Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Walking in Paris


The best way to visit Paris is, by far, on foot. Unlike other European cities such as London, Paris is rather small (105 sq kilometers - 40 sq miles). And if you stick to the center, practically every interesting to spot is within walking distance. For those of you who don't know, Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements, numbered from 1 to 20 in a clockwise spiral like an escargot (snail) starting from the centre (the île de la Cité and île Saint Louis). Each arrondissement has its own culture... I will come back to that one day!

94 comments:

  1. of course no one thinks about us persons who have use a wheelchair. paris is like all european countrys and it is not made well for handicaped persons.

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  2. If it weren't for your caption, I'm not sure how I would have related this to Paris.

    Agree Holland, the small, oftentimes cobblestone, streets here in Paris are anything but friendly to disabled people.

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  3. Very true handicap in Holland. We do a terrible job when it comes to making life easier to handicapped people.
    An American friend of mine even asked me once: "but where are the handicapped people?"
    Tpublic transports are so "handicapped non friendly" that you don't see them in the street - or rarely.

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  4. oh how true.... just got back from march break in paris and the loire valley - i have never walked so much in my life! the first day we got to paris we got off the plane after traveling for about 12 hrs or more and then had an 8 hr walking tour of the city!

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  5. GREAT SHOT!!!! I love it!!! :)

    As a kid, one of my favorites passtime was to go into the subway, change a couple of times, exit at an unknown metro station, and ... walk all the way back home, following the subway lines ... or get off and walk to the other side of Paris, just for fun... There is always so much to see in the streets of Paris ... (sigh)... I sure do miss these days.

    You say Paris is "small," yet people visiting from the States often become exhausted immediately after walking around Paris for a couple of days. (Don't underestimate the work out you'll get in the subway going up and down the stairs, through the loooooong corridors, etc., and of course, running around town, so bring COMFORTABLE shoes!) :)

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  6. By the way, handicap in holland is absolutely right!!!

    Paris is 20 years backwards when it comes to handling transportation of handicapped people. I can't even imagine being on crutches in the subway, let alone in a wheel chair! And the busses are not a whole lot better.

    Hey, Mr. Delanoe, you need to work on that a little bit, thank you! :)

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  7. Walking is the only way to discover any city....so true!

    I've also noticed the lack of accessibility in Paris regarding: sidewalks or the metro. Must feel like a prisoner if you are elderly or otherwise handicapped in any way. Sad.

    On the other hand, America seems to go overboard. Every place you go, there are at least 10 (or more!) wasted parking spaces because the laws has a formula for the number required (too many). But...perhaps it is better to go overboard than ignore an entire segment of the population (of which you could become a member at any time)!

    Still....for the lucky ones....walking around Paris is lovely.

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  8. I am greatly looking forward to your take on the different cultures of the 20 arrondissements, someday.

    This photo brings to mind the 2nd arrondissement around Chatelet-Les Halles, Square des Innocents, Rue St. Denis. Hmm, Rue St. Denis again.

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  9. That's quite sad. In the UK there are now fines for traders who do not lower kerbs to enter their shops and other things are changing. Better late than never i suppose.

    This is such a good shot Eric! With your rhume and all, imagine laying down to capture this, well i'm even more full of admiration. Lucky he / she didn't step backwards!

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  10. Yes, if one has the capacity, Paris is the perfect place to be a flaneur, oftentimes to the point of exhaustion! It is a seductive city, that reveals itself slowly, constantly beckoning and intriguing you to discover the beauty which lies just around the corner. And one is never disappointed, but is only left wanting more.

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  11. Yep, here's Eric flat on the ground again. This one must have hurt! A Paris, on va en pied, n'est-ce pas? (I think I said that right.)

    The accessibility issue is a great one, and I'm glad you raised it, Handicap in Holland. France used huge amounts of resources to create the Metro system. America has lousy transit in most cities, but a national accessibility law. It points out, once again, the different cultures. However, we're all buying jeans that sag at our shoes!

    (I just purchased the train tickets, so my trip is settled. I'm looking forward to Europe.)

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  12. Yes Jeff about the jeans fashion. I bet if Eric's camera had travelled upwards there would have been baggy jeans hanging somewhere way below his bottom, a display of Calvin Klein underpants and even a bit of a builder's bum.

