Like many people, I found the news of Jane Birkin’s death on Friday July 16, 2023, profoundly sad. For me it marked the end of an era, for myself and for others brought up in the ’60s and ’70s when life certainly did swing to a different tune.

I met the famous actress and singer at the opening of an excellent and revealing exhibition at the Calais Fine Arts Museum (Summer 2018). The photos at Jane & Serge, a Family Album were taken by Andrew Birkin, her photographer brother. Both Jane and Andrew were at the opening.

My memories of Jane Birkin come from my teenage years. It was back in 1969 that I heard that notorious breathy moaning song of Je t’aime…moi non plus (I love you…neither do I)…one of my great memories. The song was a huge hit, written by Serge Gainsbourg and performed by him and Jane Birkin. It was banned by the BBC and condemned by the Vatican. It’s one of those songs that a whole generation will never forget.

Jane Birkin was the daughter of David Birkin, a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander and French Resistance fighter, and Judy Campbell, an actress. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and came to public notice in a nude appearance in Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow-up (another milestone in my young teenage life).

Jane Birkin married the composer John Barry in 1967; their daughter Kate was born in 1967. The couple divorced in 1968; Kate died in Paris in 2013.

Jane met Serge Gainsbourg, the man who the French press described as l’homme à tête de chou (‘the man with the cabbage head’) in 1969. He was 41; she was 20.

Serge was already the darling of the French intellectual scene with a slew of songs, lyrics and music. But their first meeting was not particularly auspicious. She found him arrogant; he ignored her.

Serge’s Russian-Jewish émigré background was a far cry from Jane’s middle-class, very English experience. She was 20 years younger than him.

What was he like? I asked her at the exhibition. “He could be fairly impossible” she answered with her delightful gap-toothy grin. And their relationship? “He was a genius writer; I was just pretty” was her response.

The couple were together for 11 years and had a daughter Charlotte before parting company in 1980. They remained very close and he continued to write songs for her which she performed.

Jane Birkin was much more than ‘just pretty’. She was a good actress as well as singer and a major public figure in France.

After her death President Macron tweeted “Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us.”

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, described her as “the most Parisian of the English”. Perhaps the greatest French compliment of all?

Her funeral was attended by stars like Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Charlotte Rampling, Vanessa Paradis and Brigitte Macron. Outside, people filled the space, carrying banners and flowers.

At the exhibition in Calais, Jane Birkin was lovely, a slight gamin figure dressed in blue jeans and black sweater, with a way of speaking that was half-French, half-English. Andrew Birkin’s photographs were stunning, telling the story of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg in so many different places and so many different times, a walk through the ’60s and ’70s when life was so different

Andrew had just as interesting a story of his relationship with Gainsbourg. He was working as a screenwriter and film director at the time (on films like Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour).

They formed a close trio as Jane described: “I fell in love with Serge, Andrew fell in love with Serge, Serge fell in love with Andrew; we were a trio, in Yugoslavia, France, Spain, Italy. Andrew came with us everywhere, and, with his camera, our joy, our laughter, our total surprise was recorded by him”.

Andrew also stayed in close touch. At the exhibition he remembered the last time they were together. Andrew took a bottle of absinthe to Serge’s house. They watched a video, Serge fell asleep, and Andrew left. Serge died on March 2, 1991 of a heart attack.

Jane Birkin will be buried at Montparnasse Cemetery where Serge Gainsbourg is buried alongside figures like Alfred Dreyfus, Charles Baudelaire, Margarite Duras, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir (rather more appropriate to Gainsbourg and his life). Kate Barry, Jane’s daughter is also buried here. We don’t yet know exactly where; I don’t know if there is room beside either Serge or Kate. Let’s hope they are all nearby.

I, along with many others, will visit and put flowers on the grave of this iconic figure and ghost from my past.

RIP Jane Birkin.

Jane Mallory Birkin, actor and singer, born 14 December 1946; died 16 July 2023.

Serge Gainsbourg’s house at Rue de Verneuil, 75005 Paris, is open, inspired and run by his daughter Charlotte. A museum will open opposite in on 23 September, 2023.

