Désolée Part 2

We are leaving London this morning for La Rochelle. The post will be up tomorrow!

A Short Late Post

I thought I had covered the bases but I have been found out, thanks to the comment from Anonymous! I am not in La Rochelle at all but have been whiling away the past two weeks in lovely London. One of the delights of La Rochelle is it's little airport that links quickly to London. The less delightful part is that the link is by Ryanair. This is the cut rate Irish airline that constantly makes headlines for its cheap fares but also Byzantine regulations. This airline raises the ire of so many passengers that there is now a website I Hate Ryanair, full of the stories of discontented passengers. So, while I flew to London for $126 return, I also spent the better part of a day trying to pack my suitcase so that it was below the 10 kg. carry on limit (€15 each way for an extra bag), visited the print shop to print my boarding pass (€40 if you show up without it) and paid a premium for not using the obscure credit card that Ryanair will process without cost. There are no reserved seats nor any sort of free food or drink. In fact, even the food for sale sometimes doesn't exist. However, it is worth it for the very low price.

My first week was spent visiting friends and catching up on all their activities. Then on Monday David arrived and we moved into a delightful apartment, newly bought by a dear friend as an investment. Luckily for us, she has not begun to rent it and we have had such a great time pretending to be Londoners. Located just down the street from the British Museum, this flat was the home of the great British philosopher, Bertrand Russell. His student, the poet T. S Eliot, shared it for a while.

We have been serious tourists this week, loving all that London has to offer and trying not to be shocked by the number of times we have already been to the cash machines. We comfort ourselves with the new low exchange rate!
We have visited the beautiful Somerset House to view the Courtauld collection of art and then collapsed at their lovely outdoor cafe.  We spent several interesting hours in St. Paul's cathedral. Here we were taken

on a tour by a volunteer whose enthusiasm for the cathedral made his advertised 15 minute talk into one of 45 minutes full of stories and information. When he inquired as to people's country of origin, he was most apologetic to us. "I don't think we have much about Canada here. I think there is a statue of John MacDonald somewhere in the crypt." We went to the crypt and while we didn't find Sir John A. here is what we did discover.

David was so outspoken:

 ". . . came from nowhere!! He is a Canadian!" that the woman behind the desk didn't tell him to put away his camera until after he had taken the photo! To dissipate our irritation, we climbed to the outside gallery of the dome to look out over London.

We spent that evening at the Globe Theatre, an amazing story of the persistence of the distinguished American film actor and director, Sam Wanamaker. Disappointed by the lack of recognition of the importance of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, in 1970 be began fundraising and getting permission to recreate the theatre on its original site. Sadly, he died before it opened in 1997, however its success is a tribute to his vision of a recreated Shakespearean theatre, as close as possible to the original. It is the only building in London allowed to have a thatched roof!  

We chose to sit rather than stand as 'groundlings'--up to 700 people who pay £5 to stand in the area in front of the stage for the length of the play--no folding stools or chairs allowed!. We noticed people rubbing their backs and bending over during the play and a definite reduction in their number after the intermission! Even sitting was uncomfortable--wooden benches, somewhat relieved by flat cushions for £1. It was good to be able to stand when the intermission came after an hour and 45 minutes. The production of Henry IV, Part 1 

was fun and animated. Actors appeared suddenly in the middle of the 'groundlings' and climbed onto the stage. The backdrops were cleverly changed to denote different settings, the acting was excellent, there were lots of jokes and music. It ended with a rousing rendition of a sort of Frug to Elizabethan music! We left feeling as though we had experienced something special and then had a romantic walk across the Millennium Bridge with St. Paul's lit up in front of us. We will be here for another few days, so more to come on Monday!

This Is A Rant About Canada!

