2010 Public Holidays in France

2010 public holidays in France, are as follows:

1 Jan New Year's Day

5 Apr Easter Monday

1 May Labour Day

8 May 1945 Victory Day

13 May Ascension

24 May Whit Monday

14 Jul Bastille Day

15 Aug Assumption

1 Nov All Saints' Day

11 Nov Remembrance Day

25 Dec Christmas Day

The smart guide to... the Dordogne

{rue de Sarlat}

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Sunday Times......

Sunday Times March 28, 2010

The smart guide to... the Dordogne
If you want to celebrate the best of France, head to the southwest and experience the beautiful Dordogne region

Anthony Peregrine

Head to Sarlat for cobbles - and cheese from its Wednesday market

I’ve been to the Dordogne many times and never once played cricket. Despite what you’ve heard, this place really isn’t a summertime extension of the home counties. Remote in the French southwest, it has only just been tamed, and then not entirely. A twist in the track and you’re lost among forests, cliffs, rivers and caves leading darkly to prehistory.

The region has ever been beautiful, backward and insurgent. (All those castles weren’t just ornamental.) It’s only 140 years since peasants in Hautefaye roasted and ate a noble.

The dining’s improved lately, though it remains meaty, and a tough past has mellowed into a honey-stoned heritage of sunlit valleys and recreational canoeing. Yet it’s still better known locally as Périgord, the ancient name, than as Dordogne, and it still runs to farming rhythms. Give yourselves a week, minimum, to fall in with them.

The plan

Head first for Sarlat, among the finest historical centres in France. Its network of tiny streets, passages, squares and fancy buildings articulates an idealised medieval and Renaissance past for present times. It’s outstanding, as are the hill-topping bastide town of Domme and La Roque-Gageac, wedged wonderfully between golden cliffs and the River Dordogne.

Slightly north, the Vézère valley was bountiful Euro HQ to Stone Age man. He left dozens of prehistoric sites. To avoid grotto fatigue, we’re suggesting just three. First, Lascaux II (Montignac; 00 33-5 53 50 70 44, semitour.com; £7.90), where the world’s greatest cave paintings are reproduced. Second, the Abri Font-de-Gaume (Les Eyzies; 05 53 06 86 00, hominides.com; £6, book ahead), where the original polychrome cave art includes a stag licking a doe’s face. Its message of tenderness connects across 17,000 years. Finally, La Roque St Christophe (Peyzac-le-Moustier; 05 53 50 70 45; £6.50), a kilometre-long cliff into which man built his home from 55,000BC through to the Hundred Years’ War. You may roam and climb in his footsteps. The kids will love it. So will you.

Castles, too, come by the truckload. Here are two favourites, both in the Dordogne valley. Castelnaud (05 53 31 30 00, castelnaud.com; £6.80) is a medieval item that soars high and mighty above village and river. It’s full of arms and war machines. Nearby, the Renaissance Milandes (05 53 59 31 21, milandes.com; £7.40) traces the bittersweet story of its former owner, France’s great interwar topless artiste Josephine Baker. This is significantly more interesting than peering at period furniture.

No space here to do justice to the Jardins d’Eyrignac (Salignac; 05 53 28 99 71, eyrignac.com; £8.30) or the Jardins de Marqueyssac (Vézac; 05 53 31 36 36, marqueyssac.com; £6.30).

Trust me: both are stunningly sculptured homages to French gardening formality.

Where to eat

In the Dordogne, locals are either eating or talking about eating. Even in France, they’re noted for it. They like to eat fat ducks. And fat geese, truffles, salads with gizzards and potatoes in goose fat. Yet they aren’t fat themselves, and don’t have heart attacks, because they also drink their red wines (best are Côtes de Bergerac and Pécharmant). That’s the French paradox.

