From the President

Bonjour,

The Committee and I wish you a peaceful, pleasant and a gourmand 2026, full of projects, happiness and shared moments. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great end to the year, and that after the holidays, you are ready to immerse yourselves in the French spirit once again. First, get planning with our full 2026 calendar of events to add to your calendar.

We ended the year on a high note with three particularly successful events: the French wine tasting on December 4, with 18 members delighted to chat while sampling some fine vintages, provided by Brent McKay from Amazing Grapes, followed the next day by the ever-popular Coupe d'Antibes. The winners of the 2025 cup are Olive, Peter, and Greg, followed by Trish, Robert, and Raymond.  Finally, the end-of-year lunch, during which some of our talented members took to the stage. 34 members responded positively, including 12 who took to the stage for a total of 9 performances. Music, songs, dance, poems and ballads, mime, stories about the epic history of our Alliance, as well as rhymes and riddles, all in an excellent atmosphere. What a memorable day!

 This month, our French corner article has nothing to do with France, but is about some local history, I hope you will enjoy it.  Don’t forget the delightful tradition of la Chandeleur (Candlemas), France’s festive day of crêpes and fortune, on 2 February. So get your frying pans ready and celebrate “Crêpe Day”, any day of the month, or every day of the month!

To conclude, here is some interesting news from France:

The first one is for Champagne lovers, and I know many of you enjoy it. Growers said that grapes had reached optimal ripeness and quality, making the 2025 vintage one of the best seen in decades despite reduced volumes. The Palais Garnier (Opéra de Paris) is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Opéra national de Paris are dedicating an anniversary exhibition (14 October 2025 - 15 February 2026) to this iconic monument. The exhibition explores how this building, commissioned by Napoleon III for the elite, became, beyond France's borders, a temple of opera and ballet, a national emblem and an iconic monument.

When the Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1889, the names of 72 of France’s greatest scientists were engraved in golden letters on its first floor, but no women's names were included. This long-standing omission has now been addressed and the names of 72 female scientists will be added, a monumental recognition indeed!

Bonne lecture,

Sylvie

From the President

 Chers tous,

The festive season is fast approaching and the excitement is already palpable. There is something special, something magical, about this time of year, and what better way to celebrate it than by joining our Talent Day - End-of-year lunch on Thursday 18 December.

Remember that for this day to be a success, we need several acts. It's not about being perfect, but rather about having a good time, enjoying ourselves, and sharing pleasure and fun. Besides performances, there will be fun activities, such as “Guess the Song" and "Answer the Riddle” and some surprises with prizes to be won. Does anyone have a riddle to ask the audience? If you are too shy to read the question, then our comperes will happily do it for you. A reminder for potential performers, and I hope I have managed to convince many of you: could you please let me know about your performance (type, approximate duration, etc.) by 10 December at the latest, by email: mansynette@gmail.com. You will find details and a “registration form” on page 4 of your December La Mouette.  I look forward to seeing you all, artists, entertainers and audience.

On a beautiful sunny morning, Thursday 27 November, eleven determined members arrived in Chiltern (VIC) in high spirits. Their first mission? To track down the hard-to-find Wal “Where is Wally”, keeper of clues, riddles and the itinerary. Once found, Wal handed them the programme: a series of questions, puzzles, riddles and unusual challenges designed to test their wits and perseverance as well as their observational skills. And so the rally began, ending a few hours later in a joyful and cheerful atmosphere at the restaurant of Hotel Nicholas (Beechworth). This year's winners are: 1st prize Patricia and Raymond, followed by the teams “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” (Dorothea, David & Val, Tony) and “The 3 Pommes” (Karina, Jo and Ian). See comments in your December La Mouette. 

From Saturday 29 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026, six of the Loire Valley’s greatest châteaux are celebrating the spirit of the festive season with exceptional tours and events: it’s “Christmas in the land of châteaux”. Each of them will feature themes emblematic of the Christmas season: toys, lights, delicacies, porcelain, tales, legends and winter nature. They all have the same objective: to put stars in the eyes of children and adults alike. Guess what, my eyes are sparkling!

From the President

 Chers tous,

Wal and I are at CDG airport and, although our journey is coming to an end, we return home with our heads and eyes filled with wonders and hundreds of photos. I was told that around twenty of you attended the screening of the film Diplomacy, and that many of you really enjoyed it for the quality of the acting and the subject matter. A few were unaware that Paris had been threatened in this way and therefore found the film informative and interesting from a historical perspective. Another successful film night, let’s hope for many more.

The Alliance Française in Canberra is having another French Christmas market on Saturday 15 November from 10am to 3pm. With all kinds of stalls as well as food, drinks and music, this is almost a “must attend” event.

