tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-356879742024-03-14T05:21:01.595+01:00The Duchess of EarlThe Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-73450112962076781262011-05-04T13:52:00.003+02:002011-05-04T14:40:09.401+02:00Yannick Noah vs. the "f" word...It's hard to turn on the radio at the moment without hearing the newest song by France's most popular celebrity, <a href="http://theduchessofearl.blogspot.com/2008/08/top-50-french-personalities.html">Yannick Noah</a>. "Hello", his duet with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%E1%B9%A3a">Asa</a>, is the newest release from his album, <em>Frontières</em>. As I find myself singing along to the catchy, sentimenally PoPpy chorus, I'm once again struck by what it means to be a mother.<br /><br />Is is just me or are there alot of songs on the radio at the moment that have the 'f' word somewhere in the title or lyrics? In France, nothing is censored, so instead of the more child-friendly version of Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight I'm lovin' you", we get the "Tonight I'm f@#$in' you" version. Pink weighs in with her "F"ing Perfect", and Cee-Lo Green says "F you" here in France, not "Forget You". I'm pretty sure these songs are censored or bleeped in the States, aren't they?<br /><br />Anyway, the little ladies sing happily along whenever these songs come on the radio, blissfully unaware (hopefully) of what they are actually singing. Don't get me wrong, I've been known to use the "f" word in all of its glorious permutations on occasion(s). However, I come from an era where songs like George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" and Madonna's "Like a Virgin" were banned or censored by most radio stations and where the only way you could hear Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" was to go out and by the album. God, am I old or what?<br /><br />So although Yannick's new song may seem a little cheesy and not something I would normally have on my personal playlist, the mother in me finds it refreshing. In a world where, thanks to Rhianna, my kids think the saying goes 'sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me', a little light pop can't really do too much damage, can it?<br /><br /> <iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XzY7fs-RTr8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-33920179628997434062011-03-17T08:59:00.010+01:002011-03-17T10:09:58.796+01:00New Books for Francophiles....Here's a round-up of new books all about France, some brand new, some new in paperback. This time of year there are also all the new guidebooks and accommodation guides coming out, and I was pleased to see that so many of my favourite books about France are now available in Kindle editions, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Almost-French-Life-Paris-ebook/dp/B004QGXP1K/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300349882&sr=1-4"><em>Almost French</em></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elusive-Truffle-Travels-Search-Legendary/dp/B004K6ME3Q/ref=sr_1_93?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300349351&sr=1-93"><em>The Elusive Truffle</em></a>. Although I haven't taken the plunge yet (I'm still an old-fashioned hold-the-book-in-the-hand kinda girl), it's great to see the choices available now for those that have gone over to the other side.<br /><br />As usual, let me know if I've missed any good ones!<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tC9FFw-ZIvE/TYHOgigndUI/AAAAAAAAA54/hUjbYhZx0N0/s1600/pariswasours-cvr1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tC9FFw-ZIvE/TYHOgigndUI/AAAAAAAAA54/hUjbYhZx0N0/s200/pariswasours-cvr1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584972071330870594" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paris-Was-Ours-Thirty-Two-Writers/dp/1565129539/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300352727&sr=1-1">Paris Was Ours: Thirty-two Writers Reflect on the City of Light</a> by Penelope Rowlands<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDTRU1HF8Ac/TYHOATNYZfI/AAAAAAAAA5w/8DPlreJ1JpU/s1600/French%2BLeave.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kDTRU1HF8Ac/TYHOATNYZfI/AAAAAAAAA5w/8DPlreJ1JpU/s200/French%2BLeave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584971517467846130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Leave-Irishwomans-Adventures-Normandy/dp/1907593136/ref=sr_1_26?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300349057&sr=1-26">French Leave: An Irishwoman's Adventures in Normandy</a> by Liz Ryan<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjHcYG-UN7M/TYHNTdO1vRI/AAAAAAAAA5o/VNTBGA895pY/s1600/Our%2BMan%2Bin%2BParis.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjHcYG-UN7M/TYHNTdO1vRI/AAAAAAAAA5o/VNTBGA895pY/s200/Our%2BMan%2Bin%2BParis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584970747064204562" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Man-Paris-Foreign-Correspondent/dp/1904955738/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300348926&sr=1-15">Our Man in Paris: A Foreign Correspondent, France and the French</a> by John Lichfield<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZICgADKxxs/TYHNCgchuAI/AAAAAAAAA5g/XvNsXEGLkiI/s1600/Cycling%252C%2BWine%252C%2Band%2BMen.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZICgADKxxs/TYHNCgchuAI/AAAAAAAAA5g/XvNsXEGLkiI/s200/Cycling%252C%2BWine%252C%2Band%2BMen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584970455869143042" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cycling-Wine-Men-Nancy-Brook/dp/1600378277/ref=sr_1_59?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300349191&sr=1-59">Cycling, Wine, and Men</a> by Nancy Brook<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKUkIw4QHXw/TYHMxt1fQOI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/VKU7oCgjH5w/s1600/The%2BSweet%2BLife%2Bin%2BParis%2Bpaperback.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lKUkIw4QHXw/TYHMxt1fQOI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/VKU7oCgjH5w/s200/The%2BSweet%2BLife%2Bin%2BParis%2Bpaperback.