Keith Van Sickle's Blog, page 16

Emmanuel Macron and the 11 Dwarfs

France will elect its president next month, with a dozen candidates running, and incumbent Emmanuel Macron is the big favorite to win. He has surged in the polls, and his lead is now bigger than anyone since Charles de Gaulle in 1965!

How did this happen and who are his main challengers? For a taste of French politics, I’ve put together a short overview of the race.

Read all about it in Frenchly!

The Star of the Show: Gougères French Cheese Puffs

Want to impress the guests at your next party? Then serve them gougères.

Gougères (pronounced goo-zhair) are French cheese puffs, crispy on the outside and bursting with delicious cheesy flavour. The first time you bite into one, it is a definite “wow” moment.

They are not hard to make and–even better–you can make them ahead of time and just warm them up when your guests arrive.

Read all about this French specialty in France Today!

Tips on Traveling in Provence

Thinking of a trip to this glorious corner of France? Then you might want to check out my latest travel tips.

What’s the vibe in Provence?When is the best time to go?What are the can’t-miss regional specialties?

Read the answers to these questions and more in The Good Life France!

To the Barricades! The French Academy Battles an English Invasion

The Académie française was founded long ago to regulate French grammar and spelling. It still does that, but often finds itself pulled into arguments over what words should be allowed in French. English words that find their way into common usage are a particular sore point.

Should “computer” be allowed? No, let’s coin the word ordinateur.

How about “software”? Mais non ! We must use logiciel.

“Weekend”? Well, ok, but let’s add a hyphen so it’s not really English.

The latest battle is over French national identity cards. European regulations require that the words “Identity Card” be included, but the French government has gone further, much further. All the terms are shown in French and in English, so there’s “SEXE / Sex,” “LIEU DE NAISSANCE / Place of birth,” and on and on.

Cue the gasps.

The Académie is up in arms (they all have ceremonial swords, after all) and are threatening to sue the government to have all that nasty English removed. This would be a unique case, and a treat for legal scholars.

Will the government back down? Will the Académie? No one knows…but watch out for those swords.

Read all about it in My French Life!

An Easy Biking Route in the Luberon Valley

Val and I love to bike in Provence, but we’re not fanatics or anything. Flat routes are just fine with us, and one of our favorites is in the Luberon Valley.

It’s what is known as a voie verte, or greenway, and is built where there used to be railroad tracks, so it is nice and flat.

There is a lot to see along the way, besides the stunning natural beauty. You pass a cute little train station (no longer in use), and just beyond it is a Neolithic burial chamber you can explore. Further on is a 2,000 year old Roman bridge that was still used by cars until a few years ago! It’s a great spot for a picnic.

If you are feeling ambitious, you can go off the voie verte and puff up a hill to one of our favorite cafés, with fabulous views across the valley.

Read all about it in Perfectly Provence!

18 Curious Facts about Provence

Did you know that a sardine once blocked the port of Marseille?

Or that seven different popes once lived in Avignon? (not counting Pope Joan)

Or that a Provençal town once passed a law banning UFOs…and none have landed since?

These are just a few of the fun facts that are in my new book, An Insider’s Guide to Provence. Read all about it in Frenchly!

A Dozen Ideas for Your Stay in St-Rémy

St-Rémy-de-Provence, where Val and I live part of the year, is one of the most charming towns in Provence. It’s a great place to spend a few days, nestled at the foot of the Alpilles Mountains and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. I hope you’ll be able to visit one day, because there’s so much to see and do.

Would you like to visit the place where Vincent van Gogh painted masterpieces like The Starry Night? Or wander through one of the best open-air markets in France? Maybe you’d like to explore Roman ruins, or taste fabulous wines, or soar through the air in a glider. Or perhaps you’re like Val and would like to watch an exciting local sport that features what she calls, “those young men in their tight white pants.”

Whatever your interest, St-Rémy probably has it. So come on down! In the meantime, learn more about what to see and do in Perfectly Provence!

Meet Master Chocolate-Maker Joël Durand

“As a young boy in Brittany,” says Joël Durand, “I had three dreams—to be a chef, a pastry-maker, or a race car driver.” A smile crosses his face. “My parents made it clear that driving race cars was not in the cards, so I started cooking when I was six.”

Durand quit school at 14 and apprenticed as a pastry maker. His talent quickly became apparent because within three years he had professional certifications not only as a pastry maker, but also as a confectioner, chocolatier, and ice-cream maker. And that was just the beginning.

At the age of 17, Durand was hired by not one but two restaurants simultaneously, managing dozens of makers. And these were not just any restaurants, but top destinations—one had a Michelin star!

Durand eventually moved to Provence, where today he focuses on chocolates, infusing them with dozens of flavors. His reputation has expanded across France and he is considered the best chocolate maker in the region. A visit to his chocolaterie is a highlight of any visit to St-Rémy.

Learn more about this master chocolate maker in Perfectly Provence!

A Fun Quiz About Provence

So you think you know Provence? Let’s find out!

I’ve written a series of articles called Only in Provence for the marvelous publication My French Life, and now I’ve created a short quiz about them. All of the answers can be found in the articles, or you can just go ahead and try your luck.

There are 14 questions in all and here are two of them.

Why did the ochre quarries of Roussillon go out of business?

The quarries were depleted of their ochreFrench labor laws made the quarries uncompetitiveNew synthetic dyes were cheaperEarth tones didn’t go with groovy 1960s fashion

A transhumance is:

When an alchemist turns lead into goldWhat Nostradamus predicted as the future of humanityThe movement of sheep to higher pastures for the summerWhat you experience if you drink too much pastis

You can find a link to the answers at the bottom of the article. And if you add a comment, you’ll be eligible to win a free copy of my new book, An Insider’s Guide to Provence! 

Here’s the quiz. Good luck!

 

State Dinners and French Power

Powerful rulers have hosted lavish dinners since time immemorial, as a way to demonstrate their power and to forge alliances. But does anyone do it as well as the French?

King Louis XIV set the tone when he made eating a public spectacle. Every day, crowds would gather to watch the royal family enjoy a sumptuous meal. It was a way for the Sun King to demonstrate his wealth and power.

A century later, the “art of the table” is credited with maintaining French influence after the defeat of Napoleon. When the victors met to carve up Europe, French representative Tallyrand hosted lavish meals for the delegates. Many believe that these led to France’s remarkably lenient treatment.

Official French state dinners—dîners d’État—began in the 1870s under the presidents of the Third Republic, as a way to forge alliances and demonstrate the glories of French cuisine. Unfortunately, they also required considerable stamina, lasting many hours and having as many as 15 courses.

Today they continue in a more reasonable form, with strict protocols and delicious food. And sometimes they pose a dilemma, like what do you serve the world’s most experienced state dinner guest, Queen Elizabeth?

Read all about French state dinners in Bonjour Paris!