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  13. Cute shot! I saved this photo. News: We got tickets to see Helene Segara in Montpellier, tickets to go from Grenoble to Paris and back, tickets to see Patick Bruel (hot singer and actor who loves to take off all his clothes in the movies, and Cabaret which I have seen in New York but this time it will be at the Folies Begere. We also are going to see Agatha Christie's play, "Ten Little Indians" which is called "Deis Petites Negres" at the theater in Grenoble. I am really excited....only two months to wait. I will definitely wear walking shoes.

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  14. I just noticed I've misspelled many words above...oh, well. I am excited.

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  15. For sure, accessibility is a hot issue. On the one hand, as a species we're peripatetic; we perambulate more than roll, so it's understandable that things are designed for that. On the other hand, it's insupportable that folks in wheelchairs should be trapped in their homes, especially when you consider that many of them are veterans, wounded in war. In the U.S. it's become a civil rights issue, which makes it even more complicated and costly, sometimes to the point of absurdity.

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  16. It's official: Eric you're a nutcase (just like the rest of us). Seems you got pretty confortable laying down on the street and taking this photo, you're getting better and better at it!

    I never walked so much in my life as I did in Paris. At the end of each walking day, I had sore feet, but I never felt happier!

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  17. This picture reminds me of my first trip to Paris, when it was only the American college students like myself who were wearing bluejeans and sneakers, to the sneers of the Parisians. Today, it's practically everyone except elderly ladies who wear blue jeans. Also, if a chic woman wanted to wear sneakers, they would choose Chanel or Armani, according to a book I read written by 2 French women. Vive les Sneakers!

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  18. Wonder how you took this shot... Camera tied to your shoe ??? LOL

    Judging by the way the jeans are worn, floppy and baggy, I would say this is a 15 to 20 year old walking in front of you.

    On the topic raised by Holland, yes wheelchair ccessibility in Paris is a disgrace. Come to Sydney, things are much better!

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  19. Lynn,

    I couldn't help but notice that you spelled curb "kerb." Do Brits spell it differently than Americans? I wonder how that could happen?

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  20. I used this arrondisement map and descriptions when I was planning my first trip to Paris.

    The two times I've been, I stayed in the city center (1-8) and found the descriptions very accurate. I don't know about the other "districts" since I haven't been (except the 18th).

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  21. Eric, I'm curious about your photo idea. Do you think of a topic and decide what to shoot (like today's photo of someone's feet) or do you shoot the photo and then come up with the story. I really like the way you have a simple photo and then a great story to go with it.

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  22. Holland and others, I think they are trying to make great efforts here in Paris now for handicapped people, but there's a long way to go. The buses are now mostly accessible by disabled people (lower access) and the drivers have always been helpful when I've been with someone in a wheelchair. But the streets are mostly old and narrow, so the amount of room to push a wheelchair is limited.

    What really gets me mad are the cars that park on the sidewalk or wheelchair slopes on the sidewalk. The police rarely ticket them so nobody does anything about it.

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  23. Oops. Did I type 2nd instead of 1st? I'm sure nobody noticed. I guess I was already too far north on Rue St Denis.

    I was thinking about Handicap in Holland. One can sometimes find volunteers (often university students) to show foreign visitors around a major tourist city. Could there not be pairs of volunteers to help handicapped tourists navigate, say, around Paris? Could a tourist or handicapped related organization serve as liaison for such as this?

    Where are the more handicapped accessible entrances and routes? Escalators and elevators vs. steep, endless stairs; handicapped accessible vans vs. cramped taxis and buses.

    There are things one can do without physically or culturally transforming the existing infrastructure, or at least utilize until such infrastructure has, indeed, been completely transformed. Or can one?

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  24. I lose a minimum of 5 pounds every time I go to Paris from all the walking, no matter that I am eating and drinking way more than I ever would at home (as the song goes, "nobody walks in L.A." (unfortunately)).

    My guess about this photo is that it is Eric walking. I am guessing that he laid his camera on the ground with a timer and walked away. These jeans look similar to the ones he had on in a picture when he won at the Romans Festival. Eric???

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  25. ...and just try to hail a taxi when you're with someone in a wheelchair! Even more scarce. I noticed when I lived in London that the cabbies were much more accommodating both for the wheelchair AND for going short distances.

