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A new airline AIR TURQUOISE will start new routes from London to Reims (51 Marne, Champagne-Ardennes) and from Reims to Toulouse (31 Haut-Garonne, Midi-Pyrenees) from March at very attractive prices. Slowly some cheap internal flights within France are becoming available, which opens up the possibility of a multi-centre trip to France without the car.
Whilst a good dollop of turquoise colour on the website may be bearable, I do hope they don't overly extend the corporate colour scheme into the cabin or uniforms!!

Reims is of course the capital of Champagne country and is fine for a weekend away. However, it is worth hiring a car and getting out into the vineyards and exploring the "Montagne de Reims" - not exactly a mountain but an impressive outcrop across which many of the finest Champagne vineyards are to be found. You will be amazed by how many Champagne growers there are - many offering better priced wines than the major "marques" which have their cellars in fine chateau in Reims.
However, do be wary of some Champagne vineyards policy of charging for tastings - usually refunded from any purchase made. Whilst I understand the need to discourage the freeloaders, I personally object to the practice - and feel that they should discriminate between the coachload of tourists and the potential serious customer - buying a case of Champagne is always serious in my book! The other option is to get an introduction from a UK (or French) merchant, or contact the vineyard in advance to establish your "credentials".

If you are flying to Reims you will of course be a somewhat limited in your wine purchases - why not take a WINE BOTTLE BAG which will safely carry 9-bottles onto the plane - CLICK HERE for details

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Gauloise cigarettes, the Morris columns and now the iconic French (well, mainly Parisian) urinal is under threat. There is apparently only one of the original Vespassienne edifices left - designed by no less than Eiffel (of Tower fame) and that is in poor condition (near the Sante prison).

Named after the Roman Emperor Vespasian, whose footnote in history is that he was the first to introduce a tax on toilets, this has always been a spectacularly French and male edifice. Usually smelly in the extreme, these urinals (pissoirs) offered a minimum of discretion to both users and passers-by. By comparison the Victorians provided Britain with a pretty good system of public conveniences which is seldom matched "sur le continent", and which probably spoils the visitor to French shores. Even where they are provided in France they are often a rude shock to the uninitiated - I'll say no more on that subject!

In Paris and other big cities they have been largely replaced by the "Sanisette" - the tardis-like self-cleaning booths which even adorn British streets. I've always been terrified that either the cleaning cycle would start too soon, or that I'd get locked in - I would probably prefer a Vespassienne!

BUT the good news is that in Paris the Sanisettes are to be free of charge from now on, instead of charging €0.40 (about 25p) a pee.I have some worries about the reasons for the change of policy - is it for health reasons to encourage the Parisians to go more often? Or is it because the charges discouraged too many people and they have been finding other less environmentally friendly ways of meeting their needs!?

Cafe and bar owners may not be so happy - I know many visitors stop for a coffee/beer etc just in order to use their "facilities".

Another of those little things which reminds you that France really is a foreign country! - Remember "CLOCHEMERLE", a fictional story based on a maverick mayor in small Beaujolais town who decides that the erection of a magnificent municipal urinal in the town square is a perfect symbol to celebrate the virtues of the Republic - civic mayhem ensues. Although the screenplay was by Brits the original story was by a Frenchman!!

RailEurope Link

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Vin Jaune (yellow wine) is a speciality of the Jura (eastern France between Burgundy and Switzerland) which is made exclusively from the Savignin grape - late harvested and then pressed and subjected to a slow fermentation followed by a slow ageing process in small 228litre casks. The process yields a thin layer of yeast on the surface of the wine. The wine is then matured without any racking, filtering or other human intervention.As it evaporates naturally the nature and colour of the wine changes - over 6 years or more - producing a deep yellow dry wine with distinctive and complex aromas of nuts and spices with a long long finish in the mouth. It is bottled in special 62cl "clavelin" bottles.

