Thursday, March 30

The swallows are back!





I woke up to birdsong this morning!

Not just the soothing coo-ing and scratching of the pigeons in the open gutter outside my window (- as they had kept me company through the long winter), but the gentle clear song of the swallows, excited at their return to the eaves of the chateau, darting to and fro, inspecting last year's nests and what restoration work needs doing, and discovering new sites for brand new homes.

The chateau, standing, as it does, with its feet right in the river, and with a roof that offers sites facing in every direction of the compass, is an ideal - and much loved spot - for the swallows during summer.

I look forward to watching them once again industriously building their little 'mud huts' under the eaves, coming and going as the little ones arrive, and then teaching their young to take to wing and soar the skies.


Je vous souhaite les bienvenues, mes petites hirondelles!


Swallows Travel To And Fro
Robert Louis Stevenson

Swallows travel to and fro,
And the great winds come and go,
And the steady breezes blow,
Bearing perfume, bearing love.
Breezes hasten, swallows fly,
Towered clouds forever ply,
And at noonday, you and I
See the same sunshine above.

Let us wander where we will,
Something kindred greets us still;
Something seen on vale or hill
Falls familiar on the heart;
So, at scent or sound or sight,
Severed souls by day and night
Tremble with the same delight -
Tremble, half the world apart.





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    Wednesday, March 29

    An Eclipse of the Sun!






    Although Lalinde is no ones centre of the universe, even here we have seen the eclipse of the sun today -- in fact, a 23,6% eclipse which started at 11h29, reached its maximum at 12h23 and disappeared again at 13h19. I stood out on the terrace of the chateau and followed the moon's sinister course across the face of the sun, and wondered what my ancestors thought 6-700 years ago when they stood in that same spot and saw the same phenomenon!


    A phenomenon which is quite common, seeing as we experience eclipses on average twice a year, and to which we can add the more frequent lunar eclipses as well -- but a phenomenon which never ceases to amaze and delight me.

    Most eclipses are partial -- the projected shadow of the moon reaches over 7000 kilometers, whilst the central zone of its extent, the spot where the eclipse is concentrated, is only 260 kilometers wide -- not a large shadow, after all!

    Since Claude Ptolémée in the 2nd century we have known about eclipses and how they come about, and since the 18th century we have been able to forcast when these phenomena will take place. And of course, since the advent of computers, that which took the ancient atronomers at least a month to calculate --- the course and duration of the eclipse, ---we can now calculate in a few seconds.

    Since the beginning of time, eclipses were associated with catastrophes and major events -- such as the fall of Constantinople and the battle of Alexander against Darius. This time should prove no exception.

    It took scientists a lot of persuading to assure people that the last full eclipse of the sun in 1999 had nothing to do with the two huge earthquakes which happened straight after -- where more than 20 000 people were killed.

    Would the people of Israel see the eclipse perhaps as the sign from heaven that they have elected the right/wrong new leader in Olmert?

    And in Niger, where the eclipse should be almost total today, a high muslim cleric has called the believers in this country to collective prayer as the eclipse is seen as a "sign that order should be re-established".

    Let us wait and see --- and particularly in the areas where it will be total darkness during the middle of the day today, namely Ghana, Togo, Bénin, Nigeria, Niger, Libia, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, the south of Russia and Kazakhstan --- about 600 kilometers from Almaty where the final power of the moon over the sun will be seen today.







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    Tuesday, March 28

    Blogs: More on "the unedited voice of the people."





    I came across this little article By Jennifer GarrettEats, Blogs and Leaveswhilst looking for some advice on another matter, and as I loved the original little book of Lynne Truss, and as it gives a lovely insight into blogging style, I thought you may be interested to read it as a follow-on to my earlier article on blogging!

    One person's revolution is another person's pain.

    Just ask Lynne Truss, the author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. A self-described stickler for punctuation, she despairs at the misplaced apostrophe, the erroneous colon, the dangling comma — all of which are far too commonplace on the internet, where the motto seems to be: Faster, Blogger! Kill! Kill! Kill!

