PARIS “NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29444, 21 February 1961, Page 2

PARIS “NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE”

“Paris is no longer what she used to be.” eaid Mrs P. de Chabannes in Christchurch yesterday. Mrs de Chabannes, who is touring New Zealand with her husband, Is impressed with the equality in life here. “Here no houses are very much bigger than others, you all have lovely gardens, clean clothes, pleasant faces. But in Paris now people are envious and jealous. We have been through two wars and we have become hard and bitter. We feel more the great differences between rich and poor. “When I was young in Paris I had a wonderful, beautiful time dancing, theatre, parties every night No-one can afford to do that now. “The tourists who come to Paris for a few weeks don't notice it as the French people are good to them. But we fee! it when we live there,” she said.

Mrs de Chabannes now spend/ most of her time travel-

ling. "I hate the cold, and I love the sun, so every winter we go away from France for four or five months.

“But we have to spend a few months of the year in Paris, or else our landlady would let our apartment to someone else,” she said. Although they have sold their country home—it was far too big for them—they now have a home near the border of Spain, on the sea coast.

This is her first visit to New Zealand. "My husband has always wanted to come to New Zealand, because he felt that here he would be far away from people and places he knew. He likes the bare, empty places.” But Mrs de Chabannes was surprised to see the lack of trees in the southern part of New Zealand. “In Spain the Government says that if you cut down a tree you must plant three more. Here in New Zealand you should plant more trees everywhere.”