On Bailouts and Foie Gras

I have never before lived in Paris. Visiting this town always charges the imagination, refreshes the aesthetic view, enhances the waistline, and fulfills worldly fantasies. Living here, even for just a few months, is more informative: One sees beneath the panache and into the French character.

Since my last visit, there have been some stylistic changes in Parisian life. The action is no longer on the Boulevards Saint-Germain and Saint-Michel; the new haunts are over at the Pompidou center and environs.