Something for the Weekend (13th – 15th August)

It’s Friday the 13th, but there’s no need to be afraid. In fact, many people in France consider it to be a lucky day, and the numbers of people playing the weekly lottery shoots up! Try your luck at the following places this weekend.

Note: The 15th August (Sunday) is a Public Holiday in France. Municipal museums and swimming pools will be closed, and you may also find several extra shops and cafés with their shutters down.

A free Tricky concert
Tricky has had his ups and downs, but his live concerts are always an event, especially when they are free. The organisers of the Festival Fnac Indétendances have saved their biggest star until the final weekend, and you’ll be able to catch Tricky at the Hotel de Ville on Friday night – performing now in his new home town!
Hotel de Ville,75004
From 5pm

Classique au vert
After the early summer Jazz festival, the Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes opens its stage to a classical music festival until the beginning of Autumn. The site is magnificent, with the stage overlooking a small lake and landscaped gardens, and it is possible to enjoy a picnic whilst listening to the music. The rest of the park is also well worth a visit, especially if you have children.
Each Saturday and Sunday at 4pm until 26th September.
Parc Floral de Paris, M° : Château de Vincennes
Full programme: http://www.classiqueauvert.fr/classiqueauvert/classiqueauvert2010.html

Last Chance
This weekend gives you the last chance to visit two fascinating photography exhibitions.

Paris d'Amour : ‘Paris d'Amour’ can literally be translated in English into ‘gambles in love’, and here it applies to the act of getting married (or signing a civil contract !), which is always a leap into the unknown. The photographer Gérard Uféras spent two years taking pictures at 70 different marriage ou ‘pacs’ ceremonies, highlighting the many different cultures and lifestyles of the capital. The results are both amusing and touching.
Final day : Saturday 14th August.
Hotel de Ville

Willy Ronis: Although this exhibition continues for another week yet, what better moment to visit than the 14th August, the day when Willy Ronis would have celebrated his 100th birthday? This photography legend didn’t quite make it to his own centenary, but he did help to organise this wonderful retrospective of his career.
Monnaie de Paris
11 quai de Conti, 75006