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584970167405723874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweet-Life-Paris-Adventures-Perplexing/dp/076792889X/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300348926&sr=1-14">The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious- and Perplexing- City</a> by David LebovitzThe Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-62230796292417816842010-12-10T21:52:00.002+01:002010-12-10T22:03:02.355+01:00Guillaume Grand- Toi et Moi....Usually at this time of year, it's Wham's <span style="font-style: italic;">Last Christmas</span> that's stuck on constant replay in my head, but this year, it's this little diddy. Not Christmassy at all, but oh-so-lovely-French-Pop. I guess since I liked <a href="http://theduchessofearl.blogspot.com/2008/09/grgoire.html">Gregoire</a> and <a href="http://theduchessofearl.blogspot.com/2008/03/raphael.html">Raphael</a>, it was inevitable that I'd like this....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QLNr3_YNeJc?fs=1&hl=fr_FR"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QLNr3_YNeJc?fs=1&hl=fr_FR" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-74295004486757791902010-10-11T09:33:00.006+02:002010-10-11T10:05:05.342+02:00Wet, Wet, Wet...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/TLLEnSWR0ZI/AAAAAAAAA4U/3ZdvEhXResI/s1600/Wet+Wet+Wet+9.99.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/TLLEnSWR0ZI/AAAAAAAAA4U/3ZdvEhXResI/s200/Wet+Wet+Wet+9.99.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526695871956242834" /></a>Could be the 80's band or my local 3-day forecast. Rain Is All Around, Wishing I Was Dry, Hold Back the River, Feels Like I'm Walking on Water... <br /><br />It's a rainy, grey day, and national strikes are looming... must be Fall in the Languedoc.<br /><br />How quickly the days change from being sun-drenched and rosé-soaked, to wet, windy, <span style="font-style:italic;">chocolat chaud</span>-like weather. I think the flip flops may have seen their last day in the sun.<br /><br />The lawn is scattered with chestnuts and walnuts, a new leak has appeared in the roof, and my finger rests poised above the central heating 'on' switch. The cool tiles which are so lovely to walk on in the summer now make slipper wearing compulsory. Makes me almost yearn for carpet. Almost.<br /><br />But still. The sun, as it has wont to do in this part of France, will probably put in another strong performance before the end of the month, making me AND the garden grateful for this abundance of wet stuff we are getting now.<br /><br />That's my silver-lining mantra for today, anyway. And it is sweet to see how excited the little ladies get when they get to use their wellies and umbrellas!The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-54925376163164174902010-09-23T08:44:00.004+02:002010-09-23T09:53:48.901+02:00Tomi Ungerer...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/TJsG3awC5CI/AAAAAAAAA4E/7TcNszQ69Rc/s1600/tomi+ungerer+emile.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/TJsG3awC5CI/AAAAAAAAA4E/7TcNszQ69Rc/s320/tomi+ungerer+emile.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520013317416084514" /></a>I fell a little bit in love this morning. While looking through the little ladies' library books, I came across a slim paperpack titled '<a href="http://www.amazon.fr/%C3%89mile-Tomi-Ungerer/dp/2211071457">Emile</a>' about a heroic octopus with nostalgic tendancies. The story was sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, the kind of story that's hard to find these days for my 8 and 6 year-old. <br /><br />I found it hard to believe that this was just an ordinary children's book, so I read the author bio at the end, and lo and behold, this was not written by just any old children's author, this was written and illustrated by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomi_Ungerer">Tomi Ungerer</a>, an award-winning author, illustrator and designer. So I opened the vast encyclopedia called Google to find out more. <br /><br />As well as writing and/or illustrating more than 30 children's books, including <span style="font-style:italic;">The Mellops Go Flying</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley">Flat Stanley</a></span>, and <span style="font-style:italic;">Moon Man</span>, he also produced illlustrations for <span style="font-style:italic;">The New York Times</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Esquire</span>, and <span style="font-style:italic;">Harper's Bazaar</span>. <br /><br />Ungerer also produced anti-Vietnam posters, wrote adult fiction with a heavy emphasis on eroticism, and designed various things, from film posters and political cartoons to an aqueduct in Strasbourg. Hellooo, over-achiever!<br /><br />Born in Alsace, he lived through the German occupation of the region, and later moved to the States, then Cananda, and now resides in Ireland. Although I haven't yet checked out any of his erotic fiction or political illustrations, I think Tomi Ungerer sounds like an interesting man indeed. <br /><br />If you haven't had a chance to read any of his children's books (although he is French, most of the books are written in English), I would definitely recommend them, as much for the sweet stories as for the illustrations. Ungerer has been described as 'the most famous children's book author you've never heard of', which I guess was true for me until today. It seems like alot of his children's books are no longer in print, so it may mean a trip to the library, but I promise it will be a worthwhile trip!The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-78349516131837640552010-07-01T21:04:00.004+02:002010-07-01T21:43:48.133+02:00A village full of recipes...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/TCzv1UUVdwI/AAAAAAAAA3k/Pix7YlhszDE/s1600/Mastering+the+Art+of+French+Cooking.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/TCzv1UUVdwI/AAAAAAAAA3k/Pix7YlhszDE/s320/Mastering+the+Art+of+French+Cooking.