As you probably know, the Louvre was the victim of a theft on 19 October, and although seven people have been arrested, the stolen items have not yet been found. But did you know that this is not the first time the museum has suffered a theft? The most famous theft took place in 1911, when the Mona Lisa disappeared. One morning, the staff arrived at work and found that the small painting had disappeared from its frame. The culprit was an Italian handyman who worked at the museum. He had hidden the painting under his coat and kept it for two years, claiming that he wanted to repatriate this Italian treasure. When the painting was finally found in Florence, it was returned to Paris.

There is still time to enrol in the car rally event, so for those who haven’t replied or decided yet, please find the information on page 3 of your November La Mouette.

Since I am talking about our upcoming event, don't forget our end-of-year lunch on Thursday, 18 December. On that day, I am counting on several of you to take to the stage and present us with some entertainment. I myself am going to do something I have never done before, but for this day to be a success, we need several acts. It is not about being absolutely perfect; we are not necessarily professionals, but it is about having a good time, having fun, and also being able to laugh and share. So are you ready for a fun, engaging and relaxing End of Year party? I can’t wait to see you, entertainers and others.

Sylvie

From the President

Cher tous,

Wal and I are still in France, where autumn is beginning to show its beautiful colours. The horse-chestnuts, walnuts and apples are starting to fall from the trees, when at the same time spring is in the air for you in Australia with warmer days and spring flowers starting to appear in gardens and parks.

I have heard that the AGM and movie night went well, with 25 members coming along, a film that was well received, a great atmosphere throughout the evening and even better, a new member in our committee. Thank you all for coming and thank you Jessie Bice for joining the committee, you have made a great decision!

Do you know that 14 October is National Dessert Day? Doesn’t it sound amazing ? A whole day to celebrate and indulge in cakes, tarts and all kind of desserts … Well, that's what we can all do for the whole day, and to celebrate spring and that special day, I am inviting you to prepare a fresh and delectable strawberry salad with light cream. And since I'm talking about dessert, Wal and I watched the famous Aveyron gâteau à la broche (broche cake) being made today (we are in La Couvertoirade).

Should you need to be convinced, I recommend you don't miss our next film, Diplomacy, on Thursday, October 23. In addition to masterful performances by Niels Arestrup and André Dussollier, this tense, dialogue-driven film explores moral convictions, diplomacy under pressure, and the fragile line between obedience and conscience. An evening for anyone who appreciates powerful cinema.

Put adventure back on your calendar and join us at the end of November for our next Car Adventure Tour. As we are going in a touristic area booking in advance is more than highly recommended. For those of you who are still keen to be part of this event, you’ll find all the details you need on page 3 of this issue.

Je vous fais la bise (as I recently read, it is in the French DNA

)

Sylvie

From the President

 Chers tous,

I am writing these few words a few days before Wal and I leave for a two-month trip to France and Spain. The French part of our trip will include Normandy, a seven-day walk in Auvergne, the Cévennes and Provence, which could be an opportunity to organise another photo-discovery-evening and a source of inspiration for the travellers among us.

Conviviality and French tradition came together on 14 August during our lunch at the Masonic lodge: 34 members at the tables, croque-monsieur and croque-madame sandwiches in abundance, a green salad for balance... and to finish, my great-grandmother's legendary chocolate mousse. A pleasant moment, as simple as it was delicious. I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who lent a hand, both in the dining room and in the kitchen, during the preparations and the final clean-up. Without you, this lunch would not have been possible. See photos on pages 5.

At Kerry's request, this month's recipe page will include the three recipes from the 14 August lunch: the croque-monsieur and the vinaigrette, both of them already published in previous editions of La Mouette, and my great-grandmother’s chocolate mousse.

Your monthly dose of French news:

• From the 1st of September the 70m-long Bayeux Tapestry will be closed to the public, while renovation works take place in the United-Kingdom, and will not reopen until October 2027, so if you had planned to see it, all you have to do now is be patient.

• The European Heritage Days, which this year runs on September 19, 20 and 21, will see some 17,000 sites across France opening their doors to the public. Included are the Elysées Palace, the Senate, some ministries, embassies, castles, industrial sites, workshops and even private villas. Should you be interested, you can discover the program on: journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr/en/programme#/

Put adventure back on your calendar and join us at the end of November for our next Car Adventure Tour. As we are going to a touristic area booking in advance is more than highly recommended. For those of you who are keen to be part of this event, (some having already registered), you’ll find all the details you need on page 4 of this issue.

Wishing you all a very good AGM evening and an enjoyable movie, See you in November,

Sylvie

From the President

 

Chers tous,

Last month we had the pleasure to welcome Libby Hepburn and Patricia Daly in our Papotage & Blahblah group. We are now 13 members (including myself), all as chatty, funny and talented as each other and all delighted to share good times together while learning this difficult language that is French!

