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Our love-hate relationship with France often ensures that we Brits enjoy the distress of the French when things do not go well. Admit it - a significant element of the national elation at winning the Olympics for 2012 was that we beat Paris to it!! Our trouble is that in many ways we are so alike - in others so different - vive la difference!!

So a brief trip to France, where the late summer skies were blue, and the sun was shining warmly was particularly welcome after an otherwise disappointing summer on both sides of the Channel. Except of course that as it was after 31 August, the French were all back at work (la rentrée) and winter opening hours of restaurants, chateaux and other attractions were operative.

The week started badly for the French, when they lost the opening match of the Rugby World Cup at the Stade de France in Paris - to a previously underrated Argentinian team. The incredulity of this disaster was summed up by one local who maintained: “That was not supposed to happen!” This could now lead to the French, proudly hosting the world cup, having to play a semi-final in Cardiff!!

The following day spirits appeared to have improved when the French football team secured a 0:0 draw against the Italians - the celebrations and relief suggested it was in fact a great victory. However, just a few days later they lost to the minnows of Scotland which no-one, probably not even the Scots, had predicted.

The week ended with everyone suddenly discovering and being knowledgeable about Judo, where the world championships were won by - a Frenchman called Teddy RIner, a name probably unknown to most French people. However, this week he is a real French hero!

It is difficult to be too smug about the French misfortunes, when we Brits can be only too aware that our glory days on the football and rugby pitch can be just as fleeting and vulnerable to upset - but whatever you do, never mention the 2012 Olympics in France - they were robbed!!

The differences and similarities between out two nations was also reinforced by my reading for the week.
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke was the first choice. It is the amusing and lighthearted story of an Englishman working for a French company in Paris for a year - lots of predictable cariacatures, but told with humour and some affection.
My second read by Stephen Clarke Talk to the Snail seemed to get it wrong - more of a rant about the worst stereotypes of the French written by a francophobe - I could not finish it as it was written without affection.
On a more serious level, but nevertheless readable and entertaining was Rod Kedward’s La Vie En Bleu: France and the French Since 1900 which did much more to help to understand some of the contradictions that go to make the French - their history, pride and traditions.

As French Duck, we tend to pick up on things which are duck-connected, and whilst this is in no way relevant to our main focus on France, French Wine, French Food, travel, events etc, we were surprised to discover that the old-fashioned yellow plastic bath duck has now been superseded by a range of funky or even punky plastic ducks.

A UK company called Totally Funky in Kings Lynn stocks an impressive range – but happily the traditional yellow version is still available but in supersize – 10 times normal!!

For more info see Totally Funky

The 2007 Tour de France cycle race starts with the Prologue and “Le Grand Départ” in Central London before heafing to Kent on Sunday and France on Monday - more info

The first stage proper heads out from London into deepest Kent finishing in Canterbury. Overnight the whole Tour crosses the Channel to Dunkerque for Stage 2