"Canada, a country covered with snows and ices eight months of the year, inhabited by barbarians, bears and beavers." Voltaire wrote this in 1753 (Essai sur les mœurs et l'esprit des nations). David and I think there are French people who continue to believe this—minus the reference to barbarians ! We are always touched by the feeling of connection to Canada among the people we meet. We are called 'les cousins'. In fact, many people from this area whose ancestors settled Quebec in the 17^th and 18^th centuries have relatives in Canada. In spite of this, like many people in the world they know very little about the Canada of the 21^st century. We are not surprised that our rate of tourism from Europe is low. Somehow, Canada is failing to let the rest of the world know that we are a country worth visiting. In La Rochelle we have met people who are amazed:

• by the office towers in Toronto and Vancouver ("But it looks like New York!")
• that Toronto is the most diverse city in the world  ("Non!!!")
• by the fact that sometimes Toronto is warmer than La Rochelle ("Mais ce n'est pas possible!")
• that Canada is 20 times bigger than France ("Mais c'est immense!")
• that our population is slightly more than half that of France  ("There is nobody there!")
• that many people outside of Quebec speak French ("Mais ce n'est pas possible!")
• that it takes days to cross Canada from one sea to the other ("Mais c'est immense!")
• that anglophone Canadians will welcome people who don't speak English perfectly ("Mais ce n'est pas possible!")
• that there is a French theatre company in Toronto ("Non!!!")

How is it that we cannot help the rest of the world understand the glory, diversity and beauty of our country so they want to come and visit? David and I are doing our best but it is an uphill job! We are in an ideal spot for Canadian travel advertising. There is such a positive attitude towards Canada here. However, when the Rochelais say Canada they are talking about Quebec. We have met many Rochelais who have visited the province of Quebec. When asked why they didn't venture further afield, they reply with a shrug:"C'est évident. Je ne parle pas anglais." Don't spread this around but our cousins in England don't are not very understanding of French-accented English and have traumatized some of our French friends during their visits to the sceptr'd isle. In addition, there is the French obsession with speaking and writing their own language to perfection. They impose this on their attempts to speak English.

And then, of course, there is the Canadian climate. How to get people to understand that Voltaire was wrong, that in fact parts of Ontario are only slightly further north than New York City. No one thinks about climate when they are planning a trip to New York City in spite of it's brutal snowstorms. Why does that make a difference to planning a trip to Canada? The climate on Vancouver Island is much the same as La Rochelle and some of Ontario's winter is much more benign than parts of France.

But the real question is: why isn't Canada advertising? David and I have now been in France for eight months and we have yet to see an ad for Canada in any media. It is true that we don't watch much television so there may be something there. We have seen nothing in newspapers, magazines or billboards.  I have now had five trips to Paris and the Metro has been covered with huge ads for South Africa, Australia, United States but Canada . . . nothing! After a bit of searching, I found the federal travel site: http://www.canadatravel.com/. It is beautifully set up but is definitely marketing the vastness, space and wilderness of Canada. From my limited experience, this may not appeal to many French. They are not used to vast spaces and when camping, choose to stay in places where the space is small, more communal, sometimes even in parking lots! I am reminded of the South Asian couple we met while canoe camping in Algonquin Park. They were not coming back they said because it was "too empty and too silent". I believe that we over-emphasize the issue of distance, space and wilderness and forget about letting people know that our cities are large, modern and cosmopolitan. Why market the old stones of Quebec City when that is something French people can see in their own country. I think they are more interested in skyscrapers. Come on, Canada, get with it!!

Moving and Digging in La Rochelle

La Rochelle is a very old city. The streets are narrow, the living space small. We have often wondered how people move large items in and out of the apartments of La Rochelle. The stairs are most often winding, sometimes preceded by long, narrow corridors. We found one answer recently. This little piece of street theatre took place on a main street close to our home. We were the only ones watching the performance!

1. Large flower pot, secured by a rope

              

2. Neighbour watches nervously

                    

3. Pot wrapped, neighbour 's idea?

4. The neighbour has nervously disappeared.

                                                                         

5. Young man takes control. 

6. "Hup--ca y'est!"

