Number 1.24 - Metropole Paris - Monday, 5. August 1996:- I hope readers do not think that I have any views left after the spring marathon of launching Metropole, and that they will permit me to go to my summer 'Ratlands' in peace.

You may have noticed last Monday that Metropole did not appear at its usual World Wide Web URL, or Internet address. Some disaster happened to the server where Metropole was living and it took until Wednesday until we could wooble - wobble? - back online. As we have had no communications with the old server, you may as well copy the following - new! - URL into your browser :

http://www.wfi.fr/metropole/"

Metropole's new WWW-server is run by WebFrance International and the really good thing about this is if it breaks down, I can drive over there and swim in their pool until they fix it.

That is pure theory mind you, although the pool is real. Some Internet 'knot' in the pipeline broke yesterday morning and we have been using carrier pigeons in order to get this number online - but this is enough of this jargon gobbledegook.

Metropole Readers Are Fine People

Metropole's readers - there are more than two of you! - well, yes - all I can say, is that you are a great bunch of regular readers.

How do I 'know' this? Why, because some of you write to the 'editor' and you write some good stuff - that indicates to me that Metropole's content is about what I intended it to be.

With this encouragement, we will try to get more varied content by tricking busy and important contributors to stop whatever they are doing and do some of their good stuff for Metropole. This is a very gradual process for an Internet magazine, as most of the contributors I'm chasing are long-time print people and the whole business of doing their stuff for Internet distribution has to be explained in great detail.

Reader Randi Shenkman, on the other hand, wrote her contribution about the Buttes-Chaumont park in her notebook in longhand and when it was obvious I wasn't going to read it fast and photocopy it on my brain, she coolly went off to a Cybercafé and typed it up for Metropole, on a 'AZERTY' French keyboard, and e-mailed it into the editorial office.

Other readers who do not live in Paris or in France kindly write to point out mistakes I make. I do not know how they know these things, but they are usually right - and I thank them for taking the time to help me out.

Some readers write with good ideas for features and I like to do these if I can. Sometimes, it is not possible but if it is a good idea, I try to think of a work-around and try to get it produced. Now that WebFrance International is acting as sort of a back-up, I will be able to go to places and do things that have been impossible up until now, or very difficult.

Finally, as founder and editor of Metropole, I would like to thank all of Metropole's friends for all the help and support they have freely offered over the past 23 weeks. In the midnight hours, it has helped a lot.

This Week's Au Bistro

According to Paris' newspapers and television, France has won the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Saturday's Le Parisien puts the score at 14 golds, six silvers and 14 bronzes - from the results of Friday. This score puts France in fourth place, after China, in the listings.

That said, in the same edition of Le Parisien, the editors devoted almost the entirety of pages 12 and 13 to the exploits of Michael Johnson and Daniel Dion O'Brien of the United States - more than the page and a half for Eddie Merckx, André Agassi and the whole 'Dream Team.' The five pages for horseracing sports around France are just a summer weekend average; as most of the Paris tracks are closed.

Oops, here are pages two and three full of French exploits. Marie-José Pérec is undoubtedly France's big star for these games and with good reason. To be honest, I have seen some ladies twirling batons and ribbons and not much else, as many of the direct broadcasts are in the early AM here.

The reason France is in a tizzy about this year's Olympics is that the last time the sportspeople of the republic won over 30 medals was back in... 1924. Hooray for France! Slow, but sure. Sport may even be introduced into schools soon if this keeps up.

Train News :

Summer Tip :

Catch the RER line A2 to sample the guinguettes, which are French open-air restaurants and dance places - which had a great popularity late in the last century. They are located along the Marne and the first place to try is at Nogent-sur-Marne. Also at RER stops Joinville-le-Pont, Saint-Maur and Champigny. These locations also have other things to see like museums and expositions, and the ride to Nogent-sur-Marne only takes about 15 minutes from downtown at Chatalet-Les Halles. The RER train follows the original tracks put down in 1869.

Coming Event :

Thursday, 15. August, is a holiday. It used to be smack-dab mid-summer; but these days the 15th signals the end of the holidays in France for many - so take extra traffic care around this time.

URLs :

Other than Metropole's own new one, I have not found any and am starting to feel I wouldn't know one if it hit me on the head.