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Also, one purpose of the week is to show that science goes on all around France and not just in the Latin Quarter. Thus activities in Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Cayenne are also on the menu.

Science Week in France lasts from today until next Sunday, 11. October. Discover why France has a space program and why the Bic throwaway ball-point-pen was invented here. Maybe.

News from The Tocqueville Connection:

This week I skipped both the news and the opinion sections of 'The Tocqueville Connection,' and only know that it contains something about a 'Paris Face-Lift.' There certainly are items about the new German Chancellor's visit to Paris last week as his first foreign excursion and other assorted political news; I just don't know what they are. Why don't you have a look?

Arrive at Paris' Airports Before You Arrive by Plane

This is easier done than said by hitting the Web site of the public body known as Aéroports-de-Paris, or ADP for short. This site is pepping up from its present information about flight times, to include the timetables of the TGV and RER trains accessible directly from the airports at Roissy and Orly. Flight times are now updated at the same time as the arrival and departure displays in the airports.

The Forum des Images

This used to be known more modestly as the Vidéothèque de Paris, but has recently gone into high gear by - didn't I write about this already? Whatever it is, it is online so you can find out what a lot of Parisians already know. This site is in both French and English.

From Luxembourg to Web: Média Senat

If you can't be in Paris to visit the French Senate's exhibition called 'Média Senat' you can at least pay a visit to the Senat's Web site and perhaps leave your calling card. If you have little interest in history or politics, the hostesses are supposed to be worth a look, but these are not on the Web site.

Exhibition Média Senat
Musée du Luxembourg, 19. rue de Vaugiraud, Paris 6. Until Sunday, 18. October. Closed Mondays. No entry charge. Info. Tel.: 01 42 34 21 21.

The western entry to the rue Courtalon, in the Halles area.

Coming Sooner: 'Lire en Fête'

This is sort of a French language 'Lit-Online' party, set to appear on your browser starting Friday, 16. October and lasting until Sunday, 18. October. The Ministry of Culture and the online 'Lit-Zine,' Pagina are organizing this affair, which - besides literature and poetry - links all the French and Francophone Web sites taking part in 'Lire en Fête.' Long-time readers will probably remember that Pagina has been featured on Metropole's Links page since the year dot. The Fête is just another good reason to give it a hit.

I am now seeing ads for this event, but 'Pagina's' name is not mentioned. I checked their Web site, and it is aware of 'Lire en Fête.'

This Was Metropole One Year Ago:

Issue 2.40 - 6. October 1997 - This issue featured the columns - Café Metropole - 'Warm Days - Cool Nights' and 'Au Bistro' had - 'We Did It! We Got 'Golden October!'' The articles in the issue were 'While the Air's Away On Paris' Pollution Day,' 'Montmartre Kicks Out Jams, Stomps Grape' and 'Prix de l'Arc - Out At the Track With Kaz.' There were two 'Posters of the Week.' Ric's Cartoon of the Week was called ''Pollution Chez Ed.'

The Tour Eiffel Countdown to 31. December 1999:

Only 453 short days left to go.

Regards, Ric