No. 235: La fête de la Victoire 1945
unconditional surrender at Reims, France; source: defense.gouv.fr
Arc de triomphe; source: AP Photo/Griffin
la Madeleine; source: http://www.gettyimages.com
Champs-Élysées; source: frenchmoments.edu
Posts from the ‘Around France’ Category
May 8
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May 7
No. 234: Grins and Wisdom from the Marais
morning spiders (bring) sorrow…evening spider (bring) hope…white butterfly, sign of spring…circled moon, rain ensured
a magpie in the spring signifies dreadful weather…when the rooster crows at night watch, his tail is already wet…if the peacock screams, we stay at home…
Warning! Vicious carrots, carnivorous radishes and crazy parsley…
Vocabulaire
May 7
No. 231-233: Marshland, Potager, and Groovy Scarecrows
While I enjoyed the medieval houses and formidable cathedral in Bourges, what I really loved was the secret world of the marais. Strolling through les Marias de Bourges is a must for anyone missing green space or the earthy comfort of their vegetable garden or potager.
Just a stone’s skip away from Sainte-Etienne Cathedral, the marshlands surrounding Bourges at one time assured the defense of the city, but now serve as lovingly cultivated family gardens, supplying the city with fresh fruit and vegetables. The marais spans more than 330 acres—enough space for over 1,000 garden plots neatly carved out of the calm waters and green and flowering foliage and provides a unique space for nature and relaxation for residents and visitors alike.
source: Office de Tourisme de Bourges
It was heaven for Superman and Taz, and Button and I were reminded how great it feels to breathe fresh air and wander through a friendly and welcoming place and smile at the locals as they traversed the canals on foot bridges and boats. Each pint-sized plot had some sort of maisonnette (some more appealing than others), a sweet sign announcing what is theirs, and for the creative jardiniers among them, a groovy scarecrow or two to keep the birds at bay.
I was completely hooked. France continues to surprise me with her quaint and quiet charm. I will miss the Fête des Marais this August, but it is the newest item on my bucket list for 2015. If you are in France the end of August, make your reservations now. It is sure to be magical.
Vocabulaire
jardiniers: gardeners
maisonnette: small house
marais: marshland
potager: vegetable garden
May 6
No. 230: Bourges: France’s Heartland
We are a couple of days back from faire(ing) le pont in Bourges.
This was one of those completely unexpected, point-to-a-place-on-the-map-where-we-can-afford-the-train-tickets type of getaway. It turned out to be an excellent choice.
Bourges lies almost exactly in the center of France, so now if/when I have to leave France, I can say, both that I left my heart in France, and that I have been to the heart of France.
Bourges is a classic French town housing one of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, Sainte-Etienne, a UNESCO world heritage site, known for its stunning stained-glass windows, some dating back as far as the 13th century, an amazingly accurate astronomical clock, and its arched-entrance, chiseled with eerie carvings illustrating a grim Judgment Day.
According to our bed and breakfast host, guests tend to use Bourges as an overnight stop when traveling north-to-south or vice versa. But I would say Bourges is worthy of a long weekend, to allow you the time to get to know the picturesque town surrounded by rivers, listen to the pealing church bells, soak up the rich history, and experience the relaxed and friendly locals.
Southeast of Orléans, this hilly city, where Joan of Arc wintered before she was burned at the stake, rises up at the intersection of the Yèvre and Auron rivers in the Department of Cher and will charm the pants right off you with its half-timbered medieval houses, cobbled lanes, sculpted gardens and marshy marais—more on that tomorrow.
May is the perfect time to visit, as the town hosts Les Printemps de Bourges Contemporary Music Festival, (we were one weekend too late), and les Nuits Lumière (Illuminated Nights), an impressive light, sound and architectural show highlighting the city’s heritage (screened across the ancient buildings) on offer every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, rain or moon-glow.
Summer may be an even better time to visit Bourges, as there were loads of signs heralding Été à Bourges and an impressive line-up of free, outdoor musical performances, of all shapes and sizes.
When all is said and done, Bourges is a super cool place to visit either on whim or as a planned stop on your itinerary. If you want to hear and feel what makes this complicated country tick, venture au coeur, to the heart of France.
