Monday, December 8, 2008

Joyeux Noel!


Victorian Christmas




In France, Christmas is a time for family and for generosity, marked by family reunions, gifts and candy for children, gifts for the poor, Midnight Mass, and le Réveillon.


French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, in the hopes that Père Noël will fill them with gifts. Candy, fruit, nuts, and small toys will also be hung on the tree overnight. There's also Père Fouettard who gives out spankings to bad children. In 1962, a law was passed decreeing that all letters written to Santa would be responded to with a postcard. When a class writes a letter, each student gets a response.


Although fewer and fewer French attend la Messe de Minuit on Christmas Eve, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. It is followed by a huge feast, called le Réveillon. Le Réveillon is a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ's birth and is the culinary high point of the season, which may be enjoyed at home or in a restaurant or café that is open all night. Each region in France has its own traditional Christmas menu, with dishes like turkey, capon, goose, chicken, and boudin blanc (similar to white pudding).


Throughout the French Christmas season, there are special traditional desserts:._. La bûche de Noël (Yule log) - A log-shaped cake made of chocolate and chestnuts. Representative of the special wood log burned from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day in the Périgord, which is a holdover from a pagan Gaul celebration._. Le pain calendeau (in southern France) - Christmas loaf, part of which is given to a poor person._. La Galette des Rois (on Epiphany) - round cake which is cut into pieces and distributed by a child, known as le petit roi or l'enfant soleil, hiding under the table.



Minuit chrétiens, also known as Cantique de Noël, is a traditional French Christmas carol. It is equivalent to the English carol O Holy Night, though the lyrics are quite different:

Minuit, chrétiens, c'est l'heure solennelle,Où l'Homme-Dieu descendit jusqu'à nousPour effacer la tache originelle Et de Son Père arrêter le courroux. Le monde entier tressaille d'espérance En cette nuit qui lui donne un Sauveur.

Peuple à genoux, attends ta délivrance. Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur,Noël, Noël, voici le Rédempteur !

Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave :La terre est libre, et le ciel est ouvert.Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave,L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer.Qui Lui dira notre reconnaissance,C'est pour nous tous qu'Il naît,Qu'Il souffre et meurt.

Peuple debout ! Chante ta délivrance,Noël, Noël, chantons
le Rédempteur,Noël, Noël, chantons le Rédempteur !


christmas tree

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thanksgiving

happy thanksgiving


For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)


J'avais bon Thanksgiving avec ma famille.
J'ai mangé la Turquie, la sauce, les patates, les pommes de terre, la salade, le grain, les haricots verts, le pain, et le dessert.


give thanks

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Palace of the Popes


The skyline of Avignon is a magnificent urban landscape.

The Palace of the Popes stands as the mighty symbol of the church’s influence throughout the western Christian world in the 14th century.Construction was started in 1335 and completed in less than twenty years under the leadership of two builder popes, Benedict XII and his successor Clement VI.The Popes’ Palace is the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe (15,000 m2 of floor space, which is the equivalent of 4 Gothic cathedrals).The visitor can see over 20 rooms, scenes of historic events, in particular the pope’s private chambers and the frescoes painted by the Italian artist Matteo Giovannetti.

The Popes’ Palace also offers the visitor continuous cultural activities throughout the year. A major art exhibit is displayed in the Great Chapel during the summer, and the most prestigious performances of the Avignon Theater Festival, created by Jean Vilar in 1947, are given in the Honor Courtyard of the Popes’ Palace during the month of July.
The Popes’ Palace has welcomed more than 650,000 visitors. It is one of the most visited monuments in all of Franc

Le palais, qui est l'imbrication de deux bâtiments, le palais vieux de Benoît XII, véritable forteresse assise sur l'inexpugnable rocher des Doms, et le palais neuf de Clément VI, le plus fastueux des pontifes avignonnais, est non seulement le plus grand édifice gothique mais aussi celui où s'est exprimé dans toute sa plénitude le style du gothique international. Il est le fruit, pour sa construction et son ornementation, du travail conjoint des meilleurs architectes français, Pierre Peysson et Jean du Louvres, dit de Loubières, et des plus grands fresquistes de l'École de Sienne, Simone Martini et Matteo Giovanetti.

