In the end, Carla did go to London. 
All people are talking about are 1) how Nicolas was slighted by the Queen of England and 2) how he ridiculed himself during the ceremonies.
The Queen did not make herself available for the ceremonies with Sarkozy. It is being said that she didn't take it well when he did not invite her last spring for the celebration of the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Apparently the French protocol experts remembered the Americans on Normandy beaches, but not the fact that more than half the contingent was from Great-Britain or Canada... 
On the other hand, Nicolas didn't need anyone to make a fool of himself. During a rendition of Le Chant des Partisans, he started clapping before the end. The cameras didn't miss it. Then when it was really over, he didn't clap, and everyone else, waiting for his signal, had to stay quiet, resulting in a very long embarrassing silence...


After London, the President flew back to Paris for wreath-laying ceremonies at the Champs Elysées statues of De Gaulle and Churchill, and presumably Carla went back to the studio. He signed a few autographs in between the two statues, which detracted from the emotion of the day and turned him into the center of attention when it should have been focussed on the old guys. Then he was off to the Mont Valérien, to honor the thousand or so resistants who were famously executed there by Germans. I was in the area all day, having paid a visit to my dentist and my father-in-law. Coming back from trying a new Italian restaurant in downtown Boulogne, we saw the imposing Mont Valerien in the distance and in the sparse sun, but stayed away from the crowds. Later in the afternoon, we drove into Paris, and I took the RER back at the Champs Elysées station. I had no inkling of what was going on above, but Javil got stuck in traffic. 
Ceremonies on TV were brief and moving, with the expert commentaries a good history lesson. The best part, though was when they interviewed François Jacob, the French biology Nobel Prize who is also a war hero and the current Chancellor of the Order of Libération, France's second national Order (after the Légion d'Honneur) created to honor resistants. At 90, Jacob is frail, but definitely not gateux. In June 1940, he sailed off the South West of France to London. The eager reporter starts describing "at age 20, you left to join General de Gaulle in London..." He stops her and says, no, I left because I had to try and do something. Only when I got to London did I hear about that French guy who was trying to do something too... A few more inane questions later, she asks whether he had any inkling, 70 years ago when he took off, that he would be here, now, today, standing here and being honored. He just send off packing with "as far as I know, I don't have the gift of divination, so no, of course not". That was it. Refreshing, I must say.


I find it surprising that the President and Prime Minister came in the same limo to both ceremonies. Isn't that against protocol that the top two members of government travel in the same vehicle? Are we trying to save money? Taking cues from the Poles? Apparently,  they were winging it and the organizers weren't warned. All the ministers and war heroes had gathered on the Champs, waiting for Sarkozy to arrive. On TV, reporters started worrying that Fillion was nowhere to be seen. Was he going to be late for the President's arrival? Then the presidential motorcade showed up, they went into a frenzy wondering where Fillion was. Then he just stepped out of the limo... How did it go? "Hey, Nico, can you give me ride to the Champs. Traffic's a bitch today with all those ceremonies going on. If I don't ride with you I'll never get there in time."???

Arthur has quickly returned to his Parisian habits and plays reporter too. Every morning and evening, he writes articles for the New York Times and others about what is going on in the house. He dresses up the part too, taking after what the reporter looks like in Spirou and Fantasio. 
This year his outfit includes a notebook he stole from his grand mother, which he totes around, pencil in hand, asking everyone "have you seen or done anything unusual today so far"?