Every year there is a festival to celebrate and taste the "Vin Jaune" and this year it is to be held in the town of Lons-le-Saunier (01 Ain, Rhone-Alpes) on 4th and 5th February 2006. La Percee du Vin Jaune is a "moveable feast" that changes from one wine village to another each year and celebrates the breaching of the barrels of the Vin Jaune, 6 years and 3 months after being made. It's a big festival and usually attracts around 30,000 visitors plus over the two days.
For more info see http://www.jura-vins.com/actualites-vins-jura.htm

Nearby (15km) is a good English run B&B in the village of Sens-sur-Seille (71 Saone-et-Loire, Burgundy) -see their website at www.bandb-burgundy.com

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Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) is the place to be 29 June - 02 July 2006 when a 4 day wine festival is held in the Place des Quinconces - celebrating the 80-odd appellations in the Aquitaine region - taste, discover, learn and enjoy.
"The Bordeaux Wine Festival will cover an area of more than 29 acres. On this single and unique site, visitors will be able to sample the very best vintages from Bordeaux and the region. Visitors will also be able to wander through one of France's most beautiful 18th century city, discover the old Town markets, admire the architecture of the Grand Theatre, amble through the antique district, and marvel at the many grand buildings and monuments. During the daytime, numerous
excursions will be possible, using the Discovery Pass, to visit the scenic sites, the vineyard chateaux and other gems of the Gironde region."

For more see http://www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com/
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Keywords: France,Wine,Bordeaux,Aquitaine

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The EU comes in for a lot of criticism when it over-regulates aspects of daily life across the continent, but in terms of consumer protection it does well. For all that the Budget airlines have opened up affordable air travel across Europe, there have been some horror stories resulting from delayed or cancelled flights. Friends of ours got stranded in Nimes last year when their flight was cancelled, and arriving at the airport at 9.00pm for their flight were essentially given their money back and told to make their own way back to the UK. Not only were all other flights full for several days, but they also missed their onward connection to Canada. In the end they ended up paying full fare on the TGV/Eurostar back to London, plus a night in a hotel in Nimes, none of which they had budgetted for.
Hence a recent ruling from the EU imposes obligations on the airlines to mitigate the problems caused by delayed or cancelled flights - e.g a refund and a flight home for any delay in excess of 5 hours and £170 compensation plus flight home where a flight is cancelled or overbooked.
The budget airlines will doubtless cry "foul!" and claim that prices will have to rise dramatically to cover this eventuality - but at the moment there is little incentive for the airlines to avoid overbooking or cancellations on the basis of "what can you expect if you only pay £25 for a flight?"
Personally I'd be prepared to pay a little more on the ticket price for that sort of underpinning - rather than be marooned in some remote airport in the middle of the night! And please let ticket prices be presented as fully inclusive - not £1.99 plus £24,00 taxes and charges, some of which are mysteriously labelled as "administrative" or "booking" charges, 2 return flights can easily end up with an extra £100 in such "taxes and charges".

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Keywords: France,Wine,Beef,Aquitaine,Gironde,Landes,Bazas

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Andrew at www.spittoon.biz has a tasting note on a wine from Pic St Loup in the Languedoc. This is another of those sub-appellations of the Coteaux du Languedoc (St Christol, la Clape,Picpoul de Pinet are others) - another example of confusing French wine classifications. Predominantly based around the concept of "terroir" -i.e specific local factors in climate, soil, aspect etc, these sub-appellations continuously strive to become appellations in their own right - a process often dominated by politics rather than vinous distinctiveness or quality.
However, in the Pic St Loup there are some more stringent requirements compared to the wider Coteaux de Languedoc appellation - at least 90% of the blend must be from Syrah, Grenache and/or Mourvedre, and the vines must be at least 5 years old, and the yield is restricted to 50hl/ha - all of which are good precursors to quality wine, and will give the wine more distinctiveness than many wines produced in the area.
The Pic St Loup is a rugged and distinctive outcrop in the hills to the north of Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc)

There is a good website about the wines of Pic St Loup at www.pic-saint-loup.com and on 10 June 2006 there is an open day when you can taste the wines of the appellation and do some food matching too - see http://www.pic-saint-loup.com/rendez_vous.asp

Andrew Chapman at Surf4Wine stocks a number of good wines from the Pic St Loup.