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489025745123899138" /></a>You don't have to go far in my little village before you are offered a recipe of one kind or another. Whether it's in the <span style="font-style:italic;">boucherie</span> while you are buying a cut of meat, or at the weekly market buying artichokes, or while you are having a chat with one of the local hunters you pass on the street, chances are somewhere along the line you will be given a recipe for something. <br /><br />Like the weather in England, food is the subject that more often than not figures in almost every conversation I have with the locals. People talk about what they've eaten or what they are planning to eat as a matter of course. Who needs an online meal planner when a simple walk through the village will produce enough inspiration for a month of dinners?<br /><br />I've just returned from my after dinner walk with the dogs. As I walked through the village with the sun setting on yet another sweltering day, I noticed the figs ripening in the trees and the towers of runner beans bursting in the alotment gardens. A few apricots remain in trees that haven't been harvested yet, and the smell of barbeques wafted on the air like Autumn chimney smoke. <br /><br />But little did I know that further ahead there was a bikinin-clad, garden-watering grandmother lying in wait to give me inspiration for tomorrow night's dinner....<br /><br />As I passed the grandparent's house of one of the little ladies' friends, I noticed Martine watering her borders wearing her lime green and black spotted bikin. She gave me a wave and made me promise not to tell her husband, Francois, that she was seen watering half-naked. We got to talking about swimsuits and bikinis, and how hard it is to stay slim, which of course naturally steered the conversation to food.<br /><br />I mentioned that we'd just finished off our dinner with camembert with sage leaves cooked on the barbeque and eaten with a whole baguette, which of course prompted her to give me one of her recipes: half a baguette with tomato and camembert, topped with <span style="font-style:italic;">pruneaux</span>, and grilled gently on the barbeque. <br /><br />We both patted our stomachs, made little <span style="font-style:italic;">miam miam</span> noises, and waved goodbye. Guess what we will be having for starters tomorrow night.....The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-7960926159357095172010-05-06T09:08:00.005+02:002010-05-20T09:10:49.815+02:00The Rolling Stones in Cannes...The Cannes Film Festival starts next week, and while I have been there, done that, I'd love to go this year to see the Rolling Stones, who are coming to promote their new documentary 'Stones in Exile'. The documentary covers the making of their legendary 1972 album 'Exile on Main Street', which is set for re-release next month. <br /><br />The premier of the documentary is part of an add-on event called Director's Fortnight which runs in conjunction with the main festival. Almost like the Stones will be party crashing, how very fitting..... The album was made on the Riviera while the Stones were on a self-imposed exile from the UK taxman. Can't wait to see the documentary, but bummed I can't see them in Cannes, where rumour has it they may do a little impromptu performance. <br /><br />Rock and roll on the Riviera with the Rolling Stones. <span style="font-style:italic;">I'll</span> probably be mopping my floors. Oh well, a girl can dream, can't she?<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UXcqcdYABFw&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UXcqcdYABFw&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-66363802678951642622010-04-26T13:36:00.004+02:002010-04-26T14:37:25.427+02:00Spring in the Languedoc...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S9WI-e29uxI/AAAAAAAAA28/u2EK7dJ_bCY/s1600/irises.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S9WI-e29uxI/AAAAAAAAA28/u2EK7dJ_bCY/s200/irises.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464424329900833554" /></a>We now return to our regular scheduled programming....<br /><br />Just on the off chance, we swung by the airport on Saturday afternoon to see if the full flight back to Bristol had a couple of empty seats. They did, and finally everyone has been returned to their rightful places, albeit 10 days later than planned, and the panic created by the thought of having to live together for the rest of our lives is slowly fading into a distant (but not quite yet humorous) memory.<br /><br />There is already talk of the next family visit in September. I shall be monitoring the state of all volcanoes within a 2,000 mile radius between now and then very carefully indeed.<br /><br />And the little ladies are back in school after their 2-week Spring holiday. They came home from school before the break wearing their winter coats and boots, and have now gone back in sandals, sunscreen and short sleeves. <br /><br />The garden has gone from bare-branches to full-leaf in a matter of 10 days- the hot pink geraniums are flowering in their pots, the purple and white irises are just about finished, and the petals from the blousy pale pink peonies are already scattered on the ground. <br /><br />The vineyards are budding, changing the hilly landscape around us from stark lines to swathes of green, with cherry and almond blossoms, yellow gorse, and flowering wild rosemary adding little dashes of brillant colour. The sky is that bright, cornflower blue I remember from my childhood set of Crayola crayons. Our windows are open and the birds' nests in the garden are full of movement and chirping.<br /><br />This has to be my favourite time of year in the Languedoc, before the scorching, bleaching sun reaches its full strength, before the hoardes of holidaymakers crowd the roads, before a fan becomes a necessity for sleeping on a sweltering summer night. Soon running and dog-walking will need to be done very early or very late, and the warmth of the sun on the back of my head will become an unwelcome prospect.<br /><br />But before I have to arm myself with shade-finding strategies, I'm going to enjoy sitting in my hammock with a good book in the Spring sunshine, where neither the beach or pool yet beckons me, and the act of getting into a swimsuit is still a comfortable couple of months away.