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The Cher comes to Belfast - Domaine Joël Delaunay wine tasting

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Having spent a year living in Vierzon, in France's Centre-Val de Loire region, I feel a strong connection to the Cher department and the Loire Valley more generally. This part of France is famed for its châteaux and its wines particularly Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc. I visited several times over the decades, but recently, the Cher came to Belfast in the persons of winemaker, Thierry Delaunay, and his wife, Marie. They brought 9 of their wines with them, to Direct Wine Shipments (DWS), for a meet the wine maker tasting, organised by DWS.  There was a large crowd of wine enthusiasts, and the air bubbled with conversations and excitement. Making our way up the stairs we each received a welcome glass of sparkling wine at the top before a member of staff assigned everyone to their place in the tasting room. I had gone on my own but soon our table was a buzz of conviviality, fellow tasters swapping names and sharing wine adventures. A handbell sounded out, and commanded attention....
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A vintage Type H Citroën van - Found in Belfast

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Out for a walk today I came upon my latest French discovery - a repurposed vintage Citroën Type H commercial van.  Love it! Painted blue with white bumpers, all that was missing was a splash of red upfront to confirm its distinctive Frenchness. The branded chevrons at the front weren't immediately obvious but that corrugated metal surround is a distinctive feature.   I'm sure that you, too, will have seen similar vans while out and about. Since they stopped being manufactured in 1981 restored and converted versions pop-up in loads of places these days pressed into new life as coffee docks in parks, drinks outlets at events and even catering outlets along roadsides. Built for commercial use, those grab handles and footplates to help the driver climb into the cab are surely as practical now as they ever have been. I wonder when importing them became a thing.  The "plaque de l'immatriculation" - the licence plate for the vehicle includes the number 49 at the end.  ...
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Cercle français de Belfast. Annual Dinner 2025

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  Our Cercle français is bringing a taste of Lyon to Belfast later this month.  The special menu has been created by the Culinary Arts team at The Academy Restaurant of Ulster University and in previous years our dining experience there has been simply excellent.  Looking forward to this.
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Sevrage ? Withdrawal symptoms?

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  Feeling withdrawal symptoms after the Paris Olympics?  I'm feeling them too. So I went in search of this old purchase. An Astérix published in 1968 to coincide with the Mexico City Olympics.  Good fun!
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Bonne fête nationale 2024

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  Liber tie , Égali tie , Fraterni tie It's the day for it!  Bonne fête nationale !
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Idiomatic wine labels

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Browsing the wine section at my local supermarket, I suddenly stopped as I found it interesting to come across these bottles with French idioms on their labels.  Varietals / Grape Varieties More about their meanings below, meantime the varietal names, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are by now so well known to wine consumers that they need no further explanation.  If it were a competition varietals would win among local consumers. In many establishments that's all that is offered.  However, most of the wine in France is bottled with regional or estate names and may not immediately recommend themselves to those who select their wine according to grape variety - Chablis, for example is a Chardonnay.   We're getting there but it may take a while longer until outlets and the wine consuming public develop greater confidence with LaBel(le)France  And that's why these labels are such a good idea.  They create  a splash of fun with the language and...
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Françoise HARDY - 12 juin 2024

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  Françoise HARDY has left us at the age of 80.  Time then to revisit her reflective 2018 album, Personne d'Autre.  The sleeve notes record: "Pour des tas de raisons raisonnables, je n'envisageais pas de refaire un album".   So pleased that she did make it thanks to conversations between her and producer Erick BENZI.    The last track of the album, Un mal qui fait du bien was co-written in September 2017 with Thierry STREMLER.  The final couplet roughly translates as "I stop there, I hold back; neither last word nor final word..." It says:  "j'arrête là,  je me retiens ; ni dernier mot ni mot de la fin..."
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