Catalunya

Bonjour tout le monde!
Where in the world is Catalunya?  It is in the northeastern part of Spain, also known as Catalonia.  The capital of the autonomous region is Barcelona. This region used to be a principality with its own laws and parlementary system.  Catalan lost the war of Spanish Succession, and in subsequent years found its culture and languages supressed by the Spanish government.
Currently, the Catalonia region is once again autonomous; the catalan language is everywhere as is Spanish.  Catalan is even taught in the schools, they tell me.  Although the Catalan region has a great deal of independence from the Spanish government, the Catalan are pushing for more independence, and there is even talk of succession from Spain.
In the meantime, let's enjoy the capital of this wonderful region.  Barcelona is a beautiful and vibrant city.  Along with its suburbs, more than four million people live in the area, of which 1.7 million live within Barcelona's city limits.
There is plenty to see, do, and eat in Barcelona.  One of the most famous markets is located on the Rambla, however, it has existed in the city since the early 13th century, when the first settlement was documented.
My favorite thing to do in Barcelona is eat.  There are places to eat tapas everywhere, and of course you have to wash it down with sangria.  The last time I was there, a friend of mine was on a mission to find the best sangria in town.  Have we succeeded?  No...there are always more tapas and sangria to try.
Want culture and history?  Antoni Gaudi was the architect of the Sagrada Familia (the Sacred Family) among other buildings in the city.  You can spend an entire day at each of his creations, but the Sagrada Familia is the best and biggest. It is still unfinished - 2026, the 100th year celebration of Gaudi's death,  is now the projected finish date.

I love most visiting Barcelona in the summer, when dinner can be at 11 pm on one of the many Ramblas in the city, and the weather is just right.  You can not only see all the Gaudi buildings, but you can also see many of the sports venues of the 1992 Olympics in the Montjuic area.
So, why Catalunya?  I say why not?  The region is Spanish, but not Spanish; the culture and architecture is amazing, as is the food!  You can stop there on one of the many cruise ships, but be sure to spend a few extra days to in search of the best tapas and sangria. Let me know when you find it!

Lobster by the beach

Parc Guell

New Year (almost), New You!

Bonjour tout le monde!
It has been quite a year, and without going into detail, I will just say that there has been birth and death, ups and downs, and many tears of both joy and sadness.
However, 2019 is just around the corner, and I want to let you know what I'm doing so here is the latest in one flyer!  More details later...

Drink pink! National Rosé Day, June 9, 2018

Bonjour tout le monde!
National Rosé Day is next week!  Rosé wine has been around forever. The Greeks brought grapevines to the Provençal region of France, and voilà! there was wine.  Since the production of wines was not as advanced and specific as it is today, much of the wine coming from that region in 600 BC would be considered today a rosé. That makes it the oldest type of wine.
Rosé wine is not made by combining red and white wine together; in France, such a method is forbidden by law - except for the creation of champagne.  So, how is rosé created?  Black and deep red skinned grapes are crushed, and the skins are left with the colorless juice for up to 20 hours.  What is left when the skins are removed is the beautiful pink color.  This color can range on the "pink scale" from barely pink to a deep pink that is almost red/purple.

In the 1970s, Americans loved white wine, but there weren't enough white wine grapes to fulfill the demand.  Therefore, many California winemakers created white wine from red grapes; the most well known result was Sutter Home's White Zinfandel, which became the start of the blush rosé industry in which the wine is often sweeter than most true rosés.

Summertime is rosé time.  Once you find your rosé, that wonderful spot on your patio or deck, open up the chilled bottle and delight in the deliciousness.  You can pair your rosé with many things, such as cheeses, seafood, grilled vegetables and nuts. 
On Saturday, June 9, why not have some friends over for a rosé party?  Each participant can contribute a rosé; there can even be a prize for the most popular wine!  Whatever you do, drink pink and have fun!
How will you celebrate National Rosé Day?  Tell us here!


For more information:
National Rosé day - https://nationaltoday.com/national-rose-day/
Everything you wanted to know about rosés  -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosé
Best rosés of 2018 - https://vinepair.com/articles/25-best-rose-wines-2018/

The customer is not always right...

