French People

PARIS - She charmed the queen of England, captivated Israel, impressed President Bush, and won over the hardest sell of all - the French. But can France's first lady, top model turned songstress Carla Bruni, who married President Nicolas Sarkozy in February, keep spinning the magic with her new album? Its success, or failure, could be an affair of state. The Italian-born Bruni (officially Bruni-Sarkozy) makes an unlikely spouse for any national leader. But in France, where a deep conservatism runs through the lush heartland, she is in many ways the very antithesis of a first lady.

France holds a presidential runoff election nationwide Sunday. Here is how it works and what's at stake. –– WHAT IS HAPPENING: French citizens are choosing a president in direct elections. France held the first round of voting April 22, and the two top candidates advanced to the second and final round Sunday. Just over 43 million people are eligible to vote. WHEN AND WHERE: Polling stations in municipal buildings around the country will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0600-1600GMT; 2 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT)

PARIS - Before the opening of Neva Cuisine last summer in a desolate corner of the 8th arrondissement behind the Gare St. Lazare, there was little to draw customers to that part of town - unless they worked in the neighborhood or had a train to catch. Now it is a destination. The 40-seat bistro, helmed by a Mexican-born chef, has brought new life to this quartier, which had been void of good dining places in a city known for them. In a playful nod to geography, the restaurant, located at the corner of Rue de Berne and Rue de Saint Petersbourg, is named for the Neva River, which flows through St....

A bus ran off a road in northern Argentina and plunged into a ravine, killing 10 people and injuring about 40 others, officials said Saturday. Two Germans were reported among the dead. The bus operated by the company Potosi left Villazon, Bolivia, on Friday night and was traveling on a route to Buenos Aires when the crash occurred in the province of Jujuy, prosecutor Alejandro Maldonado said. Maldonado said six of the 10 victims had been identified by Saturday evening, including two Germans identified as Sophie Colombine Aring and Herman Schneider.

A bus ran off a road in northern Argentina and plunged into a ravine, killing 10 people and injuring about 40 others, officials said Saturday. Two Germans were reported among the dead. The bus operated by the company Potosi left Villazon, Bolivia, on Friday night and was traveling on a route to Buenos Aires when the crash occurred in the province of Jujuy, prosecutor Alejandro Maldonado said. Maldonado said six of the 10 victims had been identified by Saturday evening, including two Germans identified as Sophie Colombine Aring and Herman Schneider.

Rachel Polan spent half her senior year at the Boston University Paris Center. She studied, lived in a French household, and worked as an intern with the Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group, planning events and helping with ad campaigns. Read about her adventures in Paris on her blog, www.polanposts.blogspot.com. RIVER DANCING: One of the coolest places I have been to is called the "Batofar"(www.batofar.org), a boat in the Seine that has concerts ranging from dub to indie, with four floors of dancing and music.

A native of Athens who moved to Boston three years ago to attend Northeastern University, Mary Ann Georgantopoulos is accustomed to jet lag and culture shock. She first visited Paris in high school and "fell in love" with it. Even so, this travel-savvy student hit a bit of turbulence as she began her tenure at The American University of Paris in January. After all, what can prepare a 20-year-old for being stranded in a foreign airport and considered odd by the natives for her reluctance to smoke.

PARIS -- Claude Pompidou, the publicity-shy widow of President Georges Pompidou who famously called the presidential palace "a house of sadness," died yesterday in Paris, her foundation said. She was 94. The Claude Pompidou Foundation gave no cause of death. Georges Pompidou died in office on April 2, 1974. Passionate about modern art, particularly the work of French artist Yves Klein, Ms. Pompidou was instrumental in the creation of a modern art museum that bears her husband's name.

France holds a presidential runoff election nationwide Sunday. Here is how it works and what's at stake. –– WHAT IS HAPPENING: French citizens are choosing a president in direct elections. France held the first round of voting April 22, and the two top candidates advanced to the second and final round Sunday. Just over 43 million people are eligible to vote. WHEN AND WHERE: Polling stations in municipal buildings around the country will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0600-1600GMT; 2 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT)

PARIS -- Holiday on ice takes on new meaning high above the rooftops of Paris doing figure eights inside the Eiffel Tower. During the 115 years of the Eiffel Tower's existence, it has added refreshment stands, trinket shops, and fancy restaurants -- but nothing quite matches the skating rink in the sky that opened to the public yesterday. On an observation deck 188 feet above ground, the ice rink adds a new dimension to the breathtaking views from the French capital's best-known landmark.

