Travelore Tips: Expect To Pay More For Airline Tickets To France Starting Next Month

After months of delays, the government of France is poised to increase ticket taxes on airline flights to, from, or within the country as early as next month.

France has imposed a “solidarity tax” (Taxe de Solidarité sur les Billets d’Avion – TSBA) on airline tickets since 2006, but the TBSA is set to significantly increase on March 1, 2025. For economy class tickets on short flights within France or Europe, the tax will increase from €2.63 to €7.40. For business class, the tax is €30.90. Longer economy flights will see new tax amounts ranging from €15 – €40, while business and first class will pay €120 per ticket.

Private jets will pay the most, with taxes of €2,100 for long-haul flights.

Flights to the island of Corsica, and French overseas territories, including Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and French Polynesia will be exempt from the tax increases.

The taxes were originally introduced to fund international aid programs and were extended in 2020 for environmental reasons in the hopes that higher taxes would drive down demand for air travel and its subsequent carbon emissions. Now, it’s a combination of environmental concerns and a large budget shortfall that are driving the tax increase.

The increase had originally been proposed last fall, but was shelved following the collapse of the Barnier government after a vote of no confidence in early December in the National Assembly. A new government was appointed by the end of December and has since begun returning to much of the legislation that was tabled by the government change.

Airlines, of course, aren’t happy. Air France has estimated the increase will cost them €100M, and compromise the competitive position of France as an aviation hub, allowing Air France to lose market share to other European competitors. The Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair threatened last fall to end service at ten French Airports if the tax increase is ultimately passed. Ryanair serves 22 airports in France.

Air France had already begun collecting the higher taxes from October 24, but suspended the practice after the government collapse in December, when the tax hike was ultimately not implemented by the original deadline. The French state owns 28% of Air France parent Air France-KLM, while The Netherlands owns 9%.

In spite of Air France’s protests, it’s worth noting that other European countries (with whom France competes for air traffic) are also planning increases to passenger taxes. The United Kingdom proposed a tax increase set to take effect in 2024, with a further increase annually through 2026.

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and France’s national aviation union (FNAM) also condemned the tax increase, saying that the taxes on aviation are already high. The FNAM also criticized the government for increasing the taxes without conducting and economic impact study.

Amélie de Montchalin, France’s minister for public accounts, explained that the tax increase is a solidarity measure—essentially a luxury tax: “Twenty per cent of the population with the highest income is responsible for more than half the money spent on air travel.”

Many EU countries levy taxes on air passengers. Belgium, Denmark, and Bulgaria have plans to introduce the taxes. But other countries, specifically Spain, Portugal, and much of Eastern Europe continue to allow air passengers to travel without similar taxes added to the cost of their ticket.

Travelers won’t need to do anything extra to pay the taxes; they’ll be collected as part of the ticket taxes that airlines collect within the total ticket price.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a global airline trade association, estimates the aviation industry directly supports just under 5% of France’s GDP and is responsible for supporting some 1.3 million jobs. France is a major base for European commercial plane maker Airbus, which is headquartered near Toulouse.

https://www.fodors.com/news/author/scott-laird

Notre Dame Reveals New Spire And Golden Rooster As Scaffolding Removed

The remaining process of removing all of the scaffolding could take weeks if not months.

The scaffolding surrounding the top of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral was taken down on Monday, nearly five years into the reconstruction process.

Notre Dame Cathedral, ravaged by fire in April 2019, draws closer to its renaissance.

Giant cranes, removing sections of scaffolding, unveiled the cathedral's recently installed spire along with the new golden rooster and a cross that crown it.

While much of the cathedral remains surrounded by scaffolding, the clearing of the structures around its peak offers both the general public and the devout a glimpse into the future appearance of Notre Dame once the restoration is complete.

The last few months have seen remarkable progress on the cathedral’s rebuilding putting it well on track for a December 8 reopening, a date eagerly awaited by Paris residents and millions of tourists who normally visit the cathedral every year.

Although the cathedral will not be open to the public during Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, when millions of visitors flock to the French capital for the Games starting July 26, the rebuilt spire and roof should be complete, giving the cathedral a finished look from outside.

https://www.euronews.com/

As The Olympics Loom, Parisians Ask: Should We Skip Town? Games Organizers Work To Win Their Hearts

Before the Paris Olympics open and upend the French capital’s usual rhythms, retiree Pierre Schapira plans to hire a car and quit town.

But with the intense Olympic security measures and traffic disruptions they’ll cause, will that even be doable? For his answer, Schapira went straight to the top — popping the question this week to chief of police Laurent Nunez himself.

