Latest updates on France, French Wine, Food, Travel, Holidays and Events
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| July 14, 2008 |
The Tour de France 2008 (21 stages, 3500 km) Stage 10 is on Monday 14 July 2008 (Bastille Day) and starts from Pau (64 Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Aquitaine) via Jurancon to Hautacam (65 Hautes-Pyrenees, Midi-Pyrenees) through the mountains, a route of 156km - being Bastille Day there is always tremendous pressure and expectation that a French cyclist will win today!
For more on the Tour de France 2008 see www.letour.fr/
For details of coverage on ITV see www.itv.com
| July 22, 2002 |
The village of Cairanne (84 Vaucluse, Provence) in the southern Rhône Valley holds its 33rd Annual Wine Festival on Sunday 22 July 2007 (4pm-10pm) – the usual shindig with plenty of wine stalls, a Provencal market with over 50 stands, some music and plenty of opportunity to try out the local wines.
An interesting aspect is the invitation to the producers of another wine region to be the “guest appellation” and for 2007 it is the turn of Bandol AC, from the mediterranean coast east of Marseille - rich heavy reds which major on the Mourvedre grape.
Cairanne has an excellent co-operative Cave de Cairanne - Leon Stolarski stocks some of their range, and I can particularly recommend the Cuvée Voconces - “Aromas of stewed fruits and Christmas cake and smoky “garrigue”. Rich, dark, sweet and sour fruit flavours, a hint of peppery spice and a superb finish. Quintessential Cairanne.”
There are also a number of really good independent producers - A recent recommendation from a French wine merchant whose tastes I rate was for the wines of Domaine de Delubac - Cairanne, Côtes du Rhône Villages AC Les Bruneau
available in the UK from the Halifax Wine Company: “Red and black fruits with a peppery and spicy personality - lots of rich, elegant complexity and a big mellow aftertaste. I think this is brilliant.”
The red wines of Cairanne are rich and spicy being grown on the hillsides around the village - with a minimum of 50% Grenache in the blend together with Syrah, Mourvedre and the other southern Rhône varietals.
For more on the Cairanne Wine Festival see www.vignerons-cairanne.com/
| November 11, 2008 |
Public Holiday in France - Armistice Day (Armistice 1918)
It is easy to get caught out by French public holidays, which do not necessarily follow the pattern of UK holidays which are largely confined to Mondays (except Christmas, New Year and Good Friday. This can lead to some confusion, as there is often a local tradition of linking midweek days to make for a long weekend. The official dates for 2007 are as follows:-
Monday 1 January - New Year’s Day (Jour de l’an)
Monday 10 April - Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
Tuesday 1 May - Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
Tueday 8 May - VE Day - WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945)
Friday 17 May - Ascension Day (Ascension catholique)
Saturday 14 July - Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
Wednesday 15 August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)
Thursday 1 November - AllSaints’ Day (Toussaint)
Sunday 11 November - Armistice Day (Armistice 1918)
Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day (Noël)
(Wednesday 26 December - Deuxième jour de Noël (Alsace)
Public Holiday in France - New Year’s Day - Jour de l’an
Other French public holidays in 2008:-
Monday 24 March 2008 - Easter Monday - Lundi de Pâques
Thursday 1 May 2008`- Labour Day - Fête du Travail - and Ascension Day - Ascension catholique
Thursday 8 May 2008 - Victory Day (WWII) - Fête de la Victoire 1945
Monday 14 July 2008 - Bastile Day - Fête nationale
Friday 15 August 2008 - Assumption - Assomption
Saturday 1 November 2008 - All Saints’ Day - Toussaint
Tuesday 11 November 2008 - Remembrance Day - Armisice 1918
Thursday 25 December 2008 - Christmas Day - Noel
Friday 26 December 2008 -Christmas - Deuxième jour de Noël (Alsace only)
Beware that much of France can seem surprisingly closed (especially banks) on and around Public Holidays - especially when they are close to a weekend - traffic will be worse, autoroute tolls may be higher….
Monday 1 Jan 2007 = New Years Day
Sunday 8 and Monday 9 April 2007 = Easter
Tuesday 1 May 2007 = Fete du Travail (Labour day)
Tuesday 8 May 2007 = Fete de la Victoire 1945 (Victory Day)
Thursday 17 May 2007 = Fete de l’Ascension (Ascension Day)
Monday 28 May 2007 = Pentecote (Whitsun)
Saturday 14 July 2007 = Fete Nationale (Bastille Day) - expect much to close on the Friday
Wednesday 15 August 2007 = Fete de l’Assomption (Assumption)
Thursday 1 November 2007 = Toussaint (All Saints Day)
Saturday 11 November 2007 = Jour de l’Armistice (Armistice Day) - expect much to close on the Friday
Tuesday 25 December 2007 = Noel (Christmas Day) NB only Alsace-Lorraine tends to take 26 December as a public holiday as well.
