Elections, Rugby, Pétanque, and Carlos Fuentes

Primary Elections

The Socialist party in France has decided to hold primary elections this year in order to choose among six candidates the one who will oppose incumbent President Sarkozy in April 2012. The first round on October 9^th was won by François Hollande, followed by Martine Aubry. In the second round a week later, Hollande increased his lead and became the official Socialist candidate. Note that this was the first primary election ever in France, based on the American primaries which are cited as an example of voter participation in choosing a presidential candidate who was heretofore always appointed by the Party.

Primary debate Aubry-Hollande

Rugby

In the world of sports, France is currently in the ban of the World Cup Rugby that is taking place in New Zealand, where France will be facing the host country’s feared All Blacks in the finals on October 23^rd. French fans are collectively holding their breath and won’t exhale until it’s all over. Stay tuned.

Pétanque

In the meantime, Marseilles has just announced that the next world championship Pétanque (also called Boules) will be held in Marseilles in October 2012. Little did I know that there was such a thing as a “world" championship for this sport, which resembles horseshoe throwing or the Italian bocce ball and is very popular in southern France. But in 2004 the French Ministry of Health and Sports declared Pétanque a “sport de haut niveau” which qualifies it for government subsidies, and since then the Fédératon Française de Pétanque has been working hard at changing the image of Boules as an old man’s hobby into one of a serious sport for all ages. No mention so far who the other contestants will be.

Pétanque championship Marseilles

Fête du Livre 2011

October is also the month for the Fête du Livre in Aix-en-Provence, where the municipal library organizes a four-day annual event that has brought numerous Nobel prize winners and other literary greats(*) to this book-loving city. This year, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes was the guest of honor, who at age 83 continues to write and add to his considerable body of work. An engaging speaker and tireless participant in three days of conferences, he was joined by about a dozen younger Latin-American writers who acknowledged a debt to Fuentes’s work. Together with Colombian Garcia Marquez and Peruvian Vargas Llosa, Fuentes was declared one of the living monuments of Latin-American literature today. How lucky we are in Aix!

(*) To read about earlier guests at the Fête du Livre, including Philip Roth and Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison, described in Taking Root in Provence, click here.

National Heritage Weekends

September 17-18 – National Heritage weekend

During the third weekend of September all French cities celebrate the “Journées du Patrimoine” when for 2 days many historic buildings that are normally closed to the public are opened for guided tours. In Paris this may include government buildings (Elysée Palace, including the Office of the President, the Palais du Luxembourg where the Senate resides, the General Assembly, Town Hall), some embassies or ambassadorial residences, theatres, libraries, or buildings of particular architectural importance both old and new. Initiated by the French Ministry of Culture in 1983, these Heritage Days have become very popular, as witnessed by the long lines that inevitably form at the designated sites, and have since been adopted in many other European countries. 

Palais du Luxembourg 

Inside Palais du Luxembourg

The Palais du Luxembourg was built by Marie de Médicis, mother of king Louis XIII, in the style of the Palazzo Pitti of her native Florence. As a direct result of the French Revolution these "private" royal properties reverted back to the State and are today accessible to the people in whose name they are used.

Marseilles, Books and Boats

Bad news this morning (9/23) for the new catamaran ferry in the VIEUX PORT of Marseilles. It appears that ever since the launch of this modern solar-powered ferryboat that connects the north bank of the Old Port to the south bank its performance as a technical wonder has been in doubt. This new ferry, baptised with a singular lack of imagination LE FERRY BOAT by the people of Marseilles, replaced the beloved old César (named after the Pagnol character) that was withdrawn in 2008 after 55 years of ferry service. When the City of Marseilles, with due pride and fanfare, introduced the new ferry in February 2010 it made sure to stress its strong points: solar-powered and non-polluting, silent and fast. The shallow-keeled catamaran would make the 293-meter crossing every 3 minutes (at some 900 feet, the shortest ferry crossing in the world) with up to 45 passengers and free of charge (despite its building cost of 1 million euros). Sounded great, but soon one problem or another would interrupt the ferry service and people started grumbling about this new-fallutin' thing in their Vieux Port. A catamaran is by definition light in weight and susceptible to gusts of wind and when the Mistral blows the Ferry Boat has a hard time keeping course even on a short crossing. It has even been known to become uncontrollable and turn around itself in mid-port during strong winds. The Mistral is here to stay, but the Ferry Boat was withdrawn from service today until a solution can be found. Reminds us of some other "only in Marseilles" stories.

     


I like to go to literary festivals and have even participated in some. They vary from well-organized fairs with some one hundred writers from different countries, to village fairs with mostly French writers and perhaps a few foreigners whose works are only sold in French. Whether the fairs are big or small, they all have conferences and meet-the-author opportunities which add much to the event.  

