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NewsletterSeptember 2008 Ready to be picked!!VendangeThis year my winery (Domaine de l'Echelette) owning brother in law will start grape picking – Vendange on September 20th. This prompted me to say “on fait le vin le vingt” – we make vine on the 20th. In French ‘vin’ and ‘vingt’ are pronounced the same. So it is a little play on words, something the French love, as long as it’s not an American making the pun! French FoodI’ve found eating in France is a ritual that takes time and can’t be disturbed by something like watching TV or reading. From my experiences the French seem much more comfortable eating slowly whereas American just can’t sit still like the French can. I’ll never forget when I lived in Alsace and went to an American in Alsace BBQ. It was so easy to tell who was French and who was American. The French were sitting at tables eating and talking, even those that had finished eating. The Americans were up and about after finishing their meal. Apparently Americans believe once the meal is eaten time to move on, literally. Why be confined to a table? The Americans by and large weren’t comfortable at the table but the French were. Culture ShockI just returned from three weeks in the US and experienced a little culture shock on arrival. In France when you meet someone you don’t know you just say “Bonjour”, the friendliness stops there. Whereas in America you say something along the lines of “Hello, how are you”, the friendliness goes a little deeper. Skiing in FranceJust a reminder that my good friend Mike Beaudet, aka Megeve Mike, is ready to help with your skiing needs. Should you be a beginner or advanced, Mike will make skiing even more enjoyable. Mike is based in Megeve very close to the Mont Blanc, for more info see - Ski Pros Megeve. This month’s Newsletter is brought to you by: Saint Jacques B&B: A completely renovated auberge (manor house) in the heart of a charming Solognot village just 15 minutes south of Orléans and 90 minutes from Paris. The auberge has a large living area, a dining room and a bilingual French/English library. For enjoying the kilometers of trails we offer the use of our bikes or there is also badminiton and ping pong available. Only a few minutes away are several of the Loire Valley castles including Chambord, François 1er's famous hunting castle. Numerous wineries and restaurants along with 5 well-known golf courses are also nearby.Follow @jeffsteiner |
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