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Keywords: France,Wine,Languedoc,Herault,Montpellier,Pic,Louo,St Loup

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The city of Toulouse (31 Haut-Garonne,Midi-Pyrenees) has embarked on an ambitious programme to turn itself into a City of Light. Famous for the exceptional beauty of its red orange light during the day, the capital of Midi-Pyrenees is said to be even prettier when night closes in. Being finely chiselled with a wealth of details, the night-time urban landscape of Toulouse does have something special. A specialist lighting-designer has been developing the plan for 2 years now and as a result numerous city locations are now illuminated - including the Médiathèque José Cabanis; Saint-Sernin Basilica; Musée Saint-Raymond; the banks of the Garonne, the Abbatoirs Modern & Contemporary Art Centre, la Halle aux Grains, la place du Capitole, la place Saint-Georges.

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Keywords: France,Toulouse,Garonne,Midi-Pyrenees

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Bazas (33 Gironde, Aquitaine) celebrates the local tradtion of fatted oxen (Fete des Boeufs Gras). Originating from 1283 under the reign of the English Edward I, when the locals were required to provide the Archbishop of Bazas with a splendid beast, this festival celebrates the local tradition of rearing the special breed of oxen in this small but important town on the northern edge of the Landes forest, just south of the Garonne River. This year it takes place on 23 February 2006.
As such it is a bit of a beauty contest, where the best animals are judged, in the midst of a parade, bands playing and inevitably a good bit of beef and local wine being consumed (the nearest being Cotes du Marmandais). Nowadays the judging is on the basis of the quality of the meat, but in earllier times the beef were fattened as much for the tallow for candles as for meat!! Inevitably in France there is a revered brotherhood for the Bazas beef - la Confrérie Bazadaise du Boeuf where men dress up in silly costumes and perform some obscure rituals - but it all goes to make for enertainment and to celebrate the region's produce. For more info see www.ville-bazas.fr

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Keywords: France,Wine,Beef,Aquitaine,Gironde,Landes,Bazas

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A report in the Independent casts doubt on the value of using anything other than "plonk" for your next wine and cheese party - "Now, it seems, the organisers of cheese and wine parties were right all along to choose plonk rather than premier crus to go with their fromage."
The scientific(?) research found that virtually all cheeses masked the flavour of the wine, so pairing with classy claret or burgundy could be a waste of time.
In general I must admit to prefering the matching of cheese and port at the end of a meal, where the richness and sweetness of the wine works well against the cheese. However, I do suspect that careful selection of both the cheese and the wine can produce a good match which enhances the enjoyment of both. Clearly strong flavours need to be matched e.g. the Baque Ossau Fermier with a Madiran from South West France - otherwise one would overpower the other. As a general rule the wine and cheese from the same region often go well together - although this is probably more tradition than science.

French Cheese DK Eyewitness Guide
The Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to French Cheese could prove very useful in this respect - a real encyclopedia of French Fromage with details of how and where they are made, what they are like, and what to eat and drink with them - and all illustrated in their usual clear style.

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Keywords: France,Wine,Cheese,Book

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On Channel 5 TV on Monday 23 January 2006 at 8.00pm a new series of "Megastructures" begins, featuring one of the most impressive things we saw in 2005 - Millau Bridge (Viaduc de Millau).
"Imagine building a series of Eiffel towers, then slinging a four-lane highway between them, all the way across one of the deepest valleys in France. This is the Millau Viaduct - the tallest bridge in the world. Besides being almost a third taller than any other bridge on the planet, this incredible engineering marvel is a viaduct - a bridge spanning across an entire valley - that stretches from plateau to plateau in a long gracious curve". at Millau (12 Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees).