Le palais des papes, à Avignon, est la plus grande des constructions gothiques du Moyen Âge. À la fois forteresse et palais, la résidence pontificale fut pendant le XIVe siècle le siège de la chrétienté d'Occident. Six conclaves se sont tenus dans le palais d'Avignon qui aboutirent à l'élection de Benoît XII, en 1335; de Clément VI, en 1342 ; d'Innocent VI, en 1352 ; d'Urbain V, en 1362 ; de Grégoire XI, en 1370, et de Benoît XIII, en 1394.


Avignon Festival Theatre - Palace of the Popes


Une production de théâtre lors du Festival d'Art dramatique devant le Palais des Papes à Avignon. Une foule cosmopolite venue de l'Europe entière se retrouve en Provence pendant l'été pour se régaler de l'atmosphère gaie et animée de ce festival.




Saturday, November 15, 2008

Easy Walking Discovery Tours







8 and 10 days - short easy walks in the most beautiful places to discover highlights - charming and comfortable hotels with pool - gourmet dinners


An ideal mix of gentle walks, discoveries, relaxation ...and tasting local cuisine, wines and local products


An in-depth discovery of the different regions of France
Accommodation in charming and very comfortable 3 or 4-star hotels
Good food with gourmet dinners to enjoy all the local cooking savours and appreciate the chef's talent.
Some easy daily walks to keep fitness, enjoy charms and sightseeings of the region


Get some outstanding panoramas or discover interesting sights off the beaten track


A subtle blend of gentle walks, discovering, tasting...and rest time for ideal holidays


Quietness, rest and relaxation by a pool or in the shadow of hundred-year-old plane trees










Dentelles de Montmirail are the first heights of the Alps chain in the Rhone Valley. These short and steep mountains are covered with Mediterranean aromatic plans, or forested with pine and oaks woods on many of the slopes. The distinctive white rocky ridges tower above green vegetation and stand out against the blue sky. Rain and mistral wind have delicately carved the limestone of these tops that look like beautiful laces (Dentelles in French). Lovely and picturesque villages find refuge in these mountains, leaning back against cliffs or perching on the top of rocky spur (La Roque Alric, Le Barroux,Séguret…). Vine introduced by Romans grow on the first slopes and produce great wines : Beaumes les Venise, Vacqueyras and the well-known Gigondas whose name comes from latin and means joy or rejoicing… The vintages was already enjoying in those days !!








Vous aimez la nature, les randonnées, le canoë, les baignades, le VTT, la pêche, les escalades, la spéléologie .......Vous aimez la France et particulièrement l'Ardèche.
A Labastide de Virac, beau village de caractère de plus où moins 200 habitants, situé à la frontière du Gard et à une dizaine de kilomètres de Vallon Pont d'Arc, près de la rivière Ardèche, dans un endroit tranquille avec vue imprenable sur les Cévennes, vous trouverez mon gîte.



Arc.jpg (16302 octets)


Friday, November 7, 2008

Musée d'Orsay

An interior view of the bright and airy Musee d'Orsay.


All these adjectives apply to the Musée d'Orsay. It is sumptuous, spacious, modern and old at the same time. One marvels at this creative use of the patrimony of a great sity. The vast space of an unused railway station made into a grand museum of modern art. Nothing crowded, nothing rushed, plenty of air and light. And then! One is surrounded by the breathlessly famous and beautiful masterpieces that have defined what we call modern art today.

One of the world's most-visited museums, the Musee d'Orsay houses the largest collection of painting, sculpture, and decorative objects produced between 1848-1914, showcasing many of the most remarkable works of the early modern era.