<br /><br />Hope you, too, have a hammock somewhere with your name on it...The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-86146903673797057272010-04-21T09:38:00.002+02:002010-04-21T13:08:25.526+02:00Camping 2...Following on from the success of the first <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473829/">Camping</a></span> movie in 2006, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=112171.html">Camping 2</a></span> comes out today in France. A friend recommended the first one to me as a good representation of current French humour. Funny in a the best kind of awkward, cringeworthy way, the film takes place on a typical French seaside campsite, with larger than life characters drawn from real-life French society. <br /><br />'Camping 2' should be just as funny, and Lord knows I could use a little levity right now. Next available flight to UK......next Monday!<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HcwFSWB18vI&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HcwFSWB18vI&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-43907589220354194242010-04-19T09:27:00.005+02:002010-04-19T10:15:09.245+02:00The Duchess vs The Volcano...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8wQpLOT98I/AAAAAAAAA2U/xGV00cA_Zxk/s1600/volcano+chaos.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8wQpLOT98I/AAAAAAAAA2U/xGV00cA_Zxk/s320/volcano+chaos.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461758747667068866" /></a>Remember that <a href="http://theduchessofearl.blogspot.com/2010/01/of-101-things-i-love-about-france.html">post</a> where I extolled the virtues of living in Europe? So close to so many countries, one of the best perks of living in the south of France.... That is unless one of those countries owns a volcano which decides to errupt and create travel chaos, just as the <a href="http://theduchessofearl.blogspot.com/2007/03/walking-english-megaphone.html">Walking English Megaphone</a> is trying to flee, I mean, <span style="font-style:italic;">fly</span>, back home.<br /><br />We are on day 8 of his 4-day stay. <span style="font-style:italic;">We</span> are getting a little anxious. <span style="font-style:italic;">We</span> hope that his re-scheduled flight from Béziers to Bristol will leave on Wednesday, but <span style="font-style:italic;">we</span> are not too convinced that it will. Ever heard the saying 'When America sneezes, the world catches a cold'? Well, Iceland has sneezed and some of it has landed on the Dukedom.<br /><br />I know in the grand scheme of things, we are lucky. We aren't sleeping at the airport, or missing a family wedding or a funeral, and aren't one of the 4 teachers stranded with 40 15-year old British schoolchildren in Shanghai. But still. <span style="font-style:italic;">We</span> are a little family who like to keep family visits short and sweet. <span style="font-style:italic;">We</span> love each other in small doses. This may get interesting. <br /><br />Anyone else out there been affected by the volcano chaos? Hope you all are where you want to be, or can get where you want to be going. Thanks to one of the other great perks of living in France, we do have a plentiful supply of wine to see us through...The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-59002868112926109652010-04-12T09:00:00.001+02:002010-04-12T09:00:03.357+02:00New books on France for April...Not a heck of alot going on for new books on France this month in publishing. Managed to find three, though, that weren't just new releases of guidebooks. As usual, please let me know if I've missed any little gems...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8DGRnT8_HI/AAAAAAAAA2M/tsqOhDPR8H8/s1600/Walnut+Wine+and+Truffle+Groves.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8DGRnT8_HI/AAAAAAAAA2M/tsqOhDPR8H8/s200/Walnut+Wine+and+Truffle+Groves.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458580754285788274" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walnut-Truffle-Groves-Kimberly-Lovato/dp/0762437995/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270924263&sr=1-12">Walnut Wine and Truffle Groves</a> by Kimberly Lavato<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8DF6h8AVII/AAAAAAAAA18/wTpcrwM4EYo/s1600/Parisians.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8DF6h8AVII/AAAAAAAAA18/wTpcrwM4EYo/s200/Parisians.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458580357706175618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parisians-Adventure-History-Graham-Robb/dp/0330452444/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270924263&sr=1-1">Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris</a> by Graham Robb<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8DF_PF4NJI/AAAAAAAAA2E/gspqmiaTJ7w/s1600/Horseshoes+and+Holy+Water.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S8DF_PF4NJI/AAAAAAAAA2E/gspqmiaTJ7w/s200/Horseshoes+and+Holy+Water.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458580438546658450" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Horseshoes-Holy-Water-Canterbury-Compostela/dp/0753510383/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270924172&sr=1-10"><br />Horseshoes and Holy Water: On the Hoof from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela</a> by Mefo PhillipsThe Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-41335621172465550532010-04-06T09:29:00.003+02:002010-04-06T10:03:05.252+02:00The Return of Françoise Hardy...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S7rk_xMMuOI/AAAAAAAAA1k/v32IrI7PnzM/s1600/fran%C3%A7oise+hardy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S7rk_xMMuOI/AAAAAAAAA1k/v32IrI7PnzM/s320/fran%C3%A7oise+hardy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456925682700171490" border="0" /></a>The French 60's icon, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7oise_Hardy">Françoise Hardy</a>, is back in the news with the release of her 26th album, <span style="font-style: italic;">La pluie sans parapluie</span>. The first single from the album, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AWlbiFueA0">Noir sur blanc</a>, produced in collaboration with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calogero">Calogero</a>, shows that <span style="font-style: italic;">La Grande Dame de la chanson française</span> is back on brillant form. <br /><br />I've always had a soft spot for Françoise Hardy. I clearly remember the day back in Junior High School French class when my teacher, Mme Barber, first put on the scratchy record of <span style="font-style: italic;">Tous les garçons et les filles</span>. Sitting in class in South Dakota, I was suddenly transported to Paris, an exotic country full of lovers and romance, of rain-splashed streets full of couples walking hand in hand. I even chose 'Françoise' as my name in class for the rest of the year. Forget Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot, I wanted to be Françoise Hardy.