As he’s already done at other town hall meetings, did so again at this one, and will do at more to come, Nunez ever-so-patiently explained that Parisians are going to have to adapt to the July 26-Aug. 11 extravaganza but that it’s not going to put their lives and livelihoods on hold.

“It’s not going to stop you from entering or leaving Paris,” Nunez said Thursday to the audience of about 200 people, including some watching via video link in an overflow room next door.

Holding the Games in the bustling heart of such a compact city, rather than in a purpose-built Olympic park in the outskirts like Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and other previous hosts, was always going to rile and worry some Parisians who can be cantankerous at the best of times. Nunez, Games organizers and City Hall officials are finding that out for themselves as they embark on a concerted campaign to win Parisian hearts and minds and get people in the Olympic mood or, at least, get ready.

“We laugh about it ... because we are spending nearly all of our evenings together,” Deputy Paris Mayor Pierre Rabadan said after he, Nunez and other organizers spent more than two hours at the meeting detailing Games preparations and responding to questions.

“It’s quite time consuming but necessary,” Rabadan said. One of their aims, he added, is “to go against the talk at the moment that it’s better to leave, that being in Paris is going to be a catastrophe and whatnot. You get that at every Games and obviously we knew that because of our concept, we’d hear that, too.”

By mostly using existing sports venues as well as temporary ones that will be erected in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and at other iconic sites before being dismantled again, Paris’ goal is to avoid the legacy of waste and vast cost generated by other Games and reduce the mega-event’s environmental impact. Images of Olympians competing amid the architectural beauty of central Paris should, organizers and the government hope, make France shine.

But for the 2.1 million people who live within the city limits and hundreds of thousands of others who commute in from the suburbs, the consequences of 10,500 athletes competing in their midst are going to be considerable. Traffic restrictions, special permits for this and that, police checkpoints, road and Metro station closures, millions of visitors from elsewhere in France and around the world. The list goes on.

“It’s a fantastic gamble but it’s going to be quite disruptive for residents,” said 79-year-old Schapira after hearing Nunez and the other speakers.

Jean-Pierre Rollin, who owns two souvenir stores near Notre Dame Cathedral on its island in the River Seine, wanted to know whether tourists will be able to get past police checkpoints before and during the July 26 opening ceremony. It is being held on the river and a security cordon will be in place along both banks.

“If we have no customers, there’s no point staying open,” Rollin told Nunez. The police chief acknowledged the security that day is going to make getting around more complicated.

Other questions also focused on the impacts of security measures. One man asked whether there’ll still be fireworks for France’s July 14 national holiday and was told there will.

Only once, when a retailer said he’d heard that daytime deliveries would be banned, did the police chief lose patience, puffing out his cheeks.

Not true, he insisted.

“I can’t repeat things 50,000 times,” he said. “I don’t want to hear things like that.”

The work of preparing people clearly has a way to go. A government website, “Plan for the Games,” offers tips. Among them: avoid Olympic crowds on public transport by riding bikes or walking.

Schapira, the retired dentist and former politician, came out of the meeting thinking that “it is indeed extraordinary to have the Games inside Paris.”

But he was nevertheless grateful that he’ll be in the Alps by then, on holiday.

“I prefer to watch them on the television,” he said. “I’m not enough of a sports fan to stay. I am happy to be leaving.”

BY JOHN LEICESTER, AP

The Rouen Armada, France. The World's Leading Tall Ship Festival Returns From 8 To 18 June 2023

Fifty tall ships from all over the world will be moored along the 7 kilometres of the Seine quay in Rouen for 10 days.

Held every four years, the Rouen Armada is a unique international maritime event with 6 million visitors, more than 30 nationalities and nearly 7,000 sailors

A tourist festival in the heart of Normandy: From 8 to 18 June, the tall ships can be visited free of charge and everyone can attend numerous events including the sailors' parade in the city centre, the sailors' race, the "boat" race, street performances, concerts, fireworks, the grand parade and much more.

A business destination: the Armada is also an opportunity for companies to rent the most prestigious sailing ships in the evening as venues for professional events.

The economic impact of the Armada is estimated at 50 million euros for the Normandy region

Environmental protection: thanks to a charter signed with its partners and rigorous management of its commitments, the 2023 Armada will be an event with zero non-recycled waste and zero plastic pollution.

At the same time, the event will use its popularity to raise awareness about environmental issues related to oceans and rivers. First started in 2022, an annual scientific symposium is organised on World Oceans Day, 8 June, in partnership with the Ocean Institute of the Sorbonne University Alliance.

A cultural event: culture is also in the spotlight for this edition under the patronage of Michel Bussi, a famous French author translated into 37 languages.