The museum is located in the Saint-Germain des Pres neighborhood, between Quai Anatole France and Rue de Lille, and faces the Seine river on the left bank. The museum is also a five minute walk across the river from the Jardin des Tuileries.

L'histoire du musée, de son bâtiment, est peu banale. Situé au coeur de Paris, le long de la Seine, face au jardin des Tuileries, le musée a pris place dans l'ancienne gare d'Orsay, un édifice construit pour l'exposition universelle de 1900. Ainsi le bâtiment est, en quelque sorte, la première "oeuvre" des collections du musée d'Orsay qui présente l'art des quelques décennies qui s'écoulent entre 1848 et 1914.

The Musee d'Orsay is, hands-down, one of the world's richest and most exciting museums. Its permanent collection houses countless great works by masters of early modern art, including Matisse, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Rodin. The Musee d'Orsay also curates several major temporary exhibits throughout the year, as well as hosting not-to-be-missed special events. All of these reasons account for why the Musee d'Orsay is a Paris must-see attraction.




Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal au moulin de la Galette, Impressionism, 1876, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.




Walk over the bridge from the Louvre to the Musée d'Orsay-- and see the bridge between classical and modern art. Housing the world's most important collection of impressionist and post-impressionist painting, the Musée d'Orsay's light, airy rooms whir you through three floors of modern wonders, from Degas' ethereal dancers to Monet's water lilies, all the way to Gaugin's leafy jungles. Major works by Van Gogh, Delacroix, Manet, and others await you, too.



Saturday, November 1, 2008

Parisian Cafés

2bcc-cafe-de-flore.jpg







The café in France is not just a place to have that morning pick me up necessary to launch another day at the office. It is your home away from home. It 's the place where friends and family can find you. Your quotidian café defines you as distinctively as the clothes you wear and the profession you ply.

Café de Flore sits on the corner of the Boulevard Saint-German and the Rue St. Benoit, in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, France. Historically, it has been famed for its intellectual clientele.
The classic Art Deco interior of all red seating, mahogany and mirrors has changed little since World War II.

Parisian cafes formed integral part of the culinary and social life of the inhabitants, for more than centuries. However, the concept of Parisian cafe is something more than a mere coffee shop. Paris cafes are normally accompanied with a full kitchenette, which provide the visitors with menus like any other restaurant. They specialize in serving full meals, snacks, a wide selection of sparkling and flavored wines.

C'est tres parisien. Le café fait partie de la vie française depuis le 17eme siecle. Au café, les gens découvraient de nouvelles idées et discutaient de nouveaux concepts en politique, en art et en philosophie. Au 20eme siecle, le nombre de cafés diminue. On passe plus de temps devant la télévision et on a moins de temps pour la vie de café.

Cafe de Flore, Paris by Rita Crane Photography.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

French Cuisine

Dinner & wine









"The French... have surrounded food with so much commentary, learning and connoisseurship as to clothe it in the vestments of civilization itself... Cooking is viewed as a major art form: innovations are celebrated and talked about as though they were phrases in the development of a style of painting or poetry... A meal at a truly great restaurant is a sort of theatre you can eat."
Richard Bernstein, The Fragile Glory

French cooking is about extremes. From haute cuisine to provincial cuisine. From subtle flavors to bold flavors. From complicated recipes to the most simplistic. And French food is pretty food. Even when the meal is simple, it is elegantly presented.



Frenchcuisine

One of the greatest French treasures is undoubtedly their rich cuisine. French people try to find as many occasions as possible to spend time at the table, with their family and friends to enjoy the taste and flavor of good food and drinks.

