by Ric Erickson

Number 1.23 - Metropole Paris, Monday, 29. July 1996:- A really long time ago I had some time to kill in Copenhagen, so I went on the brewery tours - hoping to get something to eat; but all they offered were beer and truly little snacks.

At the time, I did not know that this would be classified by last week's Le Parisien as 'tourisme industriel.' By chance, while I was slouching along the boulevard des Capucines, after not getting those new shoes a couple of weeks ago, I came upon a sign for 'Fragonard' and 'free museum,' pointing into a courtyard, and out of curiosity, I went in there.

Inside, the place turned out to have a museum upstairs, with guided tours. The museum, although small, was interesting and I took a couple of photos there and overheard this group that was there - who appeared to be speaking in Polish - although they were dressed exactly like you and me.

Inspection downstairs revealed a huge sales room - an octangle of a space with sales display-stands around the walls and a great deal of free room in the centre. It looked odd - until, upon leaving, I saw that tour buses were parking in front and pushing their entire loads of passengers into this 'free museum.'

Now I know that this is called 'industrial tourism.' According to Le Parisien, 700 societies have this in France and 67% of French have done a tour. Only 15% of French firms offer these tours, compared to 60% in Germany. Private adults make up 27 percent of the visitors and school groups account for 45 percent.

Perfumes, down south in Grasse, including Fragonard, get 3-500,000 visitors a year, and Rocquefort cheese hosts 300,000 annually, shared between two factories. The most unusual of all has to be the Rance factory near St. Malo, that gets an average of a quarter-million curiosity seekers to look at its turbines that convert local tides into commercial electricity. Visitors are advised to bring ear-plugs because this is a noisy operation.

Other popular sites are the Stoffel chocolate factory at Hagueneau in Alsace, the Cointreau booze works in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou, the weather people at Mont Aigoual, the Airbus factory near Toulouse, and the Byrrh booze concoctors in Thuir - that's right, Byrrh, and no, I don't know what it is. You call a drink that, and when you drink it, that's what you do you go 'byrrh!' No mention is made of the visits that can be made to the champagne caves not far to the east of Paris - in Champagne, of course.

Wrap Around Tans

If the wearing of textiles bothers you while you are out in the sun - but you are not near the coast - then you should know that there are 13 clubs for 'naturals' - really, it is 'naturistes' - in the Ile-de-France region. Of the two pools in Paris, one is open in the summer. There are also two but only open one day a week - saunas, in Paris.

Apparently some sort of 'license' is required to be 'textile-free,' but the 'Fédération Française de Naturisme' has the information about this, plus it has the details on 254 sites around France. Rather than list all the sites, I'll just offer the phone number of the federation. It is 47 64 32 82, and their offices are open Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 17:00.

Olympics: IBM one; Internet zero

The IBM computer company has an amusing set of big billboards in the métro, advertising IBM - what else? - 'search'-Internet and 'something' Olympics; such as competition results, or a hotel room in Atlanta, and various other things you might want to find out. The thing that is missing from the billboards - is the URL. So, here it is: http://www.atlanta.olympic.org

Birthday in Avignon

Ex-official 'Marianne' of France, singer Mireille Mathieu, celebrated her 50th birthday yesterday evening by performing at the 50th Anniversary edition of the Festival at Avignon - the city where she was born. It is 30 years since she came on the music scene in France by interpreting Edith Piaf's songs on the TV show, 'Télé Dimanche.' Less popular in France these days, but with increasing popularity abroad, Mlle Mathieu will be on stage in North America in September before returning for a big gala anniversary evening at the Olympia in Paris. She stills wears Chanel, and she has not changed her hairstyle nor her voice by one note in all this time.

Cheapo Movies

If you can prove you are under 25 years old, you can get into certain cinemas in Paris in August for 25 francs. The action, called 'Août au Ciné, is organised by the city with the cooperation of independent movie houses, art and experimental cinemas and the 14 Juillet cinéma chain. Same price, every day, every showing, all month.

While You're At It, See a Cuban Movie

Starting last Wednesday, Tomas Guiterrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabio's 'Guantanamera' has been playing in Paris. The film features Serge Perugorria, Mirtha Ibarra and Carlos Cruz. This is about the same crew that concocted the 1993 Berlin 'Silver-Bear' winner 'Fresa y Chocolate.' The poster did not say where it is playing, I haven't got the right accents for the Cuban names - and besides, the magazine 'Pariscope' has added names to the names of people in 'Guantanamera.' Either the poster is right, or Pariscope is. Le Parisien doesn't know where it is either, but does say it is funny.

Coming Event:

Watching the rest of the Parisians leave town, and watching a bunch of brown ones coming back. This can be done most conveniently in your imagination; rather than at airports, train stations or autoroute overpasses.

The week's URLs:

None. Go outside and get some air - treat yourself to some O.