Train strikes, Fabulous Icelanders, fish, persimmons, discoveries, people and places during the autumn of 2007

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Learning French : One phrase a day

If you watch French television or listen to French radio, you may have heard the latest throw-away line
"Que du bonheur!"
- in particular when someone has just had good news or had achieved something which they had worked very hard for.
It is in fact the shortened version of "Ce n'est qu du bonheur", but the first part of the sentence has fallen away in the great excitement and joie absolue that the speaker experiences.
"What a joy!" "Pure bliss!"
is what he is saying --- and what a handy phrase to have when you pen your window these mornings to the exquisitely crisp and clear early winter mornings!

Excellent Language School in the Dordogne:
Aquitaine Langues

The best way to learn a language: Total immersion:
Le Français Face à Face

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A great new magazine in the Dordogne

I recently came across a magazine - freely on offer on the counter of my little supermarket -- that I took home and read from cover to cover - finding the articles pertinent, well written and informative, and presented in a reader-friendly and attractive way.

In a market already well-supplied with various how-to and setting-you-on-your-way publications, this one appealed to me. It contains just enough to take in in one go.

Expats have no shortage of helpful publications, but often they are so packed with so much information that it is impossible to remember half of it -- let alone remember where to go look for it again when you need the information.

"Impressions" has just enough of a variety of things, and with the clearly defined content, coming back to the correct copy which contains the specific information you will need some time in the future, should be a diddle.

I decided to go look for the person behind this lovely little magazine, "Impressions".

Jon Burton is the man, and he was ready to tell me more:

A: Thank you for your kind words regarding Impressions magazine.
The magazine was launched in April 2003 in the Deux Sèvres department of the Poitou - Charentes. Its aim was to help integration between the French and English speaking communities, promote local attractions and events and to promote both French and English speaking registered artisans. Impressions magazine carries both feature and general interest articles making it different to the likes of French News, Connexions and Sud Ouest which are predominately current affairs newspapers.

Impressions magazine expanded rapidly in the Deux Sèvres and soon was being distributed in all departments of the Poitou Charentes. It now has a content of 28 pages, a readership of over 20,000 and carries 60+ advertisers.

Q: So it is not a new magazine?

A: No, in the Dordogne it is, but as a magazine it is already well established ---- In fact, it is now in its fifth year.

Q: You say there are 60+ advertisers. Yet reading the magazine, one does not get that 'crowded' feeling with too many advertisements competing for space with the articles.

A: That is good, because it really is a symbiotic relationship ---- the advertisers are not only important to us, but to the reader as well, as they are the people that make up the networking system of the expat in his new home. And of course, the magazine is wholly funded by advertising revenue, keeping it free to the reader ----- thus generating greater exposure for the advertiser. Impressions magazine also has a large subscriber base of readers who have the magazine delivered to their door throughout the world. Being a well-established magazine already, it has become a much relied upon and successful medium and has many advertisers who have been advertising from issue one including Century 21, AXA insurance and local Notaires.

Q: Interesting, because it is not a very 'big' magazine.

A: Yes, but we are confident we can replicate the success of the magazine here in the Dordogne and believe that Impressions magazine will be a good medium for businesses to advertise at a lower cost than other publications. --- Although Impressions magazine is starting as a 12 page magazine for the Dordogne edition, this is expected to increase in size rapidly.

Q: Ah! I hope not too big -- because that is exactly what I found was unique about it and made it so attractive to me as the reader -- the 'digestible' size!

A: And its availability, I hope! -----We are also pleased to announce that we have signed a partnership agreement with the Chambre de Commerce et Industry of Dordogne and the Bergerac Airport Authority. This will ensure that the magazine will be made available to a wider audience hence offering better coverage for advertisers.

As well as being available in the Arrival and Departure Halls at Bergerac Airport, 3000 copies of Impressions magazine will be distributed in restaurants, bars, tabacs, banks, supermarkets, immobiliers, Office de Tourisme and insurance offices, initially throughout the areas of:- Riberac, Bergerac, Eymet, Lalinde, Monbazillac, Saint Foy and Mussidan.

We wish Impressions much success in the Perigord Dordogne ---
Look out for it wherever you are and have a look for yourself --
and do let us know what you think about it!

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November in France ; The true test for Sarkozy's strength as leader?

As a supporter of a strong leadership for France in Sarkozy, I have, along with the rest of the population, been watching avidly what is to transpire this month in France. There are strikes looming of mammoth proportions -- strikes that will affect everyone, wherever they are in France. Tourism, that has enjoyed such a boom, will be badly affected. The news channels show little else than spot interviews with the citoyens in the streets, the flag and banner waving leftists, the wise old owls in the grands salons of the capitol -- the overall judgement seeming to be that Sarkozy has to stand strong and finish what he set out to do the day he stepped into the role as France's President.