More about Paris

Quick Guide to Paris
Van Gogh’s Paris

More about Calais – a most surprising City

Guide to Calais – There’s so much to see and do
The Calais Dragon roars through the streets
Lace and Fashion Museum in Calais

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Wine Allowances into the UK

The rules on bringing alcohol into the UK from the EU are as follows. Each person can bring in 18 litres (24 bottles) of (still) wine; 42 litres of beer, 4 litres of spirits and liquors over 22% alcohol; 9 litres of sparkling wine, fortified wine (e.g. port, sherry).  You can split this last allowance, for example you could bring 4.5 litres of fortified wine and 2 litres of spirits (both half of your allowance).

Check the UK Government website here.

So it makes sense (now the booze cruise with unlimited alcohol is deal) to go for classier wines particularly when you can reclaim VAT. Two top wine shops in Calais have adopted an easy system to reclaim VAT on alcohol. For details see below.

Calais Vins

Of all the Calais wine shops, my preferred one is Calais Vins. Run by the knowledgeable Jérôme Pont, it’s always been popular with Brits. The staff speak English (pre- Brexit 20% of their customers were British), and are extremely helpful when it comes to tasting and choosing. Calais Vins also stocks a very good range of beers and sparkling wines at prices from the extremely modest to the skies. They stock those coveted appellations of Fleurie, Médoc, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Meursault, Chinon, Chablis, Pomerol and more. They also offer rare bottles from estates like Whispering Angel, Guigal, Jaboulet, Louis Latour, Joseph Drouhin, Grand Crus Chateau Talbot, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Domaine Trapet, Marcel Deiss and more. They also source many unusual small owner-run vineyards here.

There’s a Philippe Olivier cheese shop just outside for top French cheeses and a good bakery and snack bar.
Mon-Sat 9am-7pm; Sun and French bank holidays 9.30am-6pm.
Zone Curie, Rue Gutenbert. Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 46 40 40
Website
Open Mon-Sat 9am-7pm. Sun and French public holidays 10am-6pm. Easy and free parking in front of the shop.
Calais Vins is located just off the A16 motorway, exit at junction 44 to Calais St Pierre. A few minutes’ drive from the port of Calais and the Eurotunnel terminal.

Olivier Vins et Compagnie

Previously known as Franglais, Olivier Vins et Compagnie is run by Olivier Vermisse and has an impressive range of wines, sparkling wines and beers.
CD215, 62185 Fréthun. Tel: 00 33 (0)3 21 85 29 39
Website
Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm Sun & French public holidays 10am-1pm. easy and free parking in front of the shop.
Olivier Vins is located off the A16 motorway, exit at junction 40 to Gare TGV. A few minutes’ drive from the Eurotunnel terminal and the port of Calais.

How to Claim Back VAT

They use two companies: Global Blue and Skiptax. So choose one of these and you should get your refund within 48 hours.

Global Blue: Collect your Tax Free Form from the store. Scan the bar code on the form at the kiosks located at the PABLO terminal in the Calais ferry port which is located in the main building after the customs. Or in the passenger building for Eurotunnel.

Skiptax: Download the free app and scan your passport. Shop and then scan your receipt. Scan the bar code generated by Skiptax at the departure terminal.

More about Calais

Guide to Calais – A Fabulous City
And whatever you do, don’t miss the Calais Dragon and his family!

Fast Facts

In Pas de Calais Department (62)
Hauts de France Region
38 km (24 miles) from the English Coast
Ferries to France

Tourist Office
12 Boulevard Clemenceau. Tel: +33 (0)321 96 62 40

Pas de Calais Department website

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France’s ‘Most British Airport’ in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage is to rename its airport in honour of Queen Elizabeth.

The north France chic resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage is one of France’s most British of cities, so what could be more appropriate than to rename its airport after the late Queen Elizabeth II who was so popular in France?

First Visits to France

France has always loved the Queen and the feeling was mutual. In 1948, Princess Elizabeth with her new husband, Philip Mountbatten, visited Paris. It was her first official visit abroad and was a rip-roaring success.

She repeated the visit in 1957, officially as Queen. It started with a state dinner in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and concluded with an official dinner in the Louvre. Again it was a highly popular visit though the French were doubtless rather nonplussed by the memo the Élysées Palace received from Buckingham Palace:

“Her Majesty has a small appetite but will eat just about anything, except caviar, oysters and shellfish in general. She prefers simple food.”