Bastille Day Celebration ! 32 members came together for a delightful gathering full of discussion and laughter, with a fantastic ambiance. Thanks to the very short quiz " , the delicious lunch and the scenic videos playing in the background, it was almost a mini escape to France. Thank you all for making this such a memorable day! Long live our frenchship and Vive le 14 juillet. See photos on page 3.

A few weeks ago Wal and I went on a trip to Victoria, it was walnut, hazelnut and chestnut season and of course we brought some home. The shopkeeper highly recommended a soup from Chestnuts Australia.  Gourmet as I am, you know me, not only did I make this soup, Spicy chestnut, pumpkin & pancetta soup, but also another one, Chestnut & mushroom soup. They are so good that I am sharing both recipes with you today. 

I recently read an article about Paris and Parisians’ attitude! At one point in the article, the author mentions public toilets. I know it is not really an interesting subject, but it can be surprising. Let me explain: there are plenty of public toilets in Paris, mainly those stand-alone, self-cleaning ones with a city map on the outer wall. These are a French invention, conceived 40 years ago by JC Decaux. On its website, the company proudly claims that “with 15 million users a year, the 435 toilets in Paris are the most visited places in Europe”. So much for the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower and so on… 

Our next Car Adventure Tour will take place on 27 November 2025: As we are going in a touristic area booking in advance is more than highly recommended. For those of you who would like to take part - and I hope there will be many of you - you'll find all the details you need on page 2 of this issue.

Hoping to see many of you at our Croque-Monsieur / Croque-Madame lunch,

A bientôt,

Sylvie

From the President

 Cher tous,

Our French lunch on 19 June brought together 10 members around a table in the garden of Candelo Café. With clear skies and sunshine, we enjoyed dining outside in a friendly, chatty atmosphere, all made for a very enjoyable afternoon (photo page 2). Our next lunch will be at the Tathra Wharf Cafe in early August.

French wine tasting on Thursday 26 June: for the first time, this biennial event offered a surprise: a tasting of truffle-based preparations to accompany the excellent French wines chosen by Brent McKay (Amazing Grapes, Canberra). With a total of 26 participants, including members and their guests, the evening offered a very pleasant mix of flavours and conviviality. In short, we all had a great time! Thank you to everyone who joined us for a most enjoyable event, not forgetting a huge thank you to Lilias and Mike for their hospitality (photos page 3 of your July edition of La Mouette).

In place of the usual recipe of the month, you'll find the recipe for the two favourite truffle preparations from the wine tasting evening: truffled Brie and mushroom & truffle spread. I hope you will enjoy them.

You might remember that our last Car Rally ended in Milton and, on this occasion, some members of the Alliance Française of Milton-Ulladulla joined us for our prize-giving dinner. Thrilled with the idea of organising their own car rally, they are coming to Merimbula at the end of the month. We would like to return the favour, and are inviting you to a joint lunch which will take place at the conclusion of their rally on Saturday 26 July at 1pm, either at Wheelers or the Wharf Restaurant. Mike will email you an invitation as soon as the venue has been chosen. It's a great opportunity to meet some very pleasant and cheerful ‘colleagues’ (I know those who have met them won't disagree with me!), exchange ideas and spend a relaxing afternoon in good company. We hope to see many of you there!

Time for your monthly slice of French news:

• Next month, the 44th Boules Carrées world championship will be held at Haut-de-Cagnes (Var) - you read that right, it is all about square boules, a game of boules with a real edge… ! Details of this particular game can be found under “Le Coin Français / French Corner” of this month’s newsletter.

• Le Tour de France: the start of the 112th edition of the Tour de France will commence from the European Metropolis of Lille on Saturday 5 July 2025, the finishing line will be as usual at The Champs Elysées on Sunday 27 July 2025. To discover the route and its stages https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route

• France has voted to revive village cafés and bistros. From 200,000 cafés and bistros in 1960, France had just 38,800 by 2023. This situation mainly affects rural areas, despite the fact that their presence contributes to economic life and social cohesion, by keeping residents in the area, attracting tourists and businesses, and creating jobs. On 10 March this year, French MPs adopted, by 174 votes to 2, a bill aimed at simplifying the opening of bars in municipalities with fewer than 3,500 inhabitants, where there are none. The bill must now be examined by the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament.

• The eighth edition of Votre plus beau marché (France’s best market), organised by TV station TF1, has announced the name of the winning market, after millions of votes. Of the 24 markets in the running, the Béziers (Languedoc-Roussillon) market won the competition, with the Royan (Poitou-Charentes) market coming second and the Bergues (Nord-Pas-de-Calais) market third. So if your holiday takes you to one of these towns, don't forget to pay a visit to the market.

Hoping to see many of you at our Bastille Day luncheon,

A bientôt,

Sylvie