The Rouen Armada is in essence a popular cultural event in the heart of Normandy, promoting maritime culture in the birthplace of Impressionism.

There will be street artists performing shows with a connection to maritime history and the Armada will help inspire exclusive short stories.

Carnival Returns To French Riviera, As Virus Fears Recede

NICE, France (AP) — Two years after the pandemic shut down the Carnival in the French Riviera city of Nice, artists, florists, actors, technicians and drivers are putting the final touches on their costumes, lavish flower arrangements and giant floats set to roll down the city’s famed boulevards and squares on Friday.

It will be a loud, rich and crowded chain of events over the next two weeks. The Carnival’s 149th edition is led by the King of Animals, celebrating nature, light, human connection and life itself after months of lockdowns, silence, social distancing and banned public gatherings.

“It’s rejuvenation,” said Nicole Bravi, the director of the florist association, La Nouvelle Vague, that has been designing flower arrangements for the Carnival floats for 20 years. Flowers are a prominent part of the Nice Carnival and feature in their own parade known as the Battle of Flowers. Traditionally, people throw flowers at the spectators but this year they decided to hand them out to people.

“It’s to express our desire to reconnect with people,” Bravi said. “There has been so much grief and nostalgia and melancholy that we just want to give people some beauty back.”

The Nice Carnival is part of a European medieval carnival tradition, and the city’s two-week festival of excess in costumes, food and music is one of the world biggest, after those in Venice, Rio de Janeiro and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Public celebrations in the city on the French Mediterranean coast started in the early 19th century to honor visiting nobility. There were street battles in which people pelted one another with flour and eggs. By the late 1800s a modern version of the Carnival emerged after the local painter, Alexis Mossa designed grotesque characters and put them on floats.

The Carnival is a rare event in the French republic that offers a chance for royalty to return. In line with this year’s theme, the king and queen have human faces perched on animal bodies — and giant crowns, of course. They will be overseeing their subjects in the city’s main Massena Square until the end of the month when they will be burned and buried.

French political leaders need not feel shunned. Candidates for April’s presidential election are featured as well. Their giant faces are perched on the bodies of crabs.

“They are in a basket of crabs,” said Pierre Povigna, a fourth generation “carnivalier” from Nice, whose family has designed the royal floats for decades. “It’s a famous dish, le panier des crabes, a crab basket,” Povigna explained. But before serving it, crabs are put in a basket and they turn on one another, they go after one another with their claws, he said.

The city will be divided into carnival zones for the next two weeks and while Nice celebrates “a return to life,” according to Povigna, residents and tourists will only be allowed to access the festivities with a vaccination pass in line with national health regulations. Masks are recommended, but not mandatory outdoors.

However, city officials are expected to announces new rules at the opening ceremony Friday evening.

In a sign that Nice, like the rest of France, is ready to turn the page and its back to the pandemic, a journalist reporting from the decorated and illuminated Massena Square for BFM television ended her report by taking off her surgical mask and covering her eyes with a Venetian mask instead. “I urge you to do the same,” she said.

France Eases Rule For Vaccinated Travelers From South Africa

France is allowing vaccinated travelers from South Africa to enter its territory without having to observe a coronavirus quarantine.

The French government published a decree Thursday that removed South Africa from the list of places subject to highly restricted travel rules.

Unvaccinated people coming from South Africa still must quarantine in France for 10 days under supervision from local authorities.

France almost completely banned travel to and from South Africa after the first COVID-19 cases involving the omicron variant were detected in South Africa in November.

The highly contagious variant has since spread around the world, causing record daily cases in the United States and parts of Europe.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday that omicron is now estimated to represent 70% to 80% of all infections in France.

France, which has one of Europe’s most-vaccinated populations, reported more than 332,000 new virus cases on Wednesday. The number set a European record for the highest single-day national count of confirmed cases.

France Starts Testing Travelers From 16 Nations For Virus

PARIS (AP) — Travelers entering France from 16 countries where the coronavirus is circulating widely now must undergo virus tests upon arrival at French airports and ports.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced last month that the tests would be required starting Aug. 1 for passengers France is allowing in from a list of approved countries unless they present proof of a negative test done within 72 hours of their departure.

Those who test positive in France as of Saturday must quarantine for 14 days.

France is not permitting general travel to and from the 16 countries, which include the United States and Brazil. The testing requirement therefore only applies to people entering under limited circumstances: French citizens who live in these countries or citizens of these countries with an established residence in France.

Daniel Court was tested at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport after coming in from the French Riviera city of Nice. He acknowledged not loving the experience.