When one considers the radical changes his government announced, it is not surprising that, in a country where the people say what they think -- and be assured, they do think -- will take to the streets and voice their opinions -- albeit in the form of strikes and demonstrations. It is good that this happens -- it is good that there is a strong political awareness and a sense of freedom of speech, especially under an exceptionally strong leadership.

So, it was just a matter of time for the strikes and the demonstrations to start.

And yet -- as I said, we will all be affected -- and affected quite noticeably -- and where it hurts. The country's economy needs a push badly, and many of the changes put in action are exactly aimed to do that. But grinding the country's transport to a halt, will not only set back the timing schedule of the proposed changes and resulting improvements and growth, it could cripple the country to such an extent that the proposed changes may have to be put on the back burner for too long a time.

The next month will be the deciding moment -- when the work force of France and their chosen leader come face to face in a battle of wills. The virtual - albeit temporary demise of the Socialists -- interesting that it is the Communist leaders' opinions that are now sought in radio and television debates --- and therefore the absence of their strong support to the strikers, could well be what swings the odds in favour of the president. However, my naive political idealism would hope that reason will truimph in the end and that it will be Sarkozy's strength of conviction that will persuade the union leaders and their rent-a-crowd followers that even if change is painful for the moment, the result will be to everyone's benefit.

And as for the students that are planning to strike too? My advice to them is to grow up. A handful of people who are looking for personal fame are leading you by the nose -- because they know that can! Go attend your lectures, finish your studies and then take your place in the arena of the leaders of your country and there -- and only then -- you will make a difference in the world.

On the Expatica site, Hannah Westley gives this comprehensive synopsis of what is de rigueur in France this November. (an extract)

"Editor’s Diary - Black November

So we’re in for a chaotic few days, perhaps even a few weeks, as the unions and the public sector flex their muscle in the face of President Sarkozy’s promised pension reforms.

The indefinite strike will hit the national railway company SNCF starting Tuesday evening and the RATP, which runs Paris’ metros and buses, the following day. Union members at power and gas utilities also plan to join in. Meanwhile, student unions are rejecting plans to make universities more autonomous and are also joining the protests. Later in the month, millions of civil servants, including teachers, are set to go on strike on November 20 to oppose planned public-sector job cuts. Judges and courtroom staff will also go on strike on November 29 to protest against a reform of the judicial map of France.

Many of us expats will bemoan the extra complications all this strike action entails: getting to work on time, if at all, the traffic, lack of parking spaces, weekends away that have to be cancelled. According to a poll published last week, a majority of the French will be complaining too: 69 per cent of the French are said to support the government’s strong stance.

In an interview with Journal de Dimanche, Prime Minister François Fillon said the government’s latest proposals are non-negotiable: “In the past, we’ve presented reform projects that were too ambitious, and finally we relented and were left with only an illusion of reform… We no longer want that. We’ve presented a reasonable project. The status quo is no longer possible.”

This week could be the real test of Sarkozy’s resolve and the political vultures are already watching and waiting. For those of you who have missed the fun, here’s what some of the press is saying:

For the International Herald Tribune, Sarkozy is already putting his legacy on the line: “If he surrenders to strikers planning to bring France to a halt in the coming days and weeks, his reformist credentials may end up irrevocably damaged. If he holds firm against stubborn unions, he stands a chance of joining the ranks of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan as a leader who forced momentous change on a nation in bad need of an overhaul. Crucially, the reform-resistant French public may this time take Sarkozy’s side.”

The Independent sees Sarkozy and his Prime Minister François Fillon playing out a bizarre soft cop-hard cop double-act: “President Sarkozy and his Prime Minister, M. Fillon has repeatedly stated that there can be no turning back, especially in the symbolic reduction of the special pension rights of railwaymen, power workers and other public sector employees. President Sarkozy, meanwhile, has tried to play the role of a more understanding fairy Godfather. He turned up at one of the most militant railway workshops in Paris and told the startled railwaymen that the cuts in pension rights would apply only to newly hired staff. This was more than even most of the eight railway unions had demanded. The government rapidly shunted the President’s words into a siding.”

For The Times, this is Sarkozy’s “Thatcher moment” as the strikes aim “to break his drive to purge France of its old economic ills.”


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Eurostar re-launched at St Pancras, London! A Big day for Anglo-Franco tourism!

The Big Day has arrived! 14 November 2007, and the new terminal for the Eurostar train service at St Pancras in London has opened -- bringing with it a range of improvements and special services, one of which is a good 20 minute reduction on the London-Paris route!

