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From Tourist Nightmare to Olympic Crisis: Bed Bugs Bite Paris and Beyond!
Since September 2023, an extraordinary spectacle has unfolded in the Parisian underground: denizens opt to remain standing during their subway commutes, even when vacant seats beckon beside them. This isn’t merely a passing trend; rather, it stems from a pervasive apprehension of encountering bed bugs concealed within those seats. Bed bugs possess a remarkable talent for eluding human detection, manifesting not only in subway carriages but also in the plush confines of high-speed trains, cinema halls, airports, and hospitals. Ironically, these insidious creatures have even infiltrated the prestigious domain of Paris Fashion Week. Their unwelcome presence prompted French citizens to document and disseminate sightings on social media platforms, igniting a…
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Montparnasse: The Legendary Haunt of Artists and Muses
Place names with the word Mongolian in France are usually mountains – the French word for mountain is Montagne, so Mont Blanc is also called Mont Blanc. The French meaning of Montparnasse is actually Mount Parnassus in Greece: the legendary muse their residence. Historically, this is indeed the case. The great poet Apollinaire believed that Montparnasse in the 1920s was the Montmartre of the past: a temporary place for artists, especially those who had not yet made a fortune. In the 1920s, Montparnasse had low rents and was full of cafes, making it suitable for poor artists to live, socialize and help each other. Every new artist is like being…
