I was walking through Place Dauphine on Île de la Cité when a bookstore display caught my eye — it was this book of “stupefying but true” prisoners’ last words before they ascended the steps of the “national razor.” Its title is “Shortcuts,” which is witty enough, but it’s the last little lagniappe that makes it really… Continue reading “Voilà une semaine qui commence mal” – last words from the guillotine
Month: July 2015
Hot Time in the Old Town – Heat Wave in Paris
Paris in July is normally a comfortable place to be, with high temperatures around 70 degrees, sunny days, and an occasional rain shower in the afternoon – which is why many people carry tiny umbrellas all the time. But in recent years there have been all-too-frequent exceptions, with potentially fatal consequences in a country that… Continue reading Hot Time in the Old Town – Heat Wave in Paris