For more details, read the blog entry of 10 November 2007 and by all means, click on the link above for the Eurostar website -- it is impressive -- and sure the whet your appetite! You can also subscribe to their newsletter by simply filling in your email address at the bottom -- and it is well worth your while as I see there are already very exciting special offers available in fares!

What a pity they did not think about combining the first Paris-London-Paris trip with the midnight appearance of the 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau -- a few hours and it could have been the event of the decade!.........But -- nothing stops you from booking your ticket straight-away and coming down to the Dordogne anyway to come marvel at the exquisite autumn colours in this region, enjoy an excellent meal of foie gras, confit de canard and pommes sarladaise, and of course, a bottle of 2007 Beaujolais Nouveau!

See you there!


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Picnics in the Dordogne

The regret with which too many tourists leave this wonderful and diverse part of La Belle France, is that they had not planned on enough time in the region. Not only are there a myriad of sites to visit -- each in its own right a must-see --, castles to admire, restaurants to enjoy, bastides to wander around in, caves to explore, there is the best cycling to be had (according to recent seasoned cyclists from Canada and visitors to Chateau Lalinde: "streets (forgive the pun) ahead of anything that the overcrowded Tuscany has to offer!"), the best hiking and trailing to be done, golfing, canoeing, hot air ballooning........ the list goes on, but then there are also those hidden little treasures -- the ones one rarely plan for, but which, if you are lucky, just happens...........

Yes! One of the great joys for me of living in such a beautiful countryside as this, are the picnics! Any day, any time, any occasion is a good one on which to have a picnic -- there are so many little spots and perfect little places to throw down the blanket, open the champagne, unpack the basket and enjoy communing with nature.
And when better than on a late autumn day? Who better with than a couple of good friends from Nantes? And where better than at the foot of the imposing Beynac castle with the majestic Dordogne River flowing past below and a range of forests and other chateaux to admire?


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Lillet -- another (delicious) surprise from Bordeaux

Bordeaux is not only famous for the fact that it is a World Heritage Site, or that it is at the heart of the best wine-growing area of the world, or where the best wines are produced and the at the core of wine tourism. It is also the home of one of the most delicious aperitifs -- a specialty of this region -- Lillet.

Paul and Raymond Lillet, distillers and merchants of fine wines, introduced their first bottles of Lillet to the public back in 1972.

Lillet is a blend of wines from the most prestigious wine growing areas of the world (85%) and fruit liqueurs (15%) that result in this deliciously sweetish -- but not too sweet, alcoholic but refreshing, lingeringly flavoursome drink. The liqueurs used in the blend are made from sweet oranges from Spain, bitter oranges from Haiti, green oranges from Morocco and Tunisia and cinchona bark (quinine) from Peru.

There are 8 phases in the long and slow making of Lillet -- from the selection of the finest wines, the importation and preparation of the best fruits from around the world, fermentation of the wine in oak barrels, the making of the fruit liqueurs, the blending of the wine and liqueur, maturation and bottling.
All this takes place in the delightful little village of Podensac -- in the heart of the Graves vineyards of the Bordeaux wine-growing area, only 30 kilometers south of Bordeaux.

Lillet is probably as well known for its exceptional taste as for its advertising campaigns over the last 160 years. The posters, and especially the beautifully crafted promotional fans -- which bore the exotic and unique Lillet designs, which were handed out at theatres and in restaurants and wine bars, can now be seen on private collections and museums. Look out for the bright posters -- even the copies have become collectors' pieces!

The production plant is open from 15 June to 15 September from 10h00 to 18h00 -- well worth a visit when you are in the Bordeaux area!

And in the mean time, treat yourself to glass of Lillet -- well chilled, with a small piece of frozen orange and a sprig of mint, poured over a half glass of ice cubes.

Recipes:

Frozen orange, lime and lemon slices:

Wash the unpeeled fruit well.
Cut the lemons and oranges in slices of about 1/2 cm. (leave the skin on)
Place the slices separately on a flat cookie sheet on a shelf in the freezer for about 24 hours.
When the slices are well frozen, place them in a plastic container with a lid and keep in the freezer until needed.
Use the slices or part of the slices in cocktails and iced drinks.

Lillet cocktails:

Lillet Mojito:

Ingredients for one glass:
2 oz White Lillet
4 ice cubes
2 tablespoons crushed ice
3-4 leaves fresh mint
2 lime wedges
1 teaspoon simple syrup
Tonic water or Perrier

In a glass crush the lime and mint with the simple syrup.
Add the crushed ice and Lillet
Top with tonic water or Perrier and ice cubes.

