Toussaint

Les Chrysanthèmes arrivent  announces the poster in the supermarket, and we know that fall is well and truly here.  For chrysanthemums not only bring a welcome blaze of color to the shortening days, but are an essential part of French cultural life at this time of year.

November 1^st is La Toussaint, or All Saints Day, and is a public holiday in France. In addition, since the holiday falls on a Tuesday, many workers will benefit from an extra day, taking Monday off work too. Since the extra day bridges between the weekend and the holiday, it is known as faire le pont. Similarly, if the holiday falls on a Thursday, the Friday will also be a day off, creating a lovely four-day weekend. Students do even better, having a two-week half-term break right now.

Halloween (la veille de la Toussaint or All Hallows Eve) is not a traditional holiday in France, but each year now sees more and more influence from across the Atlantic, and our local supermarket has Halloween T-shirts, racks of spooky items and beautiful, locally-grown pumpkins.

Straight after Toussaint, La Fête des Morts is observed on November 2, and this is where the chrysanthemums figure so prominently. It is traditional on this date to place chrysanthemums on the grave of a loved one in the cemetery or churchyard. Not only is the whole entrance to the supermarket filled to overflowing with pots, but market stalls at the cemetery gates spread their displays across the sidewalk and ensure the freshest possible flowers.

Chopin at Pere Lachaise

One of the best-known cemeteries in France is le Cimetière du Père Lachaise in the 20^th arrondissement of Paris. Here you'll find the graves of many prominent people such as Chopin, Oscar Wilde, the painter Seurat and even rock star Jim Morrison. Check out the Père Lachaise website (and for you French teachers this makes a great class project).

On a lighter note, happy birthday to the Statue of Liberty! She was created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and given as a gift from France to the American people on 28^th October 1886, 125 years ago.

best wishes from France...               Valerie

© 2011 Text and Images - Trevor and Valerie White

 

Visite au Château l'Arc près de Fuveau





Château l'Arc near Fuveau

We are really spoilt this Thursday morning in mid-October with another day dawning bright and sunny, a high expected around 25C (78F), and not a cloud in the sky. I set two alarms to make sure I get up in time to catch a ride to a free financial seminar at a chateau, just 10 minutes drive to the east of Aix en Provence. We arrive at 9am, with the sun still at a shallow angle, casting long shadows across the splendid drive, bordered by traditional plane trees providing shade from the summer heat. Château l'Arc is now a hotel, and golf course, with a modern adjacent business centre. The Château as we see it now dates from a rebuilding in 1620. You can read some more about its history (in French) here.

Mont Saint Victoire from the steps of the Château l'Arc

As we climb the steps up to the chateau entrance, we turn around and are greeted with a stunning view of Mont Saint Victoire - a long craggy limestone ridge, rather than a simple mountain peak. This of course is the mountain made famous by Cezanne who rented a cottage in Bibémus, and who painted the mountain innumerable times. Perhaps less well-known is the fact that Picasso also bought a château close by, in Vauvenargues, where he is now buried.

The seminar finishes, and we lunch in the open air, reluctant to depart this idyllic scene...

 

© 2011 Text and Images Trevor White