A group of 17 AAPA members had the rare privilege on Feb. 15 to meet with Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer over dinner in the central bank. As an aperitif, we visited the glittering Galerie Dorée. M. Noyer then gave us a guided tour of some of the sumptuous salons of the former Hôtel de Toulouse, explaining the origins of some of the bank’s artworks, including a rarely seen painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The central bank’s two sous-gouverneurs joined us for dinner. Topics raised during the meal focused on the European sovereign debt crisis and prospects for the French economy against the background of the upcoming presidential elections.
– David Pearson