The village of FUVEAU near Aix organizes a fair every year in early September where a large number of French authors appear together with a few authors from another country. This year it was Spain, two years ago it was America – represented among others by Marilynne Robinson, AM Homes, and my hero Joseph Boyden. They were sitting at the American table behind piles of their books, every single one in French, which caused some confusion when French buyers who did not speak English wanted to communicate with Americans who did not speak French. These book events are very well attended, with hundreds of people visiting the stands and the interviews with selected authors, always in French but with interpreters when needed. Fuveau is a small village and this literary event is entirely run by volunteers, headed by the wife of the mayor, but writers always seem happy to come and often there is at least one celebrity among them. Nevertheless, it remains a French village when it comes to opening hours. Imagine an American book festival that opens on Saturday at 11:30AM only to close at 12:30PM for lunch; then reopens in the afternoon from 2:30 – 6:00PM. “One has to eat,” they shrug, confirming once again that food for the body and soul are equally important here.

Remember DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN? (see May blog). He came home to Paris earlier this month, and last night (9/18) he appeared on French television where he promised to “explain himself” during a prime-time interview. Not surprisingly, we learned nothing new but saw a sober-miened DSK who from the beginning insisted that what had happened in his Sofitel suite was inappropriate but had involved no violence and no force. Nevertheless, he called his behavior a moral failing and expressed remorse and regret that he had failed the French people. It was the first time he acknowledged that he had indeed planned to be a candidate for the French presidential election in 2012 where he would have been a strong Socialist opponent to incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. Though contrite and aware that any future presidential bid was out of the question, he did not rule out some political role where he could “serve the people” in the future. He also left the door open as to a possible set-up in New York. Clearly, he was down but not out. 

The TV ratings for this program were the highest ever recorded for an interview, but the French press remained cautious and skeptical in its comments. “Too rehearsed,” “Not convincing” and “Trapped?” were some of the banner headlines the next morning. Something tells me we have not heard the last from DSK.

By mid-September most tourists are gone and kids are back in school. Locals flock again to “their” beaches, and we look forward to visiting some of the hot spots along the coast, including SAINT TROPEZ, that are too crowded during the high season. The last week of September or first week of October we often attend the “Voiles de St. Tropez” – a big regatta in the bay of St. Tropez where sailboats from all over the world compete in various classes for an entire week. The boats are beautiful, the crews handsome, and the atmosphere in town festive and fun.

St. Tropez Bay

St. Tropez and its annual regatta are featured in Taking Root in Provence; click here for access.

Reminder: Do NOT buy "Taking Root in Provence" together with my earlier book "Ten Years in Provence" whatever Amazon says. "Taking Root" expands on and replaces "Ten Years". See January blog.

Dutch cops in France

Dutch police on French freeways!

During the summer season the south of France is overrun by tourists, French and foreign alike, flocking southward like migrating birds. Trains and planes are fully booked, but many vacationers take to the road and move their families to rented houses, hotels, and campgrounds throughout Provence. This massive migration always takes place on the weekends because people rent from Saturday to Saturday, and on every Saturday between early July and late August the freeways clog up with cars. Even though the roads are excellent and well maintained (paid for by tolls) the French do not have a good safety record. Speed limits are broken routinely, especially by motorcyclists who fly like bullet trains past cars and trucks, and radar does not seem to slow down the speeders for more than the time it takes to pass the road-side speed traps. Highway police do their bit but are overwhelmed, so the authorities have now come up with an unexpected strategy. They have asked the Dutch government to send in DUTCH HIGHWAY POLICE to assist the French police during heavy-traffic weekends, especially to pull over the Dutch drivers who often speak little French (and to help out the French police who speak little English). Every summer, more than 1.5 million Dutch people descend on France, often with caravans in tow, with little concern for a French speeding ticket. Nowadays, the ticket will be explained in plain Dutch, including its obligation to pay.  

Dutch police with French colleagues

After a rather hectic schedule of music and theatre in July, we enjoy the quieter month of August to visit friends who have second homes here. Sometimes they are Americans who tend to favor the Var area (incl. the Côte d’Azur), oftentimes Parisian friends who tend to congregate in the Luberon area of Provence made famous by Peter Mayle. There, in the beautiful villages of Lourmarin, Bonnieux, or Ménerbes we get away from urban Aix to find the rugged nature of the Luberon mountains and the cool thick-stoned houses with their shaded gardens and swimming pools. At less than an hour’s driving distance from Aix, this is a favorite getaway during hot summer days. We have a soft spot for the village of LOURMARIN where Albert Camus lived and is buried.

Lourmarin 

Lourmarin, like many other villages in Provence, has been described in Taking Root in Provence. For more about Village Life in this area, click here.

Summer Festivals

Beginning this month and up until the first weekend in September the French highways will have “orange, red and black weekends.” Literally thousands of vehicles back up at toll stations between Lyons and Nice in the south and around Paris and major cities in the north, when the summer arrivals and departures cross each other. These weekends are designated as orange, red and black (worst) by the Highway officials and warnings are issued via radio and television, signaling the worst backups and urging people to take secondary roads, but nothing seems to stop families from traveling by car on those weekends and enduring the hardships of heavy traffic to and from their holiday destinations.