                                                                  

I left our apartment one morning and almost fell into this:

 Enquiring, I discovered that they were digging out a new basement next door. There is no parking on our narrow one way street, no dumpsters allowed so here is how they solved the problem of where to put all the dirt. The three large canvas bags you see above were filled by two young men who carried out the dirt in wheelbarrows. When they were full,  a truck with a small crane magically appeared. Problem solved!

                                                                       

                                                                                    

                                                    

We are certainly living in a city with creative responses to everyday problems.

Les Vallées de La Loire et Le Loir

Who knew there were two Loir(e)s, one right beside the other? We didn't until we began to search for a gîte (the French word for rented holiday house) in which to spend a week with some of our family. As three young granddaughters, aged 1½, 4 and 7 would be with us we immediately thought of châteaux and then, of course, La Loire. The search was long and interesting. Gîtes include everything from small cabins for two to huge chateaux for 20. Somewhere in the middle was what we were searching for. We would be seven, wanted an unusual and memorable place, isolated enough that the children would be free to be children. And so, we came upon the Manoir de la Vallée close to Le  Loir. Yes, one is masculine, the other feminine-French genders are difficult! This smaller Loir is as lovely and historic as the large Loire to the south, although more gentle in character with smaller towns and villages lining its banks. On the other hand, the Manoir was huge and grand and we loved having the experience of being Lords and Ladies of the Manor.

Constructed in the 16th century, it was once the largest and most prosperous house of the area. Sitting high on a cliff overlooking the river and the little town Chartre-sur-le-Loir, it had a strategic advantage as well. The aristocratic owners disappeared at the time of the Revolution, the family crest torn from over the fireplace. We began looking for stains on the wood floors! Our host, Jean-Louis was born in the Manoir and is very proud of its history. He pointed out the remains of flour ground into the wide staircase, dropped from the bags as they carried it up to the attic where it was safely stored. David and I occupied the large bedroom and bathroom in the old attic. It was clear from the construction of the stairs from elegant to utilitarian that we were in the former storerooms. However,we enjoyed the lovely room, the view out over the valley and the
early morning birdsong--a complete change from La Rochelle

.

We were in another area of France now, again steeped in history. This time it was the history of kings, queens and mistresses so we set out to explore. Our seven and four year old granddaughters are both intrigued by princesses and queens so they were excited explorers with us. As long as there were enough opportunities to practise the new skill of walking along, the one and a half year old was happy!

  In order to accommodate all seven of us, we rented an enormous Nissan van and in it we comfortably toured the countryside. Hats off to the drivers, David and Tim, who manoeuvred the monster through small village streets and a number of demi-tours as we tried to interpret some interesting road signs and find our way on back roads.

Our first excursion was to the magnificent Château de Chenonceau.

Built on the Cher River in the 16th century, it is called the Château des Dames after the many famous women (queens, mistresses and commoners) who occupied and loved it. One of the cleverest, Mme. Louise Dupin saved the château from destruction during the French Revolution, reminding the revolutionaries that it was the only bridge across the river for many miles and essential to travel and commerce. In 1913, the Menier family, famous for their chocolates, bought the château and still own it. It is a wonderful place, well cared for and full of beautiful rooms and furniture.

Then, in response to a request from the little girls to know more about dungeons, we googled 'dungeons on the Loire River' and quite by accident discovered the wonderful mediaeval town of Loches.

There are in fact two châteaux in Loches, the one with the dungeon, dating from the time of Henry II of England and Richard the Lion-Hearted and the more 'modern' château further down the cobbled road.
 

The fortress was used as a prison from the 14th century until 1923. It contains various horrors like cages and leg irons that fascinated our usually gentle children! The Royal Lodge currently has an exhibition on the exhumation of the body of Agnes Sorel, the mistress of Charles VII. Altogether a day of macabre sights!

Desolée!!

This is a well-used expression in France. "Desolée", we don't have any bananas today, your cleaning isn't ready, you can't have an appointment with the doctor for 3 weeks . . . And I am desolée not to have a new post today. We are in the middle of wonderful family visits, so full of adventures and fun that there has not yet been time to sit quietly and write.
A bientôt!

