mint Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Oh la, la!Why can't they all just be friends?http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6434141.ece Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 The Obamas wanted an early night [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Surely they've been married long enough not to be so keen on early nights?As for the Sarkozys, now they're the newly-weds and an early night might just appeal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Perhaps they have been reading how we compare them on Fora such as this....http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1596923/ShowPost.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I find the comments illuminating! [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 [quote user="sweet 17"]Surely they've been married long enough not to be so keen on early nights?As for the Sarkozys, now they're the newly-weds and an early night might just appeal?[/quote]Well maybe, but this is not just a Washington - Paris - Washington jolly but part of a longer trip, perhaps they are just tired............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 and it's their daughter Sasha's birthday this weekend... Seeing that the family is in Paris and he's going to be busy today and tomorrow, this possibly was the only opportunity for them to mark the occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 It has struck me really forcibly this morning that today's events have left the British (and other countries') contribution to D-Day very much on the sidelines.I had always assumed that it was number 10's incompetence that had led to the Queen being overlooked, but seeing the coverage on TF1 and France 2 this morning I'm struck at how it's a France/American gala. To be honest it looks to me as though the poor Queen would simply have got in the way of the love-in between Sarkozy and Obama.One tiny example - France 2 showed some aerial shots of the beaches, and in one corner of the picture there was a minituarised screen showing the current interview that was accompanying the sound. The artistic frame of the picture-in-picture had its top border made from the American flag, and the bottom border from the Tricolour. No sign of the Union Jack or other flags.I don't normally remark on this sort of thing, but I've been left feeling very very sad for the British Veterans - I comfort myself that they are probably watching BBC News 24 which is giving them more time.I hope I'm not stirring up a can of worms in saying this, it may simply be my perception, but it's left me feeling very flat.As a humorous after-thought, I suppose that anything that leaves Gordon Brown looking side-lined gets the thumbs-up from me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Just watched Barrack Obama at Coleville, boy he certainly knows how to give a great speech... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suein56 Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 and, on leaving, to seek out and shake the hand of his (female) helicopter pilot; he certainly has an astonishingly non- arrogant touch with everyone he comes across. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I thought that Sarkozy's speech was better than Obamas but I guess it is really a question of their oration skills and that of their speechwriters.Martin all the speeches this morning made equal mention of all the countries involved, the reason that it seemed more skewed towards the americans was because they were at Omaha beach where (correct me if I am wrong) the American landing was made and hence the American cemetary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin963 Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Fair comment, and I did not see by any means the whole of the coverage.I'm glad that it was thus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakunamatata Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I totally agree with you Martin. Why were our representatives at the American Cemetery? If we did so much to help the French during WW2 why is it that when we buy e.g electrical equipment the instructions are in every language imaginable except English? When you look at the French President standing with his counterparts, he is the same size as Napoleon! Poor show today except for the bandsman who played the Last Post at Bayreux, superb rendition the best ever, he should have a medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisb Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 The "main" (as in the one atended by the Heads of State) commemoration at the 60th anniversary took place at the Commonwealth cemetery at Bayeux, so it seems reasonable that this time round it should be at the U.S. one.There's not much that can be done to rectify the impression that many have that only the Americans took part. Years of Hollywood distortion have had their effect. We attended a dramatic son et lumiere trip through Normandy's history a couple of years ago and it included an enactment of the Pegasus Bridge operation - complete with a glider in U.S. markings and GIs greeting the local inhabitants. Even the U.K. media are sometimes guilty of using photos of the U.S. cemetery whenever a picture of one is needed. Perhaps the rows of crosses are considered more photogenic than our plain Portland stone headstones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 The numbers of British D Day invasion troops landed, were much larger than the American forces landed at Utah and Omaha, which I did not appreciate until I visited a museum at the landing beaches a few years ago. Not that you would think so, from yesterday's events!King Sarko was organising the event around President Obama in the hope that he could bask in his limelight, demonstrating what a statesman he was, with the European elections today. The last thing he wanted was for the Queen to distract attention from him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Last night the Obama family went to a restaurant on their own, after visiting la cathédrale Notre Dame. They said they wanted to share their impressions of Normandy with their daughters.This morning they visited the Centre Pompidou ( Beaubourg), and Michelle and the 2 daughters are now having lunch with the Sarkozys, to celebrate the youngest daughter's birthday. But Mr President is on his way back to the USA.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cendrillon Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 LOL[:)] A great cartoon Frenchie!http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20090607/video/vwl-obama-soaks-up-parisian-culture-d7f4ae7.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Thanks !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 DO YOU GET THIS ONE ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Very funny!I got it all but the "hips", does that mean hiccup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Oui !! [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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