PARIS - Before the opening of Neva Cuisine last summer in a desolate corner of the 8th arrondissement behind the Gare St. Lazare, there was little to draw customers to that part of town - unless they worked in the neighborhood or had a train to catch. Now it is a destination. The 40-seat bistro, helmed by a Mexican-born chef, has brought new life to this quartier, which had been void of good dining places in a city known for them. In a playful nod to geography, the restaurant, located at the corner of Rue de Berne and Rue de Saint Petersbourg, is named for the Neva River, which flows through St....

LA SAVINAZ, France - The milk that Paulette Marmottan uses in her cheese comes fresh from her cows and goats, so warm that on cold mornings, a cloud of steam goes up as she pours it into a cauldron. It’s the first step in making persillé de Tignes, which according to local lore, was a favorite of the 9th century emperor Charlemagne. But the Marmottans are the last family making it, and while most French people may be content with the mass-produced cheeses, the disappearance of traditional varieties is seen by some as threatening the very...

Rachel Polan spent half her senior year at the Boston University Paris Center. She studied, lived in a French household, and worked as an intern with the Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group, planning events and helping with ad campaigns. Read about her adventures in Paris on her blog, www.polanposts.blogspot.com. RIVER DANCING: One of the coolest places I have been to is called the "Batofar"(www.batofar.org), a boat in the Seine that has concerts ranging from dub to indie, with four floors of dancing and music.

PARIS - She charmed the queen of England, captivated Israel, impressed President Bush, and won over the hardest sell of all - the French. But can France's first lady, top model turned songstress Carla Bruni, who married President Nicolas Sarkozy in February, keep spinning the magic with her new album? Its success, or failure, could be an affair of state. The Italian-born Bruni (officially Bruni-Sarkozy) makes an unlikely spouse for any national leader. But in France, where a deep conservatism runs through the lush heartland, she is in many ways the very antithesis of a...

A native of Athens who moved to Boston three years ago to attend Northeastern University, Mary Ann Georgantopoulos is accustomed to jet lag and culture shock. She first visited Paris in high school and "fell in love" with it. Even so, this travel-savvy student hit a bit of turbulence as she began her tenure at The American University of Paris in January. After all, what can prepare a 20-year-old for being stranded in a foreign airport and considered odd by the natives for her reluctance to smoke.

WASHINGTON - "Freedom fries" were replaced by lobster bisque and lamb at an elegant White House dinner last night as President Bush and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France officially opened a cozier chapter in US-French relations. The two countries back tough diplomacy to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons. They have jointly sponsored UN resolutions supporting Lebanese sovereignty. And while France fiercely opposed the war in Iraq, Sarkozy sent his foreign minister on a surprise three-day trek to Baghdad in August to enhance France's role in Iraq's future.

LA SAVINAZ, France - The milk that Paulette Marmottan uses in her cheese comes fresh from her cows and goats, so warm that on cold mornings, a cloud of steam goes up as she pours it into a cauldron. It’s the first step in making persillé de Tignes, which according to local lore, was a favorite of the 9th century emperor Charlemagne. But the Marmottans are the last family making it, and while most French people may be content with the mass-produced cheeses, the disappearance of traditional varieties is seen by some as threatening the very essence of Frenchness.

WASHINGTON - "Freedom fries" were replaced by lobster bisque and lamb at an elegant White House dinner last night as President Bush and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France officially opened a cozier chapter in US-French relations. The two countries back tough diplomacy to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons. They have jointly sponsored UN resolutions supporting Lebanese sovereignty. And while France fiercely opposed the war in Iraq, Sarkozy sent his foreign minister on a surprise three-day trek to Baghdad in August to enhance France's role in Iraq's...

PARIS -- Claude Pompidou, the publicity-shy widow of President Georges Pompidou who famously called the presidential palace "a house of sadness," died yesterday in Paris, her foundation said. She was 94. The Claude Pompidou Foundation gave no cause of death. Georges Pompidou died in office on April 2, 1974. Passionate about modern art, particularly the work of French artist Yves Klein, Ms. Pompidou was instrumental in the creation of a modern art museum that bears her husband's name.

PARIS -- Holiday on ice takes on new meaning high above the rooftops of Paris doing figure eights inside the Eiffel Tower. During the 115 years of the Eiffel Tower's existence, it has added refreshment stands, trinket shops, and fancy restaurants -- but nothing quite matches the skating rink in the sky that opened to the public yesterday. On an observation deck 188 feet above ground, the ice rink adds a new dimension to the breathtaking views from the French capital's best-known landmark.