A Lot of Outdoors

Part of the fairgrounds in central Paris - in the Tuileries.

For this Season In Paris

Paris:- Saturday, 13. July 2002:- The city has two parallel programs - one for regular events that continue throughout the summer, and another for summer events that don't continue during the winter.

All of the regular monuments and major museums do not toss their keys under the door and take off for eight weeks - most of these are open too. Their programs are not included here, but you will be able to find occasional Web URLs on the two 'Scene' pages to give you hints of what else is currently playing.

This 'summer' in Paris will be the longest in history - until it ends with an all-invited, all-night 'Nuit Blanche,' to be held on Saturday-Sunday, 5-6. October, which might be 'Indian-summer' time. For this, the city intends to keep its cultural doors open all night.

• This Week's 'Openers'
• Coming Events and Exhibitions
• Events and Exhibitions
• Photo and Cinema
• The Circus!
• Paris Beach
• Unclassifieds + Bikes

Paris Plage, This Summer - except for an intermission on Sunday, 28 July for the Tour de France's tour of Paris - three kilometres of Seine-side beach front opens up for 'soft' traffic, for pedestrians, scooters, strollers, rollers - all from Sunday, 21. July until Sunday, 18. August. Expect to see some entertainment and spots to dance, some pétanque players, and 'clubs' for kids, as well as refreshment kiosks. Fishing and tango lessons are also on the schedule. In principle, open 24 hours daily, but most entertainments will shut down by 23:00. InfoTel.: 08 20 00 75 75.

Quartier d'Eté - a vastly greater variety of events make up this summer's Paris program of artistic treats - from techno to opera to circuses - to be performed on streets, places and unusual locations throughout the city. This program goes on more or less non-stop until Saturday, 17. August. Some of these events are free and others are not. The Quartier d'Eté Web site has complete details. InfoTel.: 01 44 94 98 00.

Among the events, the Quartier d'Eté program includes dance shows at the Palais-Royal, more dancing in the Roman arena on Montmartre, and a lot of other dancing all over Paris. Expect to see theatre on the Quai de Tournelle at the beginning of August, and more in August's first week, at 68. Quai de la Seine on the Canal d'Ourcq. There will be poetry in Zadkine's garden on Thursdays, from 18. July until 8. August. Four evenings of outdoor cinema will take place on Saturdays in the 13th arrondissement. On Saturday, 20. July you are invited to take a last look at the Pharaoh's artists in the Louvre, for free, from 18:30. A circuit-show will take place in the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes at 18:00 daily, except Sundays, from 15. to 30. July. Several parks will have free music, starting from 17:00 or 19:00. Among the musicians, the Grupo Changui de Guantanamo and the Bollywood Brass Band. For details, check the Web site above.

Cirque Africain aux Tuileries - is put on by the Cirque Baobab, which has brought its own tree, on which to play out the legend of the flying monkey, Tambourinaire. From Friday, 19. July until Thursday, 1. August, at 22:00 except on Monday and Tuesday. The boxoffice and the bar open at 19:30. At the Carré des Sangliers, in the Jardin des Tuileries. Paris 1. Métro: Concorde. A Quartier d'Eté show, InfoTel.: 01 44 94 98 00.

Les Voyages de Colette - is an exhibition of previously private letters, written by Colette. See them until Saturday, 31. August, from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 18:00. At the Musée de la Poste, 34. Boulevard de Vaugirard, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse. InfoTel.: 01 42 79 24 24.

Festival Jeunes Talents - is an Europe-wide showcase for new classical music talent, starting on Monday, 15. July and continuing until Sunday, 28. July. The concerts begin at 19:30, plus there is 'Méridienne et Création' on weekends at 15:00 and 17:00. At the Hôtel de Rohan,87. Rue Vieille-du-Temple, Paris 3. Métro: Rambuteau. InfoTel.: 01 40 20 09 34.

