Paris Journal 2002

According to the International Herald Tribune on July 11, France is the world's top tourist destination.  Spain and the United States come next, but tourists there spend more money and time than they do in France.  According to the head of the World Tourist Organization, Francesco Frangialli, France's figures may be inflated because they include people who are just passing through on their way to other countries.  At any rate, Mr. Frangialli thinks that China will become the world's top tourist destination by 2020.

From where I sit now in Paris, I find this difficult to believe.

Last week, Le Parisiene reported that the numbers of tourists from the U.S. has not dropped off this year.  The newspaper article claimed that the shock of September 11 has faded and that Americans have rediscovered their love of travel and of Paris. 

I hope that is true, but I think I am noticing fewer Americans here this year.

Each day, we buy two newspapers:  the International Herald Tribune (in English), and Le Parisiene (in French).  The former gives us excellent world news; the later is a yellow rag that allows us to work on our French (we read it with dictionary at hand) and to get all the juicy news about celebrities, trends, sports, and, yes, crime.

One of the most captivating crime stories lately was in the July 10 issue of Le Parisiene.  A gang of burglars who had been hitting chateaus has been busted.   This organized group was responsible for more than 600 burglaries between 1998 and 2000.  In each case, very expensive stuff was taken from very expensive homes.   Among the victims was the family of Giscard d'Estaing.  The value of all of the booty stolen is estimated to be in excess of 30 million euros (dollars).

Among those arrested and convicted is an antiques dealer in Belgium.  Apparently, antiques dealers in Belgium and the Netherlands are not as highly regulated as they are in France; so, stolen fine arts and antiques often make their way out of France and into those countries.

The July 11 issue of Le Parisiene yields another, similar story.    The luxurious home of Esther Koplowitz in Madrid was burglarized at a most convenient time (for the burglars). 

Esther is an art lover.  She also is heiress to the BTP fortune (what is BTP???) and she's a member of the board for the troubled Vivendi Universal.

Her house was undergoing renovation, so all of her valuable paintings had been moved into one room.  Then, during a short period of time when the security system was turned off due to the renovation work, the burglars happened to come by and steal the paintings.

Of course, the Spanish police decided it might be a good idea to put the security guard who was responsible for watching the home under surveillance.  Indeed, the guard was seen during the next few days in the company of two gentlemen who have a solid reputation for robbing banks and who live the good life in the palaces of Marbella and d'Ibiza.   Then the police start following these two gents, Candela and Flores, waiting for them to try to pass the "incredible" booty along to someone else. 

This trail takes the police on a tour ranging from Marseille to Denmark to London while Candela and Flores talk to potential buyers.  But the paintings have such value that they appeal only to a few top collectors, a very small club.

Then the FBI enters the picture, so to speak.  An FBI  "mole" returned a message from Candela and Flores and proposed a rendez-vous in Madrid.   When the two gentlemen burglars enter the hall with one of the most expensive paintings under their arms they were questioned by the police.  In the gent's car and in their 'drop place' the police confiscate nine other paintings.  Candela and Flores are now in prison, and so is Esther's guard.