La cuisine est une passion chez les Français et les organisent le rythme de la vie. Pendant la semaine, ils sont assez simples. En France, le dîner, pris vers huit heures du soir, est l'occasion de se retrouver en famille. Les repas de fêtes familiales ou amicales sont plus élaborés. Le repas de famille est un moment de convivalité.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Claude Monet's garden at Giverny




The Water Garden
In 1893, ten years after his arrival at Giverny, Monet bought the piece of land neighboring his property on the other side of the railway. It was crossed by a small brook, the Ru. Monet had the first small pond dug. Later on, the pond would be enlarged to its present day size. The water garden is full of asymmetries and curves. It is inspired by the Japanese gardens that Monet knew from the prints he collected.
In this water garden you will find the famous Japanese bridge covered with wisterias, other smaller bridges, weeping willows, a bamboo wood and above all the famous nympheas which bloom all summer long.
Claude Monet n'a jamais été au Japon, mais il a collectionné les estampes japonaises avec passion. Il aimait toutes les plantes exotiques qui y figurent et il en a introduit beaucoup dans son jardin de Giverny, notamment les bambous. Les Européens qui visitent les jardins de Monet à Giverny sont souvent surpris par la taille de ces bambous. Ils doivent atteindre huit mètres environ.
Monet was exceptionally fond of painting controlled nature: his own gardens in Giverny, with its bamboo, pond, and bridge.
He wrote daily instructions to his gardening staff, precise designs and layouts for plantings, and invoices for his floral purchases and his collection of botany books. As Monet's wealth grew, his garden evolved. He remained its architect, even after he hired seven gardeners.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Paris-Plage




For one month every summer, the Georges Pompidou Expressway along Paris’s Right Bank transforms into a pedestrian refuge replete with a sandy beach. A dazzling array of attractions vie for your attention, from activities like dance lessons, climbing walls, games, and swimming (in floating pools, not the Seine, thankfully), to amenities like beach chairs, cafes, misting fountains, and shady palm trees. Its enormous popularity can be traced to strong management and innovative programming, which keep the place humming well into the night with shows and performances. Though financed in part by corporate sponsors, the acknowledgements are appropriately modest. There are no outrageous logos on display, and the experience never feels overwhelmed by commercialism. Paris Plage is a truly public space of tremendous benefit to everyone.

Aux mois de juillet et d'août, c'est Paris-Plage. Oui! Pour ceux qui ne peuvent pas aller à la plage vient chez eux! Les bords de la Seine se transforment miraculeusement en plage: palmiers, sable, cabines de bain, pistes de danse. La place devant l'Hôtel de Ville se transforme en courts de beach volley le jour et en lieu de festival du cinéma à la belle étoile la nuit. Tout est gratuit!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Salon du Chocolat

Delicious chocolates! Chocolate makers from all over France! But it's not just about chocolate. What it's really about is enterprising people following their dream to make something they are passionate about. They all have wonderful stories to tell and delicious things for you to taste.
Such as Nougat de Montélimar. A l'origine gâteau romain de miel et de noix, le nougat sous sa forme actuelle apparut au XVIIème siècle à Montélimar. Ainsi le vrai nougat, fierté et renommé internationale des Montiliens, composé d'amandes grillées, de pistaches et de miel, régale petits ou grands et s'offre en cadeau comme on le fit jadis aux rois de France.


Yum! J'aime le chocolat!



Chocolate Strawberry on a Fork



September 7 cake and rose

Saturday, September 27, 2008

French Bed and Breakfast

Wake up to a buttery, flaky croissant and to a full flavor coffee that only the French know how to make.
La cuisine est une passion chez les Francais et les repas organisent le rythme de la vie. Pendant la semaine, ils sont assez simples. Le matin, on prend le petit dejeuner, un repas leger compose de pain, de confiture et de cafe au lait.
By staying at a Bed and Breakfast in Paris, you will be able to base yourself with Parisians, practice your French and get insider tips about what to do in Paris. Each morning, savor the delectable French breakfast to understand that the French really know how to live and relax.
breakfast

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Seine

Bonjour, this is my first blog.
I would like to visit Paris.
The Seine River is the most romantic street in Paris.
It is a winding path for lazy barges and a super highway for bateaux-mouches.
The tourists see the underside of at least 30 bridges.

Pont-Neuf, view of Samaritaine