Don Giovanni - will be opera under the stars, playing in the Luxembourg from Thursday to Saturday, 18, 19 and 20. July. Thereafter, on three evenings in September, at the château of Vaux Le Vicomte. The Luxembourg is Paris 6. Métro: Odéon or RER Luxembourg. InfoTel.: 08 92 70 11 22. Vaux Le Vicomte is 55 kilometres southeast of Paris near Maincy, just a bit east of Melun. InfoTel.: 01 64 14 41 90.

Fêtes des Tuileries - some mind-numbing amusement rides and cotton-candy vendors have moved into the Tuileries gardens and will be staying until the end of August or September. Hours are 11:00 to midnight, and until 01:00 on Friday, Saturday and the eves of holidays. Paris 1. Métro: Tuileries. InfoTel.: 01 46 27 52 29.

Musique En l'Ile - is having its 16th season, to musically wend its way around the islands and through the summer until Sunday, 1. September. Métro: Cité. InfoTel.: 01 44 62 00 55.

For the Carless - the Seine-side speedways will be liberated from car-crazies for the use of strollers, bikers and rollers on Sundays and holidays from 9:00 to 17:00, until next fall. On the right bank - from the Tuileries to Bercy and on the left bank - from the Quai Anatole France to the Quai Branly.

During the summer, the right bank's expressway will be completely closed to traffic all day and night from Sunday, 21 July until Sunday, 18. August. One exception - see below.

Tour de France - after riding around, across, up and down, in France for three weeks followed by a huge supporting circus including many motorcycled TVs, this year's bike race wheels off its final laps in Paris. The finishing line is on the Champs-Elysées and the day to see it will be Sunday, 28. July.

Bals - Concerts - beginning on Sunday, 21. July and continuing until Sunday, 1. September, see and hear live music on Sundays afternoons at 17:30 at the Kiosque à Musique at a pleasant and grassy area near the two canals. The Kiosque à Musique in the Parc de la Villette, 211. Avenue Jean-Jaurès, Paris 19. Métro: Porte de Pantin. InfoTel.: 08 03 30 83 06.

L'Octuor de France - offers nine chamber music concerts in the Orangerie in the Parc de Bagatelle. With Brahms, Ravel, Bach, Bitsch, Haydn, Debussy and other stars - in several concerts - with two entry prices, 20 for Sunday afternoons and 25 for Thursday candlelight concerts - plus 1.50 for entry to the park. From Thursday, 18. July until Thursday, 15. August. Parc de Bagatelle, Bois de Boulogne, Paris 16. Métro: Pont de Neuilly, plus bus 43, plus 10 minutes' walk. InfoTel.:01 42 29 07 83.

Zelle la Grenouille - will be in the 'Jardin des Parapluies,' in a spectacle featuring marionettes by Gérard Weiss. This will be enjoyed by kids from 3 to 8. Except on Saturday, from Thursday, 1. August until Wednesday, 28. August, at 15:00 and on Sundays at 16:30 plus Thursday, 15. August. At the Théâtre Astral in the Parc Floral de Paris, Route de la Pyramide, in the Bois de Vincennes, Paris 12. Métro: Château de Vincennes. InfoTel.: 01 43 71 31 10.

Festival Classique au Vert - this year marks the 9th edition, which begins on Saturday, 3. August and continues until Sunday, 29. September, on Saturdays and Sundays at 16:00. In the 'Valley of Flowers' by the 'Espace Delta' in the Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes. Park entry is 1.50. Paris 12. Métro: Château de Vincennes. InfoTel.: 01 55 94 20 20.

Les Nuits des Etoiles - must be at night and there must be visible stars. This event takes place in Paris and throughout France. Scheduled for Thursday to Friday, 8 to 10. August. Try the Ciel, Eté, Espace Web site for details. InfoTel.: 02 33 25 01 80.

Fêtes de Bohème et de Moravie - will be five days of modern, classical and jazz from the Czech Republic, each evening at 20:30, from Tuesday, 27. August to Saturday, 31. August. At the Cabaret Sauvage, in the Parc de la Villette, 211. Avenue Jean-Jaurès, Paris 19. Métro: Porte de Pantin. InfoTel.: 01 58 71 01 01.

