Sat, 21 November 2009
Some 450 pre-Columbian pieces in Quai Branly museum.
Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
Basil Howitt on criminal investigations in the coastal resorts.
Useful information on renting accommodation in Paris.
Relocating can have a big impact on your relationship.
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Lives and Livelihoods in the Languedoc-Roussillon: Basil Howitt reports on a new twist in the Saint-Cyprien saga and touches on other long-running criminal investigations in the coastal resorts.The scandals just keep coming in the Roussillon, otherwise known as “Le Far West de la Politique” (“The Wild West of Politics”). Altogether, no less than three mayors have been temporary guests in Perpignan’s Mailloles prison.
When he hears talk of the Pyrénées-Orientales, the great democrat Colonel Gaddafi shakes his head in disapproval and prays for the salvation of the poor souls there. And the compassionate leaders of the Burmese regime fall on their knees in terror and tears, praying that they will never be sent there in exile.
[blogger rhô 22.9.2009. 00.00h, la-clau.net]
The million-euro dressing-gown belt
Regular readers may recall the sad suicide in prison last May of Jacques Bouille, then aged 62. He was the former longtime UMP mayor of Saint-Cyprien, from March 1989 until his detention in custody last December (full story here).
Bouille had been remanded in Perpignan’s reportedly squalid Mailloles prison on a raft of embezzlement and corruption charges to the tune of more than 5 million euros. Much of the money had come from bribes and backhanders and was lavished on paintings and objets d’art: not, alas, for the enjoyment of the citizens of St Cyprien in its museums, but mostly for Bouille to relish alone in his private collections. By the time of his death he had landed the town with debts totalling some 55,000,000 euros. Also implicated in these swindles, and currently under judicial control, are 15 former cronies and fellow conseillers of Bouille as well as several municipal employees.
A price tag of precisely 1,170,000 euros on Bouille’s dressing-gown belt has recently been demanded from the state by his widow, Marie-Antoinette. Bouille hanged himself with the belt, reinforced by a lace, some time between the prison’s two nightwatch inspections on 24th May.
It is sad it has taken so long for all this corruption has taken so long to be uncovered. I have known St Cyprien for over 10 years and have lived there over 6 years. It has become very run down, there is hardly any public transport, every green area is covered in dog mess, the pavements are not repaired. The port which used to be lively all the year round has become a desert out of season and in season is full of ice cream sellers and not much else. Most of the restaurants seem to be basically just a tourist rip off. As a woman on my own I do not find the bars or restaurants very welcoming - in fact they seem to disapprove of a woman alone eating out. I am sure all this is due to a drip down from corruption etc from the top. I am seriously thinking of moving as it is such a sad place to live. I never thought I would say it but "lovely country - shame about the people" Having always been a francophile
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