Richard Erickson's Paris Journal

Freelance Correspondent to the Paris Pages

• Parisians Show Profound Emotion Tonight at Bastille - 10 January 1996
  Spontaneous Public Display of Affection for François Mitterrand.
• François Mitterrand's Death Surprises France - 8 January 1996
  Gravely Ill Former Two-term President Dies at Home in Paris.
• Freezing Amsterdam Explodes at New Year - 7 January 1996
  Quiet Dutch Go Loadly Bonkers With Bombs Away!
  Editor's Note: In which Ric details the travails of traveling Paris-Amsterdam-Paris for New Years.

• Ups and Downs in Light City - 31 December 1995
  The Year That Was 1995 in Paris.
• 24 December 1995
  • Gloomy Strikes Yield to Christmas Light Snow
    Window Shopping in Paris - Santa Alive and Well.
  • Eat, Drink and Be Merry - And Forget Darn Visa Bill!
• Pere Noel Visits French Kindergarten 9 Days Early - 22 December 1995
  Iron Discipline Averts Panic; Some Kids Sing With Mayor
• Goodbye Bike, Boat, Skateboard, Thumb; Hello Metro - 20 December 1995
  Near Normal Public Transport Restores Paris to Life
• Paris' Public Transport Almost Back to Normal - 19 December 1995
  'Plan Bus' Stopped; Free Rides Continue
• Paris Strikes May be Partly Over, but They are Still Partly On - 18 December 1995
  Public Transport Partially Returns to Paris Region; Will Commuters Adandon New Bikes?
• For Monday Some Public Transport Expected for Weary Commuters - 17 December 1995
  50 Percent Rolling, for First Monday in Three Weeks; 100 Precent Free Rides Tomorrow
• Today's Demonstrations in France Almost Festive - 16 December 1995 (Evening)
  Marches Held Throughout France, Number of Demonstrators Disputed, as Usual.
• A 'Return To Work' Restores Some of Paris' Public Transport Today - 16 December 1995
  Before Talking Instead of Striking, Unions Stage Test-of-Strength Demo in Paris This Afternoon.
• RATP Buses and Metros Begin Carrying Passengers Again - 15 December 1995
• Traffic Jams So Big They Become Fourth Dimensional - 14 December 1995
  Oil Companies Mum on Windfall Profits Due to Hours of Idle Motors; Authorities Mum on Air Pollution.
• Paris Pages Own Reporter Risks Feet in Pre-dawn Paris Dash Today - 13 December 1995
  Ride to Paris Too Complicated to Describe; Early Return Ride Near Warp Speed, Equally Complicated.
• No Newspapers, But the News Goes On the Streets - 12 December 1995
  Today's Demonstrations Throughout France Widely Followed, Putting Yet More Pressure on Government.
• Prime Minister Says Magic Word 'Negociate' on Strike's 17th Day - 11 December 1995
  Non-stop Meetings are Being Held by All Parties as Strike Goes On.
• Headlines of Hope Today - 9 December 1995
  Talks Begin with Government; Trains, Buses and Metro Continue Stillstand.
• Government Sees Light, Names Negotiators - 8 December 1995
  Strikes Continue for 15th Day, but SNCF Talks to Begin Today.
• Parisians Coping With 14th Day of Strike - 7 December 1995
  Extraordinary Exertions Required for Daily Living.
• Flash Strike News - 7 December 1995
  Short Takes from the Capital.
• Government Mobilizes, Strikers Harden Stance - 3 December 1995
  Strikes: It'll Be Worse Monday' - Headline from France-Soir.
• The 35th Salon Nautique de Paris - 2 December 1995
  "Bienvenue a Bord !" -- "Welcome on Board !"
• If You are Stuck in the Neck of a Bottle, Turn On Your Car Radio - 1 December 1995
  Paris Traffic Jams More Entertaining with Radio France's FIP FM

• Public Sector Transit Strikes Put Paris On Foot - 30 November 1995
  Paris Copes with Metro Zero, RER Zero, Local and National SNCF Trains Zero.
• Get Yourself a Joker and Take the 'A' Train to Nantes - 22 November 1995
  No Fuss, No Bother, No Drama; Rolling Through France at 300 kph on Wheels.
• Finding 'Bill' in the Metropole, Instead of Looking. - 19 November 1995
  Looking for Pins in a Haystack; How to Fix a Rendez-Vous.
• Charles de Gaulle's Last Parade - 9 November 1995
  90 Heads of State at Military Memorial for French Citizen.
• How Do You Say Trick or Treat in French? - 1 November 1995
  Few Tricks, Many Treats, for Small Devils and Goblins.