“It’s very fast, but I have to say that it’s not very pleasant,″ he said. “But we have to do it.″

Another passenger who got tested after landing at Paris’ main airport, Nadia Vusik of Belarus, said she thought the new policy made sense.

“It is definitely necessary, and I am happy that in France it is possible to do right here. It’s very convenient,” she said.

French health authorities say the number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases has jumped on the French mainland in recent weeks. The government has already made mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces.

France has had over 225,000 confirmed infections and over 30,200 virus-related deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, but experts say all numbers in the pandemic are too low for various reasons, including limited testing and missed cases.

The French government has so far ruled out imposing another nationwide lockdown after the one that brought the country to a standstill for nearly two months between March and May.

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Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Eiffel Tower To Reopen After Longest Closure Since WWII

PARIS (AP) — Workers are preparing the Eiffel Tower for reopening next week, after the coronavirus pandemic led to the iconic Paris landmark’s longest closure since World War II.

France’s tourism industry is opening back up, but the 324-meter (1,063-feet) tall wrought-iron tower won’t immediately welcome visitors the way it did before the country went into lock down in March.

Only limited numbers of people will be allowed in when the Eiffel Tower opens again on June 25. Elevators to the top will be out of service, at least at first, and only the first and second floors will be accessible to the public.

“At first, only visits by the stairs will be available,” Victoria Klahr, the spokeswoman for the tower’s management, said Tuesday.

Everyone over 11 years old will be required to wear face masks, and crowd control measures will be in place.

“We are optimistic that visitor numbers will pick up, even if it will likely be local tourists who visit the monument in the first weeks,” Klahr said.

The tower’s director told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he hopes access will be back to normal by August.

A stringent cleaning operation is in place and will continue daily from next week.

“There is a new protocol,” said Eiffel Tower hygiene consultant Alain Miralles. “The day cleaning teams will be able to clean all the points of contact every two hours, from the opening of the site to its closing,”

Tourists planning trips to the City of Light are advised to book tickets to visit the Eiffel Tower online once the ticket office reopens Thursday.

Paris tourism officials have expressed muted optimism about the city’s reemergence as a travel destination. Since confinement measures were imposed in March, tourism levels have dropped by around 80% compared to the same month in previous years, they say.

“To visit Paris now is quite exceptional, as we of course don’t have many visitors and we don’t expect this summer to be at the same level as previous ones,” Corinne Menegaux, the director of Paris’s businesses and tourism office, told The AP.

Hotel owners are also keen to welcome visitors again, if realistic about the challenges ahead - and the competition among European countries to draw tourists back in the coronavirus era.

“Everyone is Europe is looking to draw the European clientele. The Italians want to bring in the French, the Germans want to attract the Danes,” said Serge Cachan, president of France’s Astotel Group. He pointed out the plexiglass protections in the reception area of one of his hotels and arrows to ensure social distancing.

He welcomed the French president’s decision Sunday to let Paris restaurants reopen earlier than planned. “Without restaurants, there is no conviviality, there is no tourism, there are no clients in hotels,” he said in an interview.

“The message I would like to on-pass to the city of Paris is: Hurry and open up all of the tourist attractions and activities.”

By THOMAS ADAMSON

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Oleg Cetinic, Jeff Schaeffer and Masha Macpherson in Paris contributed.

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Follow AP pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Top Reasons To Visit In France In 2016

France 2016 promises to be a fun and exciting year. With a stronger dollar almost at parity with the Euro, here are major developments and events that American visitors are sure to enjoy.

Norwegian non-stop flights

To Paris From 29 July, Norwegian will begin its first operations from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport with low-cost nonstop flights to New York, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale/Miami.

To Martinique & the Guadeloupe Islands
Starting December 3, 2015 It’s time to visit Martinique and the Guadeloupe Islands. This coming winter season, starting December 3, 2015 and through late March, the award-winning low-cost airline Norwegian is flying non-stop and very affordably to both islands from three East Coast locations: New York’s JFK, Baltimore’s BWI and Boston’s Logan airports. It is the first time in 20 years that residents of the Northeast will enjoy direct service to these French Caribbean Islands. 

Re-opening of the Unterlinden in Colmar, Alsace – December 12, 2015
Even further north and just in time for the Christmas market season, Alsace will welcome back the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar – home to the remarkable Isenheim Altarpiece. The museum will reopen December 12, 2015, after a reorganization of its extensive collections and three years of major works including a new wing dedicated to contemporary art.