The best way to appreciate the abundance, and stock up the villa, is at markets. Most villages have them, but the key one is in Sarlat on Wednesdays and Saturdays. (Get there early or you’ll be parking in Calais.) Reward yourselves with a confit de canard lunch at La Petite Borie (12 Rue Tourny; 05 53 31 23 69; menus from £13), in the heart of town. Further unjustified indulgence can be had under the cliffs of La Roque-Gageac, where La Belle Etoile (05 53 29 51 44; from £25) has a more stylish take on similar traditions; or up in Domme, at Restaurant Cabanoix & Châtaignes (05 53 31 07 11, restaurantcabanoix.com; menus from £19), which marries local and exotic in a surprisingly funky little bistro.

When it comes to pushing the bateau out properly, though, hie to Lacave and the perfectly lovely Château de la Treyne (05 65 27 60 60, chateaudelatreyne.com; menus from £85). The 17th-century terrace by the river is where you propose to the loved one. If she refuses in this setting, save up and bring someone else next year. It’s bound to work eventually.

Tips

Do make the short trip to the Sarlat suburb of La Canéda, following signs for Gorodka (05 53 31 02 00, gorodka.com; £7). The artist Pierre Shasmoukine has executed an extraordinary conceptual assault on the wooded hillside, with totems, a dragonfly made from a real helicopter and much else besides. No idea what’s going on, but it’s absorbing.

Now action. You’ll want to canoe because everyone does, and it’s glorious — past cliffs, castles and forest on the Vézère or the Dordogne. At the confluence of the two rivers, Limeuil is a pretty base, and Canoes Rivières Loisirs a competitive company (05 53 63 38 73, canoes-rivieres-loisirs.com; about £13.50pp for 3.5 hours.

Getting there

Handiest airport is Bergerac, which is served from 13 UK airports and Dublin. Airlines include Flybe (0871 700 2000, flybe.com), Ryanair (0871 246 0000, ryanair.com) and Jet2 (0871 226 1737, jet2.com). A week’s car hire starts at about £190 with Alamo (0871 384 1086, alamo.co.uk) or Hertz (0870 844 8844, hertz.co.uk).

Events 2010

{image courtesy of the eymetguide.com}

2010 - Dates for the Diary





April



Fri 2nd April Good Friday

Sat 3rd April, Agricultural show, Castillonnes

Sun 11th April Brocante, Castillonnes

Sat 17th April Vide greniers et marché aux fleurs Duras

Sat 24th and Sunday 25th April Patine Workshop





May



Sat 1st May FOIRE A LA BROCANTE, Villeréal
Sun 2nd May Vide greniers, Lougratte

Sun 9th May Vide greniers, Agnac

Sun 16th May Vide greniers, Miramont-de-Guyenne

Sun 16th May Vide greniers, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande

Sun 16th May Vide greniers, Bergerac

Sun 16th May Flowers and Art Festival, Gabriel Forestier park, Eymet



21st -24th May Sainte Estelle Festival, Castillonnes



Sun 23rd May Vide Grenier, Eymet

Sun 30th May Randonnée en Fête, Eymet


June


Sun 13th June, Dance Gala
Organized by Mrs Hibert Dance school.
Modern - Jazz - Classic. €10 per adult, €5 per child.
Salle des Fêtes of Eymet, 5pm.

Sunday, 20th Jun Country and Mills Heritage day

Fri 25th June ACFAA concert
Requiem - Faure choir, organ and harp Te Deum. Charpentier choir, organ and trumpet. Collect in aid of the church.Church of Eymet, 8.30pm.

Sunm 27th June Dimanche Ap'Art
Organized by Lineaments association, in Sadillac.
5.30pm: TAPAS aperitif. exhibition and introduction to collage with Gwenaëlle and Clown show with "Vertige" company. 7.30pm: concert with "AQUI L'TOUR" winner.

Night Markets
Every tuesday from june 29th till September 7th
More than 60 professional stalls.Food available on site
Starts 7pm, Place de la Bastide.
Tuesdays exept the 14 July.


July


Sun 4th July Ecocivic day
Throughout the day, in Bretou.

Wednesday, July 14th Bastille day
Fishing competition. Meal and dance in the evening. Fireworks at 11pm.Bretou, throughout the day.

Sun 18th July 18th Vide Grenier, Eymet
Gabriel Forestier park, throughout the day.

