francofiled

Our Belfast cercle, now numbering around 100 members, has launched its new season programme. With more events than ever before it seems likely that it is set to attract many more recruits.  In fact there are 12 meetings, not counting a special event that features readings of Seamus Heaney poems in English and in French and some Extra ! offerings outside of but related to its main programme. The first of those events got underway on Wednesday 12 October at the Cercle's usual meeting place, The Dark Horse Coffee House in the heart of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.  Here's a link reporting the September meeting on the Cercle's website.  The cobbled streets around the Dark Horse form a busy area that's popular with visitors to the city.  That night was no exception and it was fun  to meet up with a large group of French-speaking Canadians out-on-the-town. Back to the programme... Whether in English, French or both languages the talks are clearly labelled. In kee...

Just subscribed to French Bouquet via the WorldBox app on VirginMedia channel 834.  It provides France 2, 3, 5 and a cartoon channel for £6.99 a month. It also carries BFMTV whose news broadcast is onscreen as I write. Not sure yet how it works for recordings if at all as it is a streaming service but will check that out. You can cancel subscription after 30 days but as the upcoming shows look great I think I'll keep using. Update Feb 2019 VirginMedia recently removed the WorldBox app so French Bouquet is no longer available on its platform. That's a pity because TV5MONDE has also withdrawn its content from both Virgin and Sky. It's still available to stream free of charge and programmes are available through catchup.

Ever had a coffee that was too hot to drink? What about one that was too hot to hold? That latter sometimes proves to be the case when we serve it in some cherished French porcelain Mazagran drinking cups. The ones pictured above are part of a set purchased as a gift way back in 1974. They were bought in Vierzon at a weekly fair at which various artisans plied their wares. I haven't been able to trace where exactly they were produced but each carries the mark "Atelier de Tabalou" and I'm wondering if they come from the Limoges area, home to other fine porcelain products. Mazagran refers to both the drinking cup and a type of coffee popular in Algeria. There's a little more detail over at this wikipedia link . One way of cooling the coffee and the cup is to place a long handled spoon in the hot liquid - it dissipates the heat. I find though that if I hold the cup at its base, holding a finger under the rim for stability it's easy enough to manage.  Ni...

From time to time letters and cards arrive from friends in France and its great to see the range of colourful stamps on various themes or commemorations. While usually I store the letters in their envelopes and reread them, from time to time I like to make a little bookmark, un signet  /  un marque-page from the stamps. If it also bears the postmark then it's also a simple reminder of the friend who sent it. And you know friends are like books; the older the nicer. À bientôt.

................ Alex ................ By Pierre LEMAITRE Translated by Frank WYNNE Maclehose Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-85705-626-9 This was a real page turner of a book from Pierre LEMAITRE, whose literary talents were recognised through the award of the Prix Goncourt for another of his works - The Great Swindle.  The book was translated from French by Frank WYNNE and published by Maclehose - the same publisher who brought us Karim Miské's Arab Jazz. Alex is the second in a series which features the superbly drawn character of a diminutive Commandant Camille Verhœven (a talented artist himself) and the equally well crafted characters of his team at the Brigade Criminelle in Paris. I've read  Alex  out of sequence but it was nonetheless a great read, recapping aspects of the previous book,  Irè ne  and anticipating the third instalment,  Camille. Look, there are no spoilers here...except to say there are twists and turns tha...

It was a first time visit to Le Pain Quotidien in Kildare Village - and I wondered why I hadn't heard of it before. Of course the initial attraction was the enticing sign in French but a quick look inside was all that was needed to step into the allure of freshly baked breads on artist palette boards and strong flavoursome  coffee served in hand-warming bowls. The concept is Belgian rather than French and I love the story of how originator, Alain Coumont's idea of a traditional bakery was eventually realised, how the name was chosen and how that very first table commune came about. You can read that story here. The place has plenty to offer the vegan diner : Bircher bowls of overnight oats (a favourite in our house), Organic Turmeric eggs with Seaweed and avocado.  For those with a sweet tooth : Raw Nut Cakes of passion fruit and beetroot and the ubiquitous salted caramel - Coupable !   Guilty! Taking up the central area was la table commune - made fr...