From the President

 Chers tous,

Today is 1 May, a public holiday in France to celebrate Labour Day, which commemorates the social achievements of workers and has its origins in the fight for the eight-hour day. It is synonymous with International Workers' Day in most countries. It is also Lily of the Valley Day. Back on 1 May 1560, King Charles IX of France was presented with lily of the valley (muguet) flowers as a lucky charm. The King appreciated the gift so much that he decided to gift the flowers to every lady of his court every year on 1 May. This gesture started to become more commonplace at the beginning of the 20th century with men presenting lily of the valley flowers to women to express their affection. Nowadays, it has become custom to give a sprig of these flowers as a token of appreciation to close friends and family members on 1 May. For one day each year, the French government allows the tax-free sale of lily of the valley flowers on the street to promote this tradition and ensure its continuation.

Due to the persistence of French subtitles refusing to give way to those in English, your cinema night (24 April) began with a somewhat unexpected plot, but thanks to Lil and Mike Warren the evening was saved by replacing the film La Dégustation (The Degustation) with Eiffel, a film which in the end was apparently enjoyed by everyone. Many thanks to Lil and Mike for their responsiveness. For those of you who weren't interested in La Dégustation but would like to see Eiffel, the DVD is now available from our library. Please contact Rhonda, our librarian, should you need more details.

An exhibition on a cast-iron cocotte (casserole dish) may seem a far-fetched idea, but to mark its centenary, the Le Creuset brand has decided to pull out all the stops. The famous cocotte, the essential star of our grandmothers' kitchens, celebrated its centenary with a temporary exhibition held in Paris on 16 and 17 April. https://www.lecreuset.com.au/centenary/cap0216.html

An article published in France Today Magazine: “No Whey! Is The Future of French Cheese at Risk?” attracted my attention ; France without Camembert and Brie seems unthinkable, so if you agree with me and are interested, read the short article on page 3 of this month’s newsletter.

Looking forward to seeing many of you on 29 May for our picnic day! Please bring a chair, a bottle, and a plate to share, but before making any preparations, wait for Mike’s message with all the necessary details.

A très bientôt, See you soon,

Sylvie

From the President

 Bienvenue and welcome to the April edition of La Mouette! I would like to start this month's Mot du Président with a sincere thank you to Patricia Dive (Trish) for her continued and painstaking work as editor of La Mouette, and a further thank you to those of you who contribute from time to time. I hope you all enjoy this collaborative work, as well as (or: and enjoy) reading our newsletters.

15 March French regional dinner at Wheelers: 39 enthusiastic members, where good food, good humour and very pleasant weather all came together for a very enjoyable evening, the icing on the cake being that we were also treated to having a French waitress. Have a look at the photos on pages 4 and 5.

Our group of French speakers met for lunch on Friday 28 March at Sunny's Kiosk. As usual, the conversation was lively, especially as we were celebrating Brigitte's birthday. The next lunch in French is scheduled for June, will we have a birthday to celebrate…?

In this month's La Mouette, you will find another interesting article on Marie Curie written by Wal, the synopsis of the film The Tasting (La Dégustation), which we invite you to see on Thursday 17 April, and a truelicious recipe that I recommend you prepare and taste.

From 31 May to 21 September, the National Gallery of Australia presents Cézanne to Giacometti. The exhibition¹, which brings together more than 80 works from the collection of the Museum Berggruen (Berlin) and more than 75 works from the collection of the National Gallery, offers a journey through the rapidly changing face of European and Australian art during the 20th century

Le Courrier Australien, French-language newspaper in Australia, which has reported on significant historical events since 1892, is offering its second Collector’s Book, bringing together more than a century of news articles. Volume 2 takes you on a journey through time to discover the crucial moments in the Franco- Australian relationship. From the post-war years to the diplomatic complexities of the modern era, this collection of articles and photographs sums up the shared history and enduring friendship between the two nations. If you are interested, you can purchase volumes 1 (1892-1945) and 2 (1944-2024) by clicking on the following link: https://www.lecourrieraustralienfriends.org/shop

Easter is just around the corner again, so I wonder if you know that in France it's the bells that bring the chocolates to the children? In fact, one of the most intriguing Easter customs in France is the silence of the church bells. Beginning on Maundy Thursday, church bells across the country fall silent; according to tradition, the bells are said to have “flown to Rome” and return on Easter Sunday, joyfully ringing to celebrate the return of Christ, naturally they also signal the beginning of Easter egg hunts and other festivities.

Before saying goodbye, I would like to wish you an abundance of chocolate and a wonderful Easter, Joyeuses Pâques!

Sylvie

¹ Works from Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Paul Klee and Alberto Giacometti.