    Nevertheless, Truss acknowledges that "this is an exciting time for the written word: it is adapting to the ascendant medium, which happens to be the most immediate, universal, and democratic medium that has ever existed." With the ever-expanding power of the blog, more and more people have the opportunity to voice their ideas in the public arena. But why is blogging so powerful?

    Because blogs are the unedited voice of the people.

    And why is blogging so horrifying to sticklers like Truss?

    Because blogs are the unedited voice of the people.

    Though Blogger gives everything else away for free, sadly the service does not come with a cranky grammar bitch with blue pencil in hand. Luckily for you, however, it does come with a spell-check and an edit button. These tools are your friends. Use them.

    A blogger must be a writer and an editor if he wants to attract and keep readers. A well-written blog indicates respect both for the medium and for the reader. Proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar are not merely the tools by which anal-retentive freaks like me get their kicks; they give words meaning, clarity, and, if you're lucky, beauty. Proper punctuation can mean the difference between comments full of flame wars and comments rife with meaningful discourse.

    Be kind to your reader. Capitalization and punctuation are the easiest ways to indicate exactly what you're trying to say. It's time for a little tough love, people: Anyone who types in all lowercase needs to be taken out back and beaten. You are not e.e. cummings; you are not being "artistic." You're just too lazy to hit the shift key. If you can't be bothered with the extra keystroke, I can't be bothered to read your site. Don't turn off readers before they even get to your words. (A refusal to capitalize is just one grammar horror that can be spotted at first glance. I can also spot an overuse of the ellipsis at 50 paces. There are two reasons to use an ellipsis (and neither one is because you don't want to write a transition): Use an ellipsis to indicate words omitted from a direct quote or to trail off intriguingly. If neither of these are your intention, try a period. Dot. Full stop. Terminal punctuation can be your friend.)

    Both the agony and the ecstasy of blogging is the ability to publish your words so easily; one might even say at the push of a button. This ease-of-use, however, seems to be accompanied by lack-of-use; our internal editors appear to be on eternal vacation when it comes to the internet. "It's just an e-mail" or "It's just a blog" are no excuses for rushed thinking (or even rushed typing). The world can wait a few more minutes. Sit back for a second. Compose your thoughts. Then release to the world your 800-word treatise on why Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is the greatest movie ever made.

    Taking time before you write is just one step in the process of the well-written blog. Read over your posts before you publish them; read them over after you've published them. Personally, I always find mistakes after I hit the publish button. (It's a curse.) But if you find the mistakes first, you can avoid that annoying e-mail from the grammar police: "Dear Blogger: You suck. In your post 'Why Barbie Is Bad,' you incorrectly used 'it's' when you should have used 'its.' I'm just telling you this for your own good. Love, analgrammarfreak.com." And if you think people don't write these messages, you are sadly misguided. (Okay, maybe I just write these messages.)

    I'm not asking that you be able to name the preterit, imperfect, and subjunctive forms of the verb 'to be.' You don't need to know the 17 reasons to insert a comma into a sentence. (Although, if you did know all 17 reasons, that would be totally hot.) The best way to better grammar: Simplify. If you don't know whether or not to use a colon, a semicolon, or a dash, cut that sentence down! Brevity is the source of wit, after all.

    Every blog is a learning experience. You will make mistakes. (I've lost count of how many I've made in this article alone.) Everyone makes mistakes. (In fact, The New Yorker delighted in pointing out all the errors in Eats, Shoots & Leaves.) But let them be honest mistakes, not careless ones. Otherwise, I will report you to the Apostrophe Protection Society. Don't say I didn't warn you.

    Jennifer Garrett is a writer and editor living in Boston. She believes that to err is human; to blog, divine.


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    Nation-wide Strikes: France comes to a virtual standstill


    There are no papers out on the streets today..

    But there are people in the streets.....

    Wanting to find out what is happening out there in the world will have to wait. The entire country is standing in solidarity behind the under-26 year olds in their fight against the new law imposed by the very unpopular government.

