigers mauled to death their trainer. The harsh or cruel training of the animals is often cited as a contributing factor in the maulings. Several cities in Italy have banned animal circuses though. Apparently big cats mauling trainers are not uncommon and are a strong motivator for change. Starting a couple of years ago "new circus schools" sprouted in Europe with 14 of 48 schools in France. There are no animals used in these circuses but France does not have a national ban or any national restrictions. However, almost 350 towns and cities across France have now decided to no longer welcome circuses with animals.

Many circuses today are primarily aerial and other acrobatics, various wheeled vehicles, jugglers, musicians, magicians and many other kinds of acts. In Germany they may even have holographic animals. Very cool.

On this web page you can find the U.S. states and other countries with bans or restrictions on wild animal circuses.





31.07.2019

Well, it's the end of July and all of France is taking their traditional vacation in August. Our doctor, our pharmacist, some small restaurants and stores will be closed for 3 to 6 weeks. They will all miss the next heat wave ! Which, of course, is the point of taking vacations in August.