Things FUSAC likes

Today the rue Pierre Charron runs from Avenue George V to the Champs-Elysées. Created in 1864 (under Haussmann's reorganization?) the street had two prior names and was longer. In 1879 was divided into 2 separately named streets Pierre 1er de Serbie and Pierre Charron (16th century theologian and philosopher), hence the building numbers start at 44!

by Harriet Welty Rochefort

A minuscule espresso, a petit piece of chocolate, a morsel of sharp cheese, a half-filled glass of wine: the French prefer tasting and sipping to gorging and guzzling. Small is good.

When I came to France, I discovered small. It seemed that everything was diminutive, and the word petit was everywhere. I go on a petit tour around the block to drink a petit café. Then I may do a few petites courses (small errands) before I wend my way back to my definitely petite home sweet home. On the way I might sample a piece of fromage, but it won’t ruin my appetite, samples being petit (as in thumbnail). Time for dinner? The meat or fish and accompanying vegetables barely fill, and certainly don’t overlap, the plate. My wineglass is not filled to the brim.

Do you wonder why the French aren’t fat? Here’s the answer: portions are petites.

In Ame…

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…

Visit the French National Assembly

The Palais Bourbon is a government building located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde. It is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government. The Palace was originally built beginning in 1722 by Louise Françoise de Bourbon, the duchess of Bourbon, the legitimized daughter of Louis XIV, as a country house, surrounded by gardens. It was nationalized during the French Revolution, and from 1795 to 1799, during the Directory, it was the meeting place of the Council of Five Hundred, which chose the government leaders. Beginning in 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte added the classical colonnade, to mirror that of Church of the Madeleine, facing it across the Seine and the Place de la Concorde. The Palace complex today includes the Hôtel de Lassay, on the west side of the Palais Bourbon; which is the official res…

Ah cheese! It's one of the first things that comes to mind when someone mentions France. It is an industry that is progressing, increasing output each year. Cheese consumption in France has risen 30% over the last few years. National cheese day celebrates artisan cheese made from raw milk, reminding us to look for cheese beyond the idustrial brands and the supermarkets. On March 27th be sure to pay a visit to your local cheesemonger and support French culture, savoir-faire and art de vivre! There will be special tastings going on all day long.

Cheese is a lot like fruit: it has to be just ripe, it is seasonal, is best when it is not refrigerator cold, each type has a different way to be cut… Here's a 1-2-3 of cheese to give some background and how to serv…