Bonjour tout le monde,
I read an article the other day in which the writer is having a heated conversation about a type of cheese that he wants to use in his fondue.  The cheese monger is telling him that he can't sell the writer the cheese that he wants because it is just too good to use in the fondue.  He will sell it only when the writer signs a document saying that he will not use the cheese in the fondue.
Most of us will probably think that is really crazy.  Why does the cheese guy even care about how the cheese that he is selling is used?  He's not going to be there..
But the French seem to really care about things like that.  They will tell you that they can't sell you this cheese because it's too good for the fondue, or perhaps they will not let you order two scoops of vanilla ice cream on a hot day.  Why not?  " There are other flavors, why not try one of those with your vanilla scoop?"  If you don't already know, the vanilla girl was me in 2006 at the Café of Le Grand Intercontinental Hotel at the Opéra.  His passionate argument caught me off guard, because who really tells you what kind of ice cream you can have?  The nerve!
But, I thought about it for a second, and ordered a scoop of strawberry to go with my glace à la vanille; I have to admit, it was a great combination.
Waiters seem to love lecturing me, probably because I speck French so well.  Michael and I were in Rouen with my student group.  Normally on those trips there isn't a whole lot of time for lunch and we were in a pretty nice place.  I had the best lamb tangine; Michael some sort of fish.  But time was of the essence, so when the waiter came over to ask if we wanted coffee, I said that we were under a time constraint, so could we just have the check.  He brought it, but as he put it on the table, our waiter said "Voilà, mais la prochaine fois, il faut avoir assez de temps pour un déjeuner comme il faut. (here's your check, but the next time you must have enough time for a proper lunch).

The fondue story can be found here:  https://www.thelocal.fr/20171220/fonduegate-why-the-customer-is-never-right-in-france

How about you?  Have you ever found out that the customer is not always right? What are your stories with French servers, shop assistants, or store keepers? 
Answer in the comments below - please limit them to your experience in a francophone country...

My scoops of vanilla and strawberry - very fancy!

a waiter in the traditional uniform of vest, white shirt, and white apron

The true Thanksgiving story (according to Art Buchwald)

Bonjout tout le monde,
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, and there is a lot for me to be thankful for.  I'm excited and thankful that there will be four generations around the table, and that I have wonderful friends, family and friends who are also family.
However, if you were wondering about the first Thanksgiving, my favorite explanation was given by the late Art Buchwald, first printed in 2005.  Reading it always makes me laugh out loud, so I am sharing it with you.  I hope that you find it amusing and informational, too. 

Le Grande Thanksgiving
By Art Buchwald
Thursday, November 24, 2005 

This confidential column was leaked to me by a high government official in the Plymouth colony on the condition that I not reveal his name.
One of our most important holidays is Thanksgiving Day, known in France as le Jour de Merci Donnant .
Le Jour de Merci Donnant was first started by a group of Pilgrims ( Pelerins ) who fled from l'Angleterre before the McCarran Act to found a colony in the New World ( le Nouveau Monde ) where they could shoot Indians ( les Peaux-Rouges ) and eat turkey ( dinde ) to their hearts' content.
They landed at a place called Plymouth (now a famous voiture Americaine ) in a wooden sailing ship called the Mayflower (or Fleur de Mai ) in 1620. But while the Pelerins were killing the dindes, the Peaux-Rouges were killing the Pelerins, and there were several hard winters ahead for both of them. The only way the Peaux-Rouges helped the Pelerins was when they taught them to grow corn ( mais ). The reason they did this was because they liked corn with their Pelerins.
In 1623, after another harsh year, the Pelerins' crops were so good that they decided to have a celebration and give thanks because more mais was raised by the Pelerins than Pelerins were killed by Peaux-Rouges.
Every year on the Jour de Merci Donnant, parents tell their children an amusing story about the first celebration.
It concerns a brave capitaine named Miles Standish (known in France as Kilometres Deboutish) and a young, shy lieutenant named Jean Alden. Both of them were in love with a flower of Plymouth called Priscilla Mullens (no translation). The vieux capitaine said to the jeune lieutenant :
"Go to the damsel Priscilla ( allez tres vite chez Priscilla), the loveliest maiden of Plymouth ( la plus jolie demoiselle de Plymouth). Say that a blunt old captain, a man not of words but of action ( un vieux Fanfan la Tulipe ), offers his hand and his heart, the hand and heart of a soldier. Not in these words, you know, but this, in short, is my meaning.
"I am a maker of war ( je suis un fabricant de la guerre ) and not a maker of phrases. You, bred as a scholar ( vous, qui tes pain comme un tudiant ), can say it in elegant language, such as you read in your books of the pleadings and wooings of lovers, such as you think best adapted to win the heart of the maiden."
Although Jean was fit to be tied ( convenable tre emballe ), friendship prevailed over love and he went to his duty. But instead of using elegant language, he blurted out his mission. Priscilla was muted with amazement and sorrow ( rendue muette par l'tonnement et las tristesse ).
At length she exclaimed, interrupting the ominous silence: "If the great captain of Plymouth is so very eager to wed me, why does he not come himself and take the trouble to woo me?" ( Ou est-il, le vieuxKilometres? Pourquoi ne vient-il pas aupres de moi pour tenter sa chance ?)
Jean said that Kilometres Deboutish was very busy and didn't have time for those things. He staggered on, telling what a wonderful husband Kilometres would make. Finally Priscilla arched her eyebrows and said in a tremulous voice, "Why don't you speak for yourself, Jean?" ( Chacun a son gout. )
And so, on the fourth Thursday in November, American families sit down at a large table brimming with tasty dishes and, for the only time during the year, eat better than the French do.
No one can deny that le Jour de Merci Donnant is a grande fte and no matter how well fed American families are, they never forget to give thanks to Kilometres Deboutish, who made this great day possible.
2005Tribune Media Services