Normandy’s Impressionist Festival – April 16 to September 26, 2016
As the cradle of Impressionism, Normandy will shine from April 16 to September 26, 2016, during the 3rd edition of its Impressionist Festival. It is the perfect time to experience both the works and sights that inspired masters like Monet, Pissaro, Caillebotte, Millet, Boudin, Renoir, Degas, and Cassat. They painted everyday life, depicting scenes from now-famed seaside resorts like Trouville, Deauville, Dieppe, and Honfleur. Over 25 exhibitions that will showcase portraiture – Read more (Main Impressionist exhibitions)

La Cité du Vin: Inauguration June 2, 2016 The gloriously restored wine capital of Bordeaux will include a Wine Museum and Cultural center, the Cité du Vin. Minutes away from Bordeaux’s elegant city center, the Cité will offer visitors immersive and multi-sensory technologies to explore a huge permanent exhibit about great wine cultures throughout the ages. Its opening will coincide with the lively Bordeaux Wine Festival scheduled for June 23 to 26, 2016. By day, visitors will be able to sample over 80 Bordeaux and Aquitaine wines and other culinary delights delivered on a mile-long stretch of the city’s magnificent Garonne River waterfront. By night and every night, this major biennial celebration features a music festival, followed by a spectacular sound & light show and grand fireworks display. Read More

Euro 2016 – June 10 to July 10, 2016
Sports and soccer fans have plenty more to celebrate in France, which, for the third time, is hosting the great European soccer tournament, Euro 2016, from June 10 to July 10. The month-long soccer fest will feature 24 of the top European teams. The 51 matches will unfold in 10 cities throughout France: Bordeaux – Lens – Lille – Lyon – Marseille - Nice – Paris – Saint-Denis – Saint-Étienne and Toulouse - 

Franco-American Museum of Blérancourt
Reopening & inauguration of new wing - Fall 2016
At the other end of the country, in Picardy, the Franco-American Museum of Blérancourt, will reopen in the fall of 2016 after an ambitious expansion that includes a new wing and reorganization to showcase its comprehensive collection of art and documents dedicated to the Franco-American relationship. The museum was founded by Anne Morgan, the remarkable daughter of U.S. industrialist, philanthropist and art collector J.P. Morgan. She transformed the Château de Blérancourt, her WWI and post-war headquarters in Picardy, into the Franco-American Museum. After she donated it in 1931 to the French Government, it was declared a national museum. The reopening will most likely be late September.

Lascaux IV – inauguration in Fall 2016
In the fall of 2016, the Montignac-Lascaux International Parietal Art Center, also known as Lascaux 4, is poised to become the leading tourist attraction and cultural tool associated with Lascaux's world-famous painted and engraved cave art. A new and complete replica of the Lascaux cave will be the beating heart of the Center, a sizable complex that uses new imaging and virtual technology for comprehensive interpretation purposes. Read more

2016 MAJOR ANNIVERSARIES

100th Anniversary of WWI - 1914-1918
The story of Anne Morgan’s war, the Chateau de Blérancourt and WWI all go hand in hand. There will be events to commemorate the WWI battles of 1916, most notably the battle of the Somme in Picardy and, of course, the battle of Verdun in Lorraine. Although the United States had not yet entered the war in 1916, it's never too early to experience the moving memorials honoring the American dough boys and allied soldiers who fought or lost their lives in Picardy and Lorraine during Great War. Read more

France & Loire Valley
500th Anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's arrival in France In 2016, France will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s arrival with the Mona Lisa in tow, which could explain her cryptic smile. Invited by France’s great Renaissance King Francois 1er, da Vinci crossed the Alps to reach Amboise in the Loire Valley, where he settled and spend the last 3 years of his life at the Château du Clos Lucé, now a museum in his honor. It is the perfect opportunity to pay a visit to the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and admire Leonardo’s inventions at the Château du Clos Lucé. Read more

Normandy 2016
Stretching back even deeper into history, the 1,050-year-old Mont-St-Michel Abbey in Normandy has been restored to its island status at the highest tides. A major decade-long national ecological project tackled the problem of rising sand levels, which posed a threat to the monument. The area's new and improved water flow will safeguard Mont-Saint-Michel bay as a maritime area and protect the ecosystem of this varied and precious place. To mark the occasion, the Tour de France will begin on July 2, 2016, from the Mont-St-Michel.

It will also be the perfect year to explore Normandy’s medieval heritage. In 1066, 950 years ago, William the Conqueror became the first Norman king of England after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. In the Bayeux Museum—also a storied D-Day site, resides a masterpiece: the 11th century Tapestry of Bayeux. Also known as the Queen Mathilda Tapestry, the 229-foot long and 19 inch high linen cloth, depicts through beautifully embroidered panels the Norman conquest of England.