Today’s love affair

The love affair between France and the Queen has continued to today. After her death France flew flags at half-mast, and all the leading newspapers, whether right- or left-leaning, carried front pages and tributes. The most impressive speech came from Emmanual Macron after her death:

“The Queen of 16 kingdoms loved France, which loved her back. This evening, the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth are mourning their Queen. The people of France join them in their grief.”

Le Touquet’s Fashionable Past

In 1930 a small airstrip was built for British visitors who included the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII though not for long), Noël Coward, P.G. Wodehouse and Ian Fleming. They came on the daily flight from the UK to play golf and polo during the day and gamble heavily at night.

By 1950 the expanded airport was the third largest in France in terms of passenger numbers.

Today’s Tribute from Le Touquet-Paris-Plage

The airport said on announcing the news:

 “In order to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and in memory of her visit to Le Touquet with her uncle Edward VIII, during which she practised both horse riding and sand yachting, the town of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage wishes to name its airport after her, who, for 70 years, served her country with commitment, respect and constancy.” 

The name has not yet been revealed (probably not even decided upon).

Le Touquet continues to be popular with both nations. President Macron’s wife, Brigitte, inherited a house there, so if you’re visiting you might spot them. They often spend weekends and holidays in the town.

If you want to know more about Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and other north France resorts, read about them here: Seaside Resorts in Northern France

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Tourist Office

Guide to Calais, one of my favourite French cities (there’s a lot to see!)

How to get to France by ferry

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Favourite Monuments of France might seem like yet another list but this one is a list with a difference. They are voted for by the French themselves, a nation that loves lists and classifications of their cities. Think of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, or the towns that qualify for Villes d’Art et Culture and you get the general idea.

The Favourite Monument of France (Monument préféré des Français 2022 which really translates as the favourite monument of the French) is a project run by France 3 TV Chanel. 42 places were listed and the French voted on France Télévisions at the end of May.

Last year’s winner was the Place Stanislas in Nancy. What will win this year?

After this first vote, 14 places (one for each chosen region) are selected for the finals. The winner will be announced, probably on the European Patrimony days on September 17 and 18 but the TV channel has not confirmed that yet.

So what about those monuments? It could be a château, a museum, a place, an ancient site, a work of civil engineering… Three from each region are on the list.

Favourite Monument of France 2022 follows on from France 3 tv channel where Stéphane Bern asks the audience to vote for the Village préféré des Français (Preferred village of the French).

I know most of them but not all. It’s an intriguing list and I’ll add the few I haven’t seen to my must-see attractions.

The 42 Favourite Monuments of France List

The list is alphabetical with the name of the monument followed by the town/village/location and the department. There are links to the departments I have written about.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Rocher et Chapelle Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe (Rock and Chapel Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe). Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire

Villa La Casamaures (La Casamaures Villa). Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux, Isère

Moulin à papier Richard de Bas (Richard de Bas Paper Mill). Ambert, Puy-de-Dôme

Of course I hope that Le Puy will win. It’s my local town in the rural, remote and beautiful Auvergne!

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Maison de Louis Pasteur (Louis Pasteur’s house). Arbois, Jura

Abbaye de Fontenay (Fontenay Abbey). Marmagne, Côte-d’Or

Château de Bazoches. Bazouches-du-Morvan, Nièvre

Brittany

Chapelle de la Maison Saint-Yves (Chapel of the Saint-Yves Seminary). Saint-Brieu, Côtes-d’Armor

Château du Taureau. Plouezoc’h, Finistère

More about the glorious Islands of Brittany.

Haras national d’Hennebont. Hennebont, Morbihan

Centre-Val-de-Loire

Domaine de George Sand (George Sand’s House). Nohant-Vic, Indre

Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, Azay-le-Rideau, Indre-et-Loire

A road trip in the Loire Valley taking in this beautiful château

Palais Jacques Cœur. Bourges, Cher

Corsica

Maison Bonaparte (Bonaparte’s Home). Ajaccio, Corse-du-Sud

Napoleon’s France – His life, achievements and last days

Site préhistorique de Filitosa (Filitosa prehistoric site). Sollacaro, Corse-du-Sud

Citadelle de Calvi. Calvi, Haute-Corse

Grand-Est

Parc de Wesserling. Husseren-Wesserling, Haut-Rhin

Musée de la Faïence et Moulin de la Blies (Earthenware Museum and La Blies mill). Sarreguemines, Moselle

