by Anne Swardson | Nov 3, 2024 | Election, France, Virginia
Imagine: The head of a governmental jurisdiction orders his underlings to scan the electoral database and remove anyone who might not be a citizen, without clear standards of proof. More than 1,000 people are turfed off the rolls. The national government files suit to... 
by Anne Swardson | Sep 24, 2024 | Architecture, Art, France, Paris
Around level 4 of the 6-story escalator of the Centre Pompidou, I realized it had been a long time since I’d visited a high place in Paris. It was a mantra when my sister Christine and I traveled in Europe. See a church, eat a good meal, visit somewhere old and climb... 
by Anne Swardson | Sep 9, 2024 | France, Olympics, Paris
I was away from Paris for the Olympics, so I missed the enthusiasm and the excitement of seeing live competitions. On my return, I figured I’d catch a few Paralympic events. This was mostly because I’d been so wrong about the Olympics’ impact on Paris – Crowds!... 
by Anne Swardson | Jun 28, 2024 | Election, France, Paris, Virginia
I took a train to vote in the French elections. But it’s not as simple as that. For starters, I was in Virginia. Second, France has never seen an election like this one. The chaos began when President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the French parliament on June 9 after his... 
by Anne Swardson | Jun 16, 2024 | Architecture, France, Paris, Walking
At least Le Rubis was unchanged. My favorite bistro when I was a student in Paris looks just like it did back then, even though the neighborhood around it north of the rue de Rivoli has become much more chic. I spent many happy, and tipsy, hours there. More on my... 
by Anne Swardson | May 29, 2024 | Architecture, France, Paris
Who could be knocking at the apartment door? It was a weekend afternoon, when repair people don’t work and most of the residents of our building go away. I opened the door to find two of my neighbors, who very politely asked if they could come in. A first in our 12...