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JOIN US IN LONDON THIS MONTH!...RESERVE NOW...LIVING AND INVESTING IN FRANCE REAL ESTATE CONFERENCES...

Paris
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Chez Jenny
3, Boulevard du Temple
75003 Paris
For more information, email info@adrianleeds.com

For more information and to register, click here FrenchPropertyconference or email info@adrianleeds.com

Lisa Fonssagrives on the Eiffel Tower by Erwin Blumenfeld

The Eiffel Tower has something to celebrate.

"La Grade Dame" turned 120 this past Monday. That's ALMOST as old as Jeanne Calment was when she died in her 122nd year in August of 1997 -- this French woman lived the longest life of any other human on record. Of course, one cannot compare an iron structure with a human, or can one?

You've heard me say many times that "Paris is a woman" -- a very feminine city from my perspective, and that in spite of the tower's potentially 'masculine shape,' "she" looks more like a woman wearing a broad skirt with a narrow waist, "n'est-ce pas?"

To celebrate the lady's longevity, a year-long project has begun to give her a new coat of bronze paint. Twenty-five painters (all men, do you think?) will be applying over 60 tons of paint, costing (are you ready?) 170 million euros!

One journalist recently called her the "Iron Lady," equating her with others who acquired the nickname, such as Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi. None of them lived as long or were as well taken care of. This is not her first 'makeover' -- she's undergone 17 'facelifts' since her 'birth,' including color changes and attention paid to her illumination.

One of the painters is reported to have remarked, “Once you’re up there, you forget the ground, your worries, the dangers, everything stays behind.” I suppose that's what famous top model Lisa Fonssagrives Penn must have felt as she dangled from the girders in this May 1939 Vogue photo by Erwin Blumenfeld. Luckily, there have never been any fatalities from the painting of the tower, or from posing on it as Lisa did, although there have been some injuries.

The restaurant on the first floor will also be rebaptised as "58 Tour Eiffel" and is scheduled to open tomorrow! The panorama of the city from its large windows almost 100 meters above ground is sure to be unforgettable, and safer than those who have dangled from that height. The total height of the tower is 300 meters not including the antennae on top, and was the tallest building until 1930 when the Chrysler Building in New York City was completed surpassing it by only 19 meters. (The Empire State Building is 381 meters high, built in 1931.)

Designer Gustave Eiffel is likely to have had no idea that he would create not only the symbol of Paris, the most beautiful city in the world, but is certainly one of the most famous and important landmarks in the world. He had a permit for it to stand only for 20 years and the city planned to tear it down in 1909 until they realized its value as a radio tower.

So, what would Paris be without the Eiffel Tower? Would it still be the most beautiful city in the world, without La Grande Dame watching over her Parisian "enfants?" I hope to never see the day she isn't standing to tell her many tales of the City of Light. Don't you agree?

Bonne anniversaire, madame.

For more information, visit the official Web site at http://www.tour-eiffel.fr

P.S. Monday evening I'll be speaking about how a $45,000 real estate investment in the year 2000 generated $2 million worth of real estate assets in less than ten years at author of "Detox Your Finances," Justine Trueman's, Women's Only Investment Club meeting. To learn more about the evening and the club, visit
http://www.financedetox.co.uk/investment-club/ or email Justine Trueman at justine.trueman@bnpparibas.com

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN OWNER OF LUXURY -- PLACE DES VOSGES!

Four Weeks a Year of Heaven in Your Own Part of "Le Palace des Vosges!"

Now you can own a share in an AMAZING "maison" -- more of a house in the country than an apartment in Paris, right smack dab in the middle of Paris' most elegant square -- the Place des Vosges.

Watch the Renovations Here: frenchpropertyfractional.com/PDV_renovation.html

For more information visit frenchpropertyfractional.com or maryellen@adrianleeds.com

AS SEEN ON T.V. HOUSE HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL...

BOOK YOUR PERSONAL CONSULTATION WITH ADRIAN LEEDS!
FRENCH PROPERTY CONSULTATION

YOUR COMPLETE SOLUTION TO A NEW HOME IN FRANCE...

Adrian Leeds and her team of property professionals can help make your dream to live or invest in France come true. These experienced property experts provide comprehensive services including property search, purchase, mortgage and other after-the-sale services, such as renovation and rental management.

Let the Adrian Leeds Group guide you through the process with ease and peace of mind... to have your very own pied-à-terre in Paris or home in the French countryside.

Visit frenchpropertyconsultation or email info@adrianleeds.com

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE...WRITE YOUR HEART OUT IN CHAMPAGNE!

Don't delay...Writing from the Heart...a journey into the heart of France, and into your own heart...April 21-27, 2009

For more information visit: /frenchproperty/conference

MAKE YOUR POETIC MARK...REGISTER NOW...A FEW SEATS OPEN!

"The Paris Poetry Workshop" with International Poet Cecilia Woloch

Over the past seven years, the Paris Poetry Workshop May 10-15, 2009 led by poet Cecilia Woloch, has become a tradition in the English-speaking Paris poetry community. This is your chance to see and experience a side of Paris not readily accessible to the average tourist...

For more information visit: /frenchproperty/conference/poetry/poetry_paris_2009.html

YOU'RE INVITED TO LUNCH: SUNDAY LUNCH IN NORMANDY ON RUE TATIN WITH CHEF, SUSAN LOOMIS!

Come to On Rue Tatin, Susan Herrmann Loomis' 15th-century Norman retreat, for a sumptuous Sunday lunch. A savory, aromatic world where culinary adventure awaits...

Upcoming Lunches:

• May 24, 2009
• Special Father's Day Sunday Lunch June 21, 2009
• September 13, 2009
• November 8, 2009

For details, please visit /frenchproperty/conference

LEARN FRENCH IN FRANCE IN A FRENCH LANGUAGE SCHOOL FOR ADULTS
OFFERING TRUE FRENCH IMMERSION
L'Institut de Français, Villefranche-sur-Mer

Learn French in the warmth of a stunning villa overlooking the lovely fishing village of Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Azur in a full immersion program with like-minded adults...For more information, visit Institut de Francais or contact Fréderic Latty at info@institutdefrancais.com and be sure to tell him Adrian Leeds sent you.

MEET PARLER PARIS READERS TUESDAY "APRES MIDI."
Next Meeting April 14, 2009

The second Tuesday of every month, Parler Paris and French Property Insider readers gather at La Pierre du Marais for a drink and a "schmooze" -- it's an opportunity to meet and chat with other like-minded people and a great way to make friends! Costs nothing except whatever you drink, so don't miss the next gathering on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 from 3 to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit Parler Paris Après Midi

PRACTICE YOUR FRENCH...OR ENGLISH!
Parler Parlor French-English Conversation Group

GET AN INSIDER'S LOOK AT FRANCE
France Today The Magazine Of French Travel and Culture

France Today is an insider’s look at French culture, people and trends — your savvy guide to off-the-beaten-track places and events in Paris and all over France!

"France-Amerique est vôtre lien privilégié avec la France et la langue française!"

To subscribe, visit France Today or call 1-800-901-6560

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