Fort de Schœnenbourg. Hunspach et Ingolsheim, Bas-Rhin

Hauts-de-France

Centre historique minier de Lewarde (Mining History Centre). Lewarde, Nord

Domaine de Chaalis. Fontaine-Chaalis, Oise

Hortillonnages d’Amiens (Marsh market gardens of Amiens). Amiens, Rivery, Camon et Longueau, Somme

Île de France

Basilique de Saint-Denis. Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis

If you’re in Paris, check out the famous Saint-Denis Festival of Music in June and early July

Colonne de Juillet et Génie de la Liberté (July column of the Spirit of Freedom). 11th arrondissement, Paris

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. Maincy, Seine-et-Marne

Normandy

Palais Bénédictine. Fécamp, Seine-Maritime

Gare transatlantique de Cherbourg et Sous-Marin Le Redoutable (Cherbourg Maritime Station and the Submarine Le Redoutable). Cherbourg-en-Contentin, Manche

Château de Carrouges. Carrouges, Orne

More about the region in the Normandy Travel Guide

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Église Monolithe de Saint-Émilion (Saint-Emilion monolithic church). Saint-Emilion, Gironde

Château des Milandes. Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Dordogne

Pont Transbordeur (Transporter Bridge). Rochefort et Échillais, Charente-Maritime

Occitanie

Abbaye Saint-Martin-du-Canigou. Casteil, Pyrénées-Orientales

Gouffre de Padirac. Padirac, Lot

Viaduc de Millau (Millau Viaduct). Millau et Creissels, Aveyron

Pays-de-la-Loire

Musée Robert Tatin. Cossé-le-Vivien, Mayenne

Maison Radieuse de Rezé. Nantes, Loire-Atlantique

Maison de Georges Clemenceau. Saint-Vincent-sur-Jard, Vendée

Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA)

Amphithéâtre d’Arles. Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône

Villa et Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild (Villa and gardens Ephrussi de Rothschild). Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Alpes-Maritimes

Synagogue de Carpentras. Carpentras, Vaucluse

Guadeloupe/Outre-Mer

Habitation Zévallos. Moule, Grande-Terre

Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul. Pointe-à-Pitre, Grande-Terre

Fort Delgrès. Basse-Terre

The Results

I will cover the 14 lucky monuments in more detail when they are revealed in June.

More Information on France

Regions of France

French Departments

So would you agree with the French, or do you have ideas of your own to add?

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The first great French beam has been cut from an ancient oak for the new roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The devastating fire in April 2019 brought the 96-metre spire that topped the roof crashing to the ground. A stunned Paris – and the world – could only look on.

The first oak to produce one of the great beams comes from the Bercé forest in the Sarthe department which lies between Tours and Le Mans in the little known Loir Valley (without an ‘e’). The 250-year old oak tree has been cut into a 20m long, 30cm wide beam at a sawmill at Craon, southeast of Rennes.

The hunt for the right trees began in January and February 2021. It was a complicated task. Most trunks have to measure over 1 metre (more than 3ft) wide and 18 metres (60 ft) long. Eight of the trees were located in Bercé. The other 9,992 trees that are destined for the cathedral come from 200 French forests. They had to be felled by the end of March to prevent harmful tree sap and moisture entering the wood fibres.

The sawmill is just one of 45 that are currently doing similar work on ancient oak trees that were felled as part of the normal cycle of managing the great forests. They’re being donated by the National Forests Office and are worth up to tens of thousands of euros each.

It’s an emotional time for a country that cares passionately about its heritage – of which Gothic cathedrals form a huge part. As the head of the project to rebuild the cathedral, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, said: ‘The whole of France is taking part.’

The first beam will be part of the base of the old 96m-tall spire. The spire wasn’t part of the old cathedral; it was added in the 19^th century by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc when the building was being renovated.

President Macron has an ambitious target: to open the newly restored cathedral for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Oaks make up about 32% of all France’s forests and have always been vital for the country’s prosperity. Where do all those oak barrels for wine come from? And what about those castles like Guédelon? This castle that is being reconstructed according to medieval principles stands in an oak forest that provides much of the oak. Here’s more about the grand project of Guédelon.