    When the French decide to strike, the entire country comes to a grinding halt -- and if you had thought to go join the masses in the streets to protest, you may just have great difficulty in getting there ---
    Transport by rail, underground, bus, air, road and water- is non-existent today ---the nationwide strike has closed almost all of France's transport networks.

    French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy met police in the capital before the march, and told them to only get tough with those he called delinquents. He asked that they protect the demonstrators, especially the youngest ones but to arrest as many thugs as they can. This afternoon there were some reports of fighting as crowds took to the streets in Paris amid a hail storm -- enough to get the emotions going any time --- but for the most part, the mood has been farily peaceful.

    Unions said between 200,000 and 250,000 people turned out for a march in Marseille - many more than at the previous worker-student demonstrations on 18 March and in the western city of Nantes, police put the figure at 42,000, more than double the 18 March turnout. Le Mans, Rouen and Tours also reported increased crowds.

    Schools, post-offices, banks, government offices and unemployment bureaux are also closed, as are the gas, electricity, financial institutions.

    Protesters are bitterly opposed to the First Employment Contract (CPE), which allows employers to end job contracts for under-26s at any time during a two-year trial period without having to offer an explanation or give prior warning.

    The government says it will encourage employers to hire young people, but students fear it will erode job stability in a country where more than 20% of 18-to-25-year-olds are unemployed.

    The latest demonstrations are seen to be a real test of the Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's resolve, and it is hard to see how he can break the stalemate. But the latest news is that he still will not budge. ------- which may well be the death knell for this government and pave the way for the next......for, to find a solution without losing face - or ground to his main rival for the presidency, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy - is proving the biggest challenge of Mr de Villepin's political career.


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    Monday, March 27

    Welkom aan al die Suid-Afrikaanse Lesers van my blog!



    Een van die groot plesiere is om te kan opkyk wie almal die blog lees, en baie gereeld is daar lesers in Suid-Afrika wat 'n bietjie tyd hier kom spandeer.

    Aan julle almal se ek 'n ekstra warm welkom! -- dit is sommer lekker om julle hier in Frankryk, ver van huis en familie en vriende, in my nuwe tuiste te ontvang! Kuier so lank as wat julle wil, en kyk wat maak 'n boeremeisie van Pretoria-herkoms in die land van haar voorvaders.

    En moenie huiwer om te kliek op die "Comments" onder aan enige een van die artikels -- en 'n boodskap/opmerking/vraag/kommentaar, of net jul eie groetnis te skryf nie!

    Ek wag net vir my eerste Suid-Afrikaanse besoeker, en die vlag sal trots waai voor die Franse chateau!



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    The Sunday Soirée at the Chateau

    Once a month, a group of--, on average about 15 interesting and interested women, different origins, different cultures and customs and languages, different professions and fields of expertise, get together at the chateau to network, share knowledge and ideas, forge friendships and enjoy a magnificent meal.

    Here Emma and Robyn are 'signing' the Chateau's 'visitor's book-with-a-difference',






    Colette explains some of the finer nuances of the French Language to Una,






    and while Colleen, Charlotte, Kathy, Lesley and Esme enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine, the rest of us are putting the final touches to the various dishes that each guest has brought for the meal.



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    The Power of Blogging!

    A Blogger is nominated for a BBC prize for non-fiction


    The Blog is
    Riverbend: Baghdad Burning
    , and the blogger has been posting from Iraq since August 2003.

    This anonymous blog by a young woman in war-torn Iraq has been longlisted for BBC Four's Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction, with prize money of £30 000. The winner will be announced on 14 June.
    "Baghdad Burning", a first-hand account written under the pseudonym Riverbend, is one of 19 books in contention. Professor Robert Winston, chair of the judging panel, said this year's longlist contained "an exceptionally wide variety of genres" --- as is evident in some of the books on the list, such as Alan Bennett's Untold Stories, a biography of 19th-Century cook and author Mrs Beeton and a study of post-war US-Soviet relations.