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  26. Instead of continuing to complain, I decided to do a quick search on wheelchair access, and here's what I found. Maybe it will help somebody out there...

    Transportation info for disabled travellers from ParisInfo

    PARIS PASSERELLES (a personal account of Paris with a lot of info)
    Part I and Part II


    Paris Hotels with Wheelchair Access from Undercover Tourist

    and

    Access Project
    - a useful site related to a group a guide books about accessibility in several cities.

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  27. Michael: Funny you should bring up the subject of the cars on the sidewalks... I just wrote a comment and then erased it... OK, here goes.

    I wanted to say that Paris is going to have great difficulty accommodating disabled people in many buildings and areas because of the numerous "historical"

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  28. trouble commenting... lost everything several times over!!! arghhhhh!!!!!!


    ... because of the numerous "historical" buildings, streets, etc., and the numerous buiding restrictions to go with that.

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  29. Darn it, I lost the rest of the comment!!! Arghhh...

    I was just saying Michael, that we park where we can, and that the latest war-on-cars trend in Paris is just fine and dandy but it's not helping the cause of those people that really need to be transported by car around town because it's too difficult for them to get around any other way.
    (Yes, I know that the buses kneel a little, but they don't necessarily go the straight line and if Grand-Ma doesn't live on the bus path...)

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  30. Michael, those are fabulous links that you researched and have provided here.

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  31. Agree with tall gary, fabulous links researched.

    Regarding this subject, i have suggested a Norwegian friend on wheelchair to take line 14 as i thought it is new and equipped... end up a bad experience. I have checked around and paid attention to the facilities of line 14 since then, and am disappointed to see that such a new line is not as well thought and modern......

    Then the other time, my friend wanted to rent a car... but this fabulous wheelchair access cars were rent out as he did not book them early enough...

    Well, instead of just complaining, i have however seen some beaches wheelchair accessable in the south of France. They have put kind of plastic path on the sand from the road to the edge of water... I was pretty touch to see some handicap people being able to put their feet on the sea with less effort...

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  32. That's interesting Michelle. I have found that Line 14 isn't so bad. There are elevators and escalators, walls that prevent people from accidentally falling on the tracks (for the blind), recorded messages in multiple languages, also for the blind, and lighted signalisation (for the deaf). Not bad if you consider the other stations.

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  33. thank you for the links michael. i will look next time i come paris.

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  34. Hi Eric.

    First- great photo.

    Second - I ride the buses more than the metro when possible and have been impressed with the wheelchair accesibility here, compared to other cities.
    Check out
    http://www.ratp.info/informer/accessibilite.php

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  35. Hi Susan, yes that is how we spell kerb in the uk. To be more precise -

    kerb = the very edge of the pavement before the drop to the road.

    curb = to curb a habit, i.e. to help get out of it. Usage: "I'm wearing patches to help me curb smoking."

    Hope that helps! There are many differences between us and the USA, i know! Used to find it all the time when my foreign students had started learning English the American way! Much confusion.

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  36. Good point of view. Camera on a stick.

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  37. Well Paris is not less or more accessible than any other European city. The reason it's quite simple: Europe is the old continent. Most of our buildings and cities, when built and born, weren't designed to be accessible too. --- Of course this impose that we modern and well cultured European citizen must to adoperate to change most as we can. In our mind and in our streets.

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  38. To have an nice overview of the arrondissements in the 1950's, and to look at them now, I suggest you to read Leo Malet's books (some are translated in English). Especially the unfinished work named the "Nouveaux mystères de Paris" with the detective Nestor Burma, Malet wrote one book for each arrondissement. This novelist recreated the ambiance and described really well the Paris of that time (even if I was not born yet, I felt it in his books). I saw a French master thesis about Malet and Paris: http://www.scd.univ-paris3.fr/Textes/NDhoukar/Sommaire.htm

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  39. How DID you do this, Eric; i'm intrigued. I mean, i've taken lots of ground shots but this must have been a populated area, even if you used a zoom and were not right behind him! Come on, spill the beans!

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  40. The comments are informative and helpful. Especially those so well "linked" like Michael's. Kerb is new to me...I like having the meanings of kerb and curb now known to me. I've started saying that I speak American instead of English. We do have many differences in sound and meaning.