ALWAYS NEW ACCOMMODATIONS

High on the radar of newsworthy items are new destinations to experience and new accommodations to enjoy. In Paris, there has been an impressive wave of boutique hotel openings. To name just a few, there are The Maison Souquet, the Grand Hotel Pigalle, the Bains Douches and the Champagne-themed and aptly named Bubbles of Paris Hotel. This coming winter there will also be the long-anticipated reopening of the legendary Hotel de Crillon and the Ritz.

Paris is not the only place where things are happening, of course. This fall, the Paris Region welcomed a boutique hotel of its own, La Demeure du Parc, in royal and beautiful Fontainebleau. This summer the Rhone-Alpes' classy Royal Evian Hotel reopened after extensive and innovative renovations. And Bordeaux has embraced the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa, brought in July into the InterContinental family of hotels. It has turned to world-renowned chef, restaurateur and television personality Gordon Ramsey to oversee its gastronomic restaurant, Le Pressoir d'Argent

The Barnes Foundation To Survey Scenes Of French Life Through The Lens Of Iconic Photographers, 1890-1950

Live and Life Will Give You Pictures: Masterworks of French Photography, 1890 - 1950 features over 170 photographs from the collection of Michael Mattis and Judy Hochberg including works by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï, Ilse Bing, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Eugène Atget, André Kertész, Edgar Degas, and Man Ray

October 8, 2016–January 9, 2017

In its first-ever photography exhibition, the Barnes Foundation is presenting over 170 vintage photographs that capture the spirit of France in the late 19th- to mid-20th century, a period of rapid transformation in every aspect of daily life. Nearly a third of these prints have never before been exhibited. Live and Life Will Give You Pictures: Masterworks of French Photography, 1890–1950 features work by a range of photographers who experimented in their documentation of modern French life, including such masters as Berenice Abbott, Eugène Atget, Ilse Bing, Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edgar Degas, André Kertész, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Dora Maar, and Man Ray. Titled after a remark by Henri Cartier-Bresson,Live and Life Will Give You Pictures will be on view in the Roberts Gallery from October 8, 2016, through January 9, 2017.

Live and Life Will Give You Pictures at the Barnes Foundation is sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal; U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management; the Barnes Foundation Exhibition Fund; the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Exhibition Fund; The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation; the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation; and the Rittenhouse Hotel.

In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, photographers and painters traded aesthetic ideas and were interested in many of the same features of contemporary experience, particularly as it touched Paris. Sometimes referred to as the “capital of modernity,” the city’s cultural fabric was radically transformed by industrialization, urbanization, and class stratification. Like other visual artists, progressive photographers responded to the spectacular aspects of developments that were shaping modern cities across the globe.

“This exhibition provides a fascinating counterpoint to the core holdings of the Barnes collection. The invention of photography in France produced a generation of innovative practitioners who were contemporaries of the impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern artists embraced by Albert C. Barnes,” said Thom Collins, Executive Director and President of the Barnes Foundation. “By examining the shared social and historical context that produced these photographs along with many paintings from our collection, audiences can gain insight into the breadth of creative reactions to societal change at this time.”

Drawn from the private collection of Michael Mattis and Judy Hochberg, Live and Life Will Give You Pictures will be hung salon-style and organized thematically. Subjects include Paris and Environs, Life on the Street, Labor and Leisure, Commerce, Personality and Publicity, Reportage, and Art for Art’s Sake.

Among the highlights are the earliest known print of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Paris, a celebrated example of his ability to capture life in motion, which made his work synonymous with “the decisive moment.” André Kertész’s Chez Mondrian is the only known vintage matte-surface enlargement print of this iconic image. Man Ray’s Kiki de Montparnassefeatures the flamboyantly bohemian cabaret singer and actress who became May Ray’s lover soon after he arrived in Paris. Kiki de Montparnasse also modeled for Modigliani and Pascin, who are among the many artists represented in the Barnes collection who lived and worked in the Montparnasse section of Paris. Edgar Degas’s Stéphane Mallarmé and August Renoir also functions as a mirror-reflected self-portrait of this painter, who immersed himself in photography for a one-year period; the Barnes collection includes six works by Degas and 181 by Renoir.

Never-before exhibited pictures from the collection include Brassai’s The Riviera from 1936 and Jacques-Henri Lartigue’s Bob race with neighbor Louis Ferrand and cousin Jean Haguet, Château de Rouzat, Puy-de-dome from 1911. Man Ray’s Rayograph with Swan and Starfish, from 1928, is a unique photogram with a provenance that can be traced directly back to the artist.

