13 July 2014

French National Day tomorrow, but  you wouldn't know it around here. The Gaillacoise all look so miserable, you'd think they were English!  Don't know whether it's because France lost the World Cup, Mauresmo's protegee lost Wimbledon or simply because the weather's changed unseasonably into Autumn. Whatever. Of course the French think the 14th is all about Federalism, but the rest of the world calls it Bastille Day, a time when the mob ran riot cutting off the heads of their own royalty.  And yet look how they admire English royalty now, in June practically fawning over the Queen. My feeling is the French are fed up with 'common' Presidents like Hollande and have a desperate need to look up to someone they can respect, over and above scheming politicians. Perhaps now is the time to bring back from exile handsome and debonair Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou with his young family, including a ready-made next Dauphin de France . Now that would cause a stir and revive l'esprit de coeur over here. Mind you I wouldn't be in Louis' shoes, thinking of what happened in the past. He'll certainly need a strong head on his shoulders.....

14th July 2013

Bastille Day or Fete Nationale, as the French call it. Well, they would wouldn't they?  People will always dream up ways of obfuscating the atrocities of life to make themselves feel better about their history.  But, it's only by seeing the mistakes of the past that we can know who we are today and try to do better. There's one historical French place I'd always wanted to see - Carcassonne, just a couple of hours S.E. of us. It's the site of the author Kate Mosse's trilogy. So, we drove our family there. We all agreed: the old 3C cite of  Carsac is exceptional. Although, being us, life is always difficult. One dog was still in the clinic, and we took the other one (yes, Bruno!) with us. So, as a party of 5 + one mad dog we traipsed in the heat around the most amazing mediaeval site you can imagine. And, the place was full of Americans. Of course. However much the US boasts, they can never match the history encompassed by Europe. As Him indoors says 'history is a thing of the past'. And Bruno?  We may, enfin, have found the solution - change his diet to hypo-allergenic food (no additives). Well, reader, it worked. He rode in the caleche and didn't even bark at the horses. So, although there may be fireworks tonight, for the moment all is calm en-famille. Ah...

15th July 2012

Yesterday was Bastille Day. Fireworks all night frightening the dog, and for what? To celebrate when Madame Guillotine cut people's heads off.
Back in 1889 there was even a proposal to erect a 900 feet high guillotine in Paris in its honour. Fortunately, the organisers of the Paris Exhibition back then plumped instead for a monstrous tower designed by a nobody called Alexandre Gustave Boenickhausen-Eiffel. Even so, people were just as alarmed as our dog. What? A giant iron structure that has absolutely no function at all?  Madness. And yet today, there it stands - possibly the most famous city icon of all. (Even the Statue of Liberty has the same internal iron structure). But, in today's super-tech world, queuing and ticketing problems have led the Parisians to tinker with the famous design. Because the Champs de Mars is a protected site, another two floors are to be added but below street level. So, the existing barriers and ticket offices can be removed, freeing up more space under the tower.
However, as in 1889, Parisians say it's all madness.  The giant iron legs will fall in and crush whole neighbourhoods below. And Him indoors:  I always said Parisians are in-Seine....

27th May 2012

Once a year Gaillac hosts a welcome soiree for all new arrivals in the town. Not one to miss a free drink, Him indoors and me went along to find the Abbeye de Saint-Michel.  We took the Land Rover, as it was situated about 2 km from chez-nous. As usual in France's ancient town centres, we had to negotiate a series of very narrow lanes and - you've guessed it - managed to scratch the wing mirror on his coveted prize possession. Good job no-one in the vicinity understood English invective! The Abbeye itself is historic, housing a cave, museum and tourist office. Around 50 newcomers enjoyed a video show, explanations of how the town is run and plenty to eat and drink. What I hadn't realised was that on each Friday night in July and August there's a free show on the riverbank gardens alongside the Abbeye, including drinks, jazz music and fireworks on special occasions like Bastille Day.  Sounds good fun.
One charming member of the Mairie's committee took the time to show us the beautiful river view and ancient bridge from on-high.  We had long discussions with him about many things French including the current euro crisis.  When Him indoors discovered his first name, he ventured:  'I'll be Franck with you, if you'll be Ernest with me!'  Clearly, the man had much to learn about dry English humour.