Tag: History
January Potpourri: Buzz, Beauty, and Beguiling Media from France
Fun and informative Francophone news items that came across my screen in January. France Heads the European Union Until this month, I didn’t realize that the presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates between its various member states, changing every 6 months. Starting January 1 and ending June…
Rebuilding Notre Dame, Painstaking Battle Between New and Old
This spring will mark the 3-year anniversary of the devastating fire that destroyed the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A day after the inferno, President Emmanuel Macron announced to the world that within 5 years France would “rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, more beautiful than ever”. Since then,…
Affair Of The Diamond Necklace, Swindle That Ruined An Innocent Queen
Mention the name of Marie Antoinette and many people will credit her with the haughty citation, “Let them eat cake!” The frivolous queen allegedly uttered these words upon learning that French peasants had no bread to eat. Yet, Marie Antoinette never made this pronouncement nor was she indifferent to the…
My Mother’s Perspective on Citizenship When She Was My Daughters’ Age
Two Very Different but Excellent Podcasts
The Miseries of War Part 2, Crimes of a Nascent State
The Miseries of War, 400-Year-Old Portrayal of Treachery
Several years ago, I was visiting friends in Chicago and looking for some free exhibits to see downtown. We noticed that there was a Day of the Dead exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center that looked interesting. The assembled collection was fun and informative, complete with works of art, photographs,…
January Potpourri: Buzz, Beauty, and Beguiling Media from France

Fun and informative Francophone news items that came across my screen in January. France Heads the European Union Until this month, I didn’t realize that the presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates between its various member states, changing every 6 months. Starting January 1 and ending June…
Rebuilding Notre Dame, Painstaking Battle Between New and Old

This spring will mark the 3-year anniversary of the devastating fire that destroyed the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. A day after the inferno, President Emmanuel Macron announced to the world that within 5 years France would “rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, more beautiful than ever”. Since then,…
Affair Of The Diamond Necklace, Swindle That Ruined An Innocent Queen

Mention the name of Marie Antoinette and many people will credit her with the haughty citation, “Let them eat cake!” The frivolous queen allegedly uttered these words upon learning that French peasants had no bread to eat. Yet, Marie Antoinette never made this pronouncement nor was she indifferent to the…
My Mother’s Perspective on Citizenship When She Was My Daughters’ Age
Two Very Different but Excellent Podcasts
The Miseries of War Part 2, Crimes of a Nascent State
The Miseries of War, 400-Year-Old Portrayal of Treachery

Several years ago, I was visiting friends in Chicago and looking for some free exhibits to see downtown. We noticed that there was a Day of the Dead exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center that looked interesting. The assembled collection was fun and informative, complete with works of art, photographs,…