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  41. I think that's right, Johnny, it IS American. When i was teaching English to foreign students, we had to refer to it as American-English but why? Should definitely be the two distinctions, there are too many differences to be ignored. The words, spelling, the emphasis, the accent all make it a different language really with similar stems only. Some are borrowed, one to the other, but that's okay, it happens all over between countries, n'est pas?

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  42. Interesting Lynn. You know when I lived in London I had to force myself to turn my "z's" into "s's", and now I can't reverse the habit.

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  43. You're right Eric, walking is a great way for discovering Paris.
    My favorite run begin on top of the Champs Elysées, down the Arc de Triomphe then come down the Champs Elysée. Pass around the Grand Palais, then straight ahead to Concorde and his obelisk. Continue through the Jardin des Tuileries, through le Louvre then go out on Rivoli street. Making some shopping all the way to the town hall. Then you can continue right in front of you and go to la Place de la Bastille, or visiting the Ile de la Cité (where you can see Notre Dame), or finish your walk with a hot chocolate in Berthillon on the Ile Saint Louis.

    When the weather is nice, it's really pleasant and all you have to do is let you go straight ahead!

    (PS: sorry for the english mistakes, I'm not comfortable with shakespear's language)

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  44. lol Claire!

    Michael - zs into ss; give me some examples, i'm interested! There are lots of curious things about each of us. One thing i always wonder about, how does
    Congratulations become, in American, congradulations? I just don't get it!

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  45. oh and where did you live in London and when? Exciting! I thought you looked familiar... LOL

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  46. This is really a great photo the more i look at it, Eric. Exactly when DID you meet my son?

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  47. Eric you always show the most interesting perspectives in your photos and I like how they stimulate discussions among the bloggers. This one is really good!

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  48. Yes, walking is the way to go. I agree that it is the best way to see a city, although it is not a pleasant thing to do in every city.

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  49. Eric this is a great shot! I love the way you caught his left foot just lifting up off of the pavement! Funny though...the world has definitely gotten smaller as this could be a shot of a young man[or young woman]walking in any big city, and that is definitely the way to see the great cities of the world; by foot!

    After injuring my foot once in Paris[walking into a suitcase in the middle of the night!! Owwww!]I became quite aware of how difficult it must be for handicapped people to enjoy the most beautiful city in the world. I began to especially notice the elderly people slowly climbing the stairs in the Metro and gingerly walking on rain slicked streets. Because Paris is an old city filled with old[beautiful]buildings I noticed that a visit to the toilet in many cafes or restaurants involved stairs and I thought how if one was handicapped they wouldn't be able to make the trip.

    See how you have opened our eyes to the many different aspects of Paris with just a shot of two Adidas clad feet Eric?? Proof that the City of Light is much more than just the Eiffel Tower and les Bateaux Mouches!! Merci!!

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  50. Ok, my guess is that this is soeone at the top of a flight of stairs, as you are coming up behind them.

    Whatever it's quite a striking photograph when you first see it - makes you sit up, and a nice oblique lead in to the post

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  51. Or, Richard, OR ... Eric was just popping his head out of a man hole (as he does) and thought, oh sod those rats, THERE's my shot!

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  52. Excellent Links, Michael, thank you!! :-D

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  53. //To have an nice overview of the arrondissements in the 1950's, and to look at them now, I suggest you to read Leo Malet's books (some are translated in English). //

    Tres interessant, Julien, merci! :)

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  54. Michael... pssst! The mysteriously possessive Anon. has appeared at my blog again. Over and out.

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  55. Great shot Eric! Is this really Lynn's son? or is it Michael on his day off?

    Whoever suggested that you were coming out of a Metro Station, and took the picture while a few steps behind this person, could very well be correct in their assessment. I think you are tired of lying down on the ground.

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  56. Lynn..We don't write "congradulations" in the US!! LOL!! That is so...how do you say?...Ghetto?! LOL!! I love it when people speak to me and actually say..."We CONVERSATED..." Huh??? Funny thing language..ehh? S and Z example...realize[Am] and realise[Br]..is that right?? Oh well, nice "Conversating" which ya...LOL!!

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  57. Ah yes all is clear, kpgallant thanks about the s and z. I thought Michael meant the sound.

    No i didn't think you wrote congradulations but you (Americans on tv i mean, obviously not you) do seem to SAY it. Why, when there's a t there and no d? lol!

    Conversated? Well that's a new one lol ! Oooh dear.