    Previous winners of the prize include Like a Fiery Elephant, Jonathan Coe's biography of the author BS Johnson, and Stasiland, Anna Funder's chronicle of the hardships endured by people from the former East Germany.

    It is the first time the contents of a blog has been nominated for a literary award -- and most certainly will not be the last. Blogging is 'a different' form of publishing ones writing, and the fact that it is now being recognised as "published/printed writing" should go a long way to develop further recognition of this important medium.

    The continuing growth of blogging has also changed the way journalists think about their work, argues technology analyst Bill Thompson. See article

    Another first short-list for a literary prize that rewards bloggers has been announced -- this time for bloggers turned bookwriters. Dubbed the Blooker Prize, the contest is for those bloggers who have turned their episodic journals into something more substantial. --The first winner of the Blooker Prize will be announced on 3 April.

    British entries on the Blooker short-list include the intimate diary of a prostitute and a guide to the UK's best "greasy spoon" cafes.

    The Blooker Prize was first suggested in October 2005 and was the creation of Bob Young, founder of self-publishing site Lulu which sponsors the prize. In the last few years, regularly updated web logs - or blogs - have become a major feature on the internet and now there are believed to be more than 60 million of them in existence. There are blogs on any and every subject and many of the writers behind blogs have found their passions for a particular subject and writing style has won them a regular and appreciative audience. Some blogs or their authors have become so popular that they have turned to traditional print to collect their thoughts or explore their interest at greater length.

    One blogger comments: "There's definitely a romance to cafes. Once there you can easily get yourself into the frame of mind that you are about to start a novel" , and as probably the world's expert of cyber cafes, and - having almost finished my novel on cyber relationships, I can most certainly second that!

    A total of 89 entries made it to the Lulu Blooker's long-list and this has been whittled down to just 16 that will compete for the prize money. The entries are arranged into three categories - fiction, non-fiction and comics - and the winners of two of these sections get a cash prize of £550 ($1,000). The winner of the grand prize gets a cash prize of £1,100 ($2,000).

    The short-list is dominated by US entries but the UK has two strong contenders in the running. One is notorious Belle De Jour, who blogs about life as a prostitute.
    The other contender is Russell Davies, who turned his affection for "greasy spoon" cafes into a blog called eggschipsbaconandbeans and a book detailing the 50 best cafes in the UK.




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    Monday, March 20

    An ode to Spring: Les Quatrains de saison.......

    One swallow does not a summer make, I know, but I look around me and I know : Spring has arrived!



    Le Printemps
    Charles d'Orleans (1391-1465)

    Il n'y a ni bête, ni oiseau
    Qu'en son langage ne chante ou crie
    Le temps a laissé son manteau
    De vent, de froidure et de pluie.

    Rivières, fontaines et ruisseaux
    Portent en livrée jolie,
    Gouttes d'argent, d'orfèvrerie
    Chacun s'habille de nouveau.



    Printemps
    Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

    C'est la jeunesse et le matin.
    Vois donc, ô ma belle farouche,
    Partout des perles : dans le thym,
    Dans les roses, et dans ta bouche.

    L'infini n'a rien d'effrayant ;
    L'azur sourit à la chaumière ;
    Et la terre est heureuse, ayant
    Confiance dans la lumière.



    Premier sourire du printemps
    Theophile Gautier (1811-1872)

    Dans le verger et dans la vigne,
    Il s'en va, furtif perruquier,
    Avec une houppe de cygne,
    Poudrer à frimas l'amandier.

    La nature au lit se repose ;
    Lui descend au jardin désert,
    Et lace les boutons de rose
    Dans leur corset de velours vert.



    Impression de Printemps
    Paul Verlaine (1844-1896)

    Hélas ! faut-il que meure ce bonheur ?
    Meurent plutôt la vie et son tourment !
    O dieux cléments, gardez-moi du malheur
    D'à jamais perdre un moment si charmant.



