Author: Wendy
Saint Jean de Sixt-style salesmen
Pictured is what happens if you answer to a French friend “Yes, we do need some potatoes.” That’s 20 kilograms of potatoes right there in my house. Small children weigh less. Once a year, a man knocks on the doors …
Snow in Annecy in September
Yesterday, there was snow in Annecy, and it was 27°. Okay, it was man-made snow, but the kids didn’t know the difference. The snow was there as part of the weekend’s Reels Festival (winter sports movies at the Decavision cinema …
The bouchons of Lyon
Lyon is the food capital of France, and part of the reason for that is bouchon restaurants. A bouchon is a traditional Lyonnaise restaurant, usually family-run, serving traditional dishes such as tripe, brains and tête de veau (head of a …
The Grammys, La Clusaz style
La Clusaz has all sorts of festivals in summer and winter, but now that school holidays are over, today’s fair was all about the locals. The Foire de la Croix is a chance for the local farmers to catch up …
Selling cream with boobs
It’s been a while since I picked on an advertisement (you might remember my dig at Kinder Bueno) on French TV, so here it is. It’s an ad about boobs. Okay, it’s meant to be advertising thickened cream in France …
A beautiful castle with a noble history
Pictured below is the Menthon St Bernard castle. There are so many impressive facts about this castle, starting with this week’s posthumous award as Righteous Among the Nations for Count Henri de Menthon, who housed three Jewish kids during World …
Cupcakes in Annecy!
Cupcakes. I remember my grandma teaching me how to make them before the muffin came along and took all the glory. This decade’s cupcake revolution has seen shops like The Hummingbird Bakery in London, where the cupcakes are only sold …
The most difficult time of the year
The end of August means the approach of la rentrée in France, when kids re-enter school for the year (and thus, la rentrée). Yes, the French have a word for the return to school and work after the school holidays …
How did the farmer come up with this name?
Pictured is a signpost for a farm in St Jean de Sixt called “Milk et Bouse”. Okay, the “Milk” part is in English, but the rest is French. What do you imagine the French part means? “Et” is simply “and”, …