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  58. Clo. No i was joking about my son. Could be though, about a year ago when jeans were that baggy. Now they're slimmer and flared, a bit like the seventies but with hipster waist. lol. Gone are the exposed pants (oh here we go; in US that means trousers, in UK it means underpants.) too thank God. Clearly though they still reign in Paree. lol.

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  59. Lynn,

    Regarding "kerb": that is very interesting. I find it very odd that something as fundamental as that would be different.

    I understand the different pronunciations...that is just dialect differences...the same as the Scottish have a different dialect (by the way, they predominantly settled the southeast U.S. where I live so our vernacular was greatly influenced by them...which helps to explain the "southern" dialect that is different from the northeast).

    So...the way things are spoken will often be different or choosing different words to express something...but it's so weird that we say "curb" if "kerb" was the orginal...don't you think?

    I wonder if someone decided that there was no need to have another example of two words sounding the same but meaning different things as in "know" and "no." LOL

    English must be so confusing for those trying to learn it as adults! What an odd language! LOL

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  60. And while we're at it Lynn, WHY[please tell me why!]does our President still say NUKULAR..after six years in the White House?? After all, he is a graduate of both Yale and Harvard!!? Oh well, some Mother's children!!

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  61. Susan, exactly!!! It can´t be difficult! Reading these comments about realize[Am] and realise[Br]..
    kerb and curb... it´s pretty confusing for us foreigners!

    Now whenever I misspell something in English I´ll just say I was confused and didn´t know if I should write it the american way or the british way... and then maybe I´ll get by with it!

    These differences are very commom I think. Portuguese of Brasil is very different from Portuguese of Portugal, and not just the pronunciation.

    (see Lynn, I was just confused when I wrote ´you´re´ instead of ´your´!) ;-)

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  62. I found something very interesting this morning!

    Remember when, on two occassions, someone (don't remember who) complained that Eric brings up controversial topics but never expresses his opinion? Well, apparently that is a new phenomenon! He expressed opinions freely in the early days as he did here. After reading several of the old posts, I feel as though I understand Eric better.

    Eric, why did you change your mind and stop sharing (you had explained that you thought it better not to)? Did something happen?

    I like it better when you are as open as the rest of us...instead of being so mysterious. But of course that is your decision.

    Also...based on a few things I read, I bet I can guess who you will vote for...but now I will remain mysterious!

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  63. LOL Claire - I do that exact same walk every time I'm in Paris, except in the opposite direction (ending up at the Arc).

    Lynn, you are right about the language differences. I constantly tease my thoroughly American friend about the time we went to London and she didn't realize that "Mind the Gap" meant "watch your step" until the fourth day of our trip!

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  64. My laptop needs charging but i'll be back; this is INTERESTING. Kpgallant; NUKULAR !!!!!! That is my pet hate. Why oh why oh why. Good God. see you later.lol

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  65. Well, hell must have frozen over! I can't believe this but I am actually going to defend Bush! It goes to show..."never say 'never'"!!! Well, here I go....

    The way someone pronounces something is not a good measurement of intelligence....note the remarks regarding dialects. What is more important is the way he organizes and expressed his thoughts (you've no doubt seen all the videos on YouTube showing that he cannot articulate a thought worth a damn). This is good: Is Bush an Idiot?. Well....I think the answer is "yes." But not because of the way he pronounces words....every dialect pronounces words incorrectly (people from the Bronx, Manhattan, Boston, Birmingham, etc.).

    I do not think Bush is very intelligent...most important, I don't think he is intellectually curious which may be even more important. He goes with his "gut" only (information? who needs information? LOL). I think he knows that he's not very smart so he relies on others...like Cheney (the REAL President) who, alond with Rumsfeld, Perle, etc.) had an agenda over a decade before Bush was elected (as evidenced by books those of the group wrote and speeches they had given years before).

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  66. Well susan in atl. You said you wanted to defend Bush, but called him or agreed with those that call him an idiot. I congatulate you on that.

    Mispronouncing is one thing but choosing to mispronounce a word constantly, after hearing and/or learning the correct prononuciation, necessitates that one be called an idiot. If one wishes not to be so generous, then stupid comes to mind and must be applied to him.