    Dans l'Air frais du matin
    Albert Samain (1858-1900)

    Le printemps odorant la divine féerie,
    Le renouveau fêtant sa jeune volupté
    S'incarne pour mon coeur dans ta robe fleurie
    Et dans ton corps exquis comme un rêve sculpté.




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    Sunday, March 19

    In the land of the gods, one will always find angels....

    In this area, Saturday night is often the night when the locals will go listen to music -- be it the Celtic (Breton/Irish) music at the Le Petit Loup, or the Mozart piano recital in the Issigeac Church, or the Sound of a Thousand Choirs echoing through the valley, from every village, every church, every group of angelic voices.........
    Chorale "Amis Voix", Master Pascal Laborde : Photo:Sven Andrén


    And Sunday may well be when you wake up to the droning and reverberating sound of herds of Harley Davidsons and Suzuki's and Yamaha's, as another kind of angel come riding on their gleaming steel steeds through your village on their way to some or other get-together in the region........
    Photo: Thierry Lecomte


    Last night saw a thousand choirs along the length and breadth of France performing in aid of RETINA, the organization which works at combatting eye diseases, and I had the pleasure of attending one of these events, where five choirs from this area tooks turns in entertaining a full 16th century church at Le Buisson. We listened to Dalmation traditional songs, to Serge Gainsbourg's genius, to Ronsard's poetry and Handel's opulent crescendos.

    And this morning thousands of motorbike enthusiasts from the area came through Lalinde on their way to Le Bugue for a day of friendship and shared passion for their bikes.
    Photo: Michel Marcand






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    Saturday, March 18

    Our next literary evening: A scoop!

    We have been very fortunate to have "one of France's favourite English sons" accept an invitation to come give a talk at the Chateau Lalinde on Friday 12 May!


    "formidably droll with a touch of the wacko", and "Toujours aussi vrai, authentique, so British...Evidemment il faut le lire en version originale ! Les expressions sont parfois bilingues et cela n'en est que plus génial!" is the way his books are described!

    Un Anglais a Paris, is a wonderfully warm and witty love letter to one of the world's great cities. Peter Mayle, author of A YEAR IN PROVENCE, writes in his Preface to this charming travel memoir: 'Michael Sadler was born in Lewes, a small town in the south of England. This was a geographical accident. He should have emerged from the womb in Paris, looking anxiously about him for a suitable place to have lunch.'

    He may not have been born there, but Michael Sadler eventually found his spiritual home. AN ENGLISHMAN IN PARIS is his delightful account of his first year in the French capital, describing with alternate affection and bemusement such continental confusions as the etiquette of flower-buying, the role of cricket in French foreplay, and the dangers 'black butter' presents not just to one's cholesterol levels but also to dry-cleaning bills.

    Knowing that however keen you might be to excel in such matters, it's easy to get it wrong abroad. South coast-born, (but temperamentally Parisian manqué), Sadler decided to spend a year in the city of Renoir and Debussy to steep himself in continental manners. Braving the terrifying French traffic, finding out what wine to buy at the Bon Marché, tackling a diner bourgeois, negotiating affairs of the heart, coming to terms with tripe, and a million other challenges peculiar to the French capital--all these became grist to Sadler's mill, and if he didn't crack all of them, we are the beneficiaries of his wise and witty advice on how not to make too much of an ass of yourself. Sadler points out that the best approach is a commixing of British cool and French gusto. As he risked his cholesterol levels with mouth-watering French cuisine and learnt how not to give offence (or how to give it, if necessary) and as he discovers how to belong in a city that is distrustful of incomers, the process is fascinating.
    Beautifully observed and very funny, Un Anglais à Paris has delighted armchair travellers and Francophiles alike, as have Un anglais amoureux de la France, Un Anglais à la campagne, and his latest book Cabotin

    • Conférence : « UN ANGLAIS AMOUREUX » de Michael Sadler
    Vendredi 12 mai 19h00
    Au Château Lalinde, 1 rue de Verdun, Lalinde.
    Participation 7€
    Tél. : 0553741785



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    Eh bah oui!.....The people are in the streets again

    It must seem that there is always some kind of demonstration going in France. But that is the way of the French -- they are intensely political and they voice their opinions - and as much as it may seem disruptive and unnecessary to foreigners in France, I find it hugely refreshing to be living amongst people who are aware and informed, who are interested in what their government does, debate the issues at every opportunity, discuss and qustion, hold their leaders accountable for every decision and every action, and finally are prepared to go out on a limb -- or as is the French way -- out into the streets! to protest against anything that does not please them.

