Something for the Weekend (24th - 26th June)

A few suggestions for things to do and places to go in and around Paris for this first weekend of summer.

Activities

Happy birthday Quai Branly
The Quai Branly museum celebrates its 5th birthday this weekend with a series of events and visits, both indoors and outdoors. The highlight will arguably be a conference on Sunday afternoon with Gilles Clément, designer of the fantastic gardens.

For more details, see the official website: http://www.quaibranly.fr/fr/programmation/les-fetes/5-ans.html

A 3D garden at the Hotel de Ville
Remaining on a garden theme, this weekend sees the installation of a temporary garden (until July 15th) in front of the Hotel de Ville. What does a 3D garden entail though? According to the city of Paris, it combines architecture, decoration and land art, and is an investigation of angles and optical illusions.

Full details, including photos, can be found here.

Magnum Days
Famous photographer agency Magnum is hosting a series of events around their offices in the 18th arrondissement until June 26th. Alongside exhibitions and workshops, you can even have your portrait taken by Martin Parr or Bruce Gilden!

Full details can be found here: http://events.magnumphotos.com/magnum-days-june-2011

Summer cinema
Summer has arrived, and that means the beginning of several cinema festivals, both indoors and outdoors. The nationwide Fête du Cinema begins Saturday and runs until July 1st. The principle? Buy one full-priced ticket, then all other tickets for the rest of the week will cost you just 3 Euros each.

This weekend promises to be warm and sunny, so why not watch some films outside? In the Domaine de Saint Cloud to the West of the city, a series of films will be shown from 10.30pm, including Sean Penn's 'Into the Wild' from 3am on Sunday morning! See the full programme here: http://www.saintcloud.fr/ville/index.php?p=actus&type=alaune&article=5451

Visits with Architects
A second weekend for the 'A Vivre' organised visits to private houses and apartments with both the property owners and the architects who redesigned the spaces.

The full list of places to visit in Paris can be found here: http://www.journeesavivre.fr/JAV11/TC_GeneRegion.asp?T=visit&ST=visit&R=PARIS-75

Futur en Seine
The Futur en Seine festival, an investigation of innovation in the Paris region, comes to an end this weekend. The 104 Arts centre will welcome the 'Village des Innovations' with robots, augmented reality and artistic performances, and the closing party at Enghein les Bains (free bus service from Paris) will be centred on a giant floating 'ghetto blaster' installed on the town's lake!

Full details of the festival can be found here: http://www.futur-en-seine.fr/

Wake in Progress
In honour of Bloomsday, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore will be displaying a selection of pieces from Wake in Progress, Stephen Crowe’s ongoing project to illustrate every page of Finnegans Wake, until June 30th. Variously described as 'ambitious', 'mad' and 'one of the most incredible and beautiful things I have ever seen.

Shakespeare and Company,
37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005

Restaurant and Bar of the Week

Frenchie
Much hyped restaurant 'Frenchie' opened a wine bar annex just opposite the venue this week, which makes it most talked about location of the week. Given the waiting lists at the restaurant though, I'm not sure if it's even worth mentioning this new addition or not. Anyway, it should be a little more casual, so you can always wander by and have a look.

Le Frenchie and Frenchie 'Bar à Vin'
5-6, rue du Nil, 75002
01 40 39 96 19, http://www.frenchie-restaurant.com

Take a Break from Paris

The Paris Air Show at Le Bourget
Taking a break from Paris usually means getting away from the crowds, but that certainly won't be the case at Le Bourget. Nevertheless, it's the only opportunity you'll have in the next two years to see the latest developments in aviation and some truly spectacular flight displays.

Full details here: http://www.paris-air-show.com/en