    Lastly, kpgallant states that "After all, he is a graduate of both Yale and Harvard!!? Oh well, some Mother's children."
    Please remember that the eldest son of George Herbert Walker Bush was admitted to these universities not based on intelligence, but based on who's son he was. They stood to gain ,most probably, from donations that father and friends were going to give to them as gifts.

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  67. Clo, yes, my defense was on judging based on pronunciation. To do so weakens your argument and then those that support him will just dismiss your criticisms as biased. It is better to judge based on other factors. And there are plenty of those to choose from.

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  68. I am always amazed at how the discussion can come back around to George Bush when it's a photo of some feet here in Paris. Will the guy never go away?

    No Lynn, I did mean the spelling not the sound. And to answer your question, South Ken.

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  69. LOL Michael that was funny. Oh okay then, the spelling. South Ken is just lovely, one of the better parts.

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  70. The photos are such a stimulus for all kinds of dialogue. I think sometimes Eric doesn't comment so as not to interrupt the flow. All part of his genius.

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  71. Actually he's not feeling great yet after his cold and he's also away at the moment. Watch Anon. (one from my blog) wonder how i know all this info.... lol.

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  72. Regarding the pronunciation of "congraDulations"...

    It's just a factor of linguistics that exists in every language. It's not an American thing! I had a professor once that had studied linguistics and I realized how complex it all is. But one thing is for sure, it is universal.

    Even on a tiny island like England, there are many different dialects...33! (as listed on wikipedia.

    Maybe Lynn hasn't noticed that it exists in the U.K. as well? Afterall, it's more obvious when it is someone else. It's very complex but also fascinating I think.

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  73. Lynn and everyone. I did not lay on the sidewalk, I just put my camera down and push the trigger. It's as easy as 123!!


    Jeff, Johnny, wow... So many tickets! (Jeff, à Paris on va A pied, not EN pied)

    Ming. There is no rule. Sometimes I just like a photo and I make up a story around it, sometimes I know what I want to say and I take the photo accordingly. This time I took the photo first.

    Michael : "What really gets me mad are the cars that park on the sidewalk or wheelchair slopes on the sidewalk." You're right... But I must confess I already did it when I used to have a car. What gets me really mad is the people who park on handicapped parking spaces. Thnaks for all the links BTW.

    And Polly too. thanks for the RATP link, I did not know they did all this actually.

    And Julien, you're right, Leo Mallet must me the perfect man to describe the Paris arrondissements.

    KPgallant " toilet in many cafes or restaurants involved stairs ". Not to mention the enormous number of buildings that have no elevator and a lot of old people often live on the top floor and refuse to leave their home...

    Susan. Yes, well, you're right, I expressed my opinion this time. But let's say it's not very controversial. Who would not agree that disabled people should have the right to "walk" through the city just like anyone? As for who I am going to vote for, well I doubt very much that you can guess from py posts...

    And to end tonight's comments ona funny note, here is a video that I have been sent today...

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  74. CLO, kinda like Kerry & the Kennedy's humble climb up the education ladder.

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  75. There are many, many mispronunciations in the UK! Dialects are natural and accents are expected. It's blatant errors which are irritating. Nukular is not a dialect thing, it's... in fact, what is it exactly? I'm blowed if i know.

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  76. Eric,

    The subject you expressed opinion on was the law forbidding Islamic scarves in schools...pretty controversial I would say! I guess you didn't click on the link I provided since you thought I was talking about today's post.

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  77. Lynn,

    It is a dialect thing I think because I have heard it pronounced this way from others...but I'm no expert on linguistics....

    Doesn't mean it is "correct" but neither is inserting an "r" sound when none exists in a word...something that is common in several dialects I've noticed.

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  78. Oh yes I remember Susan...

    Actually if I recall well, in the caption I think I said something like "I still don't know if I agree with this law or not"
    And in the comments I answered to Rock: "I agree with you. A religion is something you are supposed to follow 24 hours a day and that includes school… So if wearing a scarf is part of your religion you should be able to do so wherever you go. That is what makes me wonder about this law."

    Soooooooooo!!

    I'm going to bed right the second so don't go thinking I don't want to continue this dialog. It'll have to wait until tomorrow night French time ;)

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  79. Yes, I remember what you said...it was a lot more than you say these days! ;) I liked that you shared your thoughts!

    Sweet dreams!