    Unfortunately, the protests have now turned violent across France -- and the leaders amongst the ppponents of the new French labour law are calling for at least a million people to demonstrate against the controversial legislation today.
    Some 300 people were arrested on Thursday after mass rallies ended in violence in Paris and other cities.

    French President Jacques Chirac called for immediate talks between ministers and trade union leaders and said the law was important for fighting joblessness and called for further protests to be peaceful. But -- trade unionists and students oppose the new youth employment law. The law, known as the CPE, (First Employment Contract) allows new workers under the age of 26 to be dismissed within a two-year trial period.

    These street protests have become the biggest headache French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has had to face. But then -- the people of France in general seem to be against no matter what the current government proposes or does, and although the new law is probably an excellent one, (and was proposed by the government to help youths in the French suburbs who took to the streets last year, many of whom were unhappy with the lack of employment opportunities), it was never going to be accepted readily, no matter how well or different it had been handled. The people have had enough of this government.

    Echoes of 1968
    The worst violence on Thursday was in Paris, where riot police fired rubber bullets and tear gas. Unrest was also reported in some of the other 80 cities holding rallies. The Paris march, which police said was attended by 30,000 but which organisers put at 120,000-strong, was mainly peaceful.

    However, a group of about 300 masked protesters threw missiles at police, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets and clashes went on into the evening and resulted in more than 300 arrests. The measure has become a rallying point for the left and the far left, uniting the May 1968 generation with its children, who want the same job security their parents enjoyed.

    The violence is blamed on "provocative students" and the majority of the students bemoan the fact that the demonstrations have not stayed peaceful. They are also serious about their studies and wish to return to their lectures, but this is an important issue to them, and they will not accept it.

    Speaking to one of the protesting students, it is clear that they are not simply troublemakers who are looking to get time off their studies. "I agree we must be flexible, but not like this. France can never hope to compete with China and India in terms of cheapness of labour, so has to work hard to find other competitive advantages, such as more funding for high-tech industries in order to create new jobs." This student will be out on the streets again today, hoping that if enough people join the demonstrations, they could prove a turning point in forcing the government to retract its new deal for the young.

    Another student said he was going to be in the streets today with his mother and his father -- the first time the family has demonstrated together since 1995, when another French government was forced to back down on its reform proposals.

    Why demonstrate as a family? "Because today, with this new law, I will be in competition with my parents for jobs. We have a saying now in France: 'Hey, dad, I got a new job - it's yours.' And I really don't want that situation in France."


    And for many there was once again a sense of a nation at war with itself over how best to face the future.

    The economy is the main battleground: pitching those who want change, against many of the young who feel betrayed, and long for the old certainties of jobs for life and guaranteed pensions - and a generous welfare system.

    In other words, all the benefits enjoyed by the generation which took to the barricades themselves in France in May 1968, yet who can no longer promise the same for their children and grandchildren.



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    Friday, March 17

    Spring is in the air! The First Snow drops!

    Photos: Sven Andrén


    Yesterday a group of us was given a private tour of the Gardens of Marqueyssac by charming and competent Stephanie. The day was perfect: the late afternoon sun dancing over the rounded shapes of the 150 000 box plants, carefully and artistically pruned in an Italian style of the Romantic Era. Tha Garden dates back to the late 1700's and was recently (1997)restored to its current splendour - after having been standing almost forgotten and completely overgrown for over fifty years before that. The resilience and the remarkable character of the box cannot possibly be displayed more effectively than in this beautiful and unique garden!



