tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post7351630577501908707..comments2023-07-11T05:06:09.741-07:00Comments on French Girl in Seattle: French icon series: La ConciergeFrench Girl in Seattlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-81549816420588300142013-06-05T17:48:28.541-07:002013-06-05T17:48:28.541-07:00LOVE this post!
And loved that movie the Hedghog!
...LOVE this post!<br />And loved that movie the Hedghog!<br />Excellent ;)Parisbreakfastshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03558314043814894010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-74031438126453923912013-01-29T18:46:18.698-08:002013-01-29T18:46:18.698-08:00Very informative...I had no idea of the difference...Very informative...I had no idea of the difference!Kim @ French Country Antiqueshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16242414252885896630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-10290326557795899772013-01-22T20:10:43.519-08:002013-01-22T20:10:43.519-08:00Merci, Grace. What about Australia? Do you recall ...Merci, Grace. What about Australia? Do you recall meeting an old fashioned concierge there? French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-20389824606933405162013-01-22T20:04:21.301-08:002013-01-22T20:04:21.301-08:00Brilliant post Veronique, j'adore the Doisneau...Brilliant post Veronique, j'adore the Doisneau photos, such an inspiration for modern day photographers oui. I will definitely try and find 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog'. Your family is so very fortunate to hear these stories of what life was like in those times from Mutti who lived them. I have a feeling that the 'concierge' was also a character known in England.PerthDailyPhotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14077053209100022305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-78911772049063517532013-01-22T14:53:46.265-08:002013-01-22T14:53:46.265-08:00Great story, Fripouille. Merci!
I think I would ...Great story, Fripouille. Merci! <br /><br />I think I would not have minded my kid playing out in the street under your "concierges'" watchful eyes. The good old days (almost...) Thank you for stopping by!French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-39990552017920763642013-01-22T14:52:33.396-08:002013-01-22T14:52:33.396-08:00Merci M-T. Your poor Dad. At least he made it out ...Merci M-T. Your poor Dad. At least he made it out of there in one piece. So many prisoners did not...French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-86075244850859759512013-01-22T14:22:10.644-08:002013-01-22T14:22:10.644-08:00Ah, la bonne vielle concierge. I have known a coup...Ah, la bonne vielle concierge. I have known a couple since I came to live in France but in this age of digicodes and intercoms they have begun to disappear, slowly but surely.<br /><br />But the best concierge I ever had wasn't just one, it was half-a-dozen. I used to live in a quiet and very narrow 'passage du...' type street in one of the poorer areas just on the edge of Bordeaux city centre. 19th century apartment buildings, cobbled streets, it was postcard France personified. That street also happened to be the workplace of Bordeaux's older and as-French-as-they-get sex workers, who, of course, had a clientèle of local and older men, who would come by for company as much as anything else. They were wonderful women and I used to chat with them when I walked by on my way to and from home. It was impossible not to because they used to sit on little stools outside their apartments whilst waiting for clients.<br /><br />Better still though, was that they were the eyes and ears of the street and its activities. Sure they could be a bit too inquisitive at times, sure they would say unwelcome and matronly things like "ah? late for work again?" or "I'm not sure that you should park there because..." etc but they were a godsend nevertheless.<br /><br />The children of local residents loved their kind words and felt secure in their company, which is why - rare in the France of tody - their parents would allow them to play out in the street because they knew that they were under the watchful and protective eyes of the 'concierges'.<br /><br />And it goes without saying that burglaries and similar crimes were almost none-existent there, because nobody entered or left that street without knowing that at least a couple of the concierges had seen them, and it would have been impossible for a stranger to walk out of a building carrying someone's computer without being seen instantly and reported to the police.<br /><br />Yup, concierges. I for one love 'em.<br />Fripouillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14321346986665375480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-32574270347768321292013-01-21T16:16:50.872-08:002013-01-21T16:16:50.872-08:00Oooh, ma grande, I'm really late to the party ...Oooh, ma grande, I'm really late to the party on this one. What a wonderful post. My father spent the last 18 months of the war in a forced labor camp in Germany. He was liberated by the Americans, which is probably why he always had a soft spot in his heart for the WW2 GIs. <br /><br />Happy Blogger B-day, and many, many more. <br /><br />What great pictures, comme d'hab. <br /><br />bizzz, M-TMarie-Thérèsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06834644226980732441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-67587249050225754622013-01-16T19:04:13.243-08:002013-01-16T19:04:13.243-08:00I remember our concierge in our apartment building...I remember our concierge in our apartment building in Paris – she was nice though. When I would have to walk down the 6 stories, plus one to go to the cellar when we had the air raids going during the war, if I had forgotten my pillow she would bring me one, and if there were many air raids that night she would let me sleep in her loge rather than walk back up the 6 stories with my mum (my father could not go down as he was injured.) But you can tell your readers that there is a common expression “c’est une vraie concierge” meaning someone who talks a lot, or gossips. Vagabondehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10774109692564954568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-63715644241615244742013-01-16T14:44:18.629-08:002013-01-16T14:44:18.629-08:00Je ne connaissais pas "la bignole" non p...Je ne connaissais pas "la bignole" non plus, alors... Très jolie touche personnelle de ta gardienne, le portrait de Sissi (la vraie, ou Romy Schneider?) French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-31260279723682667092013-01-16T14:43:10.783-08:002013-01-16T14:43:10.783-08:00It was a lovely book, and like many, I was totally...It was a lovely