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  80. Eric,

    Regarding that subject (scarves), I thought you might be interested in reading this article about a book on that topic.

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  81. Great video Eric, I'm still laughing!

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  82. and there is a link there in case you didn't notice....lol

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  83. Susan: My subject at uni happened to be linguistics, funny you should mention, but the word nuclear is mispronounced in several countries and not just by Bush. It's one of those words that some people simply don't seem able to get their tongue around and therefore use whatever version they can manage. There are many words belonging to this group. However, like Eric, i too am tired and off to bed! Night, sweet dreams!

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  84. Anonymous, there might be comparisons between GW. John Kerry & the Kennedies and their educational background. I have yet to see them brag about their C grades. or use the word nuclear incorrectly. While in theory anyone in the U.S can become President if age 35 or older, no one in this day and age could have boasted about his C's, unless from GW's background, and made it to this position without knowing at least their geography as well.No one should claim that god speaks through him and remain in oofice for 8 long years.

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  85. If you think that Paris and other European cities are difficult places to navigate, try Mexico. While here I have already heard of 4 people falling because of uneven sidewalks and cobblestone streets: two of whom I know personally and have visited to buy groceries and bring supplies while they are recuperating. One I accompanied to a hospital last Saturday. One does not need to be handicapped to have difficulty walking in some cities.

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  86. I guess you had to get on your belly fro this shot. I also enjoyed the education on your city.

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  87. Lynn,

    I just received an email with a test (for fun) about dialects....how funny!

    Although it's made for Americans...

    Michael, you should take a look at it...since you are from Florida and we can't figure out what region you're part of! Yankee or Dixie Quiz.

    I have been under the weather and therefore on this computer (on and off) all day and night. I think I'll disconnect now. Night, night!

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  88. Ok Susan I took your test and it says, "65% (Dixie). A definitive Southern score!"

    This is quite interesting (and I take it tongue in cheek) as I grew up near Miami (geographically south, but culturally neutral), have lived throughout the east coast of the U.S., Paris, and London. My mother and family were all from Pittsburgh (which has it's own vocabulary by the way called Pittsburghese)...

    So what does this little test tell you?

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  89. Great shot! I, too, live in a city made for walking, but here we don't travel like snails -- we scurry like cockroaches.

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  90. Susan as Michael seems to have shown, your test was fun. I can't take it of course, since i'm not catered for there lol.

    Susan i hope you are feeling better now.

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  91. KPGallant....Did Bush really get degrees from Yale/Harvard? Or...did they just give him a paper because of all the money involved. I can't imagine that the standards at those famous universities are that low. I will never understand how he managed to get elected for two whole terms. What magic was involved? Only the Shadow knows and he won't tell.

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  92. Michael,

    The first time I took it, the score was only 58% "Dixie"....which surprised me.

    THEN, I read the instructions and it says your score will be wrong if you click on more than one answer (which I did just to see where each pronunciation was prevalent).

    So...I did it again and only clicked on my answers: 83% Dixie. Now, I believe that since I'm from middle Tennessee! You may want to try it again. It claims to be from Harvard and the answers for each word seem right so....

    BTW, what word did you use in your youth (cause it may have changed in all your travels) for the thing you put groceries in? Bag? Sack? and there was some other word I never heard of! Oh yeah...poke. Poke??? We said "sack"...very southern. LOL

    I wonder what it would show if you took it Lynn. That would interesting! Thanks for your get well wishes! I've been sleeping on and off all day...I think I caught it from Eric! Oh...that was one of those words on the quiz..."caught." Do you pronounce it like: cot or cawt or do you pronounce both words (cot, caught) the same? I pronounce it like cawt.

    Johnny,

    He did graduate from Yale. Schools (especially Ivy League) always hold slots for alumnai...I forgot what it's called...."legacy"? Not sure. But that's how he got in...no great accomplishment. He was a member of the "Skull and Crossbones" society...apparently, they end up ruling the world (either through business or government). So was his father. But GWB was not very active in it. I think Kerry was also. Skull and Crossbones Secret Society

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  93. cot is pronounced by me as cott Susan, and caught i pronounce as cawt/court though i assume that latter word for you might involve an r sound, it doesn't for, let's say, london English. In some of the countryside areas, particularly the west, the r would be distinctly heard. Even more confused? i know! lol.

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  94. Enjoying your low level shots. Thanks

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