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    Tuesday, March 14

    The Dordogne Valley: An ideal film location

    Commarque



    Just a few of the many films that have been filmed in this area:

    • 1970 Le boucher, of Claude Chabrol in Trémolat
    • 1972 Colinot trousse chemise, of Nina Companeez in Saint Cybranet and Sarlat
    • 1977 Les Duellistes, of Ridley Scott in Sarlat, Vitrac, Tursac and Commarque
    • 1981 Histoire d'Adrien, of Jean Pierre Denis in Saint Léon sur l'Isle, Marsac, Douzillac, Périgueux
    • 1982 Les Misérables, of Robert Hossein in Monpazier, Sireuil, Sarlat and Saint Cyprien
    • 1983 La Palombière, of Jean Pierre Denis in St Léon sur l'Isle
    • 1985 Le voyage incertain, of Jean-Louis Lignerat in Sarlat, Commarque, Tursac and Terrasson
    1985 Plenty, of Fred Schepisi, with Meryl Streep and Sam Neill in Hautefort and Montignac
    • 1986 Champ d'honneur, of Jean Pierre Denis in Saint Léon sur l'Isle
    • 1987 L'inspecteur mène l'enquête, of Claude Chabrol in Brantôme
    • 1988 Le Grand Chemin, of Jean Louis Hubert in Issigeac
    • 1988 Périgord Noir, of Nicolas Ribowski in Meyrals, Castels, Le Coux and Le Buisson
    • 1988 La Soule, of Michel Sibra in Issigeac, Bannes, Beaumont
    • 1989 Les Bois Noirs, of Jacques Deray in Périgueux and Clermont de Beauregard
    • 1989 Les Enfants de Lascaux, of Maurice Bunio in Montignac and Commarque

    • 1990 Les Dames Galantes, of Jean-Charles Tacheilla in Sarlat, Losse and Beynac
    1990 Jean Galmot aventurier, of André Maline in Monpazier and Montfort
    • 1991 Becoming Colette, of Danny Huston in Périgueux, Fanlac and Sarlat
    • 1993 La fille de d'Artagnan, of Bertrand Tavernier in Sarlat, Commarque and Biron
    • 1994 La rivière Espérance, of Josée Dayan, based on the book of Christian Signol, filmed on the Dordogne river itself
    • 1996 Les Visiteurs, of J.-M. Poiré in Beynac

    Chocolat with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp in Beynac
    • 1991 Cinderella or Forever After with Drew Barrymore in Sarlat and Hautefort
    • 1998 Jeanne d'Arc, of Luc Besson in Sarlat








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    Sunday, March 12

    Vide-Greniers and Brocante Sales : Junk - or a treasure trove?

    The term "vide-grenier" can mean a car boot sale or a jumble sale - but you may find something to treasure." Brocante" is one step up, and is likely to signify low-grade antiques. The secret is to spend a lot of time looking very carefully through everything that is there. There are probably about 200 items of "rubbish" for every one item of real value. It helps to have a certain amount of knowledge of what you are looking at. For example, is a highly priced piece of porcelain really a precious piece of 150 years of age, or simply an odd plate thrown out of someone's kitchen? Is that set of copper pots genuine, or made in last week in someone's backyard? And then of course, one has to keep a sense of realism about oneself --- and not get carried away spending money on a whole car-load of junk which you will take home and suddenly realise you did not want at all!
    Either way, it's fun browsing.

    Here is a list of some of the vide-greniers or brocante events in the Lalinde area over the next two months:



    Sunday 19 March
    Bergerac (18th Collectors' Salon) =
    Champcevine (GRANDE BRADERIE)


    Monday 20 March
    Champcevinel (GRANDE BRADERIE)


    Tuesday 21 March
    Champcevinel (GRANDE BRADERIE)


    Wednesday 22 March

    Champcevinel (GRANDE BRADERIE)
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Thursday 23 Marche
    Champcevinel (GRANDE BRADERIE)


    Sunday 26 March
    Bergerac (Vide grenier)
    Sarlat-la-Canéda ( monthly Brocante)