Now part of the A75 autoroute from Clermont-Ferrand (63 Puy-de-Dome, Auvergne) to Beziers (34 Herault, Languedoc)

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DUNKERQUE FESTIVAL (59 Nord, Nord Pas-de-Calais) - 26 February 2006 - the Sunday before Ash Wednesday - a parade in the centre of the town traditionally to celebrate the imminent departure of the town's fishermen who would soon be setting off to fish in Icelandic waters. Unfortunately the closest most of us get to Dunkerque is from the grim industrial port (Nofolk Line ferries) several miles to the west or the autoroute from Calais to Belgium or the Auchan Hypermarket at Grande Synthe. Although much of the town was badly damaged in the second World War, the town has a long and ancient tradition including a World Heritage Belfry - and can be worth a little detour.One of our favourite restaurants is nearby (Bois de Chene at Capelle-la-Grande)

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Keywords: France,Dunkerque,Nord,Bois de Chene,Carnival

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Paris axes its Morris columns in bid to clear city of clutter

Yet another iconic symbol of French life is under threat, although I did not realise that they were called "Morris Columns" - those dark green circular advertising "kiosks" which adorn many Parisian streets and junctions. The Independent reports that of the remaining 700 or so, 200 are to be removed to tidy the urban landscape - they'll be wanting to remove the Arc de Triomphe next as it is a traffic hazard!

I like the urban myth, which must have featured in some atmospheric Maigret-style film which maintains that inside the columns is access to a staircase into the underground labarynth of Paris - the reality is apparently more mundane - storage for streetcleaner tools.!

If you want to explore underground Paris you can always visit the "Sewer Museum"(Musée des Egouts de Paris) just opposite the Musée d'Orsay and the Pont d'Alma - open Saturday to Wednesday.

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Keywords: France,Paris,Egouts,Morris,Column,advertising

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Norflok Line Ferries have now introduced the first of their 3 new ships on the Dover-Dunkerque route - the Maersk Dunkerque. Norfolkline traditionally handled freight only but a few years ago started taking non-freight vehicles at very keen rates. The cheap prices have continued, but with the new fleet of boats the on-board accommodation gets a major upgrade. The original fleet were very much functional ships with basic but comfortable seating and facilities. The restaurant left you in little doubt that the main clientele was the British lorry driver, so the food was wholesome rather than fancy, the menu very English!

So the new ships are welcome and will add capacity to the route - I hope it will not mean the end of cheap fares on this route.

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Keywords: France,Travel,Ferry,Dunkerque,Norfolk Line

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I cannot be alone in wondering what on earth that row of bottles behind the French bar is all about - multi-coloured, odd-shapes, obscure names like Suze, Byrhh, Chartreuse - and usually me with no idea what they are - alcoholic or not; sweet, dry or bitter; drunk by themselves or as a mixer or part of a cocktail; when they are drunk; or what to expect. (Suze is a quite medicinal "bitter" based on gentian - an acquired taste which is better by the second glass).

Furthermore there are some distinctly local brews, and whilst just checking up on the Cotes du Ventoux I came across this one which I have never heard of - SAUTEL - which is claimed to be similar to a Pineau des Charentes - but closer inspection reveals it to be "Grenache noir juice extracted from its skin and pips which is then mixed enriched alcohol. The final product is then flavoured with cinnamon and orange rinds." i.e. nothing at all like Pineau which is a blend of unfermented grape juice and Cognac.

The Cotes de Ventoux is obviously an area for oddities - garish bottle labels and corks; bizarre liqueurs - and a range of wines under the "Maquis de Sade" label!! - presumably you don't have to be a sadist to offer this wine to your friends.