Vocabulaire
au coeur: in the center, at the heart
Été à Bourges: Summer in Bourges
faire le pont: to take a long weekend, literally to make the bridge
Les Printemps de Bourges: Bourges’ Springtime
May 2
No. 228-229: La Fête du Muguet and Faire le Pont
Now that May is here, we may not be able to enjoy oysters anymore, but in exchange, it is the relaxing month to faire le pont: literally “making a bridge” or bridging the gap, which is a fun way of saying: to take a long (at least four-day) weekend.
This particular May, we are lucky to have three chances to make the bridge.
As I have mentioned before, the French are very good at les vacances (vacation) and have a rather liberal holiday schedule. They certainly know how to make the most of the random holidays that fall mid-week. For example, cette année, la fête du travail est jeudi, donc on va faire le pont, get out-of-town and not come back until Sunday night.
Which is a pretty sweet way to turn a one-day holiday into a four-day break.
Vocabulaire
cette année, la fête du travail est jeudi, donc on va faire le pont: this year, Labor Day is on a Thursday, so we will make the bridge (take a long weekend)
la Fête du Muguet, also called la Fête du Travail: May Day or Labor Day is a public holiday to honor workers and their rights and to campaign for continuing policies that support workers. The French also sell and give lily-of-the-valley flowers to loved ones and friends on this day. For an excellent explanation of la Fête du Muguet, please check in with the Curious Rambler.
muguet: lilly-of-the-valley
No. 219: One More Reason Bordeaux Makes Me Smile
It’s all smiles on the Marché des Quais…thanks to a very friendly English vendeuse and her melons…
Apr 25
No.216-218: Bordeaux: Boardwalks, Markets, and Spécialités
We are just back from our warm and relaxing trip to Bordeaux. I fell in love with la perle d’Aquitaine, as Bordeaux is known, and hope that sometime in my life I get to spend at least 365 days there. At the moment, it is the newest bee in my bonnet.
Bordeaux is France’s ninth largest city (with the sixth largest metropolitan area) and is the first French city Superman could see himself living in for the long-term. Three particular aspects of the city sealed the deal for us: the laid back, sporty, friendly and slow-speaking Bordelais(es), the fresh, multipurpose boardwalk, and the balmy, sunny weather.
We were lucky to stay in a riverside apartment with a terrace in the charming Chartrons district near the historic UNESCO World Heritage part of the city and found that its inviting squares, funky neighborhoods, and lively markets made it the ideal city to meander through both on foot and bike. The city, famous for wine, is like a fine wine itself, offering the perfect balance of ageless grandeur and architecture, fresh, modern tones and more than a hint of fruitiness and fun.
I posted earlier about what I’m calling Bordeaux’s Saint Marc’s Square, but is in fact called the miroir d’eau (water mirror). In my opinion, this central feature of the boardwalk lining the Garonne River is one of the most striking urban sites in France reflecting both the joyful heart of the city and the impressive Palais-de-la-Bourse. The boardwalk is a spot for young adults, extended families, casual wanderers and serious athletes all pulsing in sync. Rollerbladers duck and zoom, runners pant and croon, old couples hold hands and beam, youngsters scoot and skip, furry friends wrestle and romp, and vélos roll by, their cheery chimes announcing their approach.
crevettes flambées 5€ le cornet
The city boasts numerous outdoor cafés, lots of spots for picnicking, live music jams, colorfully clad open-air tangoing, first-class museums, gorgeous architecture, fresh seafood (yummy oysters) and haute cuisine, and of course, caves for tasting the region’s wine. There is also an excellent farmers market on Sundays (Marché des Quais) selling all the usual suspects along with some of the unusual and distinctively Bordelaise spécialités. Comme ça:
Farcou (herb pancakes) 3/5€ or 7/10€
Kongloff…giant brioche cake with powder sugar
la petite croustades…filo, apples sauce and almond paste…
caneles de Bordeaux
As you may have noticed, I am totally smitten with Bordeaux and this region of France. The sparkling pearl of Aquitaine has a little something for everyone and is quite effectively enticing this Parisphile south…
Vocabulaire
Bordelais(es): people from Bordeaux
caves: wine cellars, storage space
Comme ça: Like this:
la perle d’Aquitaine: the pearl of Aquitaine (the Aquitaine pearl)
spécialités: specialties
365+ Things I Love About France 