African Americans in Paris

Bonjour tout le monde
While at the Père Lachaise cemetery with my daughter in 1995, we stumbled across the ashes of Richard Wright, who died while living in Paris.  As an African-American French teacher, I knew and had studied about some of the African-Americans who sought a better life outside the United States. I have even written a blog post about Josephine Baker, who left the States and its Jim Crow laws to live more freely in France.
These days, African-Americans and those who are interested in Blacks who lived as ex-pats in France can take the Walking the Spirit, Black ParisTours offered by Ricki Stevenson.  The tour visits places in Paris that were and are important to African-Americans then and now.  Although I have not yet taken a tour, many of my friends and travel clients have - they are most enthusiastic about their experiences.
A documentary was created in 2016 which talks about the experiences of many famous African-Americans who lived in Paris; many for a long time, others for just a little while.  Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light directed by Joanne Burke, was shown recently at the National Museum of Women in the Arts as part of the March on Washington Film Festival.  It is all explained in a great article highligted on  theundefeated.com, which is better known for its sports commentary.  It is a great article that I recommend to everyone.  Next time you go to Paris, take the tour, I know that I will!

to read the article in its entirety https://theundefeated.com/features/paris-noir-african-americans-in-the-city-of-light-documentary-march-on-washington-film-festival/

for more information on Walking the Spirit tours: http://www.walkthespirit.com/

the March on Washington film festival: http://marchonwashingtonfilmfestival.org

Les habits culturelles françaises - French cultural habits

Bonjour tout le monde,
It has been awhile since I have posted, and for that I apologize.  I have all sorts of excuses, but none are really good; although this isn't a job, I do need to write more!
A friend of mine sent me a link to a little article asking the question "What is a cultural habit in France that took you a long time to get used to?"  Many of the responses had to do with getting used to French kisses.  You know -  in the US you see folks doing the "mwah, mwah" and kissing the air near the cheek of the other person.
In France, that would be sort of insulting...you must make cheek contact.  It is not something that took me a long time to get used to; my family is huggy, so contact is not unwanted.  The main thing is knowing how many kisses to give - 2, 3, 4?  I usually give the two, then hang out a couple of milliseconds to see if the other person is coming back for kiss #3.  (Oh, and in France, one usually goes to the right first, but in Italy, you go to the left.) When you are at a party, you have to say goodbye to everyone, which means that you often have to start your goodbyes well before actually walking out the door.  And for me, in the evening, men have that late afternoon stubble, so my cheeks get a scrub, too!
The biggest conundrum for me is whether to kiss or to shake hands.  Then I went to a birthday party for someone who was a friend of my friend; I didn't know anyone, but they knew my friend; that made us friends.  I stuck out my hand as I said "Bonjour"; and they just leaned in for the kisses.  After two attempts of shaking hands, it was kisses all around.
The second main thing that folks took time to get used to was saying "Bonjour" when greeting everyone, including shopkeepers.  I needed some time to realize that Bonjour is said all the time, even when entering elevators! No other conversation is really needed then, but it is essential to recognize others.
Here is the link to the actual article, with many thanks to Kathy Christie.
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-cultural-habit-in-France-that-took-you-a-long-time-to-get-used-to
What cultural habit took you a while to get used to?  Respond in the comments.