Live and Life Will Give You Pictures was organized by the Barnes Foundation in conjunction with Art2Art Circulating Exhibitions.

Live and Life Will Give You Pictures: Masterworks of French Photography, 1890–1950 is sponsored by

The exhibition is also made possible by the generosity of individual contributors to the Barnes Foundation Exhibition Fund. Additional support is provided by the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Exhibition Fund, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, and the Rittenhouse Hotel.

As part of the Art in our Communities® program, a display of sixteen photographs from the Bank of America Collection, which complement the works included in Live and Life Will Give You Pictures, will be on view on the Barnes Foundation’s lower-level for the duration of the exhibition.

ABOUT THE BARNES FOUNDATION 
The Barnes Foundation was established by Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.” The Barnes holds one of the world’s finest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early modern paintings, with extensive works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, and Giorgio de Chirico; works by American masters Charles Demuth, William Glackens, Horace Pippin, and Maurice Prendergast; old master paintings; important examples of African sculpture; Native American ceramics, jewelry, and textiles; decorative arts and ironwork; and antiquities from the Mediterranean region and Asia. While most collections are grouped by chronology, style, or genre, art at the Barnes is arranged in ensembles structured according to light, line, color, and space—principles that Dr. Barnes called “the universal language of art.” The Foundation’s programs include First Fridays, Young Professionals nights, tours, tastings, and family programs, as well as Barnes-de Mazia Education Program courses and workshops. These programs advance the Foundation’s mission through progressive, experimental, and interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The Barnes Foundation is open Wednesday–Monday and tickets can be purchased on-site, online, or by calling 215.278.7200. Ticket prices and current hours are listed on barnesfoundation.org.

The Barnes Arboretum in Merion contains more than 2,500 varieties of trees and woody plants, many of them rare. Founded in the 1880s by Joseph Lapsley Wilson and expanded under the direction of Laura Leggett Barnes, the living collections include 40 state champion trees, a Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus), a dove tree (Davidia involucrata), a monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), and a coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Other important plant collections include lilacs, peonies, stewartias, ferns, medicinal plants, hostas, and magnolias. The Horticulture Education Program has offered a comprehensive three-year certificate course in the botanical sciences, horticulture, garden aesthetics, and design since its establishment in 1940 by Mrs. Barnes. The arboretum also offers horticulture workshops and lectures. Tickets to the Arboretum can be purchased on-site. Ticket prices and current hours are listed on barnesfoundation.org.

Leading Hotels Celebrates The Reopening Of Ritz Paris With Exclusive Offer

The grande dame of the City of Light, Ritz Paris, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, reopened to the public on June 6, 2016, after a four-year renovation.

The property was restored to its former Belle Époque glory after a resplendent refurbishment by distinguished interior architect Thierry W Despont. Unveiled in the reopening were three restaurants, three bars – including the famed Bar Hemingway, 15 historic, prestige suites, and the authentic Salon Proust, as well as gorgeous gardens and terraces.

Ritz Paris has been a member of the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World collection since 1969. Now Leading Hotels Leaders Club members can be among the first to experience the signature 19th-century flourishes amid opulent contemporary comforts with exclusive access throughout the property.

“The Leading Hotels of the World is pleased to have the opportunity to offer our loyal Leaders Club members an uncommon experience at Ritz Paris,” said Ted Teng, CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World. “Our extensive and valued partnership with the historic hotel will allow our members to immerse themselves in the beautifully restored property and enjoy insider experiences that highlight the grandeur and exquisite offerings of Ritz Paris.”

Leaders Club, the loyalty program of the over 375 Leading Hotels of the World, offers members personalized service and elite travel benefits, such as complimentary daily breakfast, room upgrades, and exclusive access. In celebration of the reopening, Leaders Club members who book a stay at Ritz Paris under the Leaders Club Exclusive Access will receive:

• A guaranteed upgrade upon check-in
• A greeting from Ritz Paris management upon arrival and a private hotel tour detailing the immaculate
• Flexible check-in and check-out times
• Round-trip executive car service transfers to and from the airport or rail station
• Plus all of the valuable Leaders Club benefits including: complimentary Wi-Fi and breakfast for two

Those who want to travel like the most illustrious former guests of Ritz Paris, such as Coco Chanel, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Marcel Proust, can book a stay at www.LHW.com. Rates start at approximately USD 1,200 and the Leaders Club exclusive benefits are available through December 13, 2016.

Source: www.luxurytravelmagazine.com

New Hotels Join Small Luxury Hotels Of The World

June 2016. Adding to our ever growing collection, Small Luxury Hotels of the World welcomes four new independently spirited hotels to the brand. Our travelers will be spoilt for choice between a luxury spa hotel on the Île De Ré, a wellness resort in Okinawa and a modern city-center gem in Barcelona, all of which now bare the coveted SLH seal of approval.