Summer traffic

As always in July, the city of Aix is full of musicians and music lovers. It’s OPERA time! Five or six operas (depending on budgets) are presented this month, as well as several concerts conducted by the “big” guest conductor of the year – this time Sir Colin Davis and his London Symphony Orchestra. The operas run from early music (Monteverdi) to a commissioned work by a contemporary composer. We have been delighted and disappointed in equal measure by these new works, but we do like the adventure of discovery.

At this time also, the city of Avignon holds its annual THEATRE Festival with an incredible concentration of plays all squeezed into one month of performances that start at 10 in the morning and run until about 2 a.m. at night. Some 30 “official” plays take place in the evenings in the huge courtyard of the historic Papal Palace, while more than 1100 (!) shows of the “Off” festival take place in numerous other venues (theatres, cloisters, courtyards, schools) throughout the city. The joyful street scene of posters, actors in dress, theatre amateurs and merrymakers is part of the pleasures of Avignon this month, but is also a reason NOT to visit as a tourist at this time.  

Both the opera festival in Aix and the theatre festival in Avignon are featured in Taking Root in Provence. Click here.     

Art and Architecture

We discovered a very unusual new art center, still in the making. CHATEAU LA COSTE near Aix-en-Provence has long been known for making wine but has recently expanded into the world of art and architecture. You can still buy wine at the chateau, but today the premises have been expanded and embellished with new buildings by leading architects such as American Frank Gehry, Japanese Tadao Ando, and Frenchman Jean Nouvel, and a number of sculptures by artists from the US, Brazil, Ireland and elsewhere dot the hilly landscape. Further art works are planned, as well as additional buildings by Brazilian Oscar Niemeier and Italian Renzo Piano. All this in a tiny village a stone’s throw from Aix!  

Chateau La Coste

On the subject of art, it was just announced that the PICASSO CASTLE in the village of Vauvenargues, where he lived for a number of years with his last wife Jacqueline and where they are both buried, will be open to visitors again this summer. This is not a museum, and the private property belongs to Jacqueline’s only daughter who lives in Paris. At the occasion of a blockbuster show on “Cézanne and Picasso” in Aix a few years ago, the local museum director persuaded the owner to open the chateau to visitors for the summer months. It was such a success that this year the place will be opened again for an exhibit of Picasso’s etchings.

Picasso's castle

We are starting to hear the first stirrings of the upcoming Opera Festival with the artists settling in for a month of performances in July. In June, some 30 young singers who have been selected from music schools worldwide will be following Master Classes that are open to the public, and perform in open-air concerts at various venues in and around the city of Aix. These concerts start at sundown and at first the birds chirp along with the singers as if in competition until the dark calms them down. Music is indeed a universal language.

DID YOU KNOW... that a “pretzel” is a “bretzel” in French?  

Scandals and Differences

The case of DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN, accused of assaulting a hotel maid in New York, has caused a stir on both sides of the Atlantic with markedly different public reactions. In the US a rich, womanizing public figure would have little chance before a jury, while in France DSK remains a man of considerable accomplishment whose dalliances are seen as a “boys will be boys” kind of petty flaw or even as the characteristic of a great seducer. The initial shock at seeing their man in handcuffs doing a perp walk in front of the cameras of the world shocked the French and was roundly condemned as brutal and savage. “Innocent until proven guilty” means don’t show him guilty until you have proof, say the French, and sending him to Riker’s Island was meant to humiliate him and bring him down a notch to please the public and the voters. 

As the story evolves, the perception of American vs. French legal systems is becoming clearer. While a former French Minister of Justice had declared earlier that she was “glad that in France we have a different system” it is now nevertheless accepted that there is something to be admired in the equal treatment meted out in America, whether you are a VIP or a nobody. It is even admitted that in France this would not be the case, particularly for the offense that Strauss-Kahn is accused of. A certain droit de seigneur seems to have survived the ages and a “great man” would not be brought down in France for what is still generally considered a peccadillo. Boys will be boys indeed.

To be continued…

In another area, here's another difference between France and America. We had a car accident here where a distracted driver sideswiped our car, doing significant damage to two doors. A passing policeman asked if anyone was hurt and when told that was not the case, he got back on his motorbike and took off. I had hoped that he would draw up a police report for our insurance company, but it turns out that such a thing is not necessary here. Each driver is supposed to carry an accident form in his car that is filled out and signed by the parties involved in case of 'material damage only'. The insurance companies do the rest. While our car was being repaired we received a replacement car and we never saw a bill. No need for lawyers. How simple - how nice - how cost saving.

DID YOU KNOW…  that a “walkie-talkie” is a “talkie-walkie” in French?  :-)

For some unusual French/English translations in Taking Root in Provence, click here.