Coucou (Hello in French)!
I am writing this message from France, where Wal and I have
walked 120 km along part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrims’ trail and where,
after spending a few days full of fascinating discoveries in Paris, we are now
with my family in Caen (Normandy). Caen is not far from ‘La Manche’ (the
English Channel) and the beaches are a playground for the local seagulls; I
came across one that was kind enough to pose for you!
As I am in France, my chitchat this month is very
France-focused, hopefully you will be interested! When I am in France, memories
buried beneath a mountain of silence resurface, it is hard for me to describe
the emotion I feel, somewhere between happiness and the bittersweet pain of
nostalgia, especially when I am in places I used to visit, or when I rediscover
certain objects, dishes or food ingredients of my childhood. But don’t
misunderstand my feelings, I take enormous pleasure in returning home to
Australia.
During our walk, we had plenty of opportunities to have a
picnic for lunch – ‘picnic’ is a funny word whose origin I didn’t know, so when
Wal asked, I looked it up and am sharing our discovery with you: The origin of
the word ‘pique-nique’ (picnic) is thought to date back to the 17th century, it
is derived from the verb ‘piquer’, referring to chickens pecking at seeds, and
‘nique’, which in Old French meant ‘something of no value’. Put together, these
two words therefore mean ‘pecking at little things here and there’. I really do
think that the initial ‘pecking at little things’ has improved a great deal!
France has reached a new milestone, welcoming 102 million
foreign visitors in 2025 (compared with 100 million in 2024). This increase
confirms the trend seen in recent years. For the French, French cuisine is not
just a pleasure; it is a cornerstone of their culture. A new Ipsos BVA survey
reveals the French people’s deep-seated attachment to their culinary heritage.
According to the study, almost all citizens (97%) have a positive opinion of
French cuisine, a figure driven by 37% who rate it as ‘excellent’. The survey
shows that food remains, more than ever, at the heart of the nation’s identity.
This encourages me to share my monthly recipes with you, and this month’s
recipe should whet your appetite.
I have heard that the barefoot bowling session went well
despite some frustration that bowls wasn’t as easy as the 12 attending members
and their 3 invited guests thought but the 2 hours passed quickly because it
was fun and challenging. Here is what Mike said about it:
“It was cool for Barefoot Bowls, so Alliance members and
friends kept their sneakers on. Under the domed roof at Club Sapphire we were
dry while a shower passed overhead. After a brief introduction from “Spud’ we
split into 3 groups and tried to get our bowls all the way to the jack, without
going long into the gutter (36%), leaving it way too short (25%), starting the
bowl too far to the right or left (25%) or getting the bias wrong and ending up
on the next rink. Some members showed their experience and were pretty tidy,
finishing their bowls quite close to the jack. Other less experienced members
... well, they improved over the session. Most of them ... There was some
frustration that bowls wasn’t as easy as we thought but there were laughs and
plenty of camaraderie. Come join us next time. Or come along to pétanque at
10am most Fridays.” To this Mike added “I need to be sacked. Had too much fun.
Forgot to take even 1 photo !!!” I am sure you will all agree with me that we
should keep him on a bit longer. What if we gave him another 20 years as a
punishment? What do you think?
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon,
Avec toute mon amitié
Sylvie