<br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IOd_5ZRPmFs&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IOd_5ZRPmFs&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-79265987035783188642010-03-30T09:02:00.005+02:002010-03-30T10:06:26.766+02:00We'll always have Cannes...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S7Gw7E8xGwI/AAAAAAAAA1c/G_DvdR7sdSw/s1600/cannes+film+fest+2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S7Gw7E8xGwI/AAAAAAAAA1c/G_DvdR7sdSw/s320/cannes+film+fest+2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454335152709769986" /></a>As some of you readers may know, Cannes holds a special place in my heart. It's the first place I lived in France (as a student back in 1993), the place where I met and fell in love with the Duke, and the place where I shed so many of my smalltown American ideologies. I may have been a fish out of water with no gold shoes, but Cannes was an amazing eye-opener for me, in so many ways.<br /><br />With 2000 dollars worth of French francs in my pocket, having just cut off all of my hair (think Jane Mancini in Melrose Place), I was ready to take on the world, starting with France. I wasn't prepared for the yachts, the glitz, or the other European students wearing Gucci and arriving on their private jets. <br /><br />Oh the naïveté, but it didn't matter, I was in France, people!<br /><br />Had I really known what Cannes was like before I left, I probably would have chosen Grenoble, which was the other option. Somehow I missed the part in the guidebook that said it was the playground of the rich and famous, and so I set off to study, in my own clueless, Beverly Hillbilly fashion.<br /><br />Between the beach, the bars, the wine-tastings, and the flirting with the waiters at the Carlton after hours, there wasn't much studying going on. Although I'm sure that the education I got out of the classroom was worth every penny of my hard-earned scholarship. <br /><br />There are certain memories that stand out in high definition- walking home along the port at 5am and hearing the news from one of the yacht's radios that Kurt Cobain had just died, tasting ravioli so beautiful I thought I would die at a little restaurant called Chez Max, and walking up the red carpet at the <a href="http://theduchessofearl.blogspot.com/2008/04/cannes-film-festival.html">Cannes Film Festival</a> on the Duke's arm.<br /><br />One of the 'perks' of studying at the International College de Cannes was that we all got passes to the Film Festival, which allowed us access to as many films as we wanted to see, and the chance to walk up the red carpet. Formal dress required, of course. I die in shame with embarrassement now, thinking about it, but at the time, for just that 5 minutes, I felt the love of my adoring fans....<br /><br />So, every year around this time, when they release the new film festival poster and are about ready to release the official selection of this year's films (on April 15), I get a little nostalgic. While a year in Cannes was enough for this hick from the sticks, I love remembering how back then, even I felt like a rock star. What more could a girl ask for on her first year abroad?The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-68806166342291969962010-03-26T09:04:00.005+01:002010-03-26T10:10:38.126+01:00Robert De Niro's waiting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S6x0v4Lcv7I/AAAAAAAAA1E/AEMs9qGJ9WU/s1600/everybody-wants-to-be-italian.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S6x0v4Lcv7I/AAAAAAAAA1E/AEMs9qGJ9WU/s320/everybody-wants-to-be-italian.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452861614721908658" /></a>Here in the Languedoc, you are almost as likely to hear Spanish on a daily basis as you are French. My vet often goes off on a Spanish tangent and at my Thursday night Flamenco dance class, it's very easy to imagine that I'm living in rural Spain. Tapas are on almost every menu, and I think the ratio of cava to champagne in my wine rack is prettily heftily in favour of the former. <br /><br />Luckily, I minored in Spanish at university (although everytime I go to Barcelona I realize how useless Mexican Spanish is in Catalonia....), and I manage to pick up words here and there. I love the Spanish-influenced flavour of the local accent.<br /><br />But I dream of being able to speak Italian. I've been trying to teach myself, unsuccessfully, for the last 5 years or so. I have all the books and CDs and even had a private tutor for awhile. The tutor was interesting because of course she was teaching me Italian in French, which just made it all the more difficult for me to concentrate.<br /><br />I think I get to a point where I have a good grasp of the language, then I'm in Italy, and all I can do is speak in French. It's like my brain is telling me I need to be speaking a foreign language, so hey, French will do. All of my efforts at studying Italian fly right out the old <span style="font-style:italic;">finestra</span>. <br /><br />If only I lived over by Nice, where the chances of picking up Italian would be so much easier. Although, of course, then I'd probably be living in a shoe box, unable to afford to go to Italy, but nevermind. I guess I'll just have to continue the old-fashioned way. <br /><br />Although I'm starting to think that maybe you <span style="font-style:italic;">can't</span> teach an old dog new tricks. I watch the little ladies gadding about speaking French and English with perfect accents and I have to fight back the envy. My 7-year old says that she wants to start learning Italian with me. That's like saying Carl Lewis wants to start going running with me. Nothing like a 7-year old multi-linguist to spur you into action. <br /><br />I know I'm lucky to be able to speak passable French. I see so many foreigners living here who struggle daily, unable to speak the language. And while I know that I should concentrate on perfecting my French, there's just something about Italian that makes me dreamy. They say the best way to learn a language is take a lover who speaks that language, but somehow I doubt the Duke would be up for that, no matter how supportive he is.