National Day of Celebration &amp Grand Duke's Birthday One Country, a Hundred Fifty Nationalities One of Luxembourg's most remarkable characteristics is its capacity for integrating different nationalities - Luxembourgish, French, German. Multilingualism has been legally defined since 1984 with Ltzebuergesch as the national language, French as the language used for legislative matters, while French, German and Ltzebuergesch all share the status of judiciary and administrative languages.  read more »

In a recent New York Times opinion piece Chilean writer Antonio Skrmeta goes on about the effects of global warming on Chile , but I think he's really talking about sex . More specifically, he's complaining about condom use . Tell me that the subtext doesn't just scream 'kavetch': Here in Santiago, a few thousand miles from Antarctica, boiling hot temperatures have heralded the start of summer. This is, in general, a happy time of year, but it certainly feels eons away from my adolescent years when we sang along to Here Comes the Sun and warmed our souls with the hippie energy of Let the Sunshine In.  read more »

You don't have to cross the channel to dress like a Parisienne. If you're in London and pining for some Parisian style, no need to trouble yourself with an aller-retour on the Eurostar. Just hop on the Tube and head over to W11. Westbourne Grove and Ledbury Road in the heart of Notting Hill is a quiet, walkable, boutique-lined little oasis where you can stroll around, window shop, and spend your cash at top Gallic boutiques that congregate in the area. Even if you're just in the mood for a window-shop and a coffee, Westbourne Grove is a nice place to meander on a sunny afternoon. Make that a beer, and you just may be able to almost convince yourself you're in the Marais. Except that the English-speaking French girls mining these fashion houses are smiling and friendly in a way they'd never think to be on native soil.  read more »

The Parisian in-crowd has decided it's glamorous to be earth-friendly. Notorious for their crusade against generically modified food, the French have increasingly lent their inimitable style and panache to the pursuit of an organic lifestyle. Over here this sort of thing is called bio , and it's pronounced bee-oh , like what happens when you don't wear enough organic deodorant. This week, Paris will host its first exposition entirely dedicated to sustainable consumption and all that that entails: Planète Durable runs from April 10-13 at the Porte de Versaille (Hall 4). 1 of each entrance fee will be donated to the NGP Planete Urgence, an initiative based in Indonesia, where a tree will be planted for each euro they receive, in order to reduce global warming. The Salon will feature a "green dance floor" — where dancers stomp on the floor to create energy which will then be transformed into electricity to provide music and light. There will be an exhibit on electric bicycles (scooters and their emissions are not very eco-friendly); design and home furnishings, odd Monsieur Poulet t-shirts for sale in the equitable commerce section, spaces to buy and test products, an organic restaurant, and conferences and workshops on how to buy ethically. But equitable commerce does not mean capitalism isn't alive and well, and you don't have to be a marketing expert to know that if you wrap it real pretty and advertise it as good for you and the environment, people will lay down their credit cards. Especially the ladies. The international eco-brand Lush will be on hand to explain the joys of solid shampoo (we don't know why it's better than liquid), and so will L'Occitane (their , products are " base vgtal "; Weleda; Phyt's; and the provocatively-named "Doux Me." (For more on organic beauty in Paris, go here .) In honor of keeping the planet "durable," here's a roundup of organic-friendly Paris. Transport: The most obvious way of getting around Paris without pissing off Al Gore is to rent yourself a Vlib (which loosely translates as "bicycle in liberty"). But the hybrid car is taking off in Paris as well — if you find yourself in need of a taxi, and want to keep it green, call Taxis G7 and request a Toyota Prius. There's no guarantee there will be one available, but the taxi company is making an effort to be the leading eco-taxi provider in Paris.  read more »

France can still be affordable despite the current unfavorable exchange rate. The trick is to rent a house or apartment. Generally known as "gites," vacation rentals are a time-honored tradition throughout France and, thanks to the Internet, easier than ever to access.

I learned the hard way about the advantages of renting. As a frequent Paris visitor, I prided myself on being an aficionado of that city's many small, special and relatively inexpensive hotels.  read more »

Meet the great All White hope PARIS - The prospect of one of the world's leading political figures boycotting the Beijing Olympic Games over Chinese actions in Tibet was raised and then seriously qual...