Day 2090 (Monday) 27th February 2023.

Today’s special photos

This is Cascade (waterfall) de Gairaut – we’ve been there, it’s above Nice

and this is Nice taken from the castle, above the cascade

There was a cruise ship in the bay this morning – who on earth goes on a cruise in February?

I walked to the station and it was bloody freezing – that is the coldest it’s been all winter. It was a bit warmer in Monaco but still cold. I spent a pleasant 90 minutes with Catherine in her flat and on the way home there was a young man playing the piano in Monaco station – he was very good. 

When I got home I had a Skype lesson with Anastasia and we did some more spelling, she never ceases to amaze me. We also did some common homophones and confusions 

advise/advice choose/chose quiet/quite   sites/sights 

affect/effect source/sauce allowed/aloud course/coarse

bought/brought our/are threw/through braking/breaking

practise/practice to/too/two

and she got everything right.

While I was in Monaco Huw did his Duolingo and was in first place…for about 10 minutes.

What’s happening in France this week?

From new drought measures to the start of the fuel price cap and the Salon de l'Agriculture, here's what is happening in France this week.

Published: 27 February 2023 08:47 CET

Petrol nozzles at a gas station in France. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)

Monday

Drought measures – After France beat previous winter drought records, with 32 consecutive days without any significant rain – Environment Minister, Christophe Béchu, announced plans to bring together regional authorities from across France on Monday to announce “soft” water restriction measures. 

School holidays – Students in Zone B will go back to school on Monday after their two weeks of winter holidays, while those in zone C (including Paris, Montpellier and Toulouse) start the second week of holidays.

Salon de l’agriculture visit – Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will visit the Paris farm show, after Emmanuel Macron went on Saturday. Also attending on Monday is Les Républicains leader Eric Ciotti – a visit to the show is a must for any politician with ambition, so expect to see most party leaders and hopefuls attend before the show ends on Sunday.

Nupes on pensions – La Nupes, the parliamentary alliance of left-wing parties, will hold a meeting in Amiens discussing their continued opposition to proposed pension reforms. They will hold a similar meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday. 

Tuesday

Fuel allowance – The deadline to apply for the fuel allowance for motorists on low-incomes was previously set for this day, but it has been extended through the end of March.

Nuclear protest – employees of France’s nuclear safety regulator will demonstrate in Paris against the government’s proposed pension reforms.

Wednesday

TotalEnergies fuel cap – Fuel cap of €1.99 per litre to be applied at all TotalEnergies stations across France, and it will stay in place until the end of 2023. It was first applied to those on autoroutes (freeways) on February 25th. 

Cold calls – New rules come into force on March 1st, limiting the hours in which canvassing calls can be made (no calls at weekends, lunchtime, or after 8pm), and on the number of times businesses can call. Basically, if they call, tell them you don’t want to be canvassed, and they will have to wait two months before trying again. 

Thursday

Senate takes on pension reform – France’s Senate will begin to debate the controversial pension reform bill. The senators will have a deadline of 15 days to vote on the bill – meaning by midnight on March 12th.

Friday

Independent Winegrowers’ Wine Show – In Lyon, the “Salon” for independent winegrowers will run from March 3rd through 5th. Tasting events will be open to the public

Sunday

School holidays – Sunday marks the last day of the winter school holidays in France, with students in Zone C returning to class on Monday, March 6th.

End of Salon de l’Agriculture – The rare merging of French city and countryside will come to an end on Sunday.

Paris-Nice – competitors in the Paris-Nice cycle race will depart from Paris.

This article in the Local really amused me…

Cabbage and Christmas: What the French and Germans really think of each other

From baguettes to Birkenstocks, clichés on France and Germany die hard, even as the two countries celebrate 60 years since the post-war treaty establishing friendship between the two European giants after decades of rivalries and conflict.

Published: 18 January 2023 09:38 CET

Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP

On the occasion of six decades marking the signing of the Elysée Treaty, AFP spoke to some Franco-German couples about their culture clashes on everything from food to Christmas.

Bread and cheese

The French national obsession with the baguette – recently elevated to UNESCO world heritage status – can be hard for Germans to comprehend.    

The omnipresence of the elongated bread at mealtimes is a source of consternation for Verena von Derschau, born in Germany and married to a Frenchman.

“It doesn’t even get eaten! It just ends up as crumbs by the plate,” she says.

By contrast, pungent cheese and other sources of French gastronomic pride can lead to a certain hauteur vis-a-vis other cuisines, with fingers pointed notably at Germany’s love of potatoes and cabbage.

François Dumas, a Parisian who lives with his German partner, winces at the idea of some Teutonic preparations such as Maultaschen, a meat-filled dumpling usually served with broth.

“I give up there!” he says.

Comfortable shoes

While Birkenstocks now belong to the same stable of luxury brands as Louis Vuitton, the cork-soled sandals – on occasion sported with socks – remain emblematic of the German love of practical clothing.

“Germans dress like sacks, always comfort first,” says Roland, a Frenchman in a bi-national couple for years.

Schools

Meanwhile, in France it is children who suffer discomfort in the country’s strict school system. “I feel sorry for them, they have such long days,” in contrast to the German pupils who often have the afternoon free, Julika Herzog says.

Technology and trains

When the family is on holiday in Germany, it is her husband’s turn to complain. “There’s nowhere you can pay with card,” François Dumas says.

“And the trains are always late,” he says, the opposite of the German efficiency many expect.

Bells and bunnies

Festivals reveal yet more differences. The relative absence of the Easter Bunny in France was a surprise to Verena von Derschau. Instead, “they have bells”, she says, puzzled by the images of a winged bell bringing goodies to children during the spring holiday.

Flying bells and a giant omelette – how the French celebrate Easter

Christmas follows a different rhythm on either side of the border, too, with the French dressing up their trees early in December, while many Germans wait until Christmas Eve.

Germans also lean towards a more sober tree decoration, says Verena von Derschau, who has banned blinking fairy lights in her household.