Other oddities from southern France include the various "Marc" which are distillations of the organic remnants of the wine-making process - usually a fierce but somewhat tasteless slug of something approaching neat alcohol (second glass not advised!); Rancio - an unfortunate name for a rather heady, oxidised or maderized wine from the southern Rhone; and Carthagene which is a very (too) sweet fortified Vin Doux Naturel from southern Rhone/Languedoc.

Maybe its the dazzling light, too much sun or the Mistral wind which produces this effect. There are times when you realise just how foreign France can be!

For more on Sautel and the Maquis de Sade wines see www.cotes-du-ventoux.com
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Keywords: France,Wine,Rhone,Ventoux,Provence,Vaucluse,Sautel,Rancio,Carthagene,Marc,Suze

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Spittoon - New Wines from the Ventoux

Andrew has posted details of some new wines from the Cotes du Ventoux - i.e. Vaucluse in Provence south of the fine vineyards of Vaqueyras and Gigondas (into what was known as "Peter Mayle Country").

It is an area which can produce some good little wines - a little less hot and later ripening than the neighbouring Cotes du Rhone, and consequently the wines (predominantly red and rosé) can be a little lighter in both body and alcohol. Grapes used are mainly Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Carignan for the reds and rosés, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Ugni Blanc for the whites.

Now I do moan about the often lacklustre presentation of French Wines, which does little to tempt consumers to try what are often excellent, if sometimes complex wines now being produced in France. But the sheer awful gaudiness of the presentation of these wines makes me shudder. OK, they will certainly stand out on the shelf, and if they seduce more people into trying French wines then maybe I should rejoice.
BUT I am always suspicious of extravagant packaging, whether it be engraved or strangely shaped bottles, wooden labels or whatever - I always fear that so much effort has gone into the presentation that the producer must be trying to hide something - or charge an unwarranted premium.
Perhaps I am just getting to old, but I would prefer to see good clear labelling with useful information - keep it simple! I certainly would not be tempted by such ghastly, brash labels, corks or collars.

Andrew does not say where the wines are being stocked - but I suspect it is aimed more at the supermarket level than the independent specialists - Spittoon - New Wines from the Ventoux.

For some quality Cotes du Ventoux try the red Domaine Juliette Avril from Leon Stolarski Fine Wines

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Keywords: France,wine,cotes,Ventoux,Provence,Vaucluse

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It seems there is a festival in France for almost anything and everything organic - and often a museum to go with it (mushroons, garlic, herring). This time it is the humble Violet, which is the emlamatic flower of Toulouse (31 Haut-Garonne,Midi-Pyrenees) which is celebrated on the weekend of 3-5 February 2006 - when you can see how the violet is grown, go to a Violet market and exhibition, see and learn the art of floral decoration with violets, and witness the numerous manifestations of the violet - violet sweets, violet perfume, a violet liqueur. And of course there is a brotherhood (Confrérie) of the Violet. For more info see www.ot-toulouse.com

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Keywords: France,Toulouse,Midi,Violet,Festival

