Lovers of France’s two great symbols of cultural exception – its haute cuisine and fine art – are aghast at plans to open a McDonald’s restaurant and McCafé in the Louvre museum next month.

America’s fast food temple is celebrating its 30th anniversary in France with a coup -the opening of its 1,142nd Gallic outlet a few yards from the entrance to the country’s Mecca of high art and the world’s most visited museum.

@ Telegraph

+

+

As he clambered over the parapet, rush-hour motorists a hundred yards below screamed at him not to jump. After a moment’s hesitation, he dropped into the void. He left his wife a suicide note clearly stating that his work had driven him to despair. “He was not a depressed man,” she cried.

Mr Rouanet became the 24th employee of France Telecom – which owns Orange – to take his life in 19 months, plunging the company and France deeper into soul-searching over how the once much-loved state utility could have fallen so far.

In the land of savoir vivre, whose President has just declared gross domestic happiness as important as GDP, such despair has come as a nasty shock.
@ Telegraph

+