The Great Gothic Cathedrals of France

Quick Guide to Paris

More from the Friends of Notre Dame Cathedral Reconstruction

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From September 18 to October 3, an extraordinary new attraction is on show in Paris. It’s the Wrapped Arc de Triomphe, an art work created by the Bulgarian artist Christo Vladimirov Yavachev and his French wife Jeanne-Claude.

The project is costing between €12 million and €14 million, and is funded privately through the sale of Christo’s preparatory studies, drawings, scale models as well as works from the 1950s and 1960s.

The great arch built by Napoleon is draped in 25,000 metres of silver-blue fabric tied with 3,000 metres of red rope. It’s very specialised and difficult work, with specially trained rock climbers scaling a very different surface from the usual.

A Monumental Task

It’s not the first Parisian monument to be wrapped by the couple. In 1985 it was the turn of the Pont-Neuf, to be followed 10 years later by the Wrapped Reichstag in Berlin.

But sadly the couple will not see the work; Jeanne-Claude died in 2009, and Christo in on May 31, 2020 in New York.

If you’re in Paris it’s a must-see attraction, something that will not occur again. The symbol of power and triumph is transformed into something ephemeral, a delicate sculpture that moves slightly in the breeze.

Napoleon’s France and what he built in and outside Paris

September Events in France

More about the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation

Cover Photo: Christo and the Arc de Triomphe Wolfgang Volz © 2019 Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation

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A felted-beaver bicorne hat belonging to Napoleon will be auctioned on October 27 in London. At the moment the hat is on display in Bonhams’ Hong Kong showrooms. It comes to Bonhams in Paris then to London so potential buyers will have plenty of chances to view it.

It’s the second of two auctions of artefacts associated with Napoleon. On September 23, one of Napoleon’s hats was sold for €1.2 million/$1.4 million at Sotheby’s.  It was worn by the Emperor onJuly 7, 1807, during a meeting with Russia’s Alexander I to sign the Treaty of Tislit.

How do we know this second hat for sale was Napoleon’s?

The current owner bought the hat at a small provincial German auction house. He became intrigued about its origin when he found an inscription inside the hat. He sent it to the Musée de l’Armée at Les Invalides in Paris who confirmed that it was the right size for the Emperor’s head and the right age. They also pointed out that someone had cut out the hat’s leather sweatband – something that Napoleon always had done to his hats.

But this was the clincher: two hairs found inside the hat were tested for Napoleon’s DNA and were a match.

Napoleon’s hats

Napoleon’s hats are known as bicornes after the two points. He wore his chapeau française sideways rather than with the points at the front and back or at an angle so he could be recognized on the battlefield.

The hat is the classic image associated with Napoleon. He kept his deliberately simple unlike the bicornes of his generals (and of Wellington’s) which sprouted ostrich feathers, gold and silver lacework.

19 of Napoleon’s hats are believed to be still in existence, most of them in museums. He was a prodigious user of hats – apparently he wore around 120 of these throughout his life. Most of the ones that have found their way into museums and private collections came from noble families connected to the emperor, or by soldiers who picked them up on the battleground. Such souvenirs would always be worth selling.

Napoleon normally had 12 hats in service, each lasting him 3 years. He got through around four a year, using them after valets had worn them in, softening the hard fabric. They were mainly made by the Paris hat makers Poupart & Co. based in the Palais-Royal.

And the price of Napoleon’s hat?

Bonhams are being conservative in their estimate (€120,000 – €180,000/$140,000 – $210.000/£100,000 – £150,000) when considering the prices Napoleon’s hats have reached in the past.

First of all, there’s the latest Sotheby’s sale when that particular hat (without the dna hair confirmation) fetched €1.2 million/$1.4 million.

In 2018 a military hat of Napoleon, believed to have been picked up by a Dutch captain from the Waterloo battlefield, was sold at auction for €280,000 (£245,000/$325,000). The estimate was less than €40,000.

And one sold in 2014, believed to have worn by Napoleon during the Battle of Marengo in 1800 and originally in the Monaco royal family collection sold for €1.9million.

Prices vary wildly according to who wants a hat that badly.

So this is the story of what might become the most expensive hat in history. We will have to wait for October 27th to see who pays what for Napoleon’s hat.

For a long piece on Napoleon’s hat, read the catalogue on Bonhams’ website covering their important October French auction: Napoleon The British Sale.

Guide to Napoleon’s France

Feature Image: Bonhams

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