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* Basilique et colline de Vézelay (1979) 89, Yonne, Burgundy
* Cathédrale de Chartres (1979)
* Mont-Saint-Michel et sa baie (1979)
* Palais et parc de Versailles (1979)
* Sites préhistoriques et grottes ornées de la vallée de la Vézère (1979)
* Abbaye cistercienne de Fontenay (1981)
* Arles, monuments romains et romans (1981)
* Cathédrale d'Amiens (1981)
* Palais et parc de Fontainebleau (1981)
* Théâtre antique et ses abords et « Arc de Triomphe » d'Orange (1981)
* Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans (1982)
* Abbatiale de Saint-Savin sur Gartempe (1983)
* Golfe de Porto : calanche de Piana, golfe de Girolata, réserve de Scandola (1983) #
* Places Stanislas, de la Carrière et d'Alliance à Nancy (1983)
* Pont du Gard (1985)
* Strasbourg – Grande île (1988)
* Cathédrale Notre-Dame, ancienne abbaye Saint-Remi et palais de Tau, Reims (1991)
* Paris, rives de la Seine (1991)
* Cathédrale de Bourges (1992)
* Centre historique d’Avignon : Palais des papes, ensemble Episcopal et Pont d’Avignon (1995)
* Canal du Midi (1996)
* Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (1997, 1999) *
* Ville fortifiée historique de Carcassonne (1997) 11, Aude, Languedoc
* Chemins de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle en France (1998)
* Site historique de Lyon (1998)
* Beffrois de Belgique et de France (1999, 2005) * 20 (Aire-sur-la-Lys, Armentières, Arras,, Bailleul, Bergues, Béthune, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Calais, Cambrai, Comines, Douai, Dunkerque (Dunkirk), Gravelines,Hesdin,Lille, Loos, Abbeville, Amiens, Doullens, Lucheux, Rue, St Riquier
* Juridiction de Saint-Émilion (1999)
* Val de Loire entre Sully-sur-Loire et Chalonnes (2000) 21
* Provins, ville de foire médiévale (2001)
* Le Havre, la ville reconstruite par Auguste Perret (2005)

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In direct competition against the remaining ferries on the western Channel, Flybe has announced a new route from Southampton to Cherbourg (50 Manche, Brittany) starting in May. Flying three times a week fares start from as little as £21.99 each way. Even allowing for car hire in France, this may be a cost-effective alternative to the ferry - and the flight takes just 40 minutes.

"The picturesque port in Northern France is the traditional gateway to the Normandy region, an increasingly popular location for second homeowners looking to sample the regions varied coastline and rich countryside. The long sandy beaches stretching across the Cherbourg peninsula and child friendly resorts also make it the perfect destination for a family getaway."

Amongst Cherbourg's attractions is the Liner Terminal,(Gare Maritime Transatlantique) a real celebration of 1930s glamourous maritime architecture - open daily.

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Keywords: France,Travel,air,Southampton,Cherbourg,Brittany

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Telegraph | Travel | Guide to France: a perfect base
The Telegraph online edition has some ideas for the perfect French villages to use as a base for exploring the real France - Figeac (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees), Obernai (67 Bas-Rhin, Alsace), Sisteron (04 Alpes de Haut Provence, Provence), Amboise (37 Indre-et-Loire, Loire Valley), Montreuil-sur-Mer (62 Pas de Calais, Nord-Pas de Calais) and Uzès (30 Gard, Languedoc).
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Spittoon - New Appellation for Bordeaux?
Proposals to amalgamate 5 existing right bank Bordeaux appellations into a new "Cotes de Bordeaux" AC were originally published last Autumn (see http://www.frenchduck.co.uk/frenchwines.htm). And yet several months later little real progress has been made - there seems to be little sense of urgency amongst the Bordelais, as it will take some time for the new "brand" to gain consumer understanding and appreciation.

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Paris, Porte de Versailles (75 Paris, Ile de France) from 10-19 February 2006 - the place to be to see a wide selection of some of the most elegant, romantic and desirable vintage cars from names such as Panhard, Delahaye, Citroën, De Dion Bouton and many more. I don't think you need to be a car buff to enjoy the nostalgia and beauty of these vehicles which are so redolent of another age.

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Keywords: France,Paris,Retromobile

The Paris Vintage car show takes place 10-19 February 2006 at Porte de Versailles

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The British Film Institute on London's South Bank is running a festival of the films of JEAN RENOIR, arguably the best French film maker until 2nd March 2006. So you can indulge yourself in his very French, very atmospheric films of the 1930s through to the 1960s whilst stuck in a London winter - see www.bfi.org.uk

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Keywords: France,Wine,Beef,Aquitaine,Gironde,Landes,Bazas

