It has been a long week, so today’s update will be brief. Unsurprisingly, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe made the official announcement that the confinement will last until April 15th (but, once again, everyone assumes it will be extended through the end of April). Sadly, there are now 1995 Coronavirus deaths in France, including a 16-year-old girl with no prior health issues and a cashier working in a large suburban supermarket just outside Paris.
Solidarité in Action
But it’s not just the government stepping in with major healthcare emergency measures and Operation Resilience, the private sector and everyday people in France are pulling together to offer support to those on the frontlines. The real estate website Particulier-à- Particulier has a special section on its platform where people can offer free housing and apartment rentals to healthcare workers throughout France (especially near hospitals).
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the city’s professional football team, created a special limited-edition jersey in support of Paris hospitals with the phrase “Tous Unis” (All United) for €175 each, and of course all 1500 of them immediately sold out (all profits go to the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP).
40 Films Set in Paris
If you’re looking for some weekend entertainment, see how many of these 40 films set in Paris you can knock off your list (compiled by the French website, Enlarge Your Paris). The list has some well-known classics like “Charade” with Audrey Hepburn (1963) and Marcel Carné’s “Les Enfants du Paradis” (1945), but also the quirky animated “Triplettes de Belleville” (2003) and Roman Duris’ breakout indie film, “Chacun Cherche Son Chat” (1996).
Got Your Stripey Sailor Shirt?
Google has decided to pay tribute to the emblematic striped sailor shirt known as “la marinière” in its Doodle of the Day. Seen on Brittany fishermen in lithographs dating back to 1810 and in painting dating back to the 1700s, the shirt became the official sailors’ undershirt of the French Navy in 1858. I personally love the one my friend got for me on our trip to St Malo years ago. She opted for the more modern red-striped version while I got the ¾-sleeve classic…it’s still one of my favorite shirts!
Enjoy your weekend cocooning, everyone!
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