{"id":4612,"date":"2025-04-04T20:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T19:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/?page_id=4612"},"modified":"2025-04-04T20:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T19:45:14","slug":"week-12-paris-wine-and-art","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/?page_id=4612","title":{"rendered":"Week 12: Paris, wine and art"},"content":{"rendered":"

An eventful week, with a trip to France, a wine tasting at the office, and the opening of an art exhibition, also at the office.<\/p>\n

12_1<\/strong>
\nI was attending meetings at the OECD in Paris from Monday morning to Wednesday afternoon. I flew to Paris early Sunday morning and took the train down to Le Mans to visit my uncle Joseph for a few hours. I made this portrait of him with his partner Nicole:
\n\"DSF0395\"<\/p>\n

12_2<\/strong>
\nNicole took a photo of me with Joseph. He will be 94 in June. Nobody can escape from his age, but Joseph is keeping well:
\n\"DSF0397\"<\/p>\n

12_3<\/strong>
\nI had a delicious lunch with Joseph and Nicole, culminating with the glory that is French cheese:
\n\"DSF0394\"<\/p>\n

12_4<\/strong>
\nIn late afternoon I took the train back to Paris, and in the evening I met up with Joseph’s son, that is my cousin, Francis:
\n\"DSF0401\"<\/p>\n

12_5<\/strong>
\nWe had dinner at this impressive restaurant that Francis had selected:
\n\"DSF0400\"<\/p>\n

12_6<\/strong>
\nOn Monday morning it was time to get to work. But first I went for an early walk in the neighbourhood near my hotel, stopping for coffee at a bakery:
\n\"DSF0406\"<\/p>\n

12_7<\/strong>
\nThen I walked to the OECD, about 20 minutes from my hotel. The OECD is in the 16th arrondissement, the poshest part of Paris. Many buildings have ornate fa\u00c3\u00a7ades:
\n\"DSF0411\"<\/p>\n

12_8<\/strong>
\nThis is where I was to spend the next 3 days, the OECD conference centre:
\n\"DSF0427\"<\/p>\n

12_9<\/strong>
\nThe plenary meeting of OECD’s Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade is about to begin. The chair of the Working Party, Chris Martin from the UK, exchanges some words with two OECD staff, the Polish economist Jarek and the French ditto Morgane:
\n\"DSF0420\"<\/p>\n

12_10<\/strong>
\nChris rings a small bell to start the meeting:
\n\"DSF0416\"<\/p>\n

12_11<\/strong>
\nThat evening, the Bureau of the Working Party, its governing body, met for dinner at a nearby restaurant. A small international gathering, with representatives from the OECD, the UK, US and France, and my office EUIPO:
\n\"DSF0448\"<\/p>\n

12_12<\/strong>
\nI started Tuesday in the same way as Monday, with a walk. This time I walked the 800 meters to the Trocad\u00c3\u00a9ro square to enjoy the view of the Eiffel Tower, unimpeded by the crowds that fill the esplanade in the evening:
\n\"DSF0462\"<\/p>\n

12_13<\/strong>
\nA small outdoor fruit and vegetable market was being set up near my hotel:
\n\"DSF0453\"<\/p>\n

12_14<\/strong>
\nWhile the Working Party meeting on Monday was a closed affair for official delegates only, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the OECD held a public conference, the Forum on Illicit Trade. OECD’s Deputy Secretary General Fabrizia Lapecorella, opening the event:
\n\"DSF0471\"<\/p>\n

12_15<\/strong>
\nAnother opening speech, by Edward Kwakwa, deputy head of the World Intellectual Property Organization:
\n\"DSF0478\"<\/p>\n

12_16<\/strong>
\nThe opening speeches were followed by a number of presentations and panel discussions. I was always around with my camera, even at the OECD people are used to that. Here is Jeff Hardy from the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, a private organisation, taking a last look at his notes before speaking:
\n\"DSF0495\"<\/p>\n

12_17<\/strong>
\nA few minutes later, Jeff Hardy at the podium:
\n\"DSF0496\"<\/p>\n

12_18<\/strong>
\nLunches on Tuesday and Wednesday were standing affairs, something I dislike, but at least in the beautiful surroundings of the OECD Ch\u00c3\u00a2teau, the original building of the organisation, today housing meeting rooms and the offices of the top management:
\n\"DSF0483\"<\/p>\n

12_19<\/strong>
\nAnother panel on stage:
\n\"DSF0500\"<\/p>\n

12_20<\/strong>
\nMorgane conferring with the conference moderator, looking concentrated:
\n\"DSF0499\"<\/p>\n

