Lisa
90+ Eiffel and Eiffel Tower facts – part 1
Why do you call it a canicule? and other funny words
Word etymologies are great fun and often picturesque. Here's a few word etymologies starting with one you hear every summer, especially in August:
CaniculeUsually this French word is translated to English as heatwave, but a more picturesque and almost literal translation would be "the dog days of summer". Basically it means that it is very hot, hotter than it usually is. But why this reference both in the French "cani" and English to dogs? What do dogs have to do with heat? It goes back to astronomy. The Dog Star, or Sirius, rises and sets with the sun during the summer. Thus the most sultry time of the year became associated with the Dog Star, called canicula in Latin. The word canicule dates from about 1500, but the Romans and Greeks had already been refering to the dog days and associating them with the star Sirius.
Sirius rises late in the dark, liquid sky; On summer nights, star of stars, Orion's Dog they call it, brightest Of all, but…The traffic report for highways in France is called Bison Futé
Bison Futé or the "Clever Bison", is the national traffic website for Highways in France and now also available as a phone app. The Bison gives the current incident reports (accidents, closures, construction) for all highways in France as well as predictions of traffic volume for holiday weekends. It is a very helpful site for avoiding notorious traffic jams on French roads during the high traffic weekens on the routes des vacances. But why on Earth is the traffic reporting system called "Bison Futé" and incarnarted by an American Indian? The "clever" part makes sense as the clever traveler avoids traffic, but why "bison"? Well they almost choose Ginette la Girafe (who could see a long ways thanks to her height, note that in French girafe takes just one "f"). Other suggestions for a mascot were Thimothée the bird who culd see far ahead with her binoculars, a dolphin or a rat, so why not an Indian? Bison Fut…
Meringue: A small patisserie made from egg white and sugar
A brief History of the Cookbook
Emblems and Symbols of France
Jojoni Ensemble 0 at Festival Sonic Bloom
The Power of a Postcard – make an impact
I've received postcards from my parents when they travel for many years. I've kept nearly all of them in a file and some day when they can no longer travel it will become a set of reminiscences to look at with them. The power of a postcard picture and small bits of information on the weather or activities will bring their trips back to life and lead us on to various and sundry conversations. I also have a collection of my-grandmother-in-law's postcards which she sent in the 1940s and 50s when traveling in the United States. Some were picked up along the way at the Howard Johnson's Motor Inn or others in National Parks.
I know from being both the sender and receiver of postcards how the power of a postcard is to bring joy. That's why when we created Bill & Rosa's Book Room we put in a POP desk dedicated to what we call the Power of a Postcard. Time and time again we have found that taking a few minutes to hand writ…
A French Icon, the Citroen 2CV
A French Icon, the Citroen 2CV is probably France's most famous car.
The Deux Chevaux, or the ‘Tin Snail’ as it became affectionately known, was conceptualized in 1936 during a moment of frustration or the right man in the right situation. The inspired man behind the project was Citroen’s new boss Pierre-Jules Boulanger. The story goes he was driving in the countryside, stuck behind a farmer’s horse and cart. Rather than fuming with impatience, but still a bit frustrated, he wondered how he could better the situation. He pondered the possibility of creating analternative that a farmer would find hard to resist. A car that would better the horse.
His vision was an affordable car that would be accessible to farmers, winemakers and rural families. He wanted it to be mechanically simple, with room for four people or produce (at least 50kg or a full cask of wine) or even small livestock. The car needed t…
ANNA KLUMPKE IN THE GARDEN
ANNA KLUMPKE IN THE GARDEN JUNE 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 18TH EXHIBITION
Anna Klumpke (1856-1942) was an American portrait and genre painter born in San Francisco, California, United States. She and her family lived in Germany, Switzerland and France during her formative years. In childhood Anna had once owned a Rosa Bonheur doll. Her family was well-educated and accomplished. Read about two of her sisters who were pioneers in math and science here. https://fusac.fr/women-scientists-international-women-and-girls-in-science-day/. A thrid sister was a pianist and Anna studied art at the Académie Julian in Paris. She spent many an hour copying paintings in the Musée du Luxembourg, including Rosa Bonheur's Ploughing in the Nivernais. She presented her first work at the Paris Salon in 1884 and exhibited regularly in following years. While still a…