Patricia Sands

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Margo Lestz

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

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Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Spring!

Joyeuses Pâques, Joyeux Pesach, Joyeux Printemps!

Whatever joyous occasion you celebrate at this special time of year, may it bring family and friends together for reflection, fellowship, food … and chocolate. Let’s count our blessings and focus on how we can help those who cannot.

In France, the traditions around Easter are quite different than most countries. Here’s an excellent article from The Good Life France (my favourite website, as you all must know by now). It is written by my friend, Margo Lestz, who will give you all the history. It begins like this … “On the Thursday night before Easter, all the church bells go silent and they won’t be heard from again until Easter Sunday.” Click here to read more.

With the tragic fire that occurred this week at the beloved Notre Dame in Paris, thoughts will also be centred on the impact that has had around the world. Whether for religious reasons or for the tremendous historical symbol it represents, the hope is that what was lost will be rebuilt. Response has been heartwarming and unifying, from the greatest to the smallest level. The heroes of that day are les pompiers, the men and women firefighters who worked tirelessly to contain the flames and those who helped save the priceless art.

This photo is from my last visit to Paris in 2015. I will be back there in September for a few days, on my way to co-lead ~ (with my BFF Deborah Bine) ~ my fifth women’s tour in the south of France … click on that link if you want to know all the great things about that adventure! I hope some day I have the opportunity to take a photo of the newly restored grande Dame.

Bon weekend everyone!

Easter, Passover and … April Fish Day?

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

This is a special holy weekend around the world and this year it is very early on the calendar. I send warm wishes to those celebrating Easter

or Passover ~ chag sameach

As I was doing some reading this week, I came across an article that spoke volumes to me about a meaningful message for both Passover and Easter.  It had to do with hope. I want to share it with you here.

Of course there is also another tradition at this time of year for many children. Fellow author and friend, Margo Lestz has an excellent post here comparing the traditions of children and chocolate at Easter. You may be surprised how the legends differ.

Chocolate is not quite so important at Passover.  But the traditions and foods that go along with the special meal, the seder, are celebrated every year.

Coincidentally this year, in some countries, this Sunday is also April Fool’s Day. For those who haven’t heard before, April 1st is celebrated in an altogether unique way in France.

Imagine my surprise the first time I saw childrenimages sticking paper fish on each other’s back, whispering and giggling, and then hollering, “Poisson d’Avril!”

Excusez-moi? Fish?

As Wikipedia explains: “In Italy, France and Belgium, children and adults traditionally tack paper fishes on each other’s back as a trick and shout “April fish!” in their local languages (pesce d’aprile!, poisson d’avril! and aprilvis! in Italian, French and Flemish, respectively). Such fish feature prominently on many late 19th- to early 20th-century French April Fools’ Day postcards.

April-Fools-vintage-Image-TheGraphicsFairy.com

April-Fools-vintage-Image-TheGraphicsFairy.com

I had no idea where the tradition began and, after a bit of searching, found this explanation on France Travel Guide.

“Although the origin of April Fools is obscure and debated, the most widely accepted explanation actually credits the “holiday” as starting in France. The most popular theory about the origin of April Fool’s Day involves the French calendar reform of the sixteenth century.

The theory goes like this: In 1564 King Charles XIV of France reformed the calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to January 1.

However, in a time without trains, a reliable post system or the internet, news often traveled slow and the uneducated, lower class people in rural France were the last to hear of and accept the new calendar. Those who failed to keep up with the change or who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them.

Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so the tradition was born.”

poisson d'avril

Poisson d’avril

Boulangeries and patisseries deliciously get into the spirit with fish-shaped goodies. Oh … and did I mention the chocolatiers? Schools of fish of all sizes fill shop windows, the larger ones often filled with smaller treats. To a chocoholic, fish never tasted so good!

Since Easter usually falls around the same time, fish feature predominantly in shop windows through that holiday as well.

Maybe we should adopt a symbol for April Fool’s Day in North America, so there would be a good excuse to buy special chocolates on that day over here. Not that we ever really need an excuse for chocolate …

Wherever you are, have fun on April 1st and enjoy some chocolate.

Are you a prankster on April 1st or do you just grit your teeth and hope the day will pass quickly? Is there one April Fool’s Day joke in particular that you will never forget?

On  The Good Life France   (amazing photography and articles ~ you know I’m a huge fan!), there’s another article by Margo Lestz about April 1st in France.  Margo writes perfectly-researched articles, as well as entertaining books about some of the quirky history and traditions of France.  Click here to visit her website!

How will you celebrate this very special weekend?

Join us for an author event ~ Nice ~ July 9

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Coucou!

Will you be in Nice, France on July 9th? If so … we would love to have you join us … and bring along some friends.

Bienvenue!

Book-Event-flyer-2016pdf

Thanks very much to AUTHORNOMICS for interviewing me on their excellent website. It was a pleasure. If you missed it, just click right here!

Enjoy this first week of July, everyone! Summer seems to be well underway. I  hope yours is off to a great start! 🙂

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“La Chaise” ~ symbol of Nice

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

“La Chaise” ~ symbol of Nice ~

La Chaise de SAB 2014
La Chaise de SAB 2014

 

 

 

 

“La Chaise” or The Chair”, a sculpture by Nicoise artist Sabine Geraudie, has become the symbol of Nice since 2014 and is prominently displayed on the Promenade des Anglais. It makes me smile each time I pass it. And yes … I do have a large number of photos of this pleasing work of art … can’t help myself!

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Sea-blue chairs have graced the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais in one form or another since the 1950’s.  Today their look is iconic as generations of Niçois and visitors from everywhere have spent time sitting, relaxing, chatting, snoozing, and contemplating life … or not … in one of these enduring symbols ~ in the sun or the shade, every season, on the edge of  the always mesmerizing Mediterranean Sea.

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After the rain

 

The history of these surprisingly comfortable resting places, like most things French, is colourful and you can read about it here. They disappeared for a few years after 2003, but public demand assured their return. Today “the Prom” wouldn’t be the same without them.

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The 4 km sweeping boulevard along the Baie des Anges with its biking and walking lanes is one of the loveliest seaside walks to be found, dare I say (attempting to be unbiased …) in the world. In many ways the Promenade des Anglais defines the city.

Here’s another vantage point with la colline du chateau/castle hill in the background. From every perspective, this is a chair that pleases.

1.IMG_0421Click here for more background on the blue chairs of the Promenade des Anglais.

Margo Lestz always has the details, history and quirky facts! Read about “the Prom” here.

On another topic, have you been watching the Tour de France? There are only a couple of days left before the grand finale in Paris. Even if you aren’t a diehard cycling fan, watching the coverage is a wonderful way to spend time in the various regions of France. Today they are in the Alps near Grenoble.

Bon weekend, everyone!