He's Baaaack! And I'm Away ...

Obamamania is back in a big way in France with the inauguration about to occur. Newsstands are plastered with ads for special Obama issues of various newspapers and magazines:


Some of the manifestations are weird, as in this Left Bank bookstore, which posted a French biography of Obama next to some odd choices:


And then there are the silly ones: my neighborhood pizzeria has put Obama back on the menu ...


There are a number of big events planned for Tuesday at which the public can watch live coverage of the inauguration, including a by-invitation-only one at City Hall featuring the mayor and the U.S. ambassador. (Conveniently, the inauguration takes place at 6 p.m. French time.)

Joey and I will spend Inauguration Day in Arles, in Provence, where chances for a big Obama-fest are much smaller simply because there are fewer people and fewer foreigners there (especially at this time of year). Because of our trip, I won't be blogging again until Sunday, Jan. 25. But stay tuned for a rundown on the inauguration events (if any) and other events of our Provence trip after that.