book, and like many, I was totally blown away by Balasko's portrayal of the lead character. You should try watching the movie one day, Genie...French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-22395959374988823922013-01-16T14:37:59.935-08:002013-01-16T14:37:59.935-08:00j'ai donc appris "bignole" et "...j'ai donc appris "bignole" et "demander le cordon" (pour une parisienne issue de générations de parisiens, hmm, shame on me!). ps: "ma" concierge, euh pardon gardienne, a accroché dans sa loge une boîte de chocolats (vide je suppose) sur laquelle se trouve la reproduction d'un portrait de l'impératrice sissi!winterhttp://winterludes.blogspot.fr/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-44715522701730875432013-01-15T15:11:01.316-08:002013-01-15T15:11:01.316-08:00What a poignant story from Mutti. She has quite a...What a poignant story from Mutti. She has quite a way in telling her experiences. You are blessed to have her in your life. <br /><br />I love The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and have read it twice. I have not seen the movie, preferring to have my own literary images of this particular tale.<br /><br />Bises,<br />GenieGenie -- Paris and Beyondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12758801373365481655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-90685721569996460382013-01-15T14:36:49.215-08:002013-01-15T14:36:49.215-08:00Well, thank you so much, Jenny. Coming from you, B...Well, thank you so much, Jenny. Coming from you, Blogger extraordinaire, I take this as a huge compliment, of course. :-) I will forward your comment to Mutti, merci beaucoup. French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-36374521249632077712013-01-15T13:17:37.371-08:002013-01-15T13:17:37.371-08:00You seriously offer the most fascinating posts in ...You seriously offer the most fascinating posts in my google reader. And that's saying a lot because I follow a TON of blogs lol. Now when I think of a concierge, my image is going to be a LOT different!<br /><br />PS. Your mother-in-law writes very eloquently. She's clearly a very articulate and intelligent woman. :)Jennifer Fabuloushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07521908385026885699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-85018204287272477052013-01-15T12:18:02.235-08:002013-01-15T12:18:02.235-08:00You're welcome Dianne. Words can have very dif...You're welcome Dianne. Words can have very different meanings in different languages, n'est-ce-pas? :-) Thank you for stopping by and for leaving a comment...French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-15025498558288684652013-01-15T12:17:10.163-08:002013-01-15T12:17:10.163-08:00Bonjour Sandy. I bet that friend of your mother...Bonjour Sandy. I bet that friend of your mother's would have had a lot of stories to tell, too! Imagine what she saw at the hotel; and the people she met there... :-) French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-64072326182129463842013-01-15T12:16:07.644-08:002013-01-15T12:16:07.644-08:00Many thanks Jade, and bienvenue chez French Girl i...Many thanks Jade, and bienvenue chez French Girl in Seattle!French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-86100163184941865722013-01-15T12:15:48.772-08:002013-01-15T12:15:48.772-08:00Thank you, miss b. I will pass it on. Who knows? M...Thank you, miss b. I will pass it on. Who knows? Maybe Mutti WILL write a book, one day... "Souvenirs d'une Vraie Parisienne..." I know I would love to read it! French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-20934698178127434302013-01-15T12:13:07.435-08:002013-01-15T12:13:07.435-08:00Thank you for this wonderful insight into the life...Thank you for this wonderful insight into the life of a concierge in Paris and yes! It is totally different to what I woul envision when hearing the expression Concierge.<br />I'm sure Mutti would have many stories to tell and I've loved reading this one.<br />Merci Beaucoup<br /><br />"All Things French"Diannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02806482148547283594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-87802637614938203962013-01-15T10:42:43.043-08:002013-01-15T10:42:43.043-08:00Thank you so much for sharing Mutti's story. W...Thank you so much for sharing Mutti's story. Wonderful story. It makes me remember <br />Of my morher's friend who worked and lived at a hotel in Toulouse. She worked the front desk. We would visit her during lunch time. I believe she had a cat. I was really young and don't remember more than that. I love the photos you provided. :)Sandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00851630568558694769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-85386059328112457602013-01-15T10:04:33.093-08:002013-01-15T10:04:33.093-08:00Thank you for another wonderful story from Paris. ...Thank you for another wonderful story from Paris. You and Mutti are both wonderful writers. You make Paris. now and then, come alive for me.Jade Wombathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387605762150331451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-3103370461709628402013-01-15T08:16:15.463-08:002013-01-15T08:16:15.463-08:00I certainly do remember that moving letter from Mu...I certainly do remember that moving letter from Mutti to your son and here we have another interesting story. I was not only fascinated to learn about the concierge but also Mutti's escape to a safe place. I'm sure your mother-in-law has so many stories to tell - she could write a book and I'm sure it would be a best seller!<br />PS Congratulations to the winners of the books.<br />http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/miss bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00210603421768133667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-47818165450942515442013-01-15T06:41:50.736-08:002013-01-15T06:41:50.736-08:00Bonjour Madame La Niçoise. "Ficanasse:" ...Bonjour Madame La Niçoise. "Ficanasse:" Je m'en souviendrai. On dirait bien une expression du Sud! :-) <br /><br />Je ne suis pas fan de JB d'habitude, mais dans le Hérisson, elle était tellement parfaite! Tu devrais vraiment voir le film. Tu seras sans doute surprise...<br /><br />A bientôt.French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006333401398843901.post-60112472403940372452013-01-15T06:40:25.081-08:002013-01-15T06:40:25.081-08:00Bienvenue Rita. I am happy you "hopped over&q...Bienvenue Rita. I am happy you "hopped over" from Paris Breakfasts, and even happier you enjoyed these old photos. They complement my stories so well... and the Internet makes it so easy to find them :-) French Girl in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14347995356689205203noreply@blogger.com