Food Glorious Food

We live one block from the La Rochelle Marché Central and occasionally hear the rumble of trucks as the merchants begin arriving as early as 4 AM. A beautiful example of the architecture of the era, the building opened in 1835; additions were made in 1893. It houses 60 merchants selling fish, wine, meat, vegetables, charcuterie, baked goods. They are the lucky ones as their stalls stay in place throughout the week; they arrive in time to arrange their wares. Outside the building on the Place, 18 regular merchants have much more work. They need to set up their tables, raise the awnings, arrange their produce, all before the customers start to appear around 7:00. If one of these regular merchants is missing at 7:30, their space is rented to people with home gardens selling their fruit, vegetables, cheese and baked goods. The selection is much smaller than the market gardeners around them and their produce is often cheaper. There is a real hierarchy to the placement of tables. Our family doctor explained to us that the prices are highest inside the building. The further away you go, the lower the prices. Then she gave us directions to the best and cheapest stalls. On Wednesdays and particularly Saturdays, the mrket spills into three of the surrounding streets. The whole area is closed to cars until 15:00 by which time everything has been cleaned up.

I now have a favourite fishmonger. As well as taking orders, weighing and wrapping the fish, Anthony also entertains with a non-stop monologue. "Alors" he says to us in line, "move up to the front here. I like a llittle discipline in my lines." "Ah Mme. I will give you a bargain today (as he knocks 10 centimes off the price)." As the time moves towards Noon (the market closes at 13:30), he begins his cry:"One kilo of fish for €10". Next to him is a fruit and vegetable seller who joins in the fun and they joke back and forth. There is always a long line at these stalls. I expect that others, like me, come for the entertainment as well as the good produce. There are few glum faces among the merchants. If you watch the video below, you will hear them say that they would never want a store, that they enjoy the ambience of the market, the colleagues around them and their contact with regular customers. Their enjoyment shows.

The process of shopping at the Market, like many things in La Rochelle, is more time-consuming but also more fun. I wander about first to see what is available. Having chosen, I then stand in line. Lining up in France is not a disciplined exercise and you have to be quick off the mark when the merchant asks for the next customer. At first I was completely undone with the stress of figuring out what I wanted and in what quantity. How to know how much 100 grams of mâche might be? Then I discovered the useful term "poignée"—a handful. And as time has gone by, I now know that one kilo of onions is too much but a kilo of apples is just right. The merchants choose your produce carefully, enquiring when you want to eat it and sometimes how you will cook it. Even if there is a line, they patiently give advice about cooking or wait for change to be counted out. And then I am off to the next stall to repeat the process.

We have found a variety of strange and delicious things to eat at the market:

the black radish which looks very odd but is more mellow and much bigger than the red ones. The choufleur Romanesque which tastes like cauliflower.
While the available food is generally seasonal, there are imported fruits and vegetables for sale as well. Right now, endives, leeks and beets are plentiful and cheap; green beans are very expensive. Apples and winter pears are everywhere; strawberries are just coming into season as well as local kiwis. Green peas are just in and are very expensive.  Well . . . everything seems expensive to us if we translate into Canadian dollars . . . best to think in euros and enjoy the taste and the experience. Just after we arrived, we went off to the market and visited a stall selling only mushrooms. We asked the advice of the seller and she suggested some ordinary looking ones that she said were delicious. So we asked for a handful and she asked us for 23€!! They were cêpe mushrooms, which I had only seen dried in a package. We carefully gave her back these precious items and asked for something a bit cheaper. Now I know we should have kept a few to taste. We may still be here when they come into season again and then we will know better.

Before I left Toronto, my French teacher told me I would be spoiled forever once I had tasted fresh French food. I am beginning to think she might be right. We both notice a difference in the flavour of what we eat, most especially the vegetables and fruit. Will this easy five minute walk to the delights of the Marché Central be replaced with trips by TTC to the St.Lawrence Market?

Here is the short news video that will show you our market. It is in French but the pictures are fun.
http://www.ville-larochelle.fr/videotheque/detail/h/a23985aa19/video/31/back/524.html