Itinerant Festival - starts out with 'Scaramouche' in the Arènes de Montmartre on Wednesday, 28. August and continues until Sunday while 'Donna Giovanni' begins the same day in the courtyard of the Mairie of the 2nd arrondissement. Two other shows folllow in September, with 'Capitaine Fracasse' in the Arènes and the 'Lovers of Verona' in the courtyard of the Mairie of the 9th. Get info from the Arènes de Montmartre, Rue Chappe, Paris 18. Métro: Abbesses. InfoTel.: 01 48 40 27 71.

Les Grands Eaux Musicales - is the Château de Versailles' annual H2O and baroque musical fountain show. Every Sunday, at the 'Grande Perspective' from 11:00 to 12:00; and at 15:30 at all of the Bassins and Bosquets, with the finale at the 'Bassin de Neptune' around 17:20. Also on Saturdays, until 6. October including the 15. August. At the Parc du Château de Versailles. Take a train from the Gare Montparnasse or Saint-Lazare, or the RER 'C.' InfoTel.: 01 30 83 78 88.

Fêtes de Nuit - Versailles - is a sound and light spectacular which includes the fountains of the château, plus fireworks and dancers, in a show lasting nearly two hours. Dates are Friday, 30. August and on Saturdays - 24 and 31. August, followed by Saturdays on the 7, 14. and 21. September. At the Parc du Château de Versailles. Take a train from the Gare Montparnasse or Saint-Lazare, or the RER 'C.' InfoTel.: 01 30 83 78 88.

Bohemia Magica - the Czech Republic has had its own special relations with Paris and these are celebrated this year, at the Musée d'Orsay and the Montparnasse Museum. Besides featuring 20th century Czech artists in Paris, the 'Bohemia Magica' program also offers a showcase for contemporary Czech artists, film makers and writers. Until the end of the year.

Paris Chante Montand - is, I guess, a musical expo or an expo featuring the musical Yves Montand that continues until October. Free entry. Except on Sundays, from 9:30 to 18:30. In the Salon d'Acceuil of the Hôtel de Ville, 29. Rue de Rivoli, Paris 4. Métro: Hôtel de Ville. InfoTel.: 01 42 76 43 43.

Art ou Nature? - the outdoor part of this exhibition in the Luxembourg garden near the Orangerie continues until Saturday, 21 September. At the garden entry at 19. Rue Vaugirard, Paris 6. Métro: Odéon or Saint-Suplice. InfoTel.: 01 42 34 33 99.

Elles de Montparnasse - models and artists added up to inspiration, which is the theme of this exhibition which continues until mid- September. Open from Wednesday to Sunday; from 13:00 to 19:00. Le Musée du Montparnasse, 21. Avenue du Maine, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse or Falguière. InfoTel.: 01 42 22 91 96.

C'est l'Eté - and Paris goes to the movies, which translates into a couple of good deals for film fans. The first concerns all who are 26 or younger. Until Saturday, 15. August, at 150 independent cinemas the entry price will be 3. This is a reduction from last year, and the age limit has been raised by a year.

3 for Everybody - same deal as above, but for everybody, at 86 Paris cinemas with 372 screens. But three days only - from Sunday, 25. August until Tuesday, 27. August. Get ready for popcorn!

Moonlight Movies - 18 major films will be shown after sundown in parks, places and gardens throughout Paris, with no entry price. Except Mondays, from Tuesday, 6. August until Sunday, 25. August, usually starting about 21:30. See the Forum des Images-Vidéothèque Web site for details. Rome's 'Cittàdi Cinema' has been doing this for nine years, and has proposed two major Italian movies filmed in Paris for this cycle. InfoTel.: 01 44 76 62 18. In case of rain, no show.

Walk-In Outside Movies - are now a fresh-air tradition at the Parc de la Villette, which has a big grassy place for you to watch movies projected on a huge inflated screen. High quality films roll from Tuesday, 16. July until Sunday, 25. August; and start about 22:00, when it's dark enough. Deckchairs are also available. Prairie du Triangle, Parc de la Villette. Métro: Porte de Pantin. InfoTel.: 0 40 03 75 75.