• Solid Rock, Blue BeBox A Lu-La. - 23 October 1995
  Merry Prankster Jean-Louis Gassée at Large Again On Home Turf.
• Bigwigs Salut Montmartre Grape Harvest at Fête. - 8 October 1995
  Too Soon for Harvest, Last Year's Vendange Consumed at Annual Fête.
• The Low Cost of High Chairs. - 7 October 1995
  Flea Markets are Irresistible; No Safety in Going Without Money.
• Prix de l'Arc Favorite Wins, Long Odds for `Quarte+' Punters. - 1 October 1995
  Gloom of TV A2 Weather Forecast Absent for Fine Day at Paris Races.

• Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Starting Gates: Sunday, October 1st. - 30 September 1995
  7 Million Franc Purse at 74th Edition of Racing Classic at Longchamp.
  • What/Where/When/Access.
  • The Card.
• Nicely Rested After Vacation? Everybody Up and Lets Party! - 16 September 1995
  France Forgets Summer by Celebrating Beginning of Autumn Season.
• Apple Expo 1995 - Suits as Seldom as Spreadsheets - 14 September 1995
  Calvinists Welcome but Probably as Rare as Suits.
• Apple Expo 1995 in Paris, Cyber-Boggle Show - 13 September 1995
  15 Tons of Apples Devoured Last Year, European Growers Expect Another Sell-out.
• Apple Expo 1995 - Agenda - 13 September 1995

August

• Parisians Desert City Leaving Tourists & Burglars Behind - 20 August 1995
  Free Parking, Pedestrian Zones Open, Boulangeries and `Pressings' Closed, All Museums and Disneyland, Open.
• Vistas Galore, Clear Air, In Downtown Paris - 10 August 1995
  Bird's Eye View, Cheaper Than La Tour d'Argent.
• On The Road in France - 1 August 1995
  Staying Alive: Don't Do As The Natives Do.

• Police Release ID-Kit Photos of RER Bomb 'Witnesses' - 31 July 1995
  Three Eye-witnesses Aided Production of Published Photos.
• One Million Franc Reward Announced by Government - 27 July 1995
  Death Toll Rises to 7; 60 remain on Injured List, 10 critical
• Massive Security Rolls Into Place After RER Bomb Blast - 26 July 1995
  Death Toll Rises
• St. Michel RER station explosion - 25 July 1995
• To Arms, Citizens! - 14 July 1995
  World Up in Arms; Parisians at Firemen's Ball.

• Presidential Amnesty Party Today - 29 June 1995
  Prison Gates Open, Parking Tickets Trashed.
• School is Nearly Over - 24 June 1995
  Fête d'Ecole Signals Summer Arrival; Weather Not Informed.
• Music'Expo 95 - 21 June 1995
  Le Salon de la Musique
• Music Expo in Paris Mis-named - Music'Expo 95 Feature
  More Sound than Music - 100,000 Watts of Performance
• There Goes...Here Comes...Velosolex! - 12 June 1995
  Nostalgia powered by 2/3 horsepower.
• Paris Online '95 Ends Today - 2 June 1995
  Net Show Gets 5500 Visitors, All Anxious to be Wired

• Strike - 31 May 1995
  A day in the life - summer strikes.
• Keys Change Hands at Elysees Palace - 17 May 1995
  President Jacques Chirac moves to the Elysees Palace.
• Carnet - Paris Short Takes - 10 May 1995
  Acrobats, Mr. Goy, Café Orbital.
• Paris Commemorates the End of The War - 8 May 1995
  Official poster, program, Etoile layout, reports, headlines from '45, cartoon.
  • President Mitterrand's Last Show
    LIVE from Etoile Ceremonies.
  • Smoke and Fire
    LIVE from the Anglo/Expat Ceremony in Meudon.
• Third Time Lucky - 7 May 1995
  Jacques Chirac Wins Presidential Election.
• Mitterand offers condolences - 3 May 1995
  One of the last public acts of President Mitterand
• Chirac/Jospin TV Debate - on France 2; 2 May 1995
  The two run-off candidates politely debate the issues on French TV
• May Day 1995 - Labor Day; 1 May 1995
  Two May Day marches in the same city, yet worlds apart.

• And The Winner is.... - 23 April 1995
  The First Round of the French Presidential Election
• Surprise Victory - 23 April 1995
  Surprise Victory no one expected!
• Fritzl Unfound - Easter Monday, 17 April 1995
  Ric mingles with the tourists of Montmartre.
• In Search of Tourists from the East - 15 April 1995
  Tourists flood Paris for the long Easter Weekend.
• Uwe and Petra in Paris - 15 April 1995
  A short roncontre with Uwe and Petra.
• Games and Models - 9 April 1995
  Ric visits the Model and Game Fair.
• Lunch Al Fresco - Wednesday, 5 April 1995
  A visit to La Défense.

March

• Champs-Elysées - Thursday 23 March 1995
  The first spring day of the year on the Champs-Elysées.
• A Tough Guy - Wednesday 22 March 1995
  A cartoonist at the Salon du Livre.