<br /><br />How about you? Any fluent Italian speakers out there? I'll trade you half my French for half your Italian...The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-33717500306712798362010-03-22T09:16:00.005+01:002010-03-22T10:07:56.187+01:00C'est le printemps...Forecast is for grey and rain all week, except for Tuesday, when it is supposed to be sunny and 7O° degrees. And so it goes, Spring in the south of France. Do I wear the winter coat, the boots, take the umbrella or get the flip flops out? Makes getting myself and the 2 little ladies dressed in the morning so much more 'fun'.<br /><br />Life is ticking along pleasantly here. Just booked our summer holiday near Sansepolcro in Tuscany, the calendar is filling up with summer visitors, and had a great night on Saturday night at an outdoor (okay, heated terrace) local food and wine fête in Béziers. Summer is so close I can almost taste it.<br /><br />On the agenda this week, delving into the winter-torn garden, a very first gymnastics meet for my 7-year old, and a trip to the circus for my 5-year old (the one child who is most likely to <span style="font-style:italic;">run away</span> with the circus).<br /><br />Happy Spring wherever you are, may your days be filled with bright yellow flowers, lunches in the sunshine, and not too much Spring cleaning...<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9mTLr4lMbPs&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9mTLr4lMbPs&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-15652814694677327502010-03-13T09:00:00.002+01:002010-03-13T09:00:02.292+01:00I *heart* Marion Cotillard...Beautiful, talented, and a sense of humour, what's not to love?<br /><br /><object width="512" height="328" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" id="ordie_player_5a52180b80"><param name="movie" value="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" /><param name="flashvars" value="key=5a52180b80" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed width="512" height="328" flashvars="key=5a52180b80" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" src="http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf" name="ordie_player_5a52180b80" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><div style="text-align:left;font-size:x-small;margin-top:0;width:512px;"></div>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-87648046534478228622010-03-11T09:00:00.002+01:002010-03-11T09:03:55.170+01:00New books on France for Feb/Mar...Not too much going on in the publishing world for French-related books at the moment, although there are loads of new guides and maps that come out at this time of year, like the new Rough Guide to Paris and the 2010 Michelin Guide. Still, mananged to find a smattering that look interesting:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5TgFwQ-FPI/AAAAAAAAA0c/uQGP8XUFt2w/s1600-h/Lunch+in+Paris.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5TgFwQ-FPI/AAAAAAAAA0c/uQGP8XUFt2w/s200/Lunch+in+Paris.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446224238857819378" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lunch-Paris-Love-Story-Recipes/dp/031604279X/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268043610&sr=1-19">Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes</a> by Elizabeth Bard<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5Tf5BluTNI/AAAAAAAAA0U/21SnfxPO5IQ/s1600-h/Back+Roads+France.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5Tf5BluTNI/AAAAAAAAA0U/21SnfxPO5IQ/s200/Back+Roads+France.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446224020169968850" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Back-Roads-France-Authentic-Eyewitness/dp/1405347457/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268043610&sr=1-14"><br />Back Roads France: Scenic Routes - Charming Hotels - Authentic Cuisine</a> by DK Eyewitness Guides<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5TdX6hh14I/AAAAAAAAAzs/rRQdWPGEs8w/s1600-h/Frommer%27s+Paris+free+and+dirt+cheap.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 156px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5TdX6hh14I/AAAAAAAAAzs/rRQdWPGEs8w/s320/Frommer%27s+Paris+free+and+dirt+cheap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446221252314388354" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frommers-Paris-Free-Dirt-Cheap/dp/0470683325/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268043758&sr=1-37">Frommer's Paris Free and Dirt Cheap</a> by Anna E. Brooke<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5Tfs9ZJxeI/AAAAAAAAA0M/3EcvCH1JaCY/s1600-h/The+Invention+of+Paris.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5Tfs9ZJxeI/AAAAAAAAA0M/3EcvCH1JaCY/s200/The+Invention+of+Paris.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446223812885071330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Paris-Eric-Hazan/dp/1844674118/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268043712&sr=1-28">The Invention of Paris</a> by Eric Hazan<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5TfbYBGd-I/AAAAAAAAA0E/-AvEQuD-2SM/s1600-h/Colors+of+Provence.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S5TfbYBGd-I/AAAAAAAAA0E/-AvEQuD-2SM/s320/Colors+of+Provence.