RAINY DAY IN PARIS

I went to a café facing Notre Dame for breakfast this morning—me and Tulea—and the rain came down in buckets so we got stranded for an hour. I read the International Herald Tribune, my favorite newspaper of all because it pulls together all the best and most pertinent articles from other papers in the U.S. After my scrambled eggs (which weren’t what I had hoped—the French sometimes make the best scrambled eggs, creamy and without lumps) and because it was still raining too hard to venture back into the street for the walk home, I had two scoops of chocolate ice cream made by the  most famous French ice cream house, Bertillon. Yum. Then I checked out a left bank hotel for my son and his wife, Simone…within walking distance from me. I’m excited about them being here at the same time as me. We’ll have some fun. They’ll be here the 10th when I will receive an award from the mayor of Paris at a press conference about the Paris Film Festivalwhich is honoring me July 3-4th. My friend, Charlotte Rampling, is the President of the festival which means I’ll get a chance to see her.

At 3pm, the French dialogue coach and German actor, Daniel Bruhl, came to my apartment and we rehearsed our scenes for 2- hours. We have series of wonderful scenes together, about 6 or 7 of them, which will all be shot the last 2 days in July, but we need to start now to get familiar with the dialogue which, for both us foreigners, is challenging. I learned during our rehearsal that Daniel is half Spanish—his mother is from Barcelona, one of my favorite cities, and he is writing a book—a personal journey through Barcelona. So that makes 2 of us working on a book while making this movie.

And right now I am about to leave to see the photographic exhibit of Vania Vadim followed by dinner with his mama, Catherine Schneider. I will try not to forget to take pictures that I will post with this blog.

me with Vania Vadim at his photo exhibit in Paris

me with Vania Vadim at his photo exhibit in Paris

me, Vania and his mother, Catherine Schneider

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18 Comments
  1. I’m enormously enjoying your Paris blogs. Oh how I love that city. By the way, mustn’t feel bad; it’s raining in L.A. as well..amazingly.

    Bring me some French fries, please.

  2. Good morning from Sydney, we just had a week of rain. It’s amazing how rain can change your whole day and schedule. To discover, meet new strangers, do and enjoy other wonderful things around us. Have a great day.

  3. Oh the wet weather!Tell me all about it!
    It goes from one extreme to another.A few days ago it was gloriously hot but since yesterday its gotten dreadfully chilly & wet.I hope it hasn’t dappened your sprits.
    I see your hair’s shorter Jane.Why do hairdressers always always want to cut hair shorter?Some of us can’t take short hair.However you look great Jane.But my absolute fav is your hair in Klute, On Golden Pond & Julia.
    Bonne continuation Jane!

    Jeanne

  4. Dear Jane:I look forwards every day to read your blog while you are in Paris,I follow yours and Tulea steps around the wonderful city,a place very close to my heart,lived there some years ago and had the happiest days of my life.I see you had some of Berthillon ice cream today,isn’t good? yum,yum.
    Congratulations on the award at the Paris Film Festival.
    Have a great time with your son and family,hope the weather gets better.

  5. Dear Jane:I look forwards to read your blog every day while you are in Paris,I follow yours and Tulea’s steps around the wonderful city,I lived there some years ago and I had the happiest days of my life.
    Congratulations on the award you will be receiving at the Paris Film Festival!
    Have a great visit with your son and family,hope the weather improves.
    Bonne chance and have another ice cream on my name.

  6. Dearest Jane!

    I know you’re enjoying Paris, but I’ll be enjoying one of my favorite films this Sunday on AMC…Sunday in New York!

    Your performance is still phenomenal and Rod Taylor ain’t too bad to look at either.

    Seems you got caught in the rain during that film, also!

    I know you’ll be so happy to be with your children and families in France.

    Maybe you’ll be a guest co-host with Robert Osborne on AMC, sometime? I’d love to hear your thoughts about how you felt while filming some of your movies.

    Wishing you more great performances and continued good health!