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The Independent has a raft of French articles this weekend - from an interesting look at the iconic cook and writer Elizabeth David, to a list of the five best viewpoints in France - Montmarte in Paris, Lac de Gaube near Cauterets (65 Haut-Pyrenees,Midi-Pyrenees), Laon (02 Aisne,Picardy),the medieval fortress of Carcassone (11 Aude,Languedoc) and the Gorges de Verdon (85 Var,Provence).I could add the Cathar Chateau de Peyrepertouse (11 Aude, Languedoc), Norman Foster's Viaduc de Millau (12 Aveyron, Midi-Pyrenees) and Les Baux de Provence (13 Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence) and there are doubtless many more which would vie for a place on the list.
There is also a piece on visiting Strasbourg (67 Bas-Rhin,Alsace) - (somewhere I admit I have never really visited); a Traveller's guide to Brittany; 2 articles on a slower approach to getting to the south of France by road (not autoroute) and local train (not TGV) both of which will get you more in touch with the real France if you have the time. Plus articles on the French Riviera and working in France! - see the Independent Online

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Keywords: France,Travel,Strasbourg,Brittany

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Although it takes place in mid-Lent and is outside the normal Carnival season, and it is in the middle of the Loire Valley rather than Rio, the annual Carnival at Cholet (49, Maine et Loire, Pays de la Loire) aspires to offer a riot of colour, music, parades, fireworks and other diversions on Sunday 2 April (daytime parade)and Saturday 8 April 2006 (nighttime parade). The night parade promises to be particularly spectacular as Fire is a particular feature of this version of Carnival, the origin of which was to destroy all traces of meat and fat for the Lenten period. The night procession ends with the ritual burning of one of the floats and fireworks. (NB Lent is "Careme" in French)
For more info see www.ville-cholet.fr

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Keywords: France,Anjou,Carnival,Cholet

Posted by frenchduck at 8:31 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A selection of posters as a souvenir of the Beaujolais wine region in France.


Au Beaujolais
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Beaujolais Vineyard
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Beaujolais Red Grapes in Autumn, Burgundy, France
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Nicolas Poster

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Posted by frenchduck at 6:50 PM | Permalink

Our website (www.frenchduck,com) is rapidly building up a wealth of information on France, French Food, Wine and Travel, which together with our France events calendar can be a valuable source of information on things French. New snippets are added daily, and you can search the whole archive for information on a specific subject, place, wine etc - just use the SEARCH box at the top right of the main page.

Also remember if you come across an error or find something which might be of interest to others (place visited, festival discovered, new road/route, good/bad hotel or restaurant/b&b, French idiosyncracy - then let us know and we'll try to include it! Email us at duck@frenchduck.co.uk

Posted by frenchduck at 1:50 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Culture Shock: France
A new edition of a fascinating and very readable book on France and the French has recently been published (Dec 2005) - "Culture Shock: France" by Sally Adamson Taylor.- a survival guide to customs and etiquette. The book arose from a realisation that whilst France is on one level very familiar, it is also very foreign! If you go to Western Samoa you expect that the people, culture and customs will be strange and different - but somehow the familiarity of France seduces the Anglo-Saxon into thinking we know and understand how the French work. WRONG! Try to understand French pop music, their love of Proust, or their attitude to public sector strikes!!
"Culture Shock France" gives you informative tips on the do's and don'ts in France and "provides you with interesting insights into what makes the French such a wonderful people."
For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Also see our calendar of events in France

Keywords: France,French,customs,etiquette

Posted by frenchduck at 10:39 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Over at Spittoon (www.spittoon.biz)Andrew has enthusiastically reviewed a white Minervois from the Moulin des Nonnes. Although reds make up the bulk of the production from this corner of the Languedoc, I have often thought the whites were under-rated - probably because we tend to think of the best whites coming from cool climate zones rather than the hot and sunny south of France. Minervois also suffers from a rather "rustic" image which works against the expectation of good clean crisp whites. But that is where things are changing, and throughout the Languedoc there are increasing numbers of producers who are really focussed on making quality wines. The grape varieties focus on Roussanne and Grenache Blanc.
The domaine is at Azille (11 Aude, Languedoc) between the Canal du Midi and the Montagne Noire (Black Mountain) although whether there is still a mill (moulin) or any nuns (nonne) I cannot be sure.