Sun 18th July Country producers market
Chateau grounds, Eymet

Thur 21st July Visit by torchlight
Night round with torches - Learn all about the Bastide with a musical accompaniement - Discovery walk free - Torch: 2€ - departure from the Tourist office at 9:30pm.

Fri 23rd July Night hiking
Organized by Les Randonneurs Eymétois.

Sat 31st July Bodega
Organized by ASE Rugby.



August


Sun 15th August Oyster and white wine festival
Place de la Bastide. Throughout the day, to eat on site or take away with dancing in the evening.

Foire à Tout
Organized by Les Amis d'Eymet association.
Bretou, throughout the day.


Fri 20th Aug Night hiking
Organized by Les Randonneur Eymétois.

the most romantic word in the world....

{image from here}

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - "Amour", the French word for love, has been voted the most romantic word in the world in a pre-Valentine's Day survey of language experts.
It narrowly beat "amore", the Italian word for love, although Italian was named the world's most romantic language.

Italian words also dominated the top places in the list of most romantic words

"Belissima", which is both Italian and Spanish for "very beautiful", was voted the third most romantic word, while "tesoro", which is both Italian and Spanish for "treasure" (as in "Mi tesoro"/"My treasure") came fourth.

The survey was conducted by London-based Today Translations which polled over 320 of its linguists.

After Italian, they found the second-most romantic language was French, which was way ahead of Spanish and English in joint third place.

In the same poll, the firm asked its linguists to pick the least romantic-sounding way to say, "I love you" in any language.

The winner was Japan's "watakushi-wa anata-wo ai shimasu", ahead of the Welsh "rydw i'n dy garu di" and "qaparha", which, the firm noted, is Klingon, as spoken in the Star Trek universe.

(London newsroom: stephen.addison.reuters.com@reuters.net)

Chocolate making workhop - Feb 11, 2010

Note the Fabulously French Workshops are commencing later in the year but thought that you may like to know about this workshop that is being being by "Art's Cool". The same people that provided the fabulous wreath making classes that I attended last December.

Details are as follows:

Chocolate Truffle Making Workshop
Thursday 11th February 10am 12.30 pm or 2pm – 4.30pm
St Colomb de Lauzun 47410

This indulgent workshop begins with the history of chocolate and its' introduction into the modern world, and after a brief insight into the different kinds of chocolate and it’s many uses, you will examine how to work with and store chocolate with a demonstration of chocolate tempering and working.

Putting theory into practice, you will hand craft your own selection of a dozen truffles presented in beautiful boxes decorated by you. These delicious, unique and personalised tokens will make perfect gifts just in time for Valentine’s Day, or will sit quite happily on your coffee table!
Swiss trained chef Gordon Robertson who’s Michelin star experiences vary, from running Fauchon in Paris and Hong Kong, C&G in Lebanon to being Head Chef at London’s Royal Albert Hall and who’s clientele include the Royal Family, Politicians, and stars of stage, film, pop and sport will be helping you, hands-on, in your truffle master class!

A fun, informative and sociable experience is guaranteed.

Why not treat your loved one to this special Valentines Chocolate truffle Workshop as a gift, we can send the recipient an elegant gift voucher.

Tickets are 25 Euros per person, including chocolate of course, tea/coffee and all materials.

Numbers are limited so please book soon on 0553947813 or email summerthursdays@sfr.fr

Summer in SW France

{image - Wai-Lin Yau}

What a lovely surprise to wakeup to! These beautiful photos were in my inbox and were sent to me by a guest that stayed with us at Maison de Poitiers last year.

{image - Wai-Lin Yau}

Merci beaucoup Wai-Lin, I adore them as they have brightened up what is going to be another very cold day in SW France.

A bientot,

Leeann

J oY e U x N o ë l

* * * * *** ** J oY e U x N o ë l * * ********

We wish you a very happy Christmas and may all your dreams come true in 2010.

****************

Nous vous souhaitons un joyeux Noël et nous espérons que tous vos rêves se réalisent en 2010.

Leeann & Trent