Non-Gabby Café Week

No New 'Coming Events' Either

Paris:- Monday, 6. July 1998:- I have overloaded this issue with words. It didn't start out to be like this, but then no issue does. Believe me, it all comes together like magic.

The problem arises when this 'magic' has to be transferred into a word robot - one that will not look up strange words in the big red dictionary - and this week I really hit the wall with this when I decided that transcribing the International Rules of Pétanque from French into English would be a snap.

Since some of the French words relating to pétanque are jargon, my French dictionaries were no help - but I had to look for them all the same.

This is the reason I am not going to write any sort of dumb essay here this week. In fact, this is the end. Well, except for the usual stuff:

This week's 'The Tocqueville Connection' has weekly reports about French style. I would have these too if I knew what it was. Until I find out you should check this online magazine, with its in depth and somewhat insider news and views. It goes online on Friday mornings.

For example, in this week's issue there is an article about how not to get fleeced, with some shopping tips. The best piece is about observing slits in skirts in Juan-les-Pins, and there is a lot of good advice about where to have them, how high and how many. This is truly useful information because it tells you what to watch for if you don't happen to wear skirts yourself.

Down in Toulouse the Augustine Museum is putting its treasures online and so far there are 3200 documents and 700 images available. There is also an area where there are quizzes for younger - why younger? - surfers, but I think there is really no age limit on this.

A while ago a fellow named Damien called me up to suggest I take a look at a relatively new search service called 'Sharelook.' This search outfit started in Germany in August of 1996, and Austria was added in early 1997. Switzerland followed in June of last year, shortly after the introduction of the Sharelook 'cities' sites.

The French version has been online since the beginning of this year and now it is really starting to roll. What I like about it, in addition to its Paris selection, is Sharelook's direct connections to other cities, such as Berlin, Bochum, Düsseldorf, Köln, Wien and Zürich. Notice that Bochum is included. This can only mean that München and Bremen must be in sad decline.

Take a look at Sharelook and find out.

Since just after the beginning of the year, a few links to World Cup sites have been a weekly item near the end of the 'Au Bistro' column - sort of in the guise of 'SportsNews.' The entire throbbing end-sprint is now upon us, so I've moved these links to a page of their own. Since this competition will be over before the next issue of Metropole appears, you now have only six days to read this and flip to this special 'links' page. Next Monday, it's going to be gone.

Due to getting carried away with sports last week, I have neglected 'Coming Events' - if there are any. The following is pretty much the same list as for the past couple of weeks, and I hope I've managed to remove all the 'dead' ones.

These are so copious - at least throughout July - that you should check the Web site if you think you will be interested in getting tickets to various spectacles in advance. If in Versailles, pay a visit to the tourist bureau.

While Lisbon has its World's Fair with a ocean theme, Paris has its own Institut Océanographique, in spite of being some way from the nearest sea.

The 'Centre de la Mer,' as it is also called, currently has a exhibition lasting until 6. September. The event being marked is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Albert 1st of Monaco, who founded the institution; based on 28 scientific cruises undertaken between 1885 and 1914.

Also, if you get too hot in Paris and haven't got time to o to the coast, a visit to this institute will remind you of the sea, with its displays and aquariums.