                                        

The Terrace Club at Busena: Okinawa, Japan

Rooms from 485.00 USD per room per night

www.slh.com/terraceclub

This Oceanside resort is located in a peaceful corner of the subtropical Okinawa Islands. Centred on health and wellness, the resort offers an extensive array of innovative spa treatments such as beachside climatotherapy, ‘aerosol napping’ and personalised treatment plans based on thalassotherapy. For the more active guests, the hotel offers private yoga classes and invigorating Nordic Walking sessions along the sand. The resort has 68 rooms and suites all decorated in fresh neutral tones and flooded with natural light. Designed so that guests can take advantage of the stunning scenery surrounding the resort, all the rooms feature a private terrace offering views of the East China Sea. There are four restaurants and cafes in the resort – offering everything from light refreshments at the poolside bar to fresh seafood and Japanese/European fusion cuisine in the Fine Dining Restaurant.

Insider Tip:  Book an Ayurvedic treatment at the spa – the Kati Vasti involves warm oil poured onto the lower back in a chickpea poultice and is an effective treatment for back pack and improves circulation and stiffness.

Le Clos Saint Martin Hotel and Spa: Île De Ré, France

Rooms from 215 USD per room per night

www.slh.com/leclos

Quieter than the Cote D’azur but with just as much charm, Île De Ré on the west coast of France is where Parisians go when they need a break from the city. Le Clos Saint Martin, a classic elegant French villa with a modern twist, is the perfect place to stay while enjoying the food, wine and picturesque views of this traditional French fishing village. Set in an 18^thcentury house, this boutique hotel has 33 rooms and suites, two outdoor pools, beautiful manicured gardens dotted with eye catching sculptures and an exclusive Clarins Spa. The rooms and suites pair modern luxury with authenticity through natural oak flooring, large windows with traditional pretty blue shutters and white walls. The Lounge Bar, ‘Le Petit Bec’ serves light meals and afternoon teas in the sunshine by the pool or guests can order to enjoy in the comfort of their room.

Insider tip; Hire a bike and take the cycle path from Saint Martin through La Flotte to the Cistercian Abbaye des Châteliers, with cornfields to one side and the blue sea dotted with yachts on the other you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into a French impressionist painting.

The Grand Hotel Centrale: Barcelona, Spain

Rooms from 309 USD per room per night

www.slh.com/grandhotelcentral

In the beating heart of Barcelona, between El Born and the Gothic quarter, this boutique luxury hotel is one of the largest of SLH’s collection with 146 rooms and suites across seven floors. Contemporary urban cool is intermixed with 1920’s heritage design to create a modern yet classic interior – with views of the historic city from almost every window of the hotel. The real showstopper however is the rooftop SkyBar, where guests can enjoy a jaw-dropping panoramic view of the city while sipping cocktails or taking a dip in the infinity pool. The City Restaurant offers an inventive take on classic Mediterranean cuisine all created from market-fresh ingredients. The hotel also has its own wellness suite where expert massage therapists can tailor a treatment to your needs, or enjoy a steam in the thermal suite.

Insider Tip:  Visit Gocce di Latte, for some of the best gelato in Barcelona – the unassuming shop is just 5 minutes from the hotel and serves up classics like pistachio and chocolate as well as flavours for the more adventurous such as lemon and chilli or banana and peanut.

The Principal Madrid: Madrid, Spain

Rooms from 237 USD per room per night

www.slh.com/theprincipal

This contemporary boutique hotel in the centre of Madrid exudes the cosmopolitan style and sophistication the cultural city is famed for. Located on the edge of the fashionable Gran Vía, the hotel is the perfect spot from which to enjoy this buzzing neighbourhood. Inside the 76 rooms and suites feature high ceilings and huge windows, a nod to the hotels turn-of-the century heritage. On the sixth floor sits the hotel’s restaurant Ático, which offers classic Spanish flavours with a contemporary twist in an ultra-modern setting overseen by double Michelin-starred chef Ramón Freixa. After their meal guests can head to the Terazza – a lush urban garden and rooftop bar which boasts views of Madrid like no other, standing taller than any other hotel bar in Madrid.

SLH Insider Tip:  Stop by Del Diego, one of the best bars in Madrid just a few moments from the hotel on Calle de la Reina. This lively bar is a popular spot with locals and a great place to enjoy delicious cocktails and a variety of tapas dishes.

To make a booking visit www.slh.com or call toll free 1-877-234-7033