Dessert

Fruit gratin and white Lillet Sabayon

Serves 4
1 1/2 lb assorted seasonal fruit
1/2 cup Lillet white
3/4 lb sugar
Juice of one orange
9 egg yolks
10 fresh mint leaves
Prepare a fruit salad with the fruit.
Macerate the fruit salad for 6 hours with the Lillet, 3 tablespoons sugar and the orange juice.
Mix the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the micture whitens.
Gently heat while continuing to whisk
Set aside
Drain the fruit salad and transfer to dessert plates that are oven proof
Cover with the sabauon and grill until golden
Garnish with the mint leaves.

The above are recipes with white Lillet -- the orange flavoured Lillet.
There is also a red Lillet -- flavoured with red fruits -- a different, richerr and fuller taste.

Ad when you do visit the Lillet plant at Podensac, why not do so on 25 November 2007 -- in two weeks' time -- for the famous Foire de St Catherine!





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Late Autumn - Early winter - The seasons are changing

So often people say "The autumn colours in this area must be quite magnificent" -- as Chateau Lalinde is completely surrounded by large extensive and dense forests. But my reply is always "No. Surprisingly not. As all these forests around me are black oaks (from there the name of Perigord Noir -- or Black Perigord) -- not green oaks, which are the trees that deck themselves out in flamboyant autumnal wear every year. The leaves of the black oaks tend to go brown then fall off quite quickly in the first of the late year winds. Yet this year -- perhaps because of the cool and very wet summer and then the late dry Indian summer that lasted all of September, the trees have turned a riot of colour and the countryside is ablaze in oranges, reds, yellows, golds, browns and greens. It is breathtakingly beautiful in the Dordogne right now!

And yet -- and yet --- there is an iciness in the air -- a touch of frost that bites at ones fingertips, that turns noses -- and ears! -- red, that forms little white clouds around heads that get taken out for an early morning walk.

But the beauty of the countryside at this time of year is pure magic...........


A couple of weekends ago I spent a blissful weekend in the hills above Heidelberg in Germany. During my early morning walk I braved the cold, took one hand out of a glove and took a few pictures of the miracle of a countryside that is frosted over, to share with my readers.........






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15 November! The RED (wine) Letter Day for wine tourism in France!

Well....... for wine lovers, that is...........

and who can possibly NOT be a wine lover??

At one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of each November -- no! don't run for your calendar -- that is this coming Thursday, the 15th --- from little villages and towns like Romanèche-Thorins in the Bourgogne, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun.

By the time it is over, over 65 million bottles, nearly half of the region's total annual production, will be distributed and drunk around the world. It has become one of the most important dates on the wine tourism calendar and the worldwide race to be the first to serve to this new wine of the harvest. In doing so, it has been carried by motorcycle, balloon, truck, helicopter, Concorde jet, elephant, runners and rickshaws to get it to its final destination. It is amazing to realize that just weeks before this wine was a cluster of grapes in a growers vineyard. But by an expeditious harvest, a rapid fermentation, and a speedy bottling, all is ready at the midnight hour.



Beaujolais Nouveau began as a local phenomenon in the local bars, cafes, and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons. Each autumn the new Beaujolais would arrive with much fanfare. In pitchers filled from the growers' barrels, wine was drunk by an eager population. It was wine made fast to drink while the better Beaujolais was taking a more leisurely course. (Quite something in a country where the people have an abhorrence of fast food -- hence, of course, the fact that they so love to eat snails....) Eventually, the government stepped into regulate the sale of all this quickly transported, free-flowing wine.

In 1938 regulations and restrictions were put in place to restrict the Where, When, and How of all this carrying on. After the war years, in 1951, these regulations were revoked by the region's governing body — the Union Interprofessional des Vins de Beaujolais (UIVB)—and the Beaujolais Nouveau was officially recognized. The official release date was set for November 15th -- and once again that happens to be the date this year, in 2007!

Beaujolais Nouveau was officially born.

By this time, what was just a local tradition had gained so much popularity that the news of it reached Paris. And the race was launched.

It wasn't long thereafter that the word spilled out of France and around the world. In 1985, the date was again changed, this time to the third Thursday of November tying it to a weekend and making the celebration complete. But wherever the new Beaujolais went, importers had to agree not to sell it before midnight on the third Thursday of November.

Shall I see you at the local marchand on the place on Wednesday night -- or perhaps in Le Bugue where Julien de Sevignac in Avenue de la Liberation is waiting to treat you to la grande fete??


If not -- treat yourself to a visit to the great

Beaujolais Nouveau

site -- just the opening page is enough to get you 'into the spirit' of the occasion!



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