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Galette des Rois: A Celebration of the Epiphany
The Christmas season is winding down now. The last major celebration day of the Roman calendar, the Epiphany, took place this week on January 6th. Also known as the Twelfth Day of Christmas, this holy day honours the visit by the three wise men to the manger of Christ. And in France, it is celebrated with a special cake: Galette des Rois – Three Kings Cake. A tasty concoction of frangipane – almond batter – wrapped in buttery puffed pastry, it is most delicious when served warm from the oven. Gifts of the Magi I’ve baked Galette des Rois several times over the past few years. And while it looks…
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Celebrating Bastille Day in Paris
A year ago, my niece Julia and I were in France looking forward to celebrating Bastille Day in Paris. July 14th or le Quatorze juillet is officially known as la Fête nationale. This day, the biggest in France, commemorates the ‘Storming of the Bastille’ which took place on July 14th, 1789. It was on that day, during the French Revolution, when commoners rose up against l’Ancien Régime – the Old Regime. Their goal: to take control of la Bastille, one of Paris’ most notorious prisons. As a result, July 14th has become a celebration of the end of the oppressive French feudal system. A Celebration of Liberty The Bastille prison…
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The Triumphant Arc de Triomphe
At the top of the Avenue des Champs Élysées stands the majestic Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Napoleon’s grand monument to his many military victories. It is a mesmerizing sight, one that I have difficulty taking my eyes off when I am nearby. Fortunately, on one of my recent visits to Paris, I had the opportunity to admire it often as my rental apartment was just a few hundred metres from it. And while I had admired it from a distance before, this time I took a much closer look. As a novice looking at the Arc from street level, one might wonder how that is possible to get up…
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Lily of the Valley for Luck
I have always been charmed by the lovely Lily of the Valley, that tiny, fragrant flower of May. So, as I patiently wait for the muguet des bois – Lily of the Valley – to appear in my garden, I am reminded of the profusion of these sweet-scented flowers that I saw in Paris this time last year. As I stepped out onto the street that May 1st, it seemed that every street corner had at least one, if not several, vendeurs muguet – Lily of the Valley vendors – selling little posies of them. Fête du Muguet I was aware that it was Fête du Travail – Labour Day…