12_21<\/strong>
\nOne of the nice things about participating in events is to meet up with old friens and acquaintances. One such friend is Phil, who used to work at the UK Intellectual Property Office, and is now director of an NGO called the Anti-Counterfeiting Group. We have known each other for 15 years or so, and it is always a pleasure to share a pint (or more), which we did at Caf\u00c3\u00a9 Kleber on Trocad\u00c3\u00a9ro Tuesday evening:
\n\"DSF0512\"<\/p>\n

12_22<\/strong>
\nAs always, I looked at the other people in the bar:
\n\"DSF0515\"<\/p>\n

12_23<\/strong>
\nOne reason I always sit outside, weather permitting, is to watch the human traffic. This young woman seemed to be waiting for someone who was late:
\n\"DSF0516\"<\/p>\n

12_24<\/strong>
\nA couple of Phil’s friends happened to be walking past Caf\u00c3\u00a9 Kleber, and of course we invited them to join us at our table:
\n\"DSF0517\"<\/p>\n

12_25<\/strong>
\nWednesday morning, my last morning walk in Paris this time around. This is Place Victor Hugo:
\n\"Rec000000\"<\/p>\n

12_26<\/strong>
\nBubbly at 8 a.m., Place Victor Hugo:
\n\"Rec000001\"<\/p>\n

12_27<\/strong>
\nBack at the OECD for the second day of the conference. The woman in the centre is Leonor, one of the OECD employees running the show:
\n\"Rec000003\"<\/p>\n

12_28<\/strong>
\nOne of the highlights of the conference was the participation of former UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Although her stint as PM was a failure, she is at least doing something good, running an organisation dedicated to fight against modern slavery and forced labour. Here she is, being interviewed on stage by Marion Janssen, director of OECD Trade Department:
\n\"Rec000017\"<\/p>\n

12_29<\/strong>
\nDuring the lunch break I went for a walk in the adjacent park Jardin du Ranelagh, located directly behind the OECD:
\n\"Rec000043\"<\/p>\n

12_30<\/strong>
\nIt was a beautiful Paris spring day, and many people were out enjoyng the sunshine:
\n\"Rec000027\"<\/p>\n

The conference ended around 5 p.m., and then it was time to hop on the metro and go to the airport for my flight home to Alicante.<\/p>\n

12_31<\/strong>
\nOn Thursday I was back at the office, nothing special, except for the wine tasting in the early evening. This month it was Greek wines, presented by Kostas, the head of the Greek association of Alicante:
\n\"DSCF0010\"<\/p>\n

12_32<\/strong>
\nMy Italian colleague Paola:
\n\"DSCF0005\"<\/p>\n

12_33<\/strong>
\nWhat it’s all about:
\n\"DSCF0012\"<\/p>\n

12_34<\/strong>
\nServing:
\n\"DSCF0018\"<\/p>\n

12_35<\/strong>
\nContemplating:
\n\"DSCF0019\"<\/p>\n

12_36<\/strong>
\nToasting:
\n\"DSCF0015\"<\/p>\n

12_37<\/strong>
\nOn request, I took a group photo at the end of the tasting:
\n\"DSCF0022\"<\/p>\n

12_38<\/strong>
\nFriday, another office event. Our art club has arranged an exhibition of works by the children from the European School, with a “fishes” theme. The exhibition was inaugurated with a performance by a choir of children from the school. But first, the president of the club, Kari, said a few words:
\n\"DSCF0023\"<\/p>\n

12_39<\/strong>
\nThe children sing:
\n\"DSCF0033\"<\/p>\n

12_40<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0046\"<\/p>\n

12_41<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0039\"<\/p>\n

12_42<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0032\"<\/p>\n

12_43<\/strong>
\nTwo of my French colleagues posing with their daughters:
\n\"DSCF0055\"<\/p>\n

12_44<\/strong>
\nAfter the performance, I had a look at the fishes the children had produced:
\n\"DSCF0065\"<\/p>\n

12_45<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0062\"<\/p>\n

12_46<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0058\"<\/p>\n

12_47<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0059\"<\/p>\n

12_48<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0060\"<\/p>\n

12_49<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0061\"<\/p>\n

12_50<\/strong>
\nThen the weekend arrived, meaning outings on two wheels. I cycled to Verdeg\u00c3\u00a1s, the cat village:
\n\"DSCF0069\"<\/p>\n

12_51<\/strong>
\n\"DSCF0071\"<\/p>\n

12_52<\/strong>
\nIn late afternoon, I went to the beach bar 100 Montaditos for a beer. Part of the attraction is to watch the people on the promenade, such as this young couple:
\n\"DSCF0076\"<\/p>\n

More Paris photos are here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An eventful week, with a trip to France, a wine tasting at the office, and the opening of an art exhibition, also at the office. 12_1 I was attending meetings at the OECD in Paris from Monday morning to Wednesday afternoon. I flew to Paris early Sunday morning and took the train down to Le […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4543,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4612"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4618,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4612\/revisions\/4618"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}