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446223510794303458" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Provence-Traditions-Recipes-Decorations/dp/2080301365/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268043363&sr=1-3">Colors of Provence: Traditions, Recipes and Home Decorations from the South of France</a> by Michel BiehnThe Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-54128875697625546732010-03-08T09:52:00.003+01:002010-03-08T10:24:51.544+01:00Pony Pony Run Run...Sounds like my 5-year old after she's eaten too many Gummy Bears, but is in fact the current French Pop/Rock sensation <span style="font-weight:bold;">sweeping the nation</span> (love using cheesy statements like that...).<br /><br />'You Need Pony Pony Run Run' is the first studio album by the group <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_Pony_Run_Run">Pony Pony Run Run</a>, a trio of lads from Angers who formed the group in Nantes as Beaux Arts students, whose style has been called French Indie Electropop, with a slight 80's influence. <br /><br />Most of their songs seem to be in English, which bodes well for them internationally, just hope they don't get lost amongst all the other Indie art school bands out there. 'Hey You' was their first single which was pretty big last summer. <br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ykSZMaZl2fY&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ykSZMaZl2fY&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-36375272891105674742010-03-01T10:25:00.005+01:002010-03-01T11:48:34.898+01:00It was all about prison and a see-through dress...Luckily, or not, depending on how you look at it, my weekend's activities included neither of these excitements. But after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Award">35th Annual César Film Awards</a> (think Oscars with a French accent), these are the hot topics of conversation I'm sure are making the rounds of water-coolers throughout the country today.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Un Prophète</span>, directed by Jacques Audiard, swept the awards, including best film, best director, best actor and best screenplay. The film, which had already received high praise at the Cannes Festival earlier this year, is also up for an Oscar for best foreign-language film.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Un Prophète</span> tells the story of Malik El Djebena (played by Tahar Rahim), a 19-year old Arab man who has been sent to prison for 6 years for an assault on police. He is taken under the wing of fellow inmate Cesar Luciani (played by Niels Arestrup), head of the Corsican mafia gang, who pretty much rule the prisoners. After doing some of Luciani's dirty work, Malik, who teaches himself how to read while in prison, begins to make his own dangerous power play. The result is an almost art-house French gangster film, dealing with cultural identities and marginalisation; in other words, French society today.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L1Ms51gWFnY&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L1Ms51gWFnY&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">On a lighter note, the other senasational story of the night, particularly for the male viewer, was the transparent YSL dress worn by Laetitia Casta. This reminds me of the Versace safety-pin dress worn by Elizabeth Hurley to the premier of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' back in 1994.<br /><br />I wonder just how much hemming and hawing was involved before this dress was chosen. Gives new meaning to the term Little Black Dress, non?<br /></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S4ua4ZGQLiI/AAAAAAAAAzU/I9nwOmDwHhk/s1600-h/Laetitia-Casta.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S4ua4ZGQLiI/AAAAAAAAAzU/I9nwOmDwHhk/s320/Laetitia-Casta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443614868207840802" border="0" /></a>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-48590942234943595282010-02-24T16:29:00.003+01:002010-02-24T16:48:04.032+01:00Does this shock you?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S4VHfx1ZdoI/AAAAAAAAAzM/mx0eHhsf9x8/s1600-h/anti-smoking+campaign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S4VHfx1ZdoI/AAAAAAAAAzM/mx0eHhsf9x8/s320/anti-smoking+campaign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441834336025933442" /></a><br />This is the new anti-smoking campaign launched by <a href="http://dnf.asso.fr/">L'Association Droits des Non- Fumeurs</a> (The association for the rights of non-smokers).<br /><br />It's says "Fumer, c'est être esclave du tabac" (To smoke is to be a slave to tabacco). And obviously they are comparing it to a whole nother kind of slavery. The DNF stated they wanted an image that was shocking to get young people's attention.<br /><br />Not sure which of the two is better for teenagers to be thinking about...<br /><br />What do you think? Effective? Shocking? Tasteless?The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-36679746836193948482010-02-16T11:01:00.005+01:002010-02-16T14:21:12.707+01:00Pure France Summer 2010...This is the post where I make a shameless plug for the Duke's company, <a href="http://www.purefrance.com/">Pure France</a>, specialists in holiday rental villas and chateaux throughout France.<br /><br />One of the downsides of living in France is that we don't really 'holiday' in France anymore, at least not like we used to when we lived in England. But everytime a new beautiful property is added to the Pure France portfolio, I secretly wish that we lived in Italy and took our summer holidays in France.<br /><br />If you or anyone you know is looking for a place to spend their summer holiday in France this summer, have a look at the website, it's full of gorgeous French property eye-candy, located in some of the most beautiful parts of the country!The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-35776091082382101672010-02-11T12:49:00.004+01:002010-02-11T13:08:18.565+01:00A little snow was here and there...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S3Pu9faSl6I/AAAAAAAAAy4/DkZOmwkL0E4/s1600-h/DSCF9254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S3Pu9faSl6I/AAAAAAAAAy4/DkZOmwkL0E4/s400/DSCF9254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436951915337521058" border="0" /></a><br />Okay, so it's not exactly the blizzard that those of you around DC are experiencing, but just thought I'd commiserate with all of you who are currently knee-deep in the white stuff.