The wine is available from Noel Young Wines in Cambridge - who have a tremendous selection of wines including some favourites such as the Corbieres from Castelmaure, Madirans from Chateau Montus and Bouscassé, Cahors from Chateau de Cedre and Jurancons from Charles Hours.

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Keywords: France,Wine,Languedoc,Minervois

Posted by frenchduck at 7:10 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

SpeedFerries (www.speedferries.com) has some good value offers available. Running the fast catamaran service from Dover to Boulogne their route is an attractive alternative to the normal Dover-Calais run. Amongst the offers is a £25.00 overnight return for car + 5; a £25.00 each way advanced booking fare; and a bulk deal of 10 single crossings for £190 valid 2 years! But you need to act fast to take advantage of such deals which probably will not be on offer long!

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Keywords: France,Travel,Ferry,Channel,Boulogne,Speedferries

Posted by frenchduck at 7:10 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

St Raphael (85 Var, Provence) celebrates the flowering of the Mimosa marking the end of winter and the beginning of Spring (well - on the Cote d'Azur) at least - with a parade (Corso), market, walks and an itinerary to the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas. The prospect of blue skies, blue Mediterranean sea and the flowering carpet of yellow mimosa all along the coast sounds pretty seductive when faced with an English February. 11-12 February 2006 - see http://www.saint-raphael.com

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Keywords: France,Provence,Mimosa,Saint,Raphael,Var

Posted by frenchduck at 7:40 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The French have some strange restrictions on the western style of free enterprise - so that each département sets the dates for January sales by law. In 2006 sales in most départements start on January 11th, lasting for between 4 and 6 weeks.

For more info (in French) see www.finances.gouv.fr

For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Keywords: France,Sale,January,Soldes

Posted by frenchduck at 7:02 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Must be serendipity - yesterday finding out about the Truffle Festival at Uzes(30 Gard, Languedoc), and today hearing of the wines of the same town - the Vin de Pays Duche d'Uzes - what is more they are in the January Sale at Leon Stolarski Fine Wines (www.lsfinewines.co.uk). These wines come from an area which straddles the southern Rhône and the Languedoc (north of Nimes, west of Avignon) and features a blend of traditional Grenache and Syrah as well as a couple of Merlot and Cabernet-based reds. Don't be put off by the lowly Vin de Pays appellation - Jancis Robinson has written of the wines from this area with high praise!
Leon Stolarski's list has some other gems from the Languedoc, including Cotes de Brian (sounds like its from Monty Python but is actually from the western part of the Hérault département) which proffers an extraordinary blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Pinot Noir. Other gems come from Minervois Lavinière, Coteaux du Languedoc and Côtes de Roussillon.
- but you need to act soon to get hold of the bargains - and the sale finishes at midnight on 20 January 2006!!

For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: France,Wine,Languedoc,Uzes,Herault,Gard,Stolarski

Posted by frenchduck at 6:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Uzes (30 Gard, Languedoc) hosts its annual Truffle day on Sunday 15 January 2006. This is another of those towns which tends to get missed by many travellers, but a detour up into the Cevennes (north of Nimes, west of Avignon) can be well worthwhile - even in winter if you are a truffle fan. In the appropriately named "Place aux Herbes" from 09h00 to 17h30 you can celebrate the truffle by buying, tasting or learning about the tuber and how to cook with it. The local wine (Vin de Pays Duché d'Uzès) is also on hand to assist digestion and enjoyment.

For more on Uzès see www.uzes-tourisme.com/

For more on French Wine, Food & Travel see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Also see our calendar of events in France
Keywords: France,Wine,Truffle,Uzes,Gard,Truffe,Languedoc

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