    David
    Dallas, GA

  7. Love your tweets and blog Ms. Fonda. Never too much and always filled with interest and humor.

  8. Looks like Vania Vadim is a tall man, your 5’7″ or 8″ ? or do you think you have downsized as you moved on in years. I like that way of saying that ,people do tthey say ” Moved on in Years” ?
    Sound like a general why of saying moved oon in life or is déplacé dans la vie that even seems to express the idea better. In french al things sound better.Paris Film Festivalwhich is honoring you, about time you have one in the States ,as well at the Los Angeles of Contemporary Art ,would be right. I was there years ago and was seated next the the director King Vidor and saw the Film “Our Daily Bread” did not know it was him until they asked him to stand up , and was looking about to see were he was, great film and director.

  9. What a fulfilling life you have, Jane. I’m living vicariously through you as I read your blog. 🙂

  10. You look great Jane!

  11. Now your hair is about perfect…very European look…short hair makes you look more serious and distinguished, maybe because you have that chiseled jaw from your dad, so you look more authoritative with short hair…matches your face better now too…and you have always looked better in short hair, such as the Klute style, and in that case it was the side pieces that hung down to accent the line of your jaw and your long neck, and the neck is always good to accent on you…the makeup people know how to bring out the character so well..

  12. Hi Jane,

    Can’t wait to see the French film.

    I just saw Agnes of God, and it was great to see you speak just a tiny bit of French.

    What was the experience of making that film like? It’s such a wonderful film.

  13. Hi Jane,

    I don’t have much time today but I just read your blog and I had to tell you that you MUST rent or buy Daniel’s film ‘Goodbye Lenin’. Maybe you’ve got time to see it while in Paris. It’s one of his best films (I think one of his first) where his sick mother is suddenly bed-ridden in their apartment in East Berlin. She is a passionate East German and the fall of the wall would literally break her already weakened heart. Daniel plays the son, desperately trying to keep her alive by keeping East Germany alive. She has no idea that there is no ‘East’ anymore – the wall is gone – and he tries so desperately to make her happy. He makes his own GDR news bulletins, runs around Berlin trying to find old jars of East German food, gets friends around to sing her East German songs etc etc. Such a funny, heart-warming movie. Just amazing. He is such a sensitive actor.
    I hope there is a version with English subtitles.
    If you can’t get one I can send one to you.

    And if you never get the chance to see it, lie to me and tell me you that you did.

    Enjoy your day
    Jason xx

  14. Greetings from New Mexico where we’re having 80 deg. temps and as you know beautiful blue skies. It is so much fun reading about your constant adventures and seeing such good photos. Thank you for sharing your interesting and active life with us. Your travels open of the world to those of us who don’t get to see them in person. So thank you for that. And congratulations on your upcoming honor in Paris.

  15. I love how you keep connected with the people of your extended family. It’s so loving. Once I saw a picture of your daughter, Christian Vadim and Chiara Mastroianni. And of course The Women at Vadim’s funeral. How great!

    Your distant relative AND fan,
    Francesco

  16. Dear Jane,

    You have always been a woman whom I have admired for you work for peace and justice.

    I have loved the films that you have been in. And I also worked out to your tapes as well. I hope I get to see the film you are currently making in France. The topic is excellent about aging issues. Very dear to my heart as I have spent years working in the field for the elderly, as a social worker.

    I have been fortunate to have been chosen to be a friend of dear, Sylvia Perry’s. She is one remarkable woman, who’s lovely cottage, does have a beautiful office so that she can still participate in the Peripole Business she started 65 years ago, two years prior to my birth.

    I am pleased that you got further information that there is a huge office and warehouse that Andrew Perry oversees with a large staff.

    It is remarkable how very involved Sylvia is on a daily business. I am blessed to spend time with her for two days a week and love learning so much about her life and her business.

    Sylvia is a dynamic woman, and so very accomplised and I feel so very fortunate to be her friend.

    With Gratitude for all you are and have done in your life of loving.

    Sincerely,
    Linda

  17. Dear Jane:I look forwards to read your blog every day while you are in Paris,I follow yours and Tulea’s steps around the wonderful city,I lived there some years ago and I had the happiest days of my life.
    Congratulations on the award you will be receiving at the Paris Film Festival!
    Have a great visit with your son and family,hope the weather improves.
    Bonne chance and have another ice cream on my name.

  18. Two scoops of choclate icecream from the famous icecream parlour by Jane triggers saliva for the icecream.Paris rain must be having a rainbow streak unlike in other places.Award ceremony will be great and Jane will become more rich by one more awards.

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