<br /><br />If it's snowing here on the Med, then it damn well better be snowing everywhere else!The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-20457092184267915072010-02-06T18:33:00.003+01:002010-02-06T18:46:35.996+01:00Dingue Dingue DingueNumber 1 on the French charts this week, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christophe_Ma%C3%A9">Christophe Maé</a>, with <span style="font-style: italic;">Dingue Dingue Dingue</span> (Crazy, Crazy, Crazy). Bit middle of the road, but not too painful. I actually quite like his voice, but probably not everyone's cup of tea.... <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wi-RwpnFLXI&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wi-RwpnFLXI&hl=fr_FR&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /></div>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-48483037304149674792010-01-29T10:20:00.010+01:002010-01-29T10:42:20.288+01:00New books on France for January...Here's a round-up of books published in January that talk France. As usual, let me know if I've missed any good ones!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2Kr1kPqArI/AAAAAAAAAyo/KzJopuioYeQ/s1600-h/Comptines+de+France.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2Kr1kPqArI/AAAAAAAAAyo/KzJopuioYeQ/s200/Comptines+de+France.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432093037313000114" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comptines-France-pour-petits-audio/dp/2081230216/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264756492&sr=1-36">Comptines de France pour les petits</a> by Hervé Le Goff, Vincent Clément and others<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2KrKZwV1XI/AAAAAAAAAyg/60oHARf2MuU/s1600-h/Paris+Patisseries.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2KrKZwV1XI/AAAAAAAAAyg/60oHARf2MuU/s200/Paris+Patisseries.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432092295762924914" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paris-Patisseries-History-Shops-Recipes/dp/2080300814/ref=sr_1_47?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264756223&sr=1-47">Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes</a> by Christian Sarramon and Pierre Herme<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2KqQ56dejI/AAAAAAAAAyY/g-SoFf1Eaw4/s1600-h/Buying+a+Piece+of+Paris.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2KqQ56dejI/AAAAAAAAAyY/g-SoFf1Eaw4/s200/Buying+a+Piece+of+Paris.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432091307962890802" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Buying-Piece-Paris-Dreams-Lights/dp/0312606338/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264756162&sr=1-32"><br />Buying a Piece of Paris: The Home of My Dreams in the City of Lights</a> by Ellie Nielsen<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2Kpz1VVKnI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/bGll13_nqho/s1600-h/In+Love+in+France.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2Kpz1VVKnI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/bGll13_nqho/s200/In+Love+in+France.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432090808517208690" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-France-Travelers-Romantic-Destinations/dp/0789320320/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264755994&sr=1-18">In Love in France: A Traveler's Guide to the Most Romantic Destinations in the Land of Amour</a> by Rhonda Carrier<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2Kpe6IWERI/AAAAAAAAAyI/NOLwvhbtJBY/s1600-h/For+the+Soul+of+France.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NIkpASraBpw/S2Kpe6IWERI/AAAAAAAAAyI/NOLwvhbtJBY/s200/For+the+Soul+of+France.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432090449027666194" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-France-Culture-Wars-Dreyfus/dp/0307266311/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264755927&sr=1-3">For the Soul of France: Culture Wars in the Age of Dreyfus</a> by Frederick BrownThe Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35687974.post-23459944061678300802010-01-24T12:35:00.005+01:002010-01-24T14:24:30.031+01:00Serge Gainsbourg- Vie HéroïqueAlready being called <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span> French film of 2010, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1955887,00.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Serge Gainsbourg- Vie Héroïque</span></a>, the biopic of the man whom many consider to be one of France's all-time greatest singer/songwriters, was released last week in France. <br /><br />Starting with his childhood as a Jewish boy growing up in Nazi-occupied Paris, the film goes on to tell the story of his career, from struggling painter to one of the country's biggest rock star bad boys.<br /><br />I can only imagine how many later musicians have been inspired by the life of this cult French icon. From his hard-drinking lifestyle to his well-publicised love life, which included relationships with the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birken, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Gainsbourg">Serge Gainsbourg's life</a> reads like a manual on how to really do the whole sex, drugs, and rock and roll thing (particularly the sex bit...).<br /><br />The film has been dedicated to Lucy Gordon, the young English actress who played Jane Birkin in the film, and who committed suicide in her apartment in Paris, shortly after filming finished.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div><object width="480" height="277"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xb486m&related=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xb486m&related=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="277" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb486m_gainsbourg-vie-heroique-trailer-hd_shortfilms">Gainsbourg - Vie Héroïque - Trailer HD [VF]</a></b></div><br /></div>The Duchesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973296361399409747noreply@blogger.com10