    Wedneaday 29 March
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Sunday 2 April
    Périgueux (Vide-greniers)
    Saint-Astier (VIDE GRENIER)


    Wedneaday 5 April
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Saturday 8 April
    Lalinde (Marché aux puces)
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Wednesday 12 April
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Wednesday 19 April
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Wednesday 26 April
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Sunday 30 April
    Sarlat-la-Canéda (nothly Brocante)


    Wednesday 3 May
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Wednesday 10 May
    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Saturday 31 May
    Lalinde (Marché aux puces)

    Nontron ("A la découverte")


    Sunday 14 May
    Coursac (13the annual brocante)


    Wednesday 17 May
    Nontron ("A la découverte")




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    Marianne : c'est la liberté , l'égalité et la fraternité





    This past week we celebrated The Day of the Woman, and what better example of womanhood than Marianne, the French icon and symbol of freedom, equality and brotherhood.


    This national emblem of France is present everywhere but holds a place of honor in town halls and law courts. She symbolizes the "Triumph of the Republic", a bronze sculpture overlooking the Place de la Nation in Paris. Her profile stands out on the official seal of the country, is engraved on French euro coins, and appears on French postage stamps; it also was featured on the former French franc coins and banknotes. Marianne is in fact considered one of the most prominent symbols of the French Republic.


    The name Marie-Anne was a very popular name amongst the women of 13thC France - but only amongst the commoners, not the aristocracy, so when the people looked for a name that stood for a change of government, an inspiration in the revolution, the 'mother of the nation' who would nourish and protect the people of the republic - Marianne was the popular choice.

    Why is it a woman and not a man who represents the Republic? - an interesting question often asked. One could find the answer to this question in the traditions and mentality of the French, suggests the historian Maurice Agulhon, who in several well-known works set out on a detailed investigation to discover the origins of Marianne. A feminine allegory was also a manner to symbolise the breaking with the monarchical regime headed by men. Note also that liberté, égalité, fraternité, république and France are feminine words in French, and that, even before the French Revolution, France or the Kingdom of France were embodied in feminine figures, as depicted in certain ceilings of Palace of Versailles.


    After the fall of the monarchy, the Provisional Government had declared: "The image of liberty should replace everywhere the images of corruption and shame, which have been broken in three days by the magnanimous French people." Two "Mariannes" were authorised: the one is fighting and victorious, recalling the Greek goddess Athena; the other is wise and serious. She wears the Phrygian cap, which, since antiquity, was regarded as an emblem of freedom --the Phrygian cap was worn during the Roman Empire by former slaves who had been emancipated by their master and whose descendants were therefore considered citizens of the Empire. This usage is often considered the root of its meaning as a symbol of liberty. (In Byzantium, Anatolian Phrygia lay to the east of Constantinople.)

    Today Marianne remains as attractive as ever. She even has grown younger. The official busts, after having had anonymous features, began taking on the features of famous women during the Fifth Republic: the first was Brigitte Bardot in 1970, with the design of the sculptor Alain Gourdon, aka Aslan, who reportedly did the job initially as a joke. She was followed by Mireille Mathieu (1978, Aslan again), Catherine Deneuve (1985), Inès de la Fressange (1989) and Laetitia Casta (2000). In late 2003, Évelyne Thomas, a talk show host, was chosen as the new Marianne


    Blue-white-red, Marianne, Liberté-Egalité-Fraternité, the Republic: these powerful national symbols represent France and its values. Since September 1999, they have been combined in a new "identifier" created by the French government of Lionel Jospin under the aegis of the French Government. As a federating identifier of the government departments, it appears on a wide range of material – brochures, internal and external publications, publicity campaigns, letter headings, business cards, etc. – emanating from the government, starting with the various ministries and the préfectures, decentralised government departments in the regions and départements.


    The first objective targeted by this design is to unify government public relations. But it is also designed to give a more accessible image to a State